Tents & Tracks – Code TT
Highlights: Kalahari Desert, Fish River Canyon, Orange River, Lüderitz, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Damaraland, Epupa Falls, Etosha National Park and Waterberg Plateau Park
Please note: This tour can also be divided into a northern or a southern route. The northern tour starts on day 11, while the southern tour ends on day 12
Day 1 : Windhoek
Upon arrival at the International Airport you collect your fully equipped four-wheel-drive vehicle and proceed to Windhoek. Here you have time to stock up on supplies for the following few days.
Enjoy a scenic walk through this cosmopolitan African city with its European colonial flair, wooden markets and cosy street café’s. In the evening visit one of Windhoek’s splendid restaurants before retiring to your pension for the night.
Day 2 : Kalahari (280 kms)
Traveling south after breakfast, you will soon see the red sand of the Kalahari interspersed with yellow grasses, shepherd’s trees and acacia’s.
Your campsite is situated on a private game reserve in close vicinity to a frequented waterhole where Oryx, Springbok, Zebra, and a variety of smaller game species abound.
In the late afternoon experience the Kalahari and its symbiotic components on a sundowner / nature drive (optional).
Days 3 & 4 : Fish River Canyon (300 kms)
Your route takes you via sparse vegetation, isolated hills and endless rocky plains to the Quiver Tree Forest. Here you find over 250 of these indigenous aloes congregated in a single area.
Proceed further south to the Fish River Canyon.
This canyon, created by the effects of upliftment and erosion, is set in a harsh, rocky plain dotted with drought resistant plants, and is regarded as one of the rare natural wonders on earth.
Days 5 & 6 : Aus (320 kms)
Your journey takes you along the Orange River and then north to the most plant diverse desert on earth, situated on the edge of the Huib Plateau. Your campsite is at Klein Aus Vista, an area of breathtaking views and awesome variations of landscapes.
The following day can be used to visit Kolmanskop outside Lüderitz, a Ghost Town established after the first diamonds were discovered here in 1908.
Your day trip can be rounded off with a visit to Diaz Cross or even an opportunity to see the Wild Horses close to Aus on your return.
Day 7 : Naukluft Mountains (380 kms)
This morning you travel north into the Namib Desert, the oldest desert on earth.
Your lodge is surrounded by the Naukluft Mountains, one of the most striking mountain ranges found in Namibia.
After you set up camp next to the ephemeral Tsauchab River you have the option of exploring the amazing area on foot or visit one of Namibia’s few wine farms in close vicinity to your camp.
Day 8 & 9 : Namib Desert & Sossusvlei (100kms)
Travel north to Sesriem, the gate to Sossusvlei, home of the highest sand dunes on earth, and Sesriem Canyon.
The following day, experience the surreal environment of flat gravel plains contrasted with the apricot coloured majestic sand dunes when visiting Sossusvlei.
Visit the fantastic Dead Vlei with its white clay-baked pan surrounded by the highest dunes in the desert.
Finish the morning with a visit to the rugged Sesriem Canyon, a gorge created by the force of the Tsauchab River.
Day 10 & 11 : Swakopmund (340kms)
After breakfast travel to Swakopmund.
En route you will traverse the rugged and harsh Gaub and Kuiseb Passes.
You can also visit the Welwitschia plains and the Moonlandscape as you approach Swakopmund. This idyllic town is situated between the Namib Desert and the Atlantic Ocean and offers some unique and fun activities.
Some of these include scenic flights, dolphin cruises, quad biking, dune boarding, parachuting and wind surfing.
Day 12 : Damaraland (450 kms)
After breakfast, you travel east into the Damaraland, one of Namibia’s most geologically diverse areas.
Game such as Rhino, Desert Elephant and Giraffe roam freely, just as they did hundreds of years ago.
A visit to the Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes is particularly rewarding in the later afternoon.
Enjoy dinner along the lushly vegetated banks of the ephemeral Aba Huab River, where, with some luck, you may be able to view the rare desert elephant.
Days 13 & 14 : Kaokoveld (340kms)
Start the morning with an excursion to Twyfelfontein, a world heritage site where over 2500 rock engravings and rock paintings cover the boulders of a pre-historic desert. Travel further north into Kaokoland, a large tract of pristine wilderness and uniquely adapted wildlife.
This is the home of the Himba.
Your camp for the night is situated along a lush, deeply eroded dry riverbed that is inhabited by a range of browsers such as Kudu and Duiker.
Day 15 & 16 Epupa Falls (320kms)
After a glorious sunrise and a hearty breakfast travel further north through landscapes where huge Baobab Trees stand like giants in the midst of the Mopane Savanna. Once at the Epupa Falls, this spectacular water wonderland in an arid environment will have you gasping in awe.
Optional activities from your camp include visits to traditional Himba villages, scenic walks and excellent birding opportunities.
Day 17 Damaraland (450 kms)
This morning travel south into the eastern part of Damaraland. On your way you may come across migrating Himba people in search for better grazing for their cattle as well as wildlife species such as springbok, kudu, oryx and baboons.
Your campsite for the evening is situated in a typical Damaraland acacia savannah.
Optional game or nature drives on the property give you an in-depth understanding of this arid yet wildlife rich country.
Day 18 & 19 Etosha National Park (190 kms)
Today you travel into the Etosha National Park, Namibia’s most famous wildlife park.
The park surrounds a parched salt desert known as the Etosha Pan, which shimmers with mirages during the heat of the day.
Waterholes in the park support a diversity of mammals and birds, including endangered species such Rhino and cheetah.
From your campsite you have access to a floodlit water hole that attracts a vast amount of game in the evening, unequaled to anywhere else.
Day 20 Waterberg Plateau Park (380 kms)
After breakfast travel south to Lake Otjikoto, one of only two natural lakes found in Namibia; with a depth of over 100 meters it is also one of the deepest lakes in Southern Africa.
Continue south to the Waterberg, one of the most scenic locations in Namibia and perfect for undertaking scenic walks.
Your campsite lies at the foot of the red sandstone cliffs that form the impressive Waterberg Mountain.
Day 21 Windhoek (250 kms)
Enjoy a pre-breakfast walk along one of the scenic mountain trails before traveling south towards Windhoek.
Take time to stroll through one of the large craft markets in Okahandja.
Your route takes you between high mountain ranges back to the capital city, Windhoek, where you check into your pension for the night.
The next morning you travel the short distance to the airport for your departing flight.
Day 22 Departure (50 kms)
In time for your outbound flight, travel the short distance to the international airport, where you return your rental vehicle and where your tour ends.