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Self Drive Holiday Namibia: Namib Desert + Skeleton Coast + Etosha (car hire)

Namibia Highlights: Namib + Skeleton Coast + Etosha (self drive)
NCA16W

16 NIGHTS

FROM $3,106

Per person sharing

Flights + car hire quoted separately

Self Drive Holiday Namibia Namib Skeleton Coast Etosha Car Hire

This wonderful self drive holiday in Namibia covers all the highlights, including the gigantic sand dunes of Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert, the coastal town of Swakopmund, the dramatic Skeleton Coast & the Bushman Paintings at Twyfelfontein, a World Heritage site. Also experience the wildlife of Etosha in the north & track leopard at the Africat Foundation, with car hire from Windhoek.

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• Self Drive Holiday, Namibia	• Sossusvlei Sand Dunes	• Namib Desert	• Swakopmund
• Skeleton Coast	• Twyfelfontein	• Etosha National Park	• Africat Foundation
• Leopard Tracking	• Car Hire Windhoek

▲

• Self Drive Holiday, Namibia	• Sossusvlei Sand Dunes	• Namib Desert
• Swakopmund	• Skeleton Coast	• Twyfelfontein
• Etosha National Park	• Africat Foundation	• Leopard Tracking
• Car Hire Windhoek

Day 1

You will be met at Windhoek Airport and transferred 1-hour to your hotel in this small capital city, where you can relax under warm blue Namibian skies.

In the afternoon your hire car will be delivered to your hotel.

Note: Please be aware that many roads in Namibia are rough gravel with corrugated surfaces, resulting in a tougher and slower drive that can be very bumpy.

Day 2

Today leave Windhoek and drive 6-hours through ever-changing landscapes and dramatically beautiful desert scenery to the great Namib Desert.

The Namib is the oldest desert on earth, where some of the highest sand dunes in the world tower over the white desert plains. These great mountains of sand are a monument to the extreme forces of nature, with fog supplying life giving moisture for the survival of its plants and animals.

Explore the Gondwana Namib Park before checking in to your lodge. After the unpredictable desert rains (mid November/mid December), colourful desert flowers burst forth here and provide a delightful display.

Day 3

Today rise before dawn and drive to Sossusvlei Lodge Adventure Centre for your included shared 4x4 tour into these famous sand dunes - as this is the coolest part of the day and the best for photography.

This clay pan is surrounded by some of the highest dunes in the world – an endless sea of reddish sand stretching all the way to the distant horizon. These monumental star shaped dunes, some as high as 1,000 ft (325 m), were formed by strong multi-directional winds. The warm tints of sand range in colour from apricot to orange, red and maroon - and contrast vividly with the stark white clay pans at their base. You will be astonished by surreal Deadvlei, surrounded by some of the highest dunes and Sossusvlei, where the mostly dry Tsauchab River abruptly ends. Take the opportunity to climb one of these dunes, which afford endless vistas across the desert landscape and the sea of sand.

Also visit the narrow gorge of the impressive Sesriem Canyon, with its rock pools fed by the Tsauchab River during the rainy season. The name is derived from the six “rieme” (leather thongs) that early pioneers used to draw water from these pools.

Note: If you are staying close to the gate into the park, you will visit Sossuvlei in the morning and Sesriem in the afternoon. If your lodge is further way, you will visit Sossusvlei in the morning and enjoy a sunset drive in the desert in the late afternoon.

Day 4

Today drive for 6-hours through the starkly beautiful Gaub and Kuiseb Canyons of the Namib Desert to the beach resort of Swakopmund with its old lighthouse.

Swakopmund is situated on the Atlantic Coast where the cold Benguela Current sweeps up from Antarctica, releasing no moisture into the prevailingly onshore winds – hence the very low rainfall and desert conditions. Fog is common along the coast in the early mornings and late afternoons and this is what gives life to the desert-adapted flora and fauna of the region. The cold current is also highly oxygenated, causing it to teem with marine life.

Check into your hotel and relax on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

Day 5

This morning drive 30-minutes to Walvis Bay to arrive 45-minutes before the departure of your 3-hour shared Marine Cruise to Pelican Point, which has a resident school of dolphins and a large colony of Cape fur seals, with oysters and sparkling wine served on board.

Marine bird life is abundant and includes pelicans, terns and large flocks of flamingos which live in the shallow waters surrounding the harbour. You should see many Cape cormorants and hopefully some more difficult birds such as the Cape gannet, Pomarine skua and African black oyster catcher. You may also see migrating whales in season (September to October).

Your afternoon is at leisure to relax at the beach resort of Swakopmund, with its palm lined streets and seaside promenade. Established by German colonists in 1892, the town’s landmarks include the Swakopmund Lighthouse and the Mole, an old sea wall. Next to the lighthouse, the Swakopmund Museum documents Namibian history. In the town you can find the elegant Swakopmund Railway Station (now a hotel), which also dates to the colonial era. An enjoyable local pastime is Kaffee-Kuchen at 16:00 when you can take a mid-afternoon break for a coffee, with a slice of baked cheesecake or Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (German Black Forest Cake).

Day 6

Today drive 2-hours northwards from Swakopmund to Cape Cross on the barren Skeleton Coast.

As you approach the fishing village of Hentiesbaai look out for the 'Zeila', one of the more recent shipwrecks that can be viewed along this inhospitable coastline. You will also see gannets and many other sea birds.

On arrival we suggest you visit the Cape Cross Seal Reserve north of Henties Bay, which is home to a thriving population of over 80,000 Cape fur seals, making it one of the largest seal colonies in the world. There is also a small lichen reserve, where a relatively large variety of these slow growing organisms can be seen (pay entrance fees locally). Afterwards check in to your lodge and absorb the atmosphere of this remote region.

Day 7

At leisure to relax and enjoy the atmosphere of the barren Skeleton Coast, which earned its name from the numerous shipwrecks on this coast, when stranded sailors found no water, but only a vast and inhospitable land.

Situated along the Atlantic Coast where the cold Benguela Current sweeps up from Antarctica, no moisture is released into the prevailingly onshore winds – hence the very low rainfall and desert conditions of Namibia. However the cold current is highly oxygenated, resulting in teeming marine life. Fog is common in the early mornings and late afternoons, giving life to the desert-adapted flora and fauna of the region.

You can watch fishermen at work or enjoy long walks along the beach. Alternatively simply relax and enjoy the atmosphere of this very quaint small village.

Day 8

Today leave the Skeleton Coast and drive 3.5-hours through rugged terrain to your lodge situated in the foothills of the volcanic Erongo Mountains near the small town of Omaruru..

The magnificent Erongo Mountains are flanked by the Namib Desert to the west and woodland savanna to the east, with breathtaking views of its huge granite boulders. Check into our lodge in this beautiful region known for its Bushman rock art paintings. It is an endemic hotspot for a variety of plants, reptiles and small mammals - including kudu, baboons and agile klipspringers, as well as wonderful bird life.

Note: Please be aware that many roads in Namibia are rough gravel with corrugated surfaces, resulting in a tougher and slower drive that can be very bumpy.

Day 9

This morning we suggest driving to the San Living Museum (near Ai-Aiba Lodge), which is home to a traditional Bushman community.

Arrive in good time to set off at 07.30 for a 2-hour bush walk with these legendary trackers and learn more about their culture and customs, including their hunting practices (pay locally).

Afterwards you can ask your lodge to point you to various Bushmen Paintings found on these granite surfaces, the most famous of which is the White Elephant frieze in Phillip's Cave. Superimposed on the elephant is a large eland, with ostrich and giraffe completing the sketch. The cave is situated on the farm Ameib, on the southern edge of this mountain range. It is 2-miles (3-km) off the road, followed by a 45-min walk each way, but the dramatic scenery makes the walk worthwhile (arrange with your lodge & pay locally).

The rest of the day is free to relax and enjoy walking in the beautiful Erongo Mountains.

Day 10

Today drive 3-hours across dramatic northern Namibia towards Twyfelfontein in timeless Damaraland.

Damaraland is one of the least populated and most geologically diverse areas in Africa and home to the rare desert elephant and rhino. Take time to enjoy some of the fascinating rock formations in these vast uninhabited open spaces, where magnificent semi-desert flowers can grow after good rains. You can also see the desert-adapted Welwitschia Mirabilis plant - the oldest living desert plant on earth.

In the late afternoon check in to your lodge near Twyfelfontein.

Day 11

At leisure to explore the World Heritage site at Twyfelfontein, which means "Doubtful Spring" (entrance fees for own account).

Over 6,000 years ago, San communities engraved and painted over 2,500 pictures here. These ancient Bushman Paintings have been well preserved in this dry environment and the hills are strewn with rock art - making this an open-air museum.

Close by you can explore the Burnt Mountain and Organ Pipes geological phenomena. You can also see the desert-adapted Welwitschia Mirabilis plant - the oldest living desert plant on earth.

In the afternoon you can join an optional 4x4 game drive along the dry river beds in search of rare Desert Elephants. In the evening enjoy the incredible night skies.

Day 12

Today drive 5-hours through Damaraland to Etosha National Park, one of the largest and greatest game parks in Africa.

Etosha owes its unique landscape to a vast shallow depression – the Etosha Pan. During the dry season it becomes an expanse of white cracked mud, shimmering with mirages and spiralling dust devils, with its open pans offering magnificent game viewing. Etosha is home to over a hundred different species of mammals including elephant, rhino, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, lion, cheetah and leopard.

Check into your lodge situated near the southern entrance to the park.

Days 13 To 14

Today is devoted to self drive game viewing in the famous Etosha National Park, which surrounds an enormous salt pan that is the size of the Netherlands.

We recommend setting off as soon as the park gates open after sunrise, to take advantage of the best game viewing conditions of the day, as the vast Etosha Pan offers magnificent game viewing opportunities - including springbok, oryx, black-faced impala, roan, cheetah and the Damara dik-dik, Namibia’s smallest antelope. A series of waterholes throughout the park guarantees rewarding game viewing, with Etosha being renowned for its vast array of plains game and its 'great cats' which are more easily seen on the open pans.

With over 100 different species of mammals and reptiles in this park, you can hope to see lion, elephant, rhino, leopard, cheetah, giraffe, kudu, sable antelope, warthogs, baboons and many other interesting animals. Etosha is also a bird watchers paradise, with hundreds of recorded bird species and many migrants during the summer months.

In the evening enjoy a beautiful African sunset and the pristine stars of the Milky Way as you have never seen them before – including the spectacular Southern Cross.

Note: All game drives are self-drive (pay Etosha entrance fee locally) unless game drives are included in your lodge package or purchased separately. Vehicles are not allowed to drive off-road in any national park in Namibia.

Day 15

This morning leave Etosha and drive 4-hours southwards through central Namibia to Okonjima.

Travel through the mining centre of Tsumeb, where a rich ore pipe is mined for copper, zinc, lead, silver and a variety of unusual crystals. Also pass Lake Otjikoto where in 1915 the retreating German forces dumped weapons to prevent them from falling into the hands of the South African Union Forces. Several of these weapons have been recovered and can be viewed at the Tsumeb Museum.

Continue to Okonjima, the home of the Africat Foundation dedicated to the preservation of Namibia’s large carnivores, but especially leopards and brown hyena. Leopards can be radio-tracked from the game viewing vehicle. Check in to your lodge before enjoying an afternoon game activity in the reserve.

Note: Ensure you arrive at your lodge in good time, as they stop serving lunch at 2 pm.

Day 16

After an early morning game activity in the Africat Reserve, drive 3.5-hours to Windhoek.

Along the way you can stop at the Kavango craft market in Okahandja. The Kavango woodcarvers ply their trade at this large open-air craft market on the outskirts of town - one of the best places in Namibia to purchase woodcarvings.

Continue to Windhoek, drop off your hire car at your hotel and relax under warm blue Namibian skies.

Day 17

Transfer 1-hour to Windhoek Airport for your flight home.

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