Namibia Big Cat Self-Drive Safari

Typical Itinerary

1. Day 1: Fly to Windhoek

2. Day 2: Arrive Windhoek

   You will be met by our local supplier and taken to your first night's accommodation. Depending on your flight schedule, it may be possible to collect your self-drive vehicle today as well.

3. Day 3: Self-drive to the Kalahari

   Your first journey is designed to be an easy drive on a single tarred road - the only main road, in fact - that leads to the south of the country.

   The route heads out of the city and across the Khomas Hochland - a high, rolling plateau - that offers a true sense of the size and emptiness of Namibia.

4. Day 4: Self-drive to the Namib Desert

   Your first journey will head out of the city and across the Khomas Hochland, a high rolling plateau that offers a true sense of the size and emptiness of Namibia, before crossing the Naukluft Mountains where you will encounter outstanding views across the flatlands, as you finally descend towards the Namib Desert.

   There are many viewpoints that you can stop at for a picnic lunch, or you can stop at the tiny town of Solitaire where there is a fuel station, an excellent bakery and restaurant and a selection of classic car relics!

   From Solitaire, it's a relatively short journey to Sesriem - the gateway to the Namib Desert.

5. Day 5: Dune 45 and Dead Vlei

   A pre-dawn start is essential this morning in order to catch the soft light of sunrise on the desert. This is the time to experience the colours of the desert at their very best!

   To witness one of the most dramatic and memorable sights in Namibia, we recommend that you first stop at Dune 45, one of the largest sand dunes in the country and watch the sun rise over the desert - an incredible sight.

   After a picnic breakfast at Dune 45 you can continue your journey on to the car park at Sossusvlei where you will need to take a four-wheel drive taxi through the very sandy track of an ancient dried river bed that leads to the site of Dead Vlei.

   Once there, you can explore the central areas of the desert by foot. For the most spectacular views over the desert, you may wish to climb 'Big Daddy' the largest dune in the area which provides a birds-eye view into Dead Vlei itself.

   In the late afternoon, you can visit the Sesreim Canyon and enjoy the short walk through the canyon before sunset begins.

6. Day 6: Self-drive to the Atlantic Coast.

   Leaving the dune fields behind, your route returns to the mountainous desert area and passes through Solitaire (stopping at the bakery - of course!) and then across the Tropic of Capricorn (pausing for an important family photo!).

   From here your journey will continue northwards with many scenic view points to stop at en-route - especially at the Gaub and the Kuiseb pass, where you will carefully drive down to the dry riverbed at the bottom of the canyons before climbing up the other side where you can marvel at how the spectacular desert landscape unfolds before you.

   If time allows, you can head to the edge of the Walvis Bay Lagoon where you can view an abundance of coastal bird species including pelican. However, the main attraction is the enormous colony of greater and lesser flamingos which reside in the lagoon during Namibia's winter months.

7. Day 7: Optional activities / leisure day

   Today you can choose from a variety of optional morning activities such as 'Seal' kayaking – where you can expect to experience close up interaction with playful Cape fur seals or a dolphin cruise around Pelican Point, where you may hopefully see any of the three different types of dolphins; Heaviside’s Dolphins, dusky dolphins and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.

   Having enjoyed a morning activity, the afternoon can be spent relaxing and exploring the town. There's an excellent small museum which is well worth a visit, as is the town's aquarium. Alternatively, you may just wish to relax and unwind at your accommodation, do some shopping or head to one of the excellent restaurants.

8. Day 8: Self-drive to Damaraland & Twyfellfontein

   You travel into the heart of Damaraland, today - one of the most culturally important regions of the country, not to mention scenically spectacular.

   Travelling towards the small old mining town of Uis you will pass many gemstone stalls - and Uis itself is one of the best places to buy semi-precious stones, for which Namibia is famous. From Uis you will pass the Brandberg Massif which (at 2,573 metres) is the highest point of the country and an ancient spiritual site for the native Bushmen.

   You will then enter an incredible landscape affectionately known as The Giant's Playground, where the landscape is as dramatic as it is beautiful.

   Next stop at Twyfelfontein, one of the most culturally important sites in the entire country. This rocky site situated in the Kunene Region of north western Namibia contains some 2,500 rock engravings on over 200 slabs of rock - one of the largest and most important concentrations of rock art in Africa.

9. Day 9: Rest and relaxation

   Today is an optional rest day - allowing you to relax in the tranquil, friendly and comfortable surroundings of your accommodation.

10. Day 10: Self-drive to Etosha National Park

    You'll want to start your journey after breakfast as there's bound to be plenty of excitement about reaching Etosha National Park.

    Heading due east you drive out of Damaraland to reach the central bushlands of the country - again keeping your eye out for birdlife and animals en-route.

    The town of Outjo is the perfect stopping point for refuelling your vehicle and re-stocking your supplies before making the short journey to reach Anderson Gate in the south of Etosha National Park.

    As soon as you have completed your entry formalities at the gate you enter the park itself so keep an eye out for wildlife - your safari starts here!

11. Days 11-12 : Etosha National Park

    You will have two full days of self-drive safaris, to explore the various routes that Etosha offers its visitors.

    The self-drive routes are simple to follow and use well-made gravel-graded roads that lead into the bush and beside the salt pans where you can hope to see a huge variety of animals.

    The waterholes are most active during the morning, when countless animals emerge from the relative safety of the bush to quench their thirst. If you wish to try and observe predators, a sunrise start is required - when the gates of your campsite open - the coolest part of the day.

    Returning to camp for lunch and a rest is definitely recommended, before heading out into the park again in the mid-to-late afternoon. But don't feel that you always have to be out in the park to view the wildlife – your camping site also has a very popular waterhole which attracts many animals.

12. Day 13: Self-drive to Otjiwa Private Reserve

    We'd suggest rising early and spending the morning enjoying one last safari in Etosha, before making your way to exit the park. The journey due south is simple and on a tarred road. After Outjo you pass through Otjiwarongo where you will see the Waterberg Plateau far in distance.

    Not far from here, you turn off the main road into the Otjiwa Private Reserve, where you enter another area of extreme beauty - and you should maintain a keen eye for the birds and animals that live here too.

13. Day 14: Optional morning activities at Otjiwa Private Reserve

    For one last wildlife activity, you may wish to join one more early morning guided game drive before breakfast.

    The journey back to Windhoek is simple. Leaving Otjiwa after breakfast, you can expect to arrive back in the capital at lunchtime where you could either spend the afternoon relaxing at your accommodation, or head into the city to do some souvenir shopping.

14. Day 15: Depart Namibia

    Today is your last day in Namibia, and you will need to arrive at the airport approximately three hours before your flight.

15. Day 16: Arrive UK