1) We will depart either from Windhoek or straight from the airport and drive through the Kalahari Desert. A lovely landscape with red dunes vegetated with acacias. We drive on back roads known only by the locals. After a picnic we shall arrive at the Bagatelle Kalahari Ranch, giving you time to relax after your long flight. We will have a sun downer on a red Kalahari Dune.

2) From here we will drive westwards to the Namib desert. From the great escarpment we will have a lovely mountainous scenery with mainly granite outcrops. We will reside at the Sossusvlei Lodge. In the late afternoon we will visit Sesriem canyon and take a walk in the environ. For dinner a luxurious buffet will be served under the stars.

3) This morning we will get up well before sunrise as we want to leave early so that we will can experience the right light in the dunes. Only in the early hours of the morning you can see all the lovely hues of red and orange which create a stark contrast to the dark shady side of the dunes . I will take you on a walk on the wild side, to “Raini’s Vlei”, a pan that is used only by me and my clients, you will get the rare opportunity to experience the desert in all the tranquillity, you can truly get away from people. Meanwhile, ALL the other people in the area flock down to the same place which is crowded and not peaceful at all. In the afternoon we will continue Camp Gecko, a basic tented camp with en-suite facilities which is nice and quiet. There are only 6 tents and lots of space, you will truly enjoy the dead silence of the desert. From the Lapa up on a hill we enjoy a lovely view into wide open spaces and endless landscape.

4) From here we will drive through the Kuiseb canyon and the Namib desert proper, here the emptiness stretches to the horizon. We will take a look at the lagoon in Walvis Bay where we can see Flamingo and lots of other sea birds. Then we will drive on to Swakopmund where you will spend 2 nights in a B&B Hotel.

5) Swakopmund is a quaint little town and there are lots of things to do, you will not be bored. There is a big variety of Restaurants where you can choose from fresh seafood to prime Namibian beef or venison. The choice is yours; meals are not included in towns.

6) We leave Swakopmund, and its back through the Namib with its great vistas up to the horizon which is always tens of miles away, in the transit area from the desert there are many mountains and so many different geological formations. Our destination is Palmwag Lodge and it is surrounded by reddish lava stone from the Etendeka formation. In the late afternoon I will take you for a walk up the nearest hill, I will tell you about the Fauna and Flora, here the fact of survival is an art in it self . We also have the chance to see the rare desert adapted elephants. At night they wander through the campsite if they are in the area. That’s a very nice experience on a camping trip, but definitely not for the faint of heart.

7) From here we will travel north, visit the Ongongo falls, a crystal clear rock pool. What a welcome surprise in this otherwise dry and hot landscape. We will take a bath, so do bring your swimming costume. Then its on to Opuwo , the capital of the nomadic Himba tribesmen. We will sleep over at the Opuwo Country Hotel which only opened its doors in 2005. It is situated on top of a mountain with a fantastic view into the vast African wilderness. Down below you can see and hear the Himba in one of their homesteads.

8) In Opuwo we will purchase some gifts before we set out on our quest to meet the Himba. We will meet these tribesmen in their traditional dress along the road. I will make contact with them and bargain out a deal so that you can take your memorable pictures, but please remember: it’s not a zoo. The main objective is to see them and learn about their lifestyle and tradition and beliefs. We will spend the night at the Kunene River Lodge on the Kunene River right across Angola. Its safe , the war is over and there are no people living on the other side of the river.

9) We will follow the Kunene upstream and we will see some more Himba along the road, all the way up to the Ruacana Falls. They are dry because all the water has to pass through a hydro electric power plant. From here we will travel on good tarmac roads through the most populated area of Namibia, the traditional farming area of the Vambo tribespeople. It’s all very rural and typical African, lots of animals and people next to the road. The countryside is very flat but the different vegetation zones make up for it. One region is full of giant Baobabs between the Makalani Palms and or Mopane trees. This is a nice excursion through the traditional to modern black Africa. Late afternoon we will enter Etosha national Park from the north and will see plenty of animals before we put our heads down in Namutoni Rest camp, an old fort from the German colonial times.

10) We will go on game drives all day; we will visit the different waterholes which Etosha is world famous for. Water is very sparse in Namibia this is the reason the animals do come down to the waterholes on a regular basis to quench their thirst. We will spend another night in one of Etosha’s Rest camps.

11) Tonight we shall stay over at Okaukuejo. This Camp has a lovely waterhole right next to the camp which is frequented by the rare endangered black rhino. But also herds of elephants and all sorts of antelope do come down to drink.

12) After a last early game drive in search of predators we will leave Etosha and drive through commercial farmland past Outjo and Otjiwarongo to the Waterberg plateau Park . We will go for a walk up the mountain in the late afternoon. Sitting on the mountain top, we will enjoy the stunning view over the Kalahari plain, and let the impressions of the holidays sink in as we reminiscence about the tour.

13) To day it’s all the way back to Windhoek and the end of our tour. You will have time to explore the town. Dinner is on your own account in one of the many restaurants in Windhoek.

14) I will take you to the airport if you have an early departure. We will say goodbye until the next tour with Namib Enviro Tours CC.

Are you tempted? Then let's start planning!