We were looking for a special family holiday to celebrate a golden wedding anniversary, and decided to give Nick at Families Worldwide a call to get some advice. My teens had thoroughly enjoyed the Active Croatia holiday we booked with Families Worldwide and we had found Nick and the team incredibly helpful, but we also knew that finding the perfect holiday to suit the needs of three generations of our family, ranging in age from 11 – 77 years, would be a tough ask!
We had not even vaguely considered a family holiday to Namibia, so when Nick suggested it as the perfect destination for all of us – grandparents, parents, and children - we were initially unsure.
Nick arranged an online meeting so that he could share his ideas with us all and his enthusiasm for the country and the variety in the itinerary swept us along. We decided to go for it … and it turned out to be everything we could possibly have hoped for, and far more!
We flew to Windhoek via Frankfurt, where we were met by Heidi, who would be our guide and driver for our trip. She got us settled into our 11-seater Toyota Landcruiser, and we set off into the city. Within a few minutes of the journey, Heidi was announcing ‘Baboons to the left’, ‘Warthogs to the right’ and we knew we had really arrived!
Heidi was a wonderful guide throughout our trip. She clearly wanted us to have the best experience possible and, having been a guide in Namibia and surrounding countries for 30 years, there was seemingly no question she couldn’t answer. She quickly became one of the family.
After a night in Windhoek recovering from the journey, we set off for the Otijwa Private Reserve. We had bizarrely become accustomed to baboons and warthogs, but pulling over to watch our first giraffe family by the side of the road was an unexpected delight. Otijwa is a beautiful reserve, and the evening drive treated us to our first sightings of white rhino and also the first of many stunning African sunsets.
The early morning rhino drive, including tracking rhino on foot, was genuinely thrilling, and we were sad when it was time to go. Although, when we arrived at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) and spent time getting to know some of the residents there, we quickly realised that every day of this holiday was going to be a highlight.
Following a comfortable overnight stay at CCF, our travels continued north to the Etosha National Park. Heidi suggested we drive straight into the park for an hour or so to see what was around before heading to our accommodation. Nothing had prepared us for the view at the first watering hole – elephants, zebra, springbok, and wildebeest in every direction. Simply stunning!
The next few days at Etosha were beyond our wildest expectations. The accommodation was beautiful, and the staff were welcoming, attentive and really good fun. We were even visited by elephant and giraffe as we spent an afternoon relaxing by the pool! And the animals of Etosha continued to be plentiful as we drove through the park.
We were treated to sighting of leopards, lions, and hyena, as well as beautiful birds and the stunning landscape of the Etosha salt pan. There were so many ‘pinch me’ moments, we all lost count.
Our final drive across Etosha took us west to an overnight stay at the Etosha Safari Camp, which was a firm favourite for our teens, with live music and a laidback feel. After Etosha, we were again sort of expecting an anticlimax, but as we headed further west into the stunning landscapes of Damaraland, we remembered that every day in Namibia just presents a different sort of stunning.
We all loved learning about the culture of the Damara people and viewing the ancient cave engravings. The granite mountains of Damaraland were like something out of a film set and the sundowners on the sunset drives were again another highlight – the adults all agreed that we had been so spoiled by the evening views that drinking a gin and tonic anywhere else will be a disappointment!
We drove down the coast to the seaside town of Swakopmund and it was hard to believe we were still in the same country. It was interesting to observe the German influences in the bierkellers (and delicious to try some German cake shops!), and the characteristic mist from the sea creates a completely different climate.
The grandparents sat out of the dune-boarding (which the adrenaline-seeking younger members loved!) but we all enjoyed kayaking with the thousands of cape seals at Walvis Bay and a boat trip out to spot dolphins and humpback whales, along with flamingos and pelicans, plus champagne and oysters.
We chose to extend our trip with a visit to the Gogabeb Desert Research Centre, where we were the only guests staying among the scientific community there. We were warmly welcomed into the community and given night tours looking for geckos and scorpions, and day tours of the centre and the desert.
Our final sundown drive into the ancient dunes, which extended in every direction, was just breathtaking. It was hard to take in now much we had seen and that this journey of a lifetime was coming to an end.
Every one of us fell in love with Namibia and the Namibia Wildlife Adventure offered something for all of us every day. Namibia is a very age-inclusive destination - we were all able to share in the experiences and make memories to last a lifetime. I think we all shed a tear leaving Heidi at the airport. But we have promised we will be back.
If you're looking for an adventure for all generations of your family, discover our multi-generational family holidays, or to book a place, speak to a member of our expert team.
