Windhoek - Kalahari - Fish River Canyon - Luderitz - Namib Naukluft Park - Sesriem and Sossusvlei/Namib Desert - Swakopmund - Naankuse - Windhoek
Highlights: - Stay in the Kalahari Desert - Visit to the world's largest dunes in Sossusvlei - Safaris in private game reserve - Visit the impressive Fish River Canyon - Swakopmund and the seals at Walvis Bay
Itinerary:
Day 1: Germany - Namibia Flight from Germany to Windhoek.
Day 2: Windhoek/Namibia - Kalahari Anib Lodge (approx. 280 km / 2.5 hours) Arrival in Windhoek and pick up of the rental car of the booked category. Drive south to Kalahari Anib Lodge.
The Kalahari is part of the 2.5 million square metre Kalahari Basin, one of the largest continuous sandy areas on earth. The central part of the extensive Kalahari basin is the Kalahari Thorn Bush Savannah, also known as the Kalahari Desert. Even the Okavango seeps away after 1,700 kilometres without a trace in the bright red sand of the desert. A fantastic landscape that is almost picturesque in the light of the low sun.
Accommodation: Kalahari Anib Lodge (1 x overnight stay/breakfast and 1 x Morning Dune Drive incl.) Kalahari Anib Lodge is located in the dunes of the Kalahari about 30 km Northeast of Mariental. The lodge offers 52 rooms, a pool and a restaurant with bar. A perfect tour to get to know the Kalahari with unforgettable moments on the red dunes is the sunrise or sunset ride. You can also take e-bike tours on organised routes or a dune hike with a guide. He will show you many animals and you will see that the desert is alive.
Day 3 and 4: Fish River Canyon (approx. 416 km) Early departure to the south to visit the extinct volcano Brukkaros shortly before Keetmanshoop and the quiver tree forest. Continue to Fish River Canyon. The Fish River Canyon with its 160 kilometres length, 27 kilometres width and up to 550 meters depth is the largest canyon of Africa and is considered as the second largest canyon on earth after the Grand Canyon.
Accommodation: Canyon Lodge (2 x overnight stay/half board and 1 Sundowner Drive incl.) The Canyon Lodge is your home for 2 nights. 25 bungalows nestled in the magical granite rocks offer a fantastic view of the expanse of the Canyon Park. Explore the Canyon and the Fish River during a 3-hour round trip or on a guided hike, where an experienced guide will show you the secrets of the flora and fauna of this region.
Day 5 and 6: Aus (approx. 290 km) Drive to Aus located at the foothills of te Namib. On the next day we recommend an excursion to the harbour town of Luderitz (130 km). Here you will find many legacies of the first German settlers, which can be clearly recognized by the architectural style and the street names. In Luderitz, the Atlantic Ocean meets the Namib. An exciting encounter, which you can experience again later in Swakopmund. On the way a visit to Kolmanskoop is highly recommended (only possible in the morning, as the open-air museum is only open until 13:00). The village was once the centre of diamond mining and you will find numerous relics from the German colonial period. After the diamond seekers abandoned the site, it is gradually reclaimed from the desert. Close to Aus in Garub you can see the rare desert horses with a little luck on your way back.
Accommodation: Klein Aus / Eagle's Nest Chalets ( 2 x overnight stay/breakfast) 8 very comfortable stone chalets with bathroom, kitchenette, fireplace and private veranda. The lodge harmoniously combines infinite space, silence and gorgeous sunsets.
Day 7 and 8: Namib Naukluft Park / Kanaan Desert Lodge (approx. 200 km) The next morning you continue your journey into the magnificent desert landscape of Namib Naukluft Park to Kanaan Desert Lodge.
Accommodation: Kanaan Desert Lodge (2 x overnight stay with full board and one game drive per day incl.). Comfortable tents with shower/WC and panoramic terrace.
Kanaan Desert Lodge - a particularly fascinating lodge. The scenery is a harmonious symbiosis of charming steppe, which gradually merge into dunes and deserts to the west and is bordered to the east by the picturesque mountain landscape of the Taurus Mountains. Various rivers meander through this steppe landscape, which is flanked by trees. From sunrise to sunset you will be enchanted by the play of colours of the mountains, the steppe landscape and the dunes. Therefore, we strongly recommend to take part in the "Sunrise Dune Drive" and the "Sunset Tiras Mountain Drive". These are just two of various activities offered during your stay. The Cheetah Feeding or photo tours individually organised are definitely worth mentioning.
Day 9 and 10: Sesriem (230 km, 3,5 hours) Two of Namibia's scenic highlights are situated in the middle of the Namib Desert: The Sossusvlei, Namibia's "trademark", a salt clay pan surrounded by sand dunes. With a height of up to 300 metres, the red-hot sand dunes are not only among the highest in the world, but also among the most attractive due to their star-shaped extension. Not far away, Sesriem Canyon falls 30 metres into the earth and offers not only passionate hobby geologists an impressive insight into Namibia's geological history.
Accommodation: Elegant Desert Lodge(2 x overnight stay/half board) Elegant Desert Lodge is a historic farmhouse that has recently been completely refurbished with great attention to detail and offers pleasant and contemporary comfort. The lodge offers 3-4 hour game drives in the morning and evening.
Day 11 and 12: Swakopmund (approx. 344 km) Today the journey takes you to Swakopmund, Namibia's popular holiday resort on the coast. The cosy half-timbered houses of Swakopmund and the beach promenade in colonial style are reminiscent of a German seaside resort on the North or Baltic Sea and not of the Namib Desert. The well-preserved Art Nouveau buildings from the German colonial period, which are under a preservation order, still characterise some of today's townscape.
Various activities are offered depending on interest. Experience e.g. the "Little Five" of the Namib: Where we only see different coloured sand, a guide will show you all sorts of dazzling creatures, such as the Dancing White Lady, various Tok Tokkies, the desert chameleon, the shovel lizard, the sand-diving gecko, the sidewinder, desert scorpions and many more, all of which are incredibly adapted to this ecosystem. The next day you should go to the "seal whisperer" in Walvis Bay. The tour starts at 08:30h a.m. You will be surprised by the fur seals waiting for fresh fish at the landing stage. Shortly after setting off, the tame seals jump onboard to get caressed by the guests and to repeatedly barter for payment in return for being photographed. Meanwhile the skippers give a lot of information on everything worth knowing: The harbour town Walvis Bay, the South African seals, the pelicans, the cormorants, the seagulls, passing ships, anchoring oil platforms, the ice-cold Benguela stream, the numerous oyster beds etc. At 13:00 the trip ends and you have the feeling that it could continue all day long.
Accommodation: Desert Breeze Lodge (2 x overnight stay/breakfast) Desert Breeze Lodge is situated on the banks of the Swakop River, 2.5 km from the town of Swakopmund. The bungalows and villas all have a private sun terrace and unobstructed views of the surrounding dunes. Breakfast is served daily on the terrace or in the indoor dining room. Many activities such as skydiving, sandboarding, quad tours and horse riding are offered in the area.
Day 13 and 14: Naankuse Foundation (405 km) In the morning drive to Naankuse Lodge near Windhoek. This lodge is the headquarters of Naankuse Foundation. Its aim is to support the San people in the region with a clinic and a school and to save endangered animal species in Namibia from extinction. At the lodge you will get to know a variety of endangered animal species in Namibia. These include cheetahs, jackals, caracals and hyenas, to name but a few. You will experience these and many others in the care station of the lodge as well as in the extensive area where the animals are released into the wild. You will also see big game like elephants, rhinos, leopards and giraffes on the gamedrives.
Accommodation: Naankuse Lodge (2 x overnight stay/full board without drinks and one game drive per day) The lodge provides exceptionally beautiful, spacious and stylish bungalows and villas scattered throughout the wide area.
Day 15: Return flight from Windhoek Two fascinating weeks are now coming to an end, you will keep the many impressions in your memory for a long time. After a short drive from the lodge to the airport you fly back from Windhoek to Germany.
Rate 2024: from 4,250 EUR per person
Included services: - Accommodation in double rooms in lodges according to itinerary (or comparable) - Meals according to itinerary - 1 Morning Dune Drive at Kalahari Anib Lodge - 1 Sundowner Drive in Fish River Canyon - 1 safari/ game drive per day at Kanaan Desert Lodge and Naankuse Lodge - Rental car of middle category
Services not included: - Flight to Windhoek - Personal expenses - Petrol, drinks, gratuities - Excursions and activities not included in the services provided - Park entrance fees - Museum admissions - Travel insurance
This itinerary is a travel proposal, which we can customize according to your individual wishes and ideas. The hotels and lodges are suggestions and subject to availability. Kindly contact our team. They would be pleased to provide you with a bespoke offer.
