Wildlife and the Atlantic

Six days, about 1,610 kilometres, and both legs on tar. This self-drive loop from Windhoek pairs Etosha with the Atlantic coast at Swakopmund, and it is the one to choose for a first attempt at driving Namibia independently.

Etosha takes the first half. Three nights there means real time at the waterholes, which is how game viewing in that park actually works: the animals come to the water and the patient driver sees more than the busy one. The pan itself is a vast white salt flat visible from space, and the contrast between it and the surrounding bush is unlike anywhere else.

Swakopmund is the other half, and the change is abrupt. It is a cool, foggy, German-colonial seaside town with the Atlantic on one side and the Namib dunes on the other, which makes for a strange and very pleasant two nights after the heat of the north.

Sandura Tours plan and book the itinerary themselves, and they include all the accommodation, the route planning, park and reserve entrance fees and 24-hour support while you are on the road. Flights, meals, optional activities, insurance and gratuities are separate, and the vehicle can be added through their planner or arranged yourself. Because both driving legs are sealed road, a standard vehicle will do it and the distances are manageable, which removes most of what puts people off a Namibian self-drive. For a short first trip to Namibia, it is a very sensible shape, and Windhoek at both ends keeps the flights simple.