DUNE ADVENTURES

10 Days & 9 Nights | Namibia

Windhoek, NamibRand Nature Reserve, Swakopmund, Sesfontein Community Conservancy & Skeleton Coast National Park

HIGHLIGHTS

GREAT FOR

Families – Plenty to see and do for all ages

Honeymooners – Some of Namibia’s most romantic accommodation

Photographers – See some of the country’s more unusual destinations

AVAILABLE ACTIVITIES

Game drives

Nature walks

Animal tracking

Horse riding (extra cost)

Quad biking

Hot-air ballooning (extra cost)

Cultural tours

Helicopter scenic flights (extra cost)

Sundowners

Dune boarding

BEST TIME TO GO

High Season: July to October

Green Season: November to March

OVERVIEW

If you have visited Namibia before and have wanted to return ever since or you’re widely travelled and love seeing more off-the-beaten track places, then this itinerary plan was crafted with you in mind. It handpicks less-visited but no less stunning areas, pairs them with stellar accommodation and introduces you to areas only a handful of visitors will ever experience.

Kicking off in Windhoek, a combination of light aircraft flights and road transfers take you to far-flung places such as NamibRand Nature Reserve, the Kaokoveld and the Skeleton Coast, which is like no other place on earth. Lodges are comfortable without being extravagant so the focus can be on spotting wildlife, heart-pumping activities and finding peace in wide-open spaces.

THIS ITINERARY WAS DESIGNED BY SABRINA

As a passionate explorer in search of adventures, Namibia has always been a top contender on my journey to-do list. The sheer beauty of its landscapes, from the golden sand dunes of the Namib Desert to the wildlife encounters in Etosha National Park, fills me with an exhilarating sense of anticipation, every time I travel there. Going on an extraordinary expedition through Namibia’s diverse and awe-inspiring scenery is a promise of an unforgettable experience.

TRIP SUMMARY

DURATION

9 Nights / 10 Days

DESTINATIONS VISITED

Windhoek, Namibia

NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia

Swakopmund, Namibia

Sesfontein Community Conservancy, Kaokoland, Namibia

Skeleton Coast National Park, Namibia

DAILY ITINERARY

As the country’s main hub, Hosea Kutako International Airport is often a hive of activity with plenty of safari lovers coming to enjoy Namibia’s incredible wildlife. Your driver-guide will be waiting when you emerge from Immigration – always a welcome sight!

The drive to Windhoek Luxury Suites gives you a taste of the central Namibian countryside while Windhoek is a thriving capital with a storied history. Your first-night hotel is in the upscale and relatively leafy neighbourhood of Klein Windhoek.

Why we love Windhoek Luxury Suites:

  • Easy-going rooms with high-speed Wi-Fi
  • Several restaurants within walking distance
  • All rooms have small private gardens
  • Unfussy modern design throughout

After a hearty breakfast, retrace your steps to Hosea Kutako for your short flight to the NamibRand Nature Reserve. This huge tract of private land has only a handful of lodges among its golden dunes, craggy mountains and rows of indomitable oryx on the march for water and grazing.

Your tent at Kwessi Dunes has views of the plains, perfect for watching those oryx come into drink at the waterhole. By day, explore on a quad bike or game-drive vehicle.

Why we love Kwessi Dunes:

  • Every room has an outdoor starbed
  • Day trips to iconic Sossusvlei
  • Hot-air ballooning and helicopter flips
  • Untrammelled views of the Milky Way

From the airstrip you take off and head towards the Atlantic Ocean and the character-packed town of Swakopmund. Built in the Germanic style, it retains much of its original infrastructure, giving you a peek into history.

The Strand Hotel Swakopmund is a modern establishment with a full spa, plenty of eateries and sea views on three sides. If your schedule allows, you could tour Sandwich Harbour on a marine safari, go whale watching in season or even skydive over the Namib Desert!

Why we love the Strand Hotel Swakopmund:

  • Unbeatable location on The Mole
  • Walking distance to shops, bars and beaches
  • Several restaurants on site to choose from
  • Close to piers and the promenade

Today you fly north to the Sesfontein Community Conservancy in the Kaokoveld. This little-visited place is a breath-taking collection of valleys, rocky mountains and huge dunes. It is traditionally home to the Herero and you may be privileged to spend time with the community.

At Hoanib Valley Camp it’s easy to feel detached from the strains of the rest of the world. Just six tents are in this remote area and you may be lucky to see a rare desert-adapted giraffe from camp.

Why we love Hoanib Valley Camp:

  • Track desert-dwelling prides of lion
  • Very intimate camp with limited tents
  • Benefits the Giraffe Conservation Foundation
  • Rare chance to see mountain zebra

Settle in for an extended game drive today! Instead of flying, your guide will drive you from Sesfontein to the Skeleton Coast National Park, one of Namibia’s most mysterious landscapes. Ocean conditions, fogs and changeable conditions account for the myriad shipwrecks here, which inspired the unique design of Shipwreck Lodge.

For two nights you can enjoy being in a place with only a literal handful of other people, where springbok roam the beach and desert wildlife wait to be spotted.

Why we love Shipwreck Lodge:

  • Eclectic lodge on the Atlantic coast
  • Cosy fireplaces for chilly nights
  • Explore on ATV and game-drive vehicles
  • One of Namibia’s stand-out lodges

The Skeleton Coast has a unique pull to it, with ruins, wrecks, large colonies of Cape fur seals and brown hyena shyly skirting the dunes. Even the beach sand is different, sometimes coloured red by miniscule garnets…

Sadly, today you have to wave goodbye to the team at Shipwreck Lodge goodbye as you are driven to the Skeleton Coast Airstrip for your short flight by light aircraft to Windhoek, where you once again check into the Windhoek Luxury Suites.

For the past nine days, you have seen places that very few others have heard of, let alone visited. From the sacred Bushmen sites in NamibRand and untouched buildings of ‘Swakop’ to the desert animals of the pristine Hoanib Valley and swashbuckling adventure of the Skeleton Coast, this itinerary is for those who enjoy being away from the crowds.

After a final comfortable night in Windhoek, you are driven back to Hosea Kutako International Airport for your flight home.

INCLUDED*

  • All activities specified
  • All transfers specified
  • All meals, drinks and sundowners specified
  • Laundry if specified

EXCLUDED*

  • International flights
  • Items from the safari shop
  • Pre- and post-itinerary accommodation
  • Visas
  • Travel insurance
  • Medical insurance, tests and vaccinations where stipulated
  • Tips / gratuities

* Subject to change. Your personal consultant will confirm all the details with you while helping you plan your safari to Africa so you have a full understanding of costs with no surprises.

PRICE IS IMPORTANT

This itinerary is here to inspire you and prices may change due to availability, season and the year that you plan to travel.

WHY BOOK WITH BIGGESTLEAF TRAVEL

  • We are passionate about what we sell

  • The most competitive and flexible rates

  • We offer personalised and customised experiences

  • We have consultants who are fluent in English, Portuguese and German

  • Our consultants specialise in different safari experiences
  • Founded in 2014 with years of experience in the travel industry
  • Our quick response and turnaround times

  • We are the trusted travel agent for clients of some of Africa’s sought-after photographic guides