Namibia Self Drive Adventure

On arrival you will be met by a Wayfairer representative and be shown your hire car for the next few weeks. You will be given a sat-nav, detailed driving directions, a debrief on 4x4 driving and an outline on all the destinations you will visit. You spend the rest of the day relaxing in Windhoek and we will point you in the direction of the best food and drink spots.

Today the real adventure begins and you will drive south for 3 hours to arrive at your lodge in the Kalahari Desert. You will be blown away by the sunset and the red sand dunes that the Kalahari is famous for. There is some game in the area with zebra, giraffe and oryx common sightings but the real highlight is the scenery and a sunset walk with a local San Bushman is an immense experience.

Drive south stopping off at the lovely Quiver Tree Forest and arrive at Fish River Canyon. Breathtaking is an understatement for this little visited site. The world's second largest canyon is brilliant for self-exploration or with a guide and just as fantastic for relaxing with a cold drink overlooking the emptiness below.

Enjoy nature walks, game drives, wild swimming, kayaking and many more brilliant activities.

Enjoy breakfast overlooking the canyon before making your way North and towards the coast. The terrain changes drastically en route as you arrive at the start of vast sandy dunes. A real highlight of this region is the Kholmanskop Ghost Town. Once a small but extremely rich mining village it was hastily abandoned and has become immortalised as a tourist spot to see the half furnished, half sand filled homes - eerily intriguing. You stay in Luderitz for one night and enjoy your first view of the Atlantic Ocean as well as a comfortable room and a chance to temporarily dust off a bit of sand.

This morning you will drive North into the heart of the Namib Desert where you will spend the next two nights exploring Sossusvlei and it's remarkable geographical features. Highlights include amazing dune walks and drives, horse-riding, quad-biking and hot air ballooning. A sunrise in Sossusvlei is something that you will never forget and this makes it a must visit for all Namibia itineraries.

Explore the dunes and enjoy your lovely accommodation.

Crossing the Tropic of Capricorn you make your way out of the desert to the Skeleton Coast, passing through beautiful canyons and classic Namibian scenery opens up before you - this lunar-esque landscape is a pleasure to drive and we recommend a small detour to the Welwitschia Plains before arriving at the coast. You will spend two nights in Swakopmund, a beautiful old colonial town that acts as the launchpad for a wide array of activities. Walvis Bay is a stunning spot just outside Swakopmund and we highly recommend stopping off on your way into town.

Activities include sea kayaking, a dolphin cruise, dune quad biking, scenic flights to see the famous ship wrecks, fishing and a desert eco tour. There are lots of lovely restaurants so we recommend staying on a bed and breakfast basis.

This morning you will resume your epic road trip and head up the Skeleton Coast. Henties Bay is highly recommended as a pit stop to see the Cape Cross seal colony as well as the famous shipwrecks that gave this coastline its name. You drive onwards into Damaraland through the open plains of Uis and onto Twyfelfontein, home to some of the best preserved rock art on the continent. You will meet your guide and be driven to the stunning lodge set up in the mountains. The afternoon of your arrival can be spent relaxing and soaking in the views or out on a safari looking for desert adapted elephants and rhinos.

Whilst staying in Damaraland rhino tracking is the top activity as it is home to world's largest free roaming population but there is also a chance to see desert adapted elephants, oryx, lion, ostrich, hyena and giraffe. Nature walks, birding and full day excursions with a picnic lunch are also available activities.

This morning you will enjoy breakfast before heading towards Etosha National Park, one of the continents top spots for game viewing. The park is contains a huge salt pan with waterholes and natural springs that, particularly in the dryer months from June-November, are full of game. Our driving directions will guide you to the Western gate and through the park to our favourite spots before arriving at your lodge.

You will enjoy game drives, guided bush walks, brilliant food and great service whilst staying in Etosha.

Driving out of Etosha you will head south to Okonjima, the home of the brilliant AfriCat Foundation. Set aside within the Omboroko Mountains this brilliant area is much more than a nature reserve. Not only is it home to the AfriCat Foundation which is internationally recognised as one of the top conservation schemes in Africa but it acts as a great spot for an array of activities. They even have bush fitness camp on site with mountain biking and some brilliant nature trails.

This really is a fantastic place to finish your Namibian adventure and you will leave safe in the knowledge that you have had a real adventure in this wonderful country but also knowing you have done a great deal of good for the future of tourism in Namibia.

This morning you will drive back to Windhoek. This will take about 3 hours and on arrival you will have time to get some lunch, drop off your hire car and catch your international flight home.