Namibia

Namibia by 4x4 in a Small Group: Etosha, Desert Elephants and Sossusvlei

Eight travellers at most per vehicle and two and a half days of safari in Etosha

Namibia

Namibia by 4x4 in a Small Group: Etosha, Desert Elephants and Sossusvlei

Namibia's must-see sites, in a ten-seat 4x4 with eight travellers at most. More time is spent on the ground than elsewhere: two and a half days of safari in an open 4x4 in Etosha, an outing in the dry bed of the Aba-Huab River in search of desert elephants, the Damara Living Museum, two nights in Swakopmund, then Dead Vlei, Sesriem and a sunset drive in the Namib. Possible extension to Victoria Falls (16 days, from €5,799 per person). From age 9; soft bags required.

When

May to Oct

Price

From 4 092€ excl. flights

(based on 2 people sharing)

How long

11 nights

Ideal length

Etosha

Days 1-5

Three nights around Etosha park, from east to south, with safaris in an open 4x4.

Day 1

Flight to Namibia

Board a scheduled flight to Windhoek. Dinner and night on board. If your flight lands the same day, an extra night in Windhoek can be added as an option.

Day 2

Arrival in Windhoek

Arrive at Windhoek airport, transfer to the hotel and check in. Meals on your own.

Day 3

Windhoek – Etosha and a first safari

Drive to Etosha park (500 km), lunch at the lodge, then a first safari in an open 4x4 in the national park.

Day 4

Eastern and central Etosha

A day's safari in an open 4x4 in the east and centre of the park, the largest in Namibia: 114 mammal species and 340 bird species. Lunch in one of the park's camps.

Day 5

Central and southern Etosha – Okaukuejo

Another day's safari by 4x4 with a ranger, heading for Okaukuejo in the south of the park, known for its waterhole.

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Damaraland

Days 6-8

Remote lands home to the desert elephants, the Himba and the Damara, one of the oldest peoples of the country.

Day 6

Himba village – Twyfelfontein

An early start for Damaraland, visiting a Himba village on the way. Lunch, then check in at the Twyfelfontein lodge.

Day 7

The desert elephants and the Damara

A 4x4 safari in the remote parts of Damaraland and the dry bed of the Aba-Huab River, in search of desert elephants. A picnic, then a visit to the Damara Living Museum, devoted to the culture of these hunter-gatherers.

Day 8

Twyfelfontein – Swakopmund

Visit the UNESCO-listed site of Twyfelfontein and its rock engravings, several thousand years old, then the Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes. Drive to the Atlantic coast, with the outline of the Brandberg, the country's highest peak. Arrive in Swakopmund.

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Swakopmund and the Namib

Days 9-14

Two nights on the coast, then two in the Namib desert, with Dead Vlei at sunrise.

Day 9

Walvis Bay lagoon

An early start for Walvis Bay and a boat trip to see dolphins, seals and birds, with brunch on board. A free afternoon in Swakopmund, a town wrapped in coastal fog, and dinner facing the ocean.

Day 10

The Kuiseb canyon – the Namib

Drive via the Kuiseb canyon, which separates the stony plains of the north from the sand sea of the south, then cross the Namib-Naukluft park. A sunset 4x4 drive in the lodge's concession.

Day 11

Sossusvlei, Dead Vlei and Sesriem

Leave before dawn for Sossusvlei and its dunes, among the highest in the world, some over 300 m. Discover Dead Vlei, a white clay pan dotted with dead trees. The last kilometres are covered by 4x4 shuttle. In the afternoon, Sesriem Canyon, carved by the Tsauchab River.