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Olive Grove Guest House/Okonjima Bush Camp/Onguma Tented Camp/ Ongava Lodge/ Mowani Mountain Camp/ Swakopmund Hotel and Entertainment Centre/Sossusvlei Desert Lodge

For 13 days, you will self-drive and visit the many historical attractions of Windhoek, enjoy exhilarating nature drives and the opportunity to view desert-adapted wildlife (most notably the elusive desert elephants of Etosha), view the world's highest sand dunes in Sossusvei and explore the charming coastal town of Swakopmund.

Day 1: Windhoek

Upon your arrival at Hosea Kutako International Airport you will be met and assisted with your rental car and be provided with a quick briefing of your itinerary.  Kick-start your adventure with an approximately 45 minute drive to the beautiful Olive Grove Guest House.

Windhoek, the country's capital, is a bustling metropolis that is unexpectedly neat and orderly. This is the main port of call for most tourists and all travellers pass through the city at least once. Windhoek lies in a pretty valley with buildings very much in the German architectural style. The German presence can be strongly felt in the food, restaurants and of course the beer. The Namibian beer is said to be the best in Africa, and is brewed in Windhoek.

Overnight accommodation is at Olive Grove Guest House in a standard room with en-suite bathroom. Your stay includes breakfast.

Day 2-3: Okonjima

After breakfast, prepare for a 3 hour, scenic drive to Okonjima Bush Camp where you will spend two nights in a twin bedded thatched rondavel on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis

Just west of the renowned Waterberg Plateau Park, amidst vast plains scattered with the remnants of ancient sandstone outcrops that skirt the Omboroko Mountains, is Okonjima. A Herero name meaning "place of the baboons" this spectacular area is home to Okonjima Lodge and the world-famous AFRICAT Foundation, which supports the conservation of the world's largest free-ranging population of cheetah and Namibia's large wildcat population.  Among the carnivores being researched and rehabilitated at AFRICAT are cheetah, leopard, lion, caracal, wild dog and hyena. Visitors to the area can embark on interpretive tours of the foundation as well as enjoy breathtaking nature drives.

Optional activities include cheetah tracking on foot, leopard tracking, birdwatching and the opportunity to embark on the Bushmen Trail where guests can experience a day in the life of a San Bushman

Day 4-5: Etosha National Park

After breakfast, head off on a 3 to 4 hour self drive adventure to the beautiful Onguma Tented Camp where you will spend two nights in a twin bedded tent.  Your stay is on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis including two guided nature walks.  Optional activities include morning and afternoon game drives into Etosha National Park.

Etosha is one of Africa's great wildlife parks and Namibia's prime wildlife conservation area. Spanning a vast 22 300km², it consists mostly of grassy plains around a huge saltpan, which becomes a beautiful lake after heavy rains and attracts large flocks of pink candy-flossed-coloured flamingos. Etosha hosts a vast array of animals, including the Big Five as well as giraffes and rare and unusual species like the black-faced impala, Hartmann's Mountain zebra or the smallest antelope in the world, the Damara dikdik.

Day 6: Etosha National Park

Today you'll drive through breathtaking wilderness to Ongava Lodge for one night in a chalet with en-suite bathroom on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.  Your travelling time will depend on how long you choose to view the exceptional wildlife you may encounter on your route.

Etosha National Park is Namibia's premier wildlife destination and one of Africa's largest game reserves. Large herds of wildlife teem around the waterholes and the endless plains offer breathtaking vistas. The Ongava Game Reserve shares an unfenced boundary with the Etosha National Park, enabling large game such as elephant and lion to move freely between the Park and the Reserve.

Optional activities revolve around day and night wildlife-viewing drives, visiting hides that overlook waterholes and walks with experienced guides. Game drives and daytrips into the easily accessible Okaukuejo area of Etosha National Park are rewarding, with sightings of lion, elephant, gemsbok, springbok, red hartebeest, and white and black rhino.

Day 7-8: Damaraland

Your drive this morning is an approximate 5-hour journey to Mowani Mountain Camp where you spend the next two nights in a twin bedded luxury East Africa-style view safari tent.  Your stay is on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis including two guided nature walks.

Situated on the eastern side of the Skeleton Coast National Park and southwest of Etosha National Park, is the breathtaking mountainous region of Damaraland. Here, an assortment of desert-adapted wildlife such as elephant, rhino, zebra and lion seek-out an existence in this near-barren landscape. A not-to-be-missed attraction is the picturesque Brandberg, Namibia's highest mountain, which is home to thousands of ancient rock paintings - most notably, The White Lady. While nearby, the rocky outcrops of Twyfelfontein feature exceptional Bushmen engravings, which are considered to be some of the best preserved etchings on the continent. Visitors to Damaraland can view one of its more unusual habitats - the Petrified Forest, which dates back millions of years and offers a haunting landscape of gigantic fossilised trees, some up to 30 metres (100ft) in length.

Optional adventures and activities at Mowani include guided nature drives in search of the elusive desert elephant and an excursion to explore the historical site of Twyfelfontein, a rare example of Bushmen engravings and paintings and probably the finest example of rock engravings in Southern Africa.

Day 9-10: Swakopmund

Today you will drive approximately 5 to 6 hours to Namibia's charming seaside town of Swakopmund.  Spend two nights at the Swakopmund Hotel and Entertainment Centre in a twin bedded room on a bed and breakfast basis.

This charming little coastal retreat, on Namibia's western coast, retains a strong German flavour - from the cobbled streets and picturesque buildings, down to the typical German restaurants and pubs. This town is traditionally a holiday spot for locals and foreigners alike, with many opportunities for adventure sports and some good old-fashioned fun. Swakopmund is an ideal place to relax after a few days in the desert; wash off the sand and sample some of the finely-brewed local beer and renowned Swakopmund fare such as fish, lobster and oysters.

Day 11-12: Sossusvlei

After exploring the many sights of Swakopmund, drive approximately 5 to 6 hours to Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, passing through some of Namibia's most dramatic landscapes en route.

One of the highlights of any trip to Namibia is a visit to Sossusvlei in the heart of the enormous, almost 50 000km² Namib-Naukluft Park. Easily accessible to visitors, Sossusvlei is a clay pan, only rarely filled by water, but a place of awe-inspiring beauty. Visitors to the region will be left spellbound by the magnificent ochre-coloured sand dunes, which rise over 300m into the sky - the highest sand dunes in the world.

Spend two nights at Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, in a desert villa with an en-suite bathroom and a private veranda. Your stay is on a full board basis, including scheduled activities within the NamibRand Nature Reserve.

The surrounding area lends itself to numerous adventures, which include scenic drives by four-wheel drive vehicle in the NamibRand Nature Reserve, where you may encounter a variety of desert-adapted animals, such as gemsbok, zebra, springbok, bat-eared fox, aardwolf, caracal and jackal.  A wonderful way of experiencing the dunes is by All Terrain Vehicle with an experienced guide who takes you along set paths in order not to damage the fragile ecology.   Guided nature walks and hiking trails provide an insight into the scenic and ecological aspects of the environment with its wide diversity of desert-adapted flora and fauna.  A resident astronomer and high-powered telescope provide breathtaking views of the clear desert night skies.

Day 13: Depart

Embark on the last leg of your self drive adventure; a 5 to 6 hour journey will take you back to Hosea Kutako (Windhoek) International Airport, where you will drop off your hired vehicle and board your plane for your onward flight.