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Gravel road and beautiful landscape in Namibia

16 Nights:
Wonders of Namibia: Self Drive

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The 16 Night Wonders Of Namibia is a comprehensive self-drive itinerary that allows you to experience Namibia in-depth in its entirety. This itinerary is diverse and unlocks the  sense of freedom and exploration you can only get by getting behind the wheel and travelling on Namibia's long and scenic desert roads.

 

The highlights on the Wonders Of Namibia are numerous; from the world’s largest sand mass in the Kalahari Desert to the second-largest canyon on earth. Get drawn back in time by visiting the ghost town of Kolmanskuppe and let yourself be captivated by the surreal dunes at Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei. Discover UNESCO and World Heritage sites and the ancient San and Damara cultures. Encounter the rich and diverse wildlife of the Etosha National Park.

HIGHLIGHTS

Climb the sand dunes of Sossusvlei

Search for wildlife in Etosha National Park

View the worlds 2nd largest canyon - Fish River Canyon

INCLUSIONS

  • 16 nights accommodation

  • Meals as indicated

  • Deluxe Travel Planner

  • 17 Days Car Hire - Nissan X Trail(4x2)

Price from AUD$5,759 per person. Twin Share

* The same itinerary can be done using classic standard of accommodation - Starting from AUD$2,889 per person.

DAY 1 

WINDHOEK

On arrival at Windhoek international airport, you will be greeted by a local Namibia representative who will provide you with detailed documentation, including driving maps. This is your chance to  ask any last minute questions you might have including up-to-date information about road and  driving conditions. Pick up your vehicle and proceed via mountainous terrain to Windhoek, Namibia's capital city, which has an Afro-European flair and peaceful atmosphere. 

Overnight in Windhoek, and get a early night sleep as tomorrow the adventures start.

Accommodation:  Am Weinberg Hotel

Meals:  n/a

KALAHARI DESERT

Travelling south after breakfast, you will soon see the red sand of the Kalahari interspersed with yellow grasses, shepherd’s trees and acacia’s. Your lodge is situated on a private game reserve where Oryx, Springbok, Zebra, and a variety of smaller game species abound. In the late afternoon, experience the Kalahari and its symbiotic components on a sundowner/nature drive (optional). 

Accommodation:  Intu Africa Zebra Lodge 

Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

DAY 2 

DAY
3 & 4 

FISH RIVER CANYON

This morning you travel further south into endless plains dotted with dolerite hills and desert-adapted vegetation. Visit the quiver tree forest at Keetmanshoop, before arriving at your lodge, situated close to the Fish River Canyon. 

 

On Day four, start with an early breakfast and drive a short distance to the magnificent Fish River Canyon. Enjoy this natural phenomenon, the second largest of its kind on Earth. The canyon is located in the Ai-Ais National park and offers some of Southern Africa's most popular hiking trails. 

Accommodation:  Canyon Lodge 

Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

LÜDERITZ

Your journey continues past Aus and down the open plains of the Great Escarpment to Lüderitz. En route, see if you can spot the wild horses of the Namib, and, once in Lüderitz, enjoy a scenic drive to Diaz Point, the site of Bartholomew Dias' landing in 1488. Luderitz is a colonial relic scarcely touched by the influence of the 21st century. The town still resembles a Bavarian village, and its german history is most evident in the architecture and food. What is fascinating about Lüderitz is that it feels stuck in a time warp. A place that is both charming but also representing failed venture. It makes for a fascinating stop. 

Accommodation:  Lüderitz Nest Hotel 

Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

DAY 5 

DAY 6 

TIRAS MOUNTAINS

This morning visit the “ghost town” Kolmanskop, the remnant of a bustling diamond town that flourished here from 1908 to 1950. The main sight at Kolmanskop is the abandoned buildings that are slowly being reclaimed by the sand. 

 

After exploring Kolmanskop continue travelling north, your next stop is situated in a more densely vegetated area along the foot of the stunning Tiras Mountains.

 

Accommodation:  Kanaan Desert Lodge

Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

SOSSUSVLEI

After breakfast, travel along stretches of grass plains interspersed with huge mountain ranges into the area of Sossusvlei, where your accommodation is situated. The rest of the day at your lodge is at leisure. Night time at Sossusvlei is special and the area is so remote and untouched by light pollution that it is a designated 'International Dark Sky Reserve' and one of the best places in the world to be humbled by a night sky with thousands of visible stars and a glowing milky way.

  

Day 8 calls for an early rise, as you will forever remember the picture of a sunrise over mighty dunes in the Namib Desert. After taking a walk along or even up some of the majestic dunes, travel back to your lodge. Stop at the Sesriem Canyon; a 30-meter deep gauge eroded into the desert floor by the forces of the mighty Tsauchab River.

 

Accommodation:  Sossusvlei Lodge

Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

DAY
7 & 8 

SWAKOPMUND

After breakfast, travel through two rugged passes via the Welwitschia plains and the Moon landscape to Swakopmund. Better known as Namibia’s playground, this idyllic town is wedged between the sweltering Namib Desert and the cold Atlantic Ocean and enjoys a distinct German architecture and atmosphere. Swakopmund has numerous activities to offer.

Thrill seekers can venture to the Namib Desert to experience several activities, including sandboarding, quad biking through the dunes, or skydiving. If adrenaline-fuelled activities are not for you, there are still plenty of activities, from catamaran cruises, living desert tours or kayaking out to seal colonies. For total relaxation, soak up some sun at the beach, enjoy fantastic cuisine and craft beer or visit the traditional craft markets for some shopping.

 

Accommodation:  Strand Hotel

Meals:  Breakfast

 DAY
9 & 10 

DAY 11 

ERONGO REGION

Depart from Swakopmund and travel east towards the beautiful Erongo Mountain Range. Travelling past the Spitzkoppe, you have the opportunity of visiting an authentic village of the San community living here. At the lodge, you have enough time to spend at leisure beside the sparkling pool or explore the small town of Omaruru and its surrounds. Experience the magical sunset around a fireplace and marvel at the African sky while sipping your favourite Namibian Sundowner.

Accommodation:  Spitzkoppen Lodge

Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

DAMARALAND

After breakfast, continue into the Damaraland where you can visit Twyfelfontein, a World Heritage Site and an “open-air art gallery” that boasts over 2500 different Bushman rock engravings and rock paintings. Damaraland is a breathtaking semi-arid mountainous region home to a fascinating array of desert-adapted wildlife such as elephants, rhinos, and lions. The area is best described as a mix of a geological wonderland and a living testament to nature's adaptive power and timelessness

 

After your time at Twyfelfontein continue to the Petrified Forest where pre-historic tree trunks jut out between patches of Welwitschia plants.

Accommodation:  Mowani Mountain Lodge

Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

DAY 12

DAY 13 

ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

After a relaxed breakfast, travel further north to the Etosha National Park.  

 

Etosha is one of Africa's premier wildlife viewing destinations and home to an array of 114 different animals and 340 bird species that thrive here. Enjoy afternoon sundowner drinks overlooking a magnificent waterhole that attracts wildlife coming to drink.

Accommodation:  Etosha Oberland 

Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

Spend the next two days driving though Etosha looking for wildlife. Spanning 22,000 square kilometres, the national park is two-thirds the size of Belgium and has plenty of secret spots to discover. A central feature of the park is the Etosha pan which is a vast salt-encrusted lake bed that sits squarely in the middle of the park and is worthy photo stop. Etosha National Park is one of the best places left on the continent to encounter highly-endangered black rhinos.

Accommodation:  Mushara Bush Camp

Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

DAY
14 - 15

DAY 16

CENTRAL PLAINS

Departing Etosha National Park travel south through the main agricultural and cattle farming region of Namibia. In Tsumeb, you can visit the local museum depicting the mining history of this town as well as a few artefacts from the surrounding area representing the colonial past of this region. If you leave Etosha early enough you will arrive at Okonjima with enough time to explore the diverse wildlife on an optional guided nature drive or numerous scenic walking trails.

Accommodation:  Okonjima Plains Camp

Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

DEPARTURE

Travel south towards Windhoek. After strolling through one of the large craft markets in Okahandja, your route takes you between high mountain ranges back to the capital city, Windhoek, where your itinerary ends. 

Meals:  Breakfast

DAY 17

EXPLORE OTHER SAFARIS

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