Namibia Untold Safari

Start the day with an early breakfast before setting off on a guided drive from Windhoek to Etosha National Park. Travel north through Namibia’s central highlands, arriving at the southern Andersson’s Gate by midday. Enter the park for a picnic lunch and an afternoon visit to several waterholes known for attracting plains game and predators.

Later in the day, exit the park and continue to Etosha Heights Private Reserve, located on the park’s southwestern border. Arrival at Safari House is in the late afternoon or early evening. Take time to settle in and enjoy the quiet surroundings of this private wilderness area.

Check in for two nights at Safari House, an exclusive-use homestead offering three ensuite bedrooms, a private guide, chef, and vehicle. The house sits in a 60,000-hectare reserve known for its rhino population and low visitor density.

Spend the day exploring Etosha Heights Private Reserve on two guided game drives. Begin with a morning safari in an open game viewer led by a local ranger. Traverse the reserve’s diverse terrain in search of wildlife such as black and white rhino, lion, giraffe, oryx, kudu, and numerous bird species. Return to Safari House in time for lunch and a short break.

In the afternoon, relax at the house’s private swimming pool or sit on the shaded veranda overlooking the nearby waterhole. Later, head out on a second game drive, covering new areas of the 60,000-hectare reserve. The reserve offers quiet, uncrowded wildlife viewing in a mix of savannah, mopane woodland, and dolomite hills.

Begin the day with an early breakfast and check out from Safari House. The trip continues with a guided overland transfer southwest toward Damaraland, one of Namibia’s most scenic and remote regions. Travel across changing terrain, from mopane woodland to rugged hills and open plains, with occasional stops for wildlife sightings and photography. A picnic lunch is enjoyed en route.

Arrival at Camp Doros is in the afternoon. Located in a dry riverbed in the heart of Damaraland, the camp blends into the landscape with a low environmental footprint and offers panoramic views of the surrounding terrain. The property features a small number of raised Meru-style tents, a plunge pool, and shaded lounge areas. Meals are freshly prepared in a solar-powered kitchen, with a focus on local flavors.

Today, have an exciting and memorable morning searching for rhinos with the help of local trackers. The black rhinos here are part of one of the only free-roaming populations in Africa, making this experience truly special. After your morning adventure, you'll return to camp for a freshly prepared lunch and have time to relax during the hottest part of the day. In the afternoon, you'll head out again for a scenic nature drive or walk to explore this vast and remarkable ecosystem.

Camp Doros collaborates with the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT), an NGO that has played a crucial role in preserving the rare and endangered desert-adapted black rhino. Despite facing severe threats in the '80s and '90s, the black rhino population in Namibia has grown significantly since the formation of SRT.

Namibia is home to the larger subspecies of black rhinoceros found in southern Africa. The only wild population that remains unfenced and outside reserves lives in the arid western Kaokoveld. These rhinos prefer mountainous areas but also follow temporary rivers into northern Namib, especially after rains. They are the only black rhinos in Africa recognized as a "desert group." Like desert-adapted elephants, they travel great distances.

These rhinos walk and feed at night and rest during the day. To meet their dietary needs, they eat from at least 74 of the 103 plant species in their range. They are one of the few animals that eat the fibrous Welwitschia leaves and heavily feed on the milk bush (Euphorbia virosa), despite its sharp spines and toxic latex, likely due to its high water and fat content. The black rhinoceros, once widespread in the subcontinent, is now endangered. The smaller subspecies, Diceros bicornis minor, does not live in Namibia.

Today, continue your adventures in Damaraland, exploring the fascinating landscapes with your private naturalist guide both by vehicle and on foot. Damaraland is a surprising haven for desert-adapted wildlife, including elephants, giraffes, oryx, springbok, and sometimes predators like lions. However, wildlife sightings depend on various factors, including the season, so specific encounters can't be guaranteed.

The wildlife roams across vast, unfenced desert landscapes, making it challenging to find animals, but this is part of the adventure of exploring this untouched gem of Namibia. Today, you'll focus on searching for the elusive desert-adapted elephants in the ephemeral river systems, which means you'll spend most of the day out. Your guide will bring a delicious picnic lunch, and you'll return to camp in the late afternoon.

Desert-Adapted Elephants: In areas with enough vegetation and water, an adult elephant eats up to 300 kg of roughage and drinks 230 liters of water daily. Imagine what a herd would consume in a week, month, or year. African elephants in a desert? Yes! Along with other large mammals like black rhinoceros and giraffes, their ranges extend from river catchments in northern Kaokoveld to as far south as northern Namib. Apart from the Kunene River, seven river courses northwards from the Ugab provide them with routes across the desert.

To meet their nutritional needs, these elephants browse at least 74 of the 103 plant species in their range. They aren't a separate species or subspecies but an ecotype unique to Namibia, adapted to hyper-arid conditions. Elephants in Mali, on the southwestern edge of the Sahara Desert, are the only others known to survive in similar conditions.

After an early breakfast, drive south past Namibia's highest mountain, the Brandberg, which stands 2,573 meters above sea level. Then, head west to the coast at Henties Bay. From there, continue south to the coastal town of Swakopmund, where you can enjoy the pleasant seaside atmosphere and cooler coastal air for the night.

Stay on the eastern outskirts of town, overlooking the Swakop River valley and the desolate desert dunes. Tonight's dinner is at a popular restaurant known for its locally harvested fresh seafood, as well as other local and international dishes.

After an early breakfast, take on a fascinating drive southeast through stunning and ever-changing desert landscapes. Pass through the impressive Gaub and Kuiseb canyons before reaching the dunes at the settlement of Solitaire.

Then, have a picnic lunch along the way and continue to the Namib Tsaris Conservancy, where you spend the final two nights of your safari at Camp Sossus. You should arrive mid to late afternoon, with enough time to get acquainted with the camp and enjoy a hot bucket shower before dinner.

This morning, early for an excursion into the Namib Naukluft National Park. Enter the park gates at sunrise to capture the dunes while the light is soft and the shadows highlight their towering shapes and curves. This area has some of the highest free-standing sand dunes in the world.

Your local guide explains how the Namib Desert was formed and introduces you to the fascinating creatures and plants that have adapted to survive in this harsh environment. After exploring the areas around Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, you can enjoy a picnic in the shade of a camel-thorn tree. Return to your lodge in the early afternoon for a late lunch. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to relax (which is usually welcome after an exhilarating morning in the dunes) or to join another guided activity offered by the lodge within the nature reserve.

After breakfast, check out from Camp Sossus and begin the overland journey back to Windhoek. Travel northeast through the Namib Tsaris Conservancy, ascending the Great Escarpment and passing through the rolling hills of the Khomas Hochland. This route offers varied scenery and occasional chances to spot wildlife along the way.

A picnic lunch is included en route. Arrival in Windhoek is expected by mid-afternoon. Upon arrival, transfer to a hotel in the city or continue to Hosea Kutako International Airport for an outbound evening flight. Departure flights must be scheduled no earlier than 18:00 to allow enough time for the road transfer. An overnight stay in Windhoek can be arranged at an additional cost if needed.