North by Northwest Self–Drive

14 Day Self Drive Safari

Safari Description:

A two–week self–drive safari covering the north of Namibia taking in the delights of Damaraland from its dramatic landscapes, free–roaming wildlife to the unique plant life. Explore the area on foot and from here continue to the far north and Epupa Falls overlooking Angola before entering Etosha National Park one of the greatest wildlife havens, with a final night at Okonjima for AfriCat Foundation – a conservation programme. This self–drive is offered as a camping as well as a variation of accommodation level from 2* through to 3* and a further upgraded accommodation version is also available – trips can be tailored for you.

Safari Highlights:

Spitzkoppe/Erongo Mountains; Damaraland for Twyfelfontein & local communities; Etendeka Mountain Lodge – excellent hiking & nature drives; Himba tribe; Epupa Falls; Etosha National Park for superb game viewing; Okonjima for AfriCat Foundation

Main Attractions:

Namibia: Etosha Park, Damaraland, Africat

Map & Short Itinerary:

Camping

Day 1 Chameleon Backpackers & Guesthouse
Day 2 Spitzkoppe Campsite
Day 3&4 Madisa Campsite Damaraland
Day 5&6 Etendeka Mountain Camp Palmwag
Day 7 Opuwo Lodge Campsite
Day 8&9 Omarunga Campsite Epupa Falls
Day 10 Olifantrus Campsite Etosha National Park
Day 11&12 Okaukuejo Campsite Etosha National Park
Day 13 Okonjima Campsite & AfriCat Foundation
Day 14  Return to Windhoek

Map & Itinerary
Accommodated

Day 1 Utopia Boutique Hotel
Day 2 AiAiba Rock Painting Lodge near Erongo
Day 3&4 Camp Kipwe Damaraland
Day 5&6 Etendeka Mountain Camp Palmwag
Day 7 Opuwo Country Lodge
Day 8&9 Omarunga Lodge Epupa Falls
Day 10 Dolomite Camp Etosha National Park
Day 11&12 Okaukuejo Resort Etosha National Park
Day 13 Okonjima Plains Camp & AfriCat Foundation
Day 14  Return to Windhoek

Map & Itinerary
Luxury

Day 1 Olive Grove Guesthouse
Day 2 Epako Lodge Erongo Mountains
Day 3&4 Doro Nawas Damaraland
Day 5&6 Etendeka Mountain Camp Palmwag
Day 7 Opuwo Country Lodge
Day 8&9 Epupa Falls Lodge
Day 10 Dolomite Camp Etosha National Park
Day 11 Okaukuejo Resort Etosha National Park
Day 12 Ongava Lodge adjacent Etosha
Day 13 Okonjima Bush Camp & AfriCat Foundation
Day 14 Return to Windhoek/end of services.

Map & Itinerary
Length 14 days
Safari Type Self Drive Safari
Price From NAD 27333
Countries Namibia
Accommodation Accommodation, Camping, Luxury
Group Size Minimum 1 people
Single Supplement Yes
Please Note Subject to availability of accommodation
Departures On Request

Comfort Level:

Accommodation Comfort3 Star
Camping Comfort1 Star
Luxury Comfort3 Star4 Star

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1 Windhoek

Collect your vehicle and drive to your accommodation where you’ll meet a consultant and have the chance to answer any last–minute questions, the remainder of day is free. Recommend Joe’s Beer House for dinner – it’s a Namibian institution

Day 2 Spitzkoppe/Erongo

Amid strange granite formations on the outskirts of an ancient volcano, flanked by the Namib Desert to the west and mixed–woodland savannah to the east, the Erongo Mountain region form a rare confluence of ecosystems that give rise to remarkable biodiversity, including a vast array of plant, reptile, mammal and bird species that are endemic to Namibia. Enjoy walks and the chance to see ancient Bushman paintings or even meet with a local Bushman community

Day 3–4 Damaraland

Today drive through to central Damaraland, home to free–roaming desert elephants often found wandering around the dry riverbeds in winter months. Whilst here, it is worth a visit to the nearby Living Damara Museum and learn a little of the local Damara culture supporting a community project or visit Twyfelfontein where thousands of ancient rock engravings and paintings are hidden in the hillsides.

Day 5–6 Etendeka Mountain Camp, Damaraland

This wonderful lodge is located in northern Damaraland where your experience with nature is second–to–none. The focus lies on exploring the area by foot and in open vehicles on game drives where you may be lucky to see black rhino or desert–adapted elephants, along with other free–roaming wildlife and nature walks to quartz fields. The hosts enable you to fully appreciate this wonderful wild and rugged location and it’s a firm favourite with visitors

Day 7 Opuwo, Kaokoveld

Depart for the dusty town of Opuwo, the gateway to the Kunene region in the north–western part of Namibia. The remote area south of the Kunene River is the home of the Himba people, who have kept their ethnic individuality and culture in the seclusion of Kaokoland.

Day 8–9 Epupa Falls, Kunene

Continue to the most northerly point – the Kunene River creates the border between Namibia and Angola and where the water provides a much–needed relief to man and animal alike, casting a palm–lined oasis through the desert landscape. Although Epupa Falls are certainly not the biggest or highest in Africa, they do have their own signature when it comes to a seasonal waterfall, luring visitors to a series of cascades, where the Kunene River drops just 60m over a distance of about 1.5km. They subsequently divide into a mass of channels that form a myriad of rock pools and the region attracts many species of birds in a unique desert setting.

Day 10 Etosha National Park

Onward to Etosha, one of the best game reserves in Africa, entering the park through the western gate and the next days are spent exploring this wildlife haven.

Day 11 Etosha National Park

Game drive to Okaukuejo, the main rest camp of Etosha and famed for its floodlit waterhole where during the dry season hordes of game come to drink – watch out for herds of elephants, black rhino, predators such as lion and hyena and plains game.

Day 12 Etosha National Park

A final night in Etosha, explore more of this incredible park where terrain varies from open plains to bush and woodland finding some of the wildlife that criss–cross tracks en–route to waterholes where they congregate

Day 12 Ongava Lodge, Ongava Private Game Reserve (for Superior/Luxury version)

For the upgraded/luxury version of the trip, a night is spent on Ongava Private Game Reserve, adjacent to Etosha and one of the best lodges in the country, perhaps take part in a game drive on the reserve where white and black rhino and huge pride of lion are found. There’s also species such as waterbuck not found in the national park, and the chance to join a nocturnal drive to see animals not spotted during the day.

Day 13 Okonjima Nature Reserve

Onward to Okonjima – this afternoon you’ll have close encounters with large predators such as cheetah or leopard and get some excellent photo opportunities. A highly recommended option

Day 14 Departure

If time permits, you may consider joining a further activity at Okonjima (own expense), then continue to Windhoek, perhaps stop at Okahandja, for some last–minute souvenir shopping at the craft markets where you can barter some gifts before returning to city. Drop off your vehicle and connect with your onward flight. End of services. No flights prior to mid–afternoon (later if joining activity)

How we rate our safaris

Namibia, Botswana and some other African destinations do not have a set star system that is familiar worldwide to many countries, however, as this is widely used, we have tried to replicate this format to give you an idea of the level of comfort during your safari. For example, a mobile camping tour in Namibia is given 1* and luxury accommodation increasing to 5*. Depending on your tour, there may be a bit of a mix of levels of comfort so please check if you are not sure.

1* or 1–2* Rated Safaris – Camping tours:

These are generally scheduled/small group or self–drive safaris (though a private–guided safari can also fall into this category if you wish to camp); the scheduled trips generally involve client participation where you may be expected to put up/take down your tent and assist with camp chores, dome tents and a ground mattress is supplied. For self–drive options this will often mean roof tents on the vehicle and all camping equipment. There may be the occasional night in simple accommodation but majority of nights are spent camping and most camp sites will have shared ablution facilities. If there is a good mix of both camping and accommodation, this may be rated at 1&2*. These are the most basic level of safaris offered and scheduled safari group sizes vary according to the trip and company – 1* tours are the most affordable option and geared for adventurous travellers who do not mind a bit of discomfort.

Accommodated Safaris

Standard/Mid–range safaris 2–3.5*

Standard accommodation style trips generally have no camping included (though on occasion with a specific activity such as a Delta or Serengeti excursion, or perhaps hiking, a couple of nights may be included). As a general rule this is not the case. With most small group/scheduled tours accommodation is generally 2/3* level – clean and affordable but generally without too many frills; rooms will have en–suite facilities, most will offer air con/fans in the rooms, swimming pools etc (not guaranteed), restaurant/bar facilities, though location can be a little further away from main place of interest this option offers excellent value for money for those seeking a bed each night! We try to indicate on each trip the level of comfort for the particular tour

Superior/Luxury Safaris 3.5–5*

A superior style of accommodation. Most lodges at this level will have air–conditioning or fans in the room though some accommodation establishments are technically “camps” as they may be partially build of canvas – these “camps” are permanent fixtures, generally built on a platform, and will have full and comfortable facilities – the occasional trip may have a more basic night or two involved depending on location to ensure clients can fully appreciate the region they are experiencing. Service is generally very good and most places (outside of towns/cities) will have just a few rooms/chalets. Tours in this bracket include very small group safaris (up to 8 clients), self–drive and private–guided options which are tailored to suit you. The luxury options offer a high standard of accommodation, facilities and service in the region with attention to detail – some “camps” /lodges will have private guides and vehicles, but all accommodation is the best available with personalized service and a quality or unique experience perhaps unavailable elsewhere or in a more moderate price bracket. Tours include fly–in safaris, self–drive and private–guided options.

Please note: this is a guideline only and each destination can vary – some areas in Southern Africa do not always have 5* accommodation (there are limited hotels outside of cities that have the same * grading accommodation) but will be best in the area, have limited volume of rooms and some of the best locations and experiences for clients that is outside of the normal “tourist/travel” route. This can include exclusive conservation regions and emphasis is place on clients having a unique experience rather than offering hairdresser type of facilities that may be found is hotels in cities in other countries. Please also remember that some of these locations can be remote so wifi may not always be available, nor a huge menu range.

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Opening Hours

Monday to Friday
08.00 – 17.00
Saturday
08.00 – 13.00
Sunday & Public Holidays
Closed

Address

7 Voigt St,  Windhoek