DAYS 1 – 2: SESRIEM AND SOSSUSVLEI

Leaving Windhoek we travel south to Sesriem, where we spend two nights. Sossusvlei boasts some of the world’s highest and most picturesque dunes, some of which tower as much as 200 metres above the valley floor. It’s likely that this sand originated in the Kalahari some two to five million years ago. The amount of life found in these harsh conditions is surprising and gemsbok, ostriches and springbok roaming over the sand are a common sight. Climbing the dunes is energetic work, but definitely worth the view.

We travel through the dramatic Kuiseb Canyon to Walvis Bay. Apart from being a busy and important port, the lagoon at Walvis Bay attracts a range of coastal water birds including flamingos and pelicans. Swakopmund, situated on the coast is a place with colonial charm, resembling a small Bavarian village situated between the desert and the sea. The source of the towns’ continental atmosphere is the graceful art nouveau buildings dating back to the turn of the century. There are a number of optional activities* on offer including quad biking, dolphin and seal viewing boat trips, hot air ballooning or flights over the desert.

The seal colony at Cape Cross is home to a multitude of Cape Fur seals who flourish in the cold waters of the Benguela Current. The drive along the coast presents a strange landscape of fog and sea mist, salt roads and barren emptiness. Leaving the coast, we head east to Spitzkoppe, popularly known as the Matterhorn of Namibia, which rises abruptly from the arid Namib plain. The area is rich in rock engravings and paintings. We spend some time exploring these; the Petrified Forest where the fossils are estimated to be about 2 million years old and other geological curiosities including Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes. The area is also home to the Welwitschia, one of the oldest plants in the world.

Heading north, the view of Damaraland is a colourful combination of volcanic landscape and savanna. We overnight at Otjitotongwe, a cheetah farm and rescue project where we have the opportunity of seeing these magnificent cats, now seldom seen in the wild, up close.

Established in 1907, Etosha is one of the largest game reserves in Africa, with terrain ranging from dense bush to open plains. The large salt-pan, from which the park takes its name, is an enormous area: dry and dusty in summer but often a shallow lake filled with water and a multitude of birds in the wet season. A highlight of your visit will be the evenings spent around a floodlit waterhole, watching a never ending procession of wildlife coming to drink. The wide-open spaces and abundant wildlife make a visit to this park an unforgettable experience.

After a leisurely breakfast we start the return drive to the bustling, cosmopolitan city of Windhoek with its stately historic buildings and fusion of cultures. * Optional, at own expense