Namibia Highlights Journey

Day 1

Arrival at Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport – Windhoek
Time to collect your hire car and start your adventure!

Windhoek - Sossusvlei

Enjoy the dramatic Namibian landscapes as you drive to the desert area of Sesriem, gateway to Namib-Naukluft National Park. Settle in to your desert camp for the night.  Relax whilst you enjoy a cool drink, watching the stunning sunset over the desertscape.

Enjoy postcard perfect desert scenery around Sesriem and Sossusvlei - vast desertscapes of reds and orange, stark camel thorn trees as well as towering dunes with dramatic curved ridges. Also keep an eye out for the surprising amount of wildlife that call this area home such as oryx, springbok, jackal, ground squirrel as well as hyena.

Sossusvlei

Embark on a scenic excursion into the national park to explore the Namib Desert. Visit Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, clay pans covered in a crust of salt-rich sand surrounded by burnt orange and red towering dunes; considered one of the most stunning desert landscapes in Africa. After visit Sesriem Canyon, a natural gorge carved out by the Tsauchab River.

We suggest, the following Namib desert stops:

Sesriem Canyon Visit.  Enjoy a short stop at Sesriem Canyon, a small canyon typical of the area. The Tsauchab River flows through the canyon every five to ten years, and this also creates the nearby salt and clay pan of Sossusvlei.
Sossusvlei Dunes Visit.  This area is famous for its high, red sand dunes. This clay and salt pan is surrounded by the dunes, making it a spectacularly beautiful sight with a remote and isolated feel.

Swakopmund

Continue through changing desert landscapes, keeping an eye out for free-roaming zebra, kudu, springbok as well as oryx. Stop in the quirky town of Solitaire for a break before heading out into the countryside. Here we meet a local to this remote region who takes us on a drive and talks about the survival strategies of ancient and modern Bushmen who live in the area. We also search out the smaller animal life who manage to survive in these harsh conditions such as snakes, geckos, spiders and insects and learn how they have adapted to this arid region. After, continue to Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast.

We suggest:

A Living Desert Tour from Swakopmund:
Hop into a 4x4 vehicle and set out into the desert. An expert guide will point out signs of animal life and also emphasize survival in the harsh desert landscape for both humans and animals.
Opt to go quad biking or sandboarding or just take a walk in town.   Visit the township of Mondesa with a local guide. Visit the lively local market for an introduction to traditional food including Wild Spinach, Mopane worms as well as dried Kapenta Fish. Also visit an art and craft shop, the shebeen (Tavern).

Swakopmund - Twyfelfontein

Continue on to Twyfelfontein where we visit the ancient petroglyphs which were named Namibia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site is thought to hold the largest concentrations of Bushman engravings in Africa, with over 2500 figures, ranging from 2000-5000 years old.

Etosha National Park

After the vast desert, Etosha National Park, offers a contrast of wide open grasslands, a massive pan that covers 4731km² and tall camel thorn trees, intermixed with Mopani trees.  Combined with the vast amount of natural waterholes with this diverse vegetation, wildlife flock to the park.  Some of the largest elephants in Africa, are found in areas of thicker vegetation.  Here are also leopard, as well as the critically endangered black rhino.  Lions, giraffe, ostrich, as well as herd animals are in the grasslands.  Birders, will love the salt pans, as these attract flamingos, in the rainy season.

Etosha National Park - Windhoek

We suggest you the Cheetah Conservation Fund, a global field research and education facility.  Tour the facility to learn about the important research, conservation, as well as community outreach work they do as one of the world’s leading organisations dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild.  Meet with a researcher for a lecture to learn about the various projects in the works, then enjoy a cheetah drive to view some of these amazing creatures up close.

Day 9

Continue on to Windhoek at the end of your 8 night journey.

Terms and Conditions

• Accommodation is per person sharing, unless otherwise specified


• Errors and omissions in this offer are excepted


• Subject to IGO Travel's general Conditions of Business


• Excludes high season/school holidays, block out dates may apply


• A surcharge applies for peak season.