Namibia - Family Self-Drive Adventure

Fly London to Johannesburg

Drive from Windhoek to Okonjima Nature Reserve

The journey is just over 200 kilometres and should take around three hours.

Located midway between Windhoek and Etosha National Park, the Okonjima Nature Reserve was established as a protected area in which orphaned cats can be rehabilitated. Entirely fenced and covering a vast area of wild savannah, this important reserve is home to leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena and wild dog.

Founded by AfriCat, Okonjima is part of greater conservation project in which the rehabilitated carnivores roam freely. Radio-tracking, health checks and research gathering are all part of a concerted effort to learn more about these threatened species.

Track Big Cats with AfriCat
Track cheetahs or leopards alongside AfriCat's experts. Set out on foot or in a 4x4, depending on which carnivores are known to be in the area. The big cats within the reserve have all been fitted with radio collars, allowing them to be closely monitored and Researchers record their welfare, condition and hunting successes.

AfriCat's large carnivore rehabilitation programme was initiated in 2000 to return captive cheetahs to their natural environment. Since then, the project has expanded and accelerated, with the ultimate aim of returning more large carnivores to the wild.

In 2010, four wild dogs were released by AfriCat into the reserve. The release has been a success and the pack is now hunting and taking down adult prey.

Optional Nocturnal Hide Excursion
After dinner, have the chance to join the AfriCat team in a nocturnal hide. Spot some of Namibia's night-time game, such as porcupines, honey badgers and caracals.

You will be staying at Okonjima Plains Camp, Half board

Explore Etosha National Park
Spend time exploring this vast area of wilderness, in search of numerous species of mammals and birds. The dry Etosha salt pan occupies the northern reaches of the park, with the southern landscape covered by dry grasslands and mopane woodland.

Waterholes dot the park, offering excellent vantage points for spotting thirsty game. Endangered black rhinos are found here, as well as lions, leopards, giraffes, elephants, plains game and ostriches.

You will be staying at Andersson's Camp, Half board

Drive from Etosha to Damaraland

The drive from Etosha to Damaraland takes around three hours. However, the beautiful vistas, colourful rock formations and friendly local people provide many distractions en route.

Activities at Camp Kipwe
Take advantage of the activities on offer at Camp Kipwe, which is positioned amidst the impressive Damaraland landscape. Set out on a game drive in search of the region's elusive desert-adapted elephants. These impressive creatures thrive in incredibly harsh conditions. Whilst searching, look out for antelopes, ostriches and other animals.

Also take guided excursions to visit the surrounding attractions. These include the red, black and purple slopes of Burnt Mountain, the rust-coloured dolomite columns of the Organ Pipes and the ancient petroglyphs of Twyfelfontein. The last of these is a world-renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to the largest concentration of ancient rock engravings in Africa. Inhabited for 6,000 years Twyfelfontein is littered with rock carvings and rock paintings.

Situated near the rugged Skeleton Coast, Damaraland is scenically magnificent with vast desert landscapes, granite kopjes, deep gorges and open plains. Colourful rock formations brighten this desolate landscape, contrasting wonderfully with deep-blue Namibian skies.

The region is famed for the ancient petroglyphs of Twyfelfontein, created by the predecessors of the Namibian Bushmen, as well as the nearby petrified forests. Desert-adapted elephants roam Damaraland, surviving in the harshest conditions, whilst populations of wild black rhinos can be found in the Palmwag Reserve and the environs of the remote Ugab River valley.

You will be staying at Camp Kipwe, All inclusive

Drive from Camp Kipwe to Swakopmund

Leave the rugged hills and harsh landscapes of Damaraland behind for sands of the Skeleton Coast. Drive past the impressive Mount Brandberg, before dropping down to the Atlantic Ocean. The journey will take around four hours.

Swakopmund resembles a small, German coastal resort nestled between the desert and the sea. It boasts a charming combination of German colonial architecture blended with modern hotels, shops, restaurants, museums, craft centres, galleries and cafés.

Swakopmund had its beginnings as a landing station in 1892 when the German Imperial Navy erected beacons on the site. Settlers followed and made attempts to create a harbour town by constructing a concrete Mole and then an iron jetty - which attempts were ultimately unsuccessful. The advent of World War one halted developments, and the town sank into decline until half a century later when infrastructure improved and an asphalt road opened between Windhoek and Swakopmund. This made reaching the previously isolated town quicker and easier and it prospered once again to become Namibia's premier resort town.

Although the sea is normally cold for swimming there are pleasant beaches and the cooler climate is refreshing after time spent in the desert.

Activities in Swakopmund
The town is a great base for exploring the surrounding area. Optional activities include camel rides, scenic flights, quad-biking in the dunes and sky diving (all at extra cost). Alternatively, visit the dramatic lunar landscape, dotted with bizarre Welwitschia plants, that begins just a few kilometres outside of Swakopmund.

You will be staying at Cornerstone Guesthouse, Bed & Breakfast

Drive from Swakopmund to Sossusvlei

Head inland, bisecting the hilly desert landscape of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The journey last around five hours on gravel roads.

In the heart of the Namib-Naukluft Park, surrounded by a sea of ever changing dunes lies Sossusvlei - a place of awe inspiring beauty and home to some pretty spectacular scenery. Burnt orange dunes tower into the vast blue sky, some 300 metres above the desert floor. It's hard not to be moved by this desolate wilderness.


Scenic air and hot air balloon flights, sunset game drives, hiking trips, horseback trails and more await; and for those with added sense of adventure, climbing the dunes is an unforgettable experience.

You will be staying at Kulala Desert Lodge, Bed & Breakfast

Drive from Sossusvlei to Windhoek

The journey takes approximately five hours.

Fly Windhoek to Johannesburg

Fly Johannesburg to London overnight