Namibia Tented Camp Tour

Windhoek

Arrival at the Windhoek International Airport. Here you will be met by your personal Guide/Driver for your Namibian Safari. Your guide will welcome you and assist with your luggage before you proceed to Windhoek, the Capital of Namibia.

Situated in Central Namibia, the cosmopolitan city of Windhoek serves as the capital of the country. It is home to an international airport and a plethora of restaurants, shops, entertainment venues and accommodation options. The city is clean, safe and well-organised, with a colonial legacy that is reflected in its many German eateries and shops, and the widespread use of the German language. Windhoek has an interesting mix of historical architecture and modern buildings, many of which are worth a look, including the Alte Feste an old fort, the 1896 Christuskirche Christ Church, and the more contemporary Supreme Court.

Arrival and check-in at the Hotel.

Thereafter enjoy an afternoon tour through the City of Windhoek.

Overnight and Breakfast at Urban Camp

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Windhoek to Intu Afrika Kalahari Game Reserve

After a hearty breakfast, you will travel south through the Auas Mountains via Rehoboth and Kalkrand to your accommodation.

Like so many towns in Namibia, Rehoboth was built around a mission station. It was founded in 1844 by Heinrich Kleinschmidt and abandoned in 1864. When the Basters settled here in 1870 the mission was reopened. The Rehoboth Basters are a crossbreed of the relations between Boers from the Cape Province and Nama women.

They moved from the Cape Province to the Orange River in the 19th century.

You continue your journey into the Kalahari.

The Kalahari Desert forms a large part of eastern Namibia and stretches about 500km from north to south.

Because of its porous and sandy soil, which does not allow water absorption, the Kalahari is commonly called a desert. But in reality, it is a very busy wilderness and huge herds of antelopes and other animals graze on its sparsely vegetated grass plains.

Dinner, Overnight, and Breakfast at the Suricate Tented Lodge

Travel distance: 260.1 km

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Intu Afrika Kalahari Game Reserve to Sossusvlei

Today you journey to the Namib Desert. After breakfast, you leave the Kalahari Desert and drive via Maltahöhe towards Sesriem.

On the way, the beautiful landscapes give us an idea of what to expect. The unbelievable vastness of the Namib Desert with isolated inselbergs and dune landscapes. Long and narrow, the Namib stretches over 1900 km from the South African Cape Province up to Angola. It is considered one of the oldest deserts on earth. Two year-round water-bearing rivers cut through the Namib. The Kunene forms the northern border and the Orange River the southern border of Namibia. In the driest areas, it extends up to 200 km inland. Perched above the plains of the Namib Desert and tucked away in the rocky Aus Mountains, the small village of Aus is located in the ǁKaras Region in southern Namibia.

The arid surrounding landscape is known for its unique botanical diversity. Aus serves as an excellent base from which to explore the area and to view the main attraction: the feral horses of the Namib Desert, which run wild and free in the sparsely vegetated plains.

Catch a glimpse of these wild desert-adapted creatures at the water trough at Garub just twenty kilometers away from the village. Visitors can explore the Succulent Karoo with a visit to the beautiful Gondwana Sperrgebiet Rand Park, home to the most biodiverse desert in the world, and take a scenic hike to discover fascinating indigenous fauna and flora. Don’t miss the opportunity to camp under the clear Namibian night sky and view the vast desert landscape on horseback.

Overnight and Breakfast at Namib Desert Camping2Go

Travel distance: 355.5 km

• Included: Sundowner Dune Drive

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Sossusvlei

Today, you have an early departure to Sossusvlei and the opportunity to climb one of the world’s highest sand dunes. The unique colour example of the dune landscape will inarguably impress you, and you will undoubtedly be able to take beautiful photographs here.

Sossusvlei is a dune wonderland, with towering dunes up to 300m high encircling a massive dried-up pan. Dunes stretch as far as the eye can see, with rich hues ranging from pale apricot to vivid reds and oranges. The Tsauchab River flows into the pan during a good rainy season, creating a haven for water birds. Oryx, springbok, and ostriches can be seen feeding on the sparse vegetation along the watercourses even during the dry season.

This is the Vlei itself, where at the moment the waters of the Tsauchab River are disappearing into the red sand of the Namib.

Before leaving the dunes, you hike through the Sesriem Canyon. The Sesriem Canyon, a deep ravine, is an impressive natural feature of the area that is best explored on foot. The canyon’s name means “six belts” because early settlers used it as a source of water, drawing water with six lengths of leather. It’s where centuries of erosion have carved a 1 km-long narrow gorge. Deep pools of water at the bottom of the gorge, which drops 30m to 40m, are replenished after heavy rains.

Return to your lodge and enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your leisure.

Overnight and Breakfast at Namib Desert Camping2Go

• Included: Entrance fee into National Park

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Sossusvlei to Walvis Bay

After breakfast, drive through the Namib Desert’s endless boulders, passing through Solitaire, the Gaub Pass, and the Kuiseb Pass, until you arrive in Walvis Bay.

Solitaire derives its name from two meanings: one refers to a single solitaire diamond, and the other refers to the area’s solitude or loneliness. The two meanings combined to form the definition of a distinct, valuable, and solitary location. The small settlement in the middle of the Namib Desert has a gas station, post office, general dealer, and a restaurant/bar known for its delicious apple pie. It’s the ideal place to stop on the way between Sesriem and Sossusvlei and Swakopmund or Windhoek.

Walvis Bay is Namibia’s main harbour town, and it is quickly becoming a popular destination for spending a holiday at the coast. Attractions include the lagoon, which has a thriving birdlife, with an estimated 80 000 wading birds, including flamingos and rare white pelicans. On March 1, 1994, the Republic of Namibia incorporated Walvis Bay and the offshore islands, a former South African enclave. The town has a well-developed and efficient port, and its fishing harbour serves as the focal point of Namibia’s rapidly growing fishing industry..

Drive to Swakopmund from there. The road to Swakopmund follows a coastal road, with the sea on the left and dunes that almost reach the sea on the right.

Arrive in Swakopmund in the late afternoon and check into your hotel.

Overnight and Breakfast at the Bayview Resort Hotel

Travel distance: 280.4 km

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Walvis Bay

Namibians adore Swakopmund as a welcome respite from the inland heat. It is also popular amongst visitors due to its old-world charm and relaxed atmosphere. It was founded in 1892 during the German colonial period and served as the territory’s main harbour for many years. The distinct German colonial character has been well preserved, and many of the old buildings now serve a practical purpose. The Woermann House (1905) is now a gallery. Previously, the Woermann Tower was used to monitor ships entering the harbour. Other historic buildings worth seeing include “Die Alte Kaserne,” “Hohenzollern Haus,” and the Railway Station Building.

This idyllic town, also known as Namibia’s playground, is nestled between the Namib Desert and the frigid Atlantic Ocean.

The day can be spend at leisure. You can participate in one of the many activities available in and around Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, or you can explore the city on your own, such as strolling through the woodcarving market or simply strolling along the beach and enjoying a cup of coffee right on the beach.

Overnight and Breakfast at the Bayview Resort Hotel

Included: Levo Dolphin & Seal Tour

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Walvis Bay to Palmwag

After breakfast and drive via Hentiesbaai and Uis to Damaraland. Arrive around noon, where you can rest at the lodge and escape from the midday heat.

This vast desert landscape is known as one of the most beautiful regions in Namibia. Huge, untamed and ruggedly beautiful, Damaraland is an exceptionally scenic landscape featuring open plains, ancient valleys and spectacular rock formations. The major attractions are the sacred Spitzkoppe, the Brandberg, Twyfelfontein, Vingerklip and the otherworldly Petrified Forest. Visitors can take in the dramatic vistas, catch a glimpse of the rare desert-adapted elephant, and enjoy spectacular stargazing in crystal-clear night skies from one of the many safari camps dotting Damaraland. Other popular activities include: guided drives, nature walks and visiting the local communities. Don’t miss the opportunity to view the Damaraland’s world-famous ancient rock art.

Included: Twyfelfontein

Set in the Kunene Region of northwestern Namibia, Twylfelfontein is a spectacularly scenic area, featuring one of the largest and most important concentrations of rock art in Africa. The name ‘Twyfelfontein’ translates to ‘Fountain of Doubt’, which refers to the perennial spring situated in the impressive Huab valley flanked by the slopes of a sandstone table mountain. It was this spring that attracted Stone Age hunters over six thousand years ago, and it was during this time that the extensive group of rock engravings and paintings were produced. Visitors can look forward to basing themselves at some wonderfully shady campsites along the Aba-Huab riverbed, while exploring over thirty different sites of these sacred records of ritual practices relating to traditional hunter-gatherer communities.

Included: Petrified Forest

Situated approximately 50 kilometers west of the town of Khorixas, in an area of open veld, lies a large deposit of massive tree trunks that have “turned to stone” through a process of diagenesis. These petrified tree trunks are up to 34metres long, 6 metres in circumference and are approximately 260 million years old. Due to the lack of root or branch remains, it’s believed that the trees were washed down an ancient river to the site in a massive flood.

Included: Organ Pipes

The Organ Pipes are located near Twyfelfontein and a few kilometres to the Burnt Mountain in Damaraland, Namibia. It is a 100m long feature of unusual dolomite columns these rocks were formed by volcanic activity and after erosion, the rocks have remained in the form of organ pipes.

Overnight and Breakfast at Palmwag Camping2Go

Travel distance: 457.9 km

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Palmwag to Etosha South

After breakfast drive via Outjo towards Etosha National Park.

Located in a cluster of low hills is the town of Outjo, the southern gateway to the Etosha National Park.  The town developed around a spring where a trader, Tom Lambert, settled in 1880.  Depicted in the Outjo Museum are the history of the town and its surroundings, with a focus on gemstones and wildlife.

In the afternoon you can book an optional game drive into Etosha National Park.

Enjoy the African idyll of the camp in the evening at the fire.

Overnight and Breakfast at Etosha Safari Camping2Go

Travel distance: 288.9 km

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Etosha South

Rise Early, then you drive to Etosha National Park. Full-day game drives and game viewing in Etosha National Park.

Etosha National Park in northern Namibia is one of the most beautiful nature reserves in Africa. Already in 1907, Governor von Lindequist had declared Etosha a nature reserve on an area five times larger than today’s national park is. The current size of Etosha National Park is 22 270 square kilometers. The national park is home to large herds of springbok, impala, zebra, and wildebeest, as well as elephant, giraffe, lion, leopard, cheetah and black rhino, and several species of birds and various reptiles.

Return to the camp in the late afternoon.

Overnight and Breakfast at Etosha Safari Camping2Go

• Included: Entrance fee into National Park

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Etosha South to Okahandja

Have a leisurely breakfast, then you have a long drive towards Okahandja. Drive via Outjo, Otjiwarongo and Okahandja.

Otjiwarongo belonged to the grazing area of the Herero. Otjiwarongo opened a Rhenish mission station in 1891 with the consent of the Herero chief Kambazembi. April 1906 was the inauguration day of the railroad station and is still considered the official foundation day of Otjiwarongo. The railroad line was built to transport copper from Tsumeb to Swakopmund.

A post office consisting of a tent was opened in 1906. A year later, a proper post office building was moved into. In the same year a police station was established and in 1939 Otjiwarongo received the status of a municipality.

Directly north of Windhoek lies Okahandja, a town of great significance to the Herero because it was the seat of Chief Samuel Maharero. Every year in August thousands of Hereros gathers here for a pilgrimage to pay homage at the graves of their great chiefs. Okahandja is an important center for woodcarvers from the north.

Overnight and Breakfast at The Okahandja Country Hotel

Travel distance: 331.4 km

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Departure

Time to pack your bags. The day is at your disposal until the airport transfer. Farewell to the tour guide. We wish you a good flight home.

Travel distance: 119.0 km