Northern Explorer Self Drive

Your tailor-made safari holiday to Namibia

A comprehensive 2-week self-drive itinerary discovering all the best of Namibia's northern regions.

Following a night in the capital of Windhoek you will head north to your first stop, the charming, coastal town of Swakopmund, situated between the desert and the sea. Still retaining its strong German flavour the town has picturesque buildings and cobbled streets as well as typical German pubs and restaurants. You will have plenty to keep you occupied from dune surfing in the desert to hot air ballooning, sky diving, deep sea fishing, kayaking and visits to the Cape Cross seal colony.

Then make your way towards Damaraland and along the untamed Skeleton Coast where you will stop at Cape Cross Lodge enroute. Surrounding the lodge lies an infinite ocean and desert, littered with the eerie remains of shipwrecks and whale bones. The lodge is very close to the Cape Cross Seal Reserve where the rocky outcrops are the perfect playground for a large colony of Cape Fur Seals. Lodge guests can drive or even walk to the colony.

Damaraland is your next stop where you will spend 4 nights split between 2 lodges to maximise your time in the area. This will ensure the best chance of seeing the wildlife and provide a different perspective on the diverse landscape.

Damaraland boasts some of the most impressive mountains in Namibia, spectacular desert vistas, plants that live for hundreds of years and breath taking starry nights. The biggest draw to the area is the chance to track the rare desert dwelling elephants and endangered black rhino, both of which exist outside the confines of national parks or private game reserves and co-exist with traditional villages and farms. Damaraland is not all about wildlife and scenery though, Bushmen paintings and engravings can be found at Twyfelfontein, the Brandberg (Namibia's highest mountain) and Spitzkoppe. Another must-see is the Petrified Forest, a haunting landscape of gigantic fossilised trees, dating back millions of years.

The next stop is Etosha National Park where again you will spend 4 nights split between 2 areas of the park, which differ quite significantly in landscape. Unlike other national parks in Africa, where you spend days looking for animals, at Etosha the animals come to you! You simply park a car or game drive vehicle at one of the many waterholes and then wait and watch while a host of animals come by in their hundreds. During the day, you may see springbok, eland, gemsbok, zebra, impala, black and white rhino, giraffe, a variety of birdlife and the occasional predator; leopard, lion and cheetah are present. At night, you can observe hyenas and lions. Your time at Etosha will be spent enjoying morning and afternoon/evening game drives. At midday, you can relax by the pool and enjoy a delicious lunch under a shady tree.

As a stopover, en route back to Windhoek you will spend the last night of your itinerary in the central highlands region, a beautiful area of rolling hills and farmland. It will be a relaxing end to an action-packed adventure.