Dunes, Coast and Wildlife

Ten days and about 2,210 kilometres, covering most of what people come to Namibia for. A self-drive loop from Windhoek linking Sossusvlei, the coast, Spitzkoppe and Etosha, with one guided excursion built in.

It opens with the dunes, and they are the right place to start. Two nights at Sossusvlei allows a sunrise among them and a proper look at Deadvlei, where dead camel thorn trees stand on white clay against orange sand. Swakopmund follows for two nights on the Atlantic, and from there a guided 4×4 trip runs out to Sandwich Harbour, where the dunes drop straight into the sea and the lagoon fills with flamingos. That excursion needs the tides to cooperate and is emphatically not something to attempt alone in a hire car.

Spitzkoppe comes next, granite peaks on an open plain with rock art and exceptionally dark skies, then three nights at Etosha, which is the right amount to sit at the waterholes and let the game come to you rather than chasing it.

Sandura Tours plan and book the itinerary, with the Sandwich Harbour excursion run by I Dream Africa Adventure. Included are all accommodation, that guided excursion, route planning, park and reserve entrance fees and 24-hour support. Flights, meals, other activities, insurance and gratuities are separate, and the vehicle can be added through their planner. For a first trip that leaves nothing major out, ten days is about the minimum you can do it in, and this is a nicely paced version of that week and a half.