The Great Namibian Road Trip

We are escorted to the Windhoek Country Club Resort. Our 4WD vehicles patiently await the adventure on our first morning. Pass sunburnt plains en route to Mariental and the Kalahari Desert. Cat lovers rejoice as we are led on foot by our guides to meet the resident orphaned cheetahs. You might like to join a horseback sand dune safari. Or, explore the sand dunes by quad bike.

Push your vehicle over 400 kilometres, passing scrubby grasslands and arid deserts to Africa’s largest canyon. In your 4WD, descend to Fish River Canyon’s ravine before we rendezvous with lunch at the rock pools. In an effort to delve deeper into the canyon, embark on a day hike following the trails carved by mountain zebra and antelope, cross rugged terrain on a mountain bike ride, or spot wildlife from above on a hot air balloon safari.

The colourful colonial town of Lüderitz is our next destination. Pause en route at the railway town of Aus and keep an eye out for wild desert horses. The briny tang of Lüderitz oysters and South African wines are enjoyed at the Crayfish Bar & Lounge. On a catamaran, we watch out for penguins, Cape fur seals and Heaviside’s dolphins. We dine at Barrels restaurant, where beer and Sauerkraut are married with freshly caught fish of the day.

Cross the Tiras Mountains en route to Sossusvlei. Pause at the ghost town of Kolmanskop, and the settlements of Rehoboth, Solitaire and Sesriem. Master the skills of the bow and arrow with a desert archery lesson, or walk along the Elim Dune Belt. There’s time to discover the white salt and clay pan of Sossusvlei as well as Sesriem Canyon. Perhaps choose to view sand dunes and Deadvlei on a scenic flight. Spend your nights at Sossusvlei Lodge.

Pass through Namib-Naukluft National Park on the way to Swakopmund, stopping en route at Welwitschia Plains. In Swakopmund, join a cruise on Walvis Bay. The active may take a quad bike ride through the desert dunes. Savour fresh local seafood and South African wines at The Tug Restaurant. Guide your 4WD along Cape Cross into Damaraland to visit Twyfelfontein, the site of ancient rock engravings, as well as the Organ Pipes and Burnt Mountain.

We search for wildlife from the early hours of the morning to late afternoon. In Etosha National Park, you might like to spot wildlife at eye level, camouflaged within your camp’s hide, and capture the perfect photograph. Moving on to Ongava Game Reserve, find the best spot for sundowners, head out on foot on a guided bushwalk, or spend time in the Okolo Hide to glimpse wildlife. We retire for the night at Ongava Lodge.

We set off in 4WDs across Etosha National Park, looking out for lagoons teeming with flamingoes. It is within the reserve’s 22,000 hectares that we visit The AfriCat Foundation. Since the early 1990s, AfriCat has been committed to the survival of large carnivores in their natural habitat. Head out in search of leopards, whether by 4WDs, or by heading out on foot. We overnight in the secluded wilderness of Okonjima Plains Camp.

On the final leg of our epic road trip, explore Okahandja Woodcarvers Market. Hop back into your 4WD for the last stretch on to Windhoek. Swap journey stories at a Farewell Dinner before a final night is spent in Windhoek Country Club Resort.