Namibia Walking, Wildlife and Wilderness Self-Drive
Tour Introduction
To immerse oneself in Namibia’s wilderness on foot is an unforgettable experience. This exceptional value, self-drive itinerary involves hiking in the Otavi and Erongo Mountains, climbing the towering dunes at Sossusvlei and trekking the beautiful wilderness of the southern NamibRand Nature Reserve, with the chance to sleep under the stars: a magical experience. The opportunity to learn in depth about Namibian ecology is enhanced by outstanding safari guides and the various animal species that will be encountered while walking. On the other hand, safaris in Etosha National Park for big cats, elephants, rhinos and other large game will take place from the safety of your vehicle. A coastal fix is provided in the shape of Swakopmund, a quaint colonial German town with plentiful offshore marine life. This itinerary comes highly recommended for active people who want a closer, more intimate connection with Namibia’s natural environment, and at an affordable price.
Full Itinerary
Arrive Windhoek, met on arrival and transfer to the centre of the city. There will be a briefing session and information given, and the hire car will be delivered to you.
Staying at Rivendell Guest House. Includes Breakfast.
Self-drive to Mundulea Nature Reserve in the ancient Otavi Mountains and meet your expert guide. The rest of the day is free to explore the beautiful area, discovering its fauna and flora.
Staying at Mundulea Bush Camp. Includes All Meals.
Day for guided hiking in Mundulea Nature Reserve. Your guide is one of the best in Namibia and his interpretation of the bush will reward you with fascinating insights into the area's natural history.
Staying at Mundulea Bush Camp. Includes All Meals.
Another day of guided hiking in Mundulea Nature Reserve. Your intimate tented camp has only four double rooms.
Staying at Mundulea Bush Camp. Includes All Meals.
Say farewell and drive to the eastern part of the Etosha National Park for a self-drive safari in Etosha (if time allows) or just relax in the lovely surroundings at the lodge.
Staying at Onguma Bush Camp. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Today take a leisurely drive westwards through Etosha National Park, game viewing as you go. The Etosha pan is a large salt pan formed by wind action fringed by woodlands which supports a great diversity of flora and fauna. The park is known for its large concentrations of game particularly around waterholes and the attractive endemic race of black-faced impala and populations of black and white rhino. Arrive at Okaukeujo later in the day. Optional night time safari for nocturnal animals in an open safari vehicle or simply enjoy animals coming to you at the camp's famous waterhole.
Staying at Okaukuejo Camp. Includes Breakfast.
Head south to the Erongo Mountains. Walk amongst the impressive granite rocks – some eroded over millennia by the wind into bizarre shapes – and discover the weird and wonderful desert adapted flora that survives in this environment.
Staying at Erongo Wilderness Lodge. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
A day to explore the Erongo Mountains famed for their lovely scenery, special bird life and ancient rock paintings.
Staying at Erongo Wilderness Lodge. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Drive to Swakopmund on the north west coast. On arrival there will be time to explore this seaside town and arrange tomorrow's activities. The rest of the day is at leisure. There are plenty of shops, restaurants and attractive colonial architecture to enjoy on a walk around this safe town.
Staying at Cornerstone Guesthouse. Includes Breakfast.
Day at leisure in Swakopmund. Optional excursions include sea kayaking or a luxury catamaran cruise from Walvis Bay in search of dolphins, fur seals and other marine wildlife. Also possible are interpretive tours of the desert, a scenic flight over the extraordinary Namib Great Dune Sea and coast seeing shipwrecks and abandoned diamond mines, visits to a museum and more.
Staying at Cornerstone Guesthouse. Includes Breakfast.
Drive south to your lodge next to the Namib-Naukluft National Park.
There may be time for afternoon optional excursions such as horse riding, guided walks or bird watching.
Staying at Desert Homestead Lodge. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Self-drive to Sesriem and into the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Take a stunning walk or (optional) shuttle to Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei, or try the drive in your 4x4 depending on previous off road experience. Return to Sesriem and visit the Sesriem Canyon. Then drive further south to the NamibRand Nature Reserve. Introduction and walk to the first camp on the Tok Tokkie Trail.
Staying at Tok Tokkie Trails. Includes All Meals.
Day of walking in the stunning NamibRand with Tok Tokkie Trails. The huge private reserve contains some breathtaking landscapes and wildlife populations.
Staying at Tok Tokkie Trails. Includes All Meals.
Final day of walking in the NamibRand. Then drive to the next lodge, situated close to the dramatic Gamsberg Pass at the foot of the Gamsberg Mountain. There are plenty of hiking trails on the property to explore. Optional sundowner drive to celebrate your final night in Namibia.
Staying at Corona Guest Farm. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Self-drive over the scenic Khomas Hochland back to Windhoek airport. Return your hire vehicle. Connect with your onward international flight.
Includes Breakfast.
Tour Accommodation
Rivendell Guesthouse
Overview
Rivendell Guest House is a small welcoming bed and breakfast a short walk from Windhoek’s city centre. It makes a good-value, convenient stopover on your way in and out of Namibia.
The attractive, friendly guesthouse is located in a safe district and has off road parking, a security guard and is gated at night. The rooms are simply furnished but clean and comfortable and most have private attached bathrooms. Some rooms have air-conditioning and tea and coffee making facilities but all have ceiling fans and mosquito nets.
Rivendell has an attractive garden with many cacti, and a swimming pool to enjoy as well as communal lounge with a digital satellite TV. WiFi is available in the communal areas and a laundry service is available on request. The guesthouse staff have excellent local knowledge and will be delighted to assist you with any requests.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Some private bathrooms, ceiling fans, mosquito nets, lounge, satellite TV, swimming pool, off-road parking, Wi-Fi and laundry service.
Optional Activities
City tours of Windhoek and excursions to areas further afield.
Mundulea Bush Camp
Overview
Mundulea Bush Camp is a remote, private camp in the Mundulea Nature Reserve, set up by passionate conservationists Bruno and Kate Nebe, who established the reserve in 2001. The Camp has just four traditional safari tents with large porches and comfortable twin beds. The tents are en suite but the bathrooms are located outside with a flush toilet, shower and hand basin. Although rather basic, the tents are are equipped with a lockable storage box, wardrobe, insect spray, bottled water and a torch.
Each tent also has exclusive access to a private hide overlooking the camp’s waterhole that attracts a range of large and small mammals and birds. The main camp building is quite rustic but homely and in keeping with the traditional style of the region. Inside it has locally crafted furniture, a grand dining table built around a large tree trunk and a small seating area next to an open fire pit. There is an extensive library of natural history books relevant to the flora and fauna of the region for guests to browse.
Most activities are undertaken on foot and include natural history walks and the tracking of larger mammals. The walks not only enable guests to see the wildlife of the reserve but are also designed to be educational with insights given into ecology, local history and conservation. The walks do not always result in close up sightings of large mammals but, with such expert guiding, the smaller wildlife and ecology can be better appreciated. Larger mammals of the reserve include eland, kudu, zebra, wildebeest, hartebeest, Damara dik-dik, spotted hyena, leopard, cheetah, caracal and honey badger. The reserve affords excellent birding, and nature walks usually produce interesting sightings of reptiles and insects. With luck, one of the five reintroduced black rhino may be spotted. Although rarely seen, there is an ongoing research project into the African pangolin at the reserve.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private open-air bathrooms, dining room, lounge, library, storage box, private hide, bottled water, insect repellent spray and torch.
Local Wildlife
A good diversity of herbivores includes kudu, eland, zebra, wildebeest, hartebeest, and Damara dik dik and recently reintroduced black-faced impala, giraffe, springbok and black rhino. Carnivores include leopard, cheetah, caracal, serval, honey badger, bat-eared fox, aardwolf, spotted hyena and meerkat. There is prolific bird life and many raptor and owl species can be observed. There is an ongoing pangolin research project in the reserve.
Optional Activities
Nature walks and game drives in the Mundulea Nature Reserve.
Onguma Bush Camp
Overview
Onguma Bush Camp is a family-friendly lodge with pool and games room which is fenced for safety and security.
Accommodation consists of sixteen terraced rooms built around an active waterhole. The spacious air-conditioned rooms are spread around the fenced gardens in a small village design, allowing for both privacy and fantastic views. The main guest area also overlooks the rewarding waterhole and includes a reception area, lounge, games room, dining room as well as a swimming pool. Every need is attended to and the bush-chic styling ensures guests are cocooned in comfort.
Guests can relax in the comfortable lounge or in front of the fireplace. Children can enjoy the games room. All rooms have an en-suite bathroom, private outside shower and a private deck in front where guests can relax.
The camp is within the Onguma Private Game Reserve which protects 34,000 hectares of wilderness adjoining the famous Etosha National Park, home to abundant game including both black and white rhinos, various big cats and more than 300 bird species.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, restaurant, bar, lounge, swimming pool, mosquito nets, hairdryer, ceiling fans, tea and coffee facilities and laundry service.
Local Wildlife
Common plains game includes impala, besia oryx, wildebeest hartebeest and springbok and there is a population of both black and white rhino, which can be sometimes, be seen at water holes. Predators such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, jackals and honeys badgers are present in the reserve. While the nearby Etosha National Park contains greater concentrations of plains game, rhino, and big cats and also has a population of elephants.
Optional Activities
Safari game drives around the private reserve and Etosha National Park. Walking safaris are also available.
Okaukuejo Camp
Overview
Okaukuejo was the first tourist camp to open in the now world famous Etosha National Park and is famous for its floodlit waterhole where visitors can observe myriad wildlife congregating and interacting at close quarters.
There are 104 chalets at the government-run camp spread across six accommodation styles. The most luxurious accommodation is in five premier waterhole chalets that have a lounge, fridge and upstairs a large double bedroom with queen size beds, separate washbasins, private shower, wardrobe and patio with sun loungers. There are also 30 standard waterhole chalets with views of the waterhole but are smaller and lack the spacious living area. For families, there are two large self-catering chalets with room for four and a kitchenette and lounge.
Located a little further back from the main camp are twenty bush chalets that have a small living area, private bathroom and comfortable beds plus a BBQ facility. Also within the Camp are 45 double occupancy en suite rooms and two with disabled access.
There is a buffet restaurant, bar, fuelling station, curio shop, post office and viewing tower. The camp also offers two large swimming pools and a separate, shallow children’s pool.
The camp was originally established by the military in 1901 and is located just 17 km from the Andersson’s entrance to the Etosha National Park. Game drives and nature walks are available and at night the shy and endangered black rhino regularly visits the waterhole. This is actually one of the most reliable places in Africa to watch black rhinos as they are well protected in Etosha and have few other options for drinking in the immediate area.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, restaurant, lounge, bar, swimming pool, curio shop, food shop, post office, viewing tower, fuel station, BBQ facility, air-conditioning, fridge and tea and coffee facilities.
Erongo Wilderness Lodge
Overview
The Erongo Wilderness Lodge is a friendly and well-run camp west of Omaruru in the Erongo Mountains Nature Conservancy, excellent for walkers and birders. Accommodation is in 10 en suite raised tented chalets with thatched roofs scattered around a kopje (rocky outcrop) with plenty of privacy. The chalets have great views, comfortable beds, fridges, mosquito netted windows and a decking area with sun loungers.
There are raised stone and wooden walkways to connect the chalets with the higher main building which has a restaurant serving delicious meals, lounge and fireplace. There is also a small library and curio shop and the walls are decorated with historic artefacts.
Just below the main building is a small swimming pool in which to cool off and admire the marvellous views, plus a water hole visited by smaller nocturnal wildlife particularly Cape porcupines.
Activities include nature walks, usually with early starts to maximise sightings, and again in the evening as part of a sundowner drive. There are also nature drives offered (at extra cost). Local wildlife includes Hartman’s mountain zebra, springbok, kudu, steenbok, klipspringer, dassie rats, baboons and surprisingly diverse bird life including the beautiful rosy-headed lovebird and the enigmatic white-tailed shrike. The nearby Paula’s Cave has fascinating bushman rock art, and special al fresco meals can be arranged at scenic spots in the great desert landscape.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private facilities, restaurant, lounge, swimming pool, library, curio shop, fridge, sun decks and mosquito nets.
Local Wildlife
There is a waterhole at the lodge visited at night by Cape porcupine, jackal and other nocturnal wildlife. The endemic rock dassie rat as well as common dassies can be seen sunbathing on top of the larger rocks. The area is superb for birding and star species include the rosy-faced lovebirds. Larger mammals include Hartman’s mountain zebra, springbok, kudu, steenbok, klipspringer and besia oryx.
Optional Activities
Guided nature and sundowner walks and drives. Excursions to Paula's Cave are also available.
Cornerstone Guesthouse
Overview
Just a short walk from the sea and Swakopmund’s town centre is this small, private bed and breakfast guesthouse. Occupying a quiet corner of Swakopmund’s ‘old town’ near the marine museum and the old brewery, Cornerstone Guesthouse offers the charm and intimacy of a family-run bed and breakfast combined with some of the amenities of a luxury hotel.
Accommodation is in seven en suite rooms, of which five are double/twins and two are family rooms. All are spacious with smart décor and attractive tile and wood flooring, table and chairs and private modern bathrooms. Facilities include digital safes, flat screen satellite TVs, WiFi and minibars.
Within a few minutes you can walk to beaches, cafés, restaurants, lively pubs, Swakopmund tourist attractions and a variety of interesting shops and markets, making this an ideal and welcoming base.
The town resembles a small, German coastal resort, nestled between the desert and the sea, combining colonial architecture with good shops, restaurants, museums, craft centres, art galleries and cafés.
The owners of Cornerstone also rent out a three-bedroom, fully equipped self-catering apartment practically on the seafront and very close to the famous Tug restaurant. Well appointed and decorated in a modern nautical theme, the ground floor flat has a patio and small front garden with views out to sea and a secure garage behind electronic gates to the rear. If renting the apartment, guests are still welcome in the main guesthouse, a short walk away, for an inclusive breakfast each day.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, digital safety deposit box, TV, mini-bar, laundry service, breakfast room and Wi-Fi Internet access.
Local Wildlife
A catamaran cruise in Walvis Bay gives the opportunity to see huge colonies of fur seals and white pelicans. The endemic Heavside’s dolphin and dusky and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are also often spotted on the cruise. Mola mola (sunfish) and leatherback turtles are less likely but also possible sightings.
Optional Activities
Catamaran trips in Walvis Bay, sightseeing tours of Swakopmund, inland tours across the dunes to Sandwich Harbour, Tommy's excellent and amusing Living Desert tour which seeks out smaller desert adapted fauna, and visits to historical sites.
Corona Guest Farm
Overview
Nestled in the wild Naukluft Mountains, the Corona Guest Farm is a perfect stopover on a journey from Windhoek to Walvis Bay.
Corona is a typical Namibian farmhouse that has been converted into a guesthouse with a friendly and homely ambience.
There are four en suite family-sized suites named after local animals and a further six standard rooms.
The spacious family suites give a home-from-home feel and have been decorated in quirky, vibrant colours. Each has a private modern bathroom, seating, a minibar and a private verandah that leads onto the garden and swimming pool. The standard rooms are more simple and have double beds, writing table and chair and en suite bathroom with shower.
The main building has an open plan lounge, dining room and small bar. The meals are always very fresh, mostly home made using locally sourced ingredients. Evening meals are four-course affairs with attentive waiters serving your table.
The house has an attractive garden and large (unheated) swimming pool with sun loungers. The area is very popular for hiking, with many trails to explore: scenic drives, wildlife viewing and horse riding (advance notice required) are also possible.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, dining room, lounge, swimming pool, free Wi-Fi, ceiling fan and air conditioning.
Local Wildlife
Herds of kudu, springbok, gemsbok, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, steenbok, black-backed jackals, ostrich, reptiles and unusual plants.
Optional Activities
Hiking in the Naukluft Mountains and local area. Bird and wildlife viewing, horse riding and scenic drives.
Desert Homestead Lodge
Overview
The Desert Homestead Lodge offers relaxed rustic hospitality with a natural atmosphere. Accommodation in the form of traditional style houses is spread amongst a beautiful desert game reserve, providing comfort and style alongside total immersion in nature. Early in 2014 the lodge was renovated and upgraded with environment-friendly technology. Thus, solar power is now the only energy source for power generation and water heating.
Located 30km south-east of Sesriem, the Desert Homestead Lodge is the perfect starting point for tours to the Namib-Naukluft National Park, and to Sossusvlei and the Sesriem Canyon – an ideal oasis of relaxation after a day-trip to the world‘s highest dunes. The lodge is located in a private nature reserve close by the Unesco World Heritage site of the Namib Sand Sea.
There are 20 chalets decorated and built in the style of traditional farm buildings, creating quaint and cosy accommodation. There is also one Reiterhaus, or family house, which is slightly larger, incorporating a combined living area and bedroom which can sleep a family of up to four people.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
The main house offers a swimming pool with sundeck and shaded areas, bar and restaurant, safety deposit box at the reception, laundry service, Wi-Fi and souvenir shop. Each room has a private shaded sun deck, mosquito nets, air conditioning and standard amenities.
Local Wildlife
Wildlife biodiversity is high in reptiles with around 70 species with 25 endemic or near-endemic to the Namib Desert. The wedge-snouted sand lizard, small-scaled sand lizard, web-footed gecko, barking gecko and Namib day gecko all dive beneath the sand when they sense danger. Small rodents include Grant’s golden mole which can ‘swim’ through the sand dunes, gerbils, the Namaqua dune mole rat, the Namib long-eared bat and Angola wing-gland bat which feed on the dune dwelling insects. This is also the home to Peringuey’s adder (Namib Desert sidewinder) – an ambush hunter that buries itself beneath the sand, with only the eyes and tip of its tail exposed, waiting for prey such as desert lizards. The Namaqua chameleon is also specially adapted to the desert, digging holes and changing colour throughout the day to help thermoregulation and excreting salt from nasal glands to conserve water. They stalk prey such as beetles, crickets, scorpions and lizards, and are in turn hunted by hawks, eagles and jackals.
Desert insects includes tiny endemic Namib Desert darkling beetles or “fog beetles” which use their bodies as fog collectors by assuming the characteristic fog-basking pose, while the ‘flying saucer trench beetle’ digs trenches to capture the fog’s moisture to drink.
Larger animals of the Namib include gemsbok (oryx) which can regulate their body temperature and survive for weeks without drinking, springbok, klipspringer, steenbok and Hartmann’s zebra towards the eastern boundary. Predators include spotted and brown hyena, cheetah, Cape fox and bat-eared fox. Other species such as baboon and leopard are mostly confined to the rivers.
Of the 180 bird species found in the Namib Desert, the most prominent is the ostrich. There are six endemic birds: the dune lark, Benguela long-billed lark, Gray’s lark, bank cormorant, tractrac chat, and Rüppell’s korhaan. As the environment is so harsh, most birds of the Namib are concentrated along the coastline, with hotspots in Walvis Bay and Sandwich Harbour areas.
Optional Activities
The Desert Homestead Lodge is famous for its guided trail rides in the Namib desert. Guided rides are offered twice a day in the early morning and close to sunset. Horse riding safaris lasting several days can be booked by experienced riders as well as beginners. Spending the night in a romantic tent under the starry sky of the Namib desert will be an unforgettable experience.
There is a well-marked 10km walking or running track from the lodge. Guided hikes between lodges in the Sossusvlei region combined with two overnight stays at Desert Homestead Lodge and Desert Homestead Outpost can be arranged, or there are also shorter walks available from the lodge itself. Sunset hot air balloon rides over the Namib desert are available.
Tok Tokkie Trails
Overview
The Tok Tokkie Trails walking safari takes you close to the desert’s stunning beauty. Whilst walking, you will discover many secrets of the Namib that cannot be experienced when driving. You will get to feel different aspects of the Namib – from mountainous terrain to sandy dunes. Let your guide introduce you to this world, relax with a sundowner and enjoy a three-course dinner before falling asleep under the stars.
An unforgettable way to experience the true desert, this accommodation comprises seven to eight hours per day of walking with a guide in small groups (two to eight people), finally reaching the day’s camping location. At the camp you will be greeted by staff who have your luggage and have set up beds under the stars, toilet and shower. The chef will have prepared a three course dinner which is eaten al fresco, alongside cocktails and drinks of your choice. Packed breakfasts and lunches are also provided for your days in the desert.
Whilst this style of accommodation lacks many of the facilities and comforts people usually prioritise, it is pretty comfortable and a once in a lifetime experience offering a unique opportunity for total immersion in the majestic Namib desert.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Facilities
Open air toilet, hot water bucket shower, vehicle and crew to carry your bags, chef. All necessary equipment (excluding boots) is provided. Nights are spent out in the open, under the stars.
Local Wildlife
Two obvious species are oryx and springbok. As they are not hunted they sometimes do not even bother to run away from the two legged guests in their territory, giving the whole scene a somewhat primeval touch. The majestic oryx can stand a body temperature of well above 40 degrees, because they are able to cool their sensitive brain with a special system in the nasal cavity. Ostriches regulate their body temperature by panting and fanning. There are also approximately 100 bird species in the NamibRand Private Reserve and you might even be lucky enough to see the rare and endangered lappet faced vulture, black eagle or the endemic dune lark.
What makes the Tok Tokkie Trail special is also the possibility for spotting the many small characters of the desert. NamibRand is home to many, often very charming reptiles, insects and small mammals. The barking gecko’s nocturnal chatting is an enjoyable interruption of the desert's usual silence; the golden mole’s silky little coat allows it to glide effortlessly below the sand, avoiding the heat of the surface; the scarabaeus could also be called the bulldozer beetle because of the efficient way of removing sand from its future home; and the shovel snouted lizard carries around a water reservoir in its intestines. The handsome bat eared fox has protruding ears to cool its blood and for detecting its next underground meal. Of course, last but not least we also have to mention the tok tokkie beetle, which taps out a rhythm to attract a mate.
Route Map
Departure Dates
Travel Information
Are International Flights Included?
No. Please contact us for a quote if required.
Best Visited:
January to January
Are you ATOL Registered?
Yes. This means we are legally able to book your international flights in conjunction with your ground arrangements so you can book with us with complete confidence. Read more about our ATOL license here.
Alan Godwin
Area Specialist
The hiking on the Tok Tokkie Trail is leisurely and rarely exceeds 10km (6 miles) per day. Try to leave enough time for horse riding at Desert Homestead.
If you have any questions regarding this Tour, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
This was our second visit to Namibia in just over 12 months, with Reef and Rainforest and our seventh consecutive wildlife trip with them. I think that speaks for itself. This year we were particularly keen to try and observe some desert adapted Lions. The Lions found in ‘The Namib Desert’ are genetically identical to those found in the rest of Southern Africa but have adapted to live in one of the harshest environments on earth. They number around 150 and have a huge range, and are rarely seen. They came to prominence in the outstanding documentary film ‘Vanishing Kings’. The best chance of observing members of this subset of Lions is during a stay at Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, although sightings cannot be guaranteed and weeks can pass by without any success. Therefore a stay at this camp was at the heart of our itinerary and we were very lucky to spend time with a Lioness and her niece who had killed an Oryx in the conservancy. The camp itself is absolutely outstanding in every respect and the location is just spectacular.
Visitors should be aware that this is not ‘The Serengeti’ and that the wildlife is quite thin on the ground. However you would have to be very unlucky not to see Elephant, Giraffe and several other species. Whilst we were out in the desert we were lucky to bump in to Dr P. Stander who has dedicated the whole of his adult life to the conservation of The Desert Lion, what a thrill. The day trip out to the coast was pretty special as well.
The rest of the itinerary worked very well and we were very pleased to have three full days in Etosha N.P. where we recorded 25 mammal species, including 32 individual Lions, observed the aftermath of 4 zebra kills, 11 Rhinoceros (both Black & White), an African Wildcat and the rarely seen in Etosha, elusive Leopard.
So a big thank you to ALL at Reef and Rainforest, another highly successful trip, you certainly delivered again.
