A Wild Self-Drive Trip From Okavango to Windhoek

Safari in One of the Most Iconic Destinations

A diverse and intriguing landscape, Botswana’s Moremi and Okavango Region begins with four rocky slabs embellished with San artwork in the Tsodilo Hills and continues on to the marshy shores of the panhandle before fragmenting into the Delta which meanders past Chief’s Island.

Highlights

• The Okavango Region showcases an incredible wealth of biodiversity 
• The iconic Tsodilo Hills stand testament to the lasting imprint of the San culture still visible today 
• The panhandle feeds the Okavango Delta, considered one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Africa
• Many lodges around the Delta have their own airstrips while Maun, considered the gateway to the Delta, has flights directly from Johannesburg 

With unfenced neighbours such as the Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park, the 180,000-hectare Khwai Concession is considered one of the prime safari destinations on the fertile north-eastern fringes of the Okavango Delta. A community-run ecotourism initiative, Khwai is a superb example of conservation tourism at its best, with all proceeds going back into the Khwai Village for community upliftment and community projects. The Khwai River that flows through the concession mirrors the surrounding marshlands. As the first port of call for animals migrating from the Linyanti Reserve, the riverbanks and dry savannahs are abundantly populated with roan and sable...

Highlights

• There are no fences between Khwai Concession and the Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park and Okavango Delta
• The Khwai Concession is community-run and all proceeds go towards the community and their eco-tourism initiatives 
• Animals migrating from the Linyanti concession will find their first water source along the banks of the Khwai River 
• Khwai has an impressive array of birdlife 

The Land of Gentle Giants

The Chobe Region's vast wilderness is an inviting place for an African traveller with many exquisite places to stay, tons to see, much to do and of course elephants, lots and lots of elephants! What's more, this part of the continent is the meeting place of not one, but four countries: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia. The unassuming town of Kasane is the gateway to this diverse and rich part of Africa. Its neighbours include the Chobe National Park, known for its population of Kalahari elephants, and the village of Kazungula where ferries can be taken across to Zambia allowing travellers to stand before the roaring waters of Victoria Falls.  Chobe...

Highlights

• Elephant Capital, home to more than 120,000 elephants
• Chobe National Park is Botswana's first and third largest national park
• Popular safari destination for wildlife photographers
• Endangered animals like the African wild dog thrive here.

Where there's smoke, there's thunder

Words frequently fail to capture the grandeur of Victoria Falls, but if you were to look for an apt description, you probably wouldn’t find better than its Kololo name ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’, which roughly translates to ‘the smoke that thunders’. Spanning nearly two kilometres and dropping about 108 metres, this UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site is the largest waterfall in the world—thanks to the sheer volume of water cascading over its crags every minute.

Highlights

• While it’s not the world’s widest or highest waterfall, Victoria Falls is regarded as the world’s largest because of the amount of water rushing over its precipices
• Listed as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site
• Situated almost halfway along the Zambezi River, straddling Zimbabwe and Zambia
• A mecca for adrenaline junkies with activities ranging from white-water rafting to bungee jumping

Gateway capital to treasures of Namibia

Windhoek is the only proclaimed city in Namibia and acts as the administrative and legislative centre and a gateway to the country. Chances are, those visiting Namibia will begin and end their journey in Windhoek. Apart from being the capital city, it is home to an array of tourist attractions and a vast plethora of accommodation options.  Windhoek is home to a melting pot of cultures and travellers can expect to see Herero, Owambo, Damara, Kavango, Buster, Nama, San, Afrikaans, and German citizens bustling about this unique city made up of typically German architecture and African and German street names. Although the city cannot compete with some of Namibia’s...

Highlights

• Capital city of Namibia, with all services you would expect of a city
• Variety of accommodation options offered inside and on the outskirts of the city
• Centrally located in Namibia so perfect destination from which to start/end journeys
• Good roads into and out of the city, but 4x4 vehicles still recommended for travel afield

The Sossusvlei Dunes: one of Namibia's greatest drawcards

Sossusvlei is located in the Namib-Naukluft Park, a prime destination in Namibia that showcases mammoth sand dunes up to 325m in height. The gates to the park are open to the public between sunrise and sunset and the dunes can be reached after an hour drive from the Sesriem entrance gate.  These so-called star-shaped dunes come in a myriad of red and orange shades and were formed by aeons of forceful winds whipping past in different directions. A sought after subject for artists and photographers, they are best viewed at the break and end of day when the warm tones of the dunes are starkly contrasted against the glaring pale surfaces of the large clay pans...

Highlights

• Probably Namibia’s most popular tourist site and found inside the Namib-Naukluft National Park 
• Climb the second tallest sand dune in the world
• Excellent photographic opportunities at sunrise and sunset
• Hot air ballooning over this area is a once in a lifetime opportunity to remember

Namibia’s Adventure Capital

Swakopmund is the seaside darling of Namibia and has also garnered a reputation as the “adventure capital” of the country. Visitors will be charmed by the temperate climate, old-world German architecture, swaying palm trees that line the streets, exciting adventures on offer and the seaside promenade allowing endless opportunity to amble along the glorious coastline.  Swakopmund didn’t get its adrenaline junkie reputation for nothing: daredevils can get their fix by sky-diving, quad-biking, sand-boarding and angling off the shore or otherwise enjoying ‘living desert’ tours or languid catamaran cruises promising a chance to get...

Highlights

• Ideally located on the West Coast of Namibia, prime holiday destination
• Modern town particularly tuned to servicing the tourism industry
• “Adventure Capital” of Namibia, with a large number of activities and excursions on offer
• Excellent accommodation options from hotels to B&B’s & self-catering

Definite tourist highlight on a Namibian itinerary

Damaraland occupies an area between the Skeleton Coast in the west and Etosha National Park in the East. Likely one of the most fascinating attractions in the area, the Petrified forest near the town of Khorixas offers visitors a chance to get close to large tree trunks that have ‘turned to stone over time’. This area boasts several other unique highlights that can’t be missed and is perfectly located to act as a stopover. Highlights in the region include: tracking wild rhino; hiking up the Brandberg Mountain to view the famous “White Lady” Bushman painting; visiting the rocky outcrop of Twyfelfontein with its plethora of Bushman...

Highlights

• Part of Namibia that is definitely worth spending a good couple of days exploring
• Rhino and Elephant tracking available from some of the lodges in the area
• Unique desert-adapted species are a big drawcard to this area
• Ancient San rock paintings and rock engravings are plentiful throughout the area

Namibian safari heaven in and around Etosha

With its origins in the Bantu language, Etosha translates to “great white place” referencing the near 5 000km² mirage-inducing pan that calls the 22 750km² Etosha National Park home. Considered one of the largest national parks on the globe and home to over 114 mammal and 340 bird species, this wildlife haven is one of the most easily accessible and adored places to visit in southern Africa.  Once upon a time, the Etosha pan was an ancient inland sea that over past millennia has dried up. Although no longer an ocean, the summer rains bring forth a layer of algae across the pan’s surface which entices flocks of flamingos and countless...

Highlights

• Easy accessibility from Windhoek on tarred roads 
• Large park with plenty to see
• Ability to see endangered wildlife like Black Rhino and the Black-faced Impala 
• 4 of the Big 5 call Etosha home

This area supports a diversity of habitats and wildlife

The Waterberg Plateau rises up out of the surrounding Namibian savannah while its brick-red magnificence looms towards the heavens, reaching a height of 420m. Mother Nature’s castle walls in the form of the plateau’s rock-face have created a flourishing sanctuary for fauna and flora in the area. The 41 000ha Waterberg Plateau National Park encompasses its namesake and the surrounding land.  The table of the plateau is largely inaccessible, its natural fortifications providing the perfect environment for some of Namibia’s endangered species to be relocated to a place of refuge from predators and illegal hunters. The reintroduction programme has been incredibly...

Highlights

• About 300km north of Windhoek en-route to Etosha National Park, an excellent stopover destination to break the journey 
• Teeming with wildlife and home to successful introduction of endangered species
• Nature lovers paradise with a variety of hiking trails, guided or un-guided throughout the park
• Diversity of habitats supports a variety of mammals, fauna and bird life

Gateway capital to treasures of Namibia

Windhoek is the only proclaimed city in Namibia and acts as the administrative and legislative centre and a gateway to the country. Chances are, those visiting Namibia will begin and end their journey in Windhoek. Apart from being the capital city, it is home to an array of tourist attractions and a vast plethora of accommodation options.  Windhoek is home to a melting pot of cultures and travellers can expect to see Herero, Owambo, Damara, Kavango, Buster, Nama, San, Afrikaans, and German citizens bustling about this unique city made up of typically German architecture and African and German street names. Although the city cannot compete with some of Namibia’s...

Highlights

• Capital city of Namibia, with all services you would expect of a city
• Variety of accommodation options offered inside and on the outskirts of the city
• Centrally located in Namibia so perfect destination from which to start/end journeys
• Good roads into and out of the city, but 4x4 vehicles still recommended for travel afield