Economic Namibian Wonders Self Drive

Ask our expert Sarah Jayne about this destination

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Day 1

Meet your representative in Windhoek, collect your rental car. Drive to Olive Grove Guest House, a small property located in an upmarket district. Guestrooms all have verandahs and there is a secluded garden, al fresco lounge, small pool and a deck with a spa tub.

Day 2

From Windhoek, start your self drive tour, making first for Okahandja, a town well-known for its skillful woodcarvings. Continue through Otjiwarongo to reach Frans Indongo Lodge, which has sweeping views across the plains and offers great food and the chance to see many different animals from the hotel itself. Game walks and drives can also be arranged to see more of the local wildlife (extra cost).

Day 3

Breakfast at Frans Indongo and then drive on for a stay at Mokuti Lodge, adjacent to the Etosha National Park’s Von Lindequist Gate. Etosha covers more than 20,000 square kilometres and protects hundreds of species of birds and mammals.

Day 4

Spend the day in Etosha, which can be explored safely in your own car or by bookable guided tours (there is a charge to visit the park). The park features salt flats, woodlands and open plains, along with the vast Etosha Pan itself. Of the 114 species of mammal in Etosha, several are endangered, like the black-faced impala and the black rhino, while the park’s elephants count as some of the largest on the continent. There is a fee for entering the park. Spend a second night at Mokuti Lodge.

Day 5

Drive through Etosha, looking out for game at the park’s waterholes to stop at Okaukuejo Rest Camp for the night. The camp is next to a floodlit waterhole, for evening game viewing, and is considered the best waterhole for game viewing in Etosha. Meals at the camp and entrance fees to the park not included.

Day 6

Head for the Twyfelfontein Conservancy to arrive at Mowani Mountain Camp, nestled between the Huab and Ugab Rivers. Visit the area’s collection of 6,000-year-old rock art, one of the largest groups of petroglyphs in Africa. You can visit much of the area in your rental car, or join one of the many locally-booked guided activities.

Day 7

Explore Burnt Mountain, Twyfelfontein and the impressive White Lady rock carving. There are some 2,000 carvings, or petroglyphs in the Twyfelfontein, depicting animals and humans. Have dinner and your second overnight stay at the cmap.

Day 8

Drive southwards to coastal Swakopmund for a two-night stay in this pretty town, founded in the late 19th century by German settlers. Stay at the Eberwein Hotel.

Day 9

Swakopmund has many fine craft and local jewellery shops, plus good dining options and some lively bars and nightclubs. It is also the adventure sports capital of Namibia, and the energetic can try sand boarding, quad biking, surfing and many other activities, which are all bookable locally.

Day 10

Continue to Sossusvlei, famous for its huge red-sand dunes. Stay at the Desert Homestead and head out for a leisurely walk near the property.

Day 11

Climb the Sossusvlei dunes and climb the highest sand dunes, some of which soar to more than 300 metres high. Travel onwards to enter the Namib Rand to reach the Wolwedans area in the heart of the nature reserve. You’ll stay at Wolwedans Lodge, which affords panoramic views across the mountains and sand dunes, which you can view as the sun sets over a drink on the wooden deck. All meals and activities are included at Wolwedans Lodge.

Day 12

Take a picnic lunch and spend the day on safari in a 4WD vehicle, exploring the Namib Rand Nature Reserve. Alternatively, get a feel for the dune-dotted landscape and local wildlife on a morning excursion with lunch back at the camp.

Day 13

After enjoying breafast at the lodge drive back to Windhoek to conclude your tour of Namibia and catch your homeward flight.