Fly into Walvis Bay. You’ll be met on arrival by your guide who will drive you to Swakopmund, which lies about 45kms north up the coast. Check-in to your hotel and spend the afternoon exploring the town before finding a restaurant for dinner. Swakopmund is an interesting and unusual town, with plenty of evidence of its colonial German past, and is well worth exploring on the first afternoon and evening – your guide will help you chose what to do.

Overnight at the Hansa Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis, or alternative according to budget and preference

Your guide will come to pick you up after an early breakfast. You’ll head towards Sossusvlei, crossing the northern Namib-Naukluft National Park. Make a stop at the Henno Martins (the author of The Sheltering Desert) cave and then take a walk down the Kuiseb River to find a picnic spot for lunch. Arrive in Sossusvlei and pitch camp in the afternoon. Time permitting, take a late afternoon/early evening walk on Elim dune, a nearby beauty spot with sweeping views over the Sossusvlei area.

Overnight camping at Sesriem, near Sossusvlei, on a fully inclusive basis

Enjoy a morning excursion into Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei, experiencing sunrise over the massive dunes. Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan surrounded by the high red dunes that typify the southern part of the Namib Desert, lying to the south of the Kuiseb river. This vast dune sea, of which Sossusvlei occupies one very small part, comprises a major portion of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Dead Vlei, a fascinating landscape where blackened dead acacia trees stand in vivid contrast to the white salty floor of the pan and the intense orange of the dunes, is located nearby and can be walked to.

Having taken a walk for views and witnessed the extraordinary change of colour across the dune sea, from rust red to salmon pink, and hiked into Dead Vlei, take brunch in the shade of large Camelthorn trees. Drive back to the campsite to rest before spending the afternoon exploring the Sesriem Canyon and surrounds, a picturesque formation of eroded conglomerate rock and the only waterhole for miles and miles.

Overnight camping at Sesriem, near Sossusvlei, on a fully inclusive basis

Leave Sossusvlei/Sesriem and drive through the north-eastern section of the Namib-Naukluft Park, up into the southernmost part on the Kaokoveld (southern Damaraland), Namibia’s least populated region outside of the Namib Desert. Here you’ll find the Spitzkoppe group of mountains, the highest of which is Groot Spitzkoppe, a magnificent granite inselberg which stands 670m above the surrounding gravel plains and which is known locally as the Matterhorn of Africa. You’ll make camp at the foot of this iconic mountain, finding a secluded spot away from others, and can spend time exploring around the base, bouldering and scrambling if you feel inclined and possibly venturing into the adjacent Pontok Mountains with a local guide. Local small-scale gem miners sell their finds near the entrance to the reserve.

Overnight camping at the base of Spitzkoppe mountain, on a fully inclusive basis

Today you’ll head north, venturing deeper into Damaraland, to explore the area around the Brandberg Massif, a vast granite intrusion measuring about 30km across at its widest point, which rises dramatically above flat gravel plains. It contains Namibia’s highest summit (Königstein, 2,573m) and is also home to an impressive collection of rock art, including the famous ‘White Lady’. Set up camp in the foothills of the Brandberg and explore this fascinating area. The local Brandberg guides have enormous experience of the surrounding area, sharply-honed tracking skills and good knowledge of individual animals, and there are chances to spot desert-adapted elephant. The area also contains Namibia’s best and biggest specimens of Welwitschia.

Overnight camping in the foothills of the Brandberg, on a fully inclusive basis

Leaving the Brandberg behind, move on through the Ugab River landscapes into western Damaraland, where black rhino sightings are possible with luck! Set up camp near Gai-As, one of the oldest village sites on the western escarpment, near natural springs amid vast, harsh desert vistas which are home to springbok, mountain zebra, ostrich, oryx and other animals.

Overnight camping near Gai-As, on a fully inclusive basis

After breakfast, head north towards the Huab River and set up camp near Peter’s Pool. Take a walk in the area close to the last open water hole before the coast, where there will be a chance to see desert-adapted elephants, a fascinating group of animals which survive against all odds in Damarland’s harsh conditions.

Overnight camping near the Huab River, on a fully inclusive basis

Today you’ll head back inland away from the coast to visit the Twyfelfontein area, enjoying appealing desert scenery and keeping an eye out for elephants as you travel. The petroglyphs and paintings at Twyfelfontein are well known and on the cards for many visitors staying in the desert lodges nearby, but they are well worth visiting. You will also visit the Burnt Mountain and other interesting sights before pitching camp for your last night in Damaraland.

Overnight camping at near Twyfelfontein, on a fully inclusive basis

You’ll make a 5 hour journey east today, leaving the semi-arid environment of Damaraland behind. Your destination is Mundulea Nature Reserve, a 13 000 Ha private property occupying a small upland plateau between the Otavi Mountains and the Waterberg. Mundulea is owned by Bruno Nebe, a highly respected guide in Namibia, who, over the last 20 or more years has been slowly returning the land to its original state before settler times, when over-grazing across much of northeast Namibia allowed acacia thicket to take over from tree savannah. The reserve is rich in montane bushland and it’s been a very successful conservation project, with many species that were driven out in the last century now flourishing again.

Mundulea Bushcamp is essentially a walking camp, which has nature, conservation and environment at its heart – there is no such thing as a driving safari here. Visiting Mundulea is a 3-night experience, with Bruno hosting you throughout – it’s very immersive and personal, and doesn’t follow a fixed, mechanical format as one finds in so many safari camps. It’s hard not to become captivated and involved in what goes on here from a conservation and ecological perspective, and the blanket of nature on all sides is truly relaxing.

Overnight at Mundulea Bush Camp on a fully inclusive basis

Enjoy the next two days fully immersing yourself in nature at Mundulea. The daytime is devoted to walking on trails within the reserve, at a pace and length dictated by guests. Usually you’ll walk for 3 or 4 hours in the early morning, then venture out to walk again for 2 or 3 hours in the afternoon, either exploring the limestone and marble hills which are riddled with caverns, pot-holes and gorges, or ambling more gently through sloping savannah and bush. Emphasis is placed on the flora and fauna that one encounters, and the ecology that binds it all together. Bruno accompanies guests on all walks and is keen to observe, point-out, explain and philosophise. Out here he’s in his element and his enthusiasm for the natural world around him is infectious. You can also spend time tracking or recording game at waterholes on the property, or simply enjoying views from some of the high points. A Pangolin rehabilitation and monitoring program was in hand when we visited and we were able to track and observe a collared specimen.

Overnight at Mundulea Bush Camp on a fully inclusive basis

Enjoy a final morning walk and breakfast before heading to Windhoek (4-4½ hours). It is possible to catch the early afternoon flight to Johannesburg, but this entails an early start and a rushed finish at Mundulea. Better to enjoy a relaxed departure, with an evening eating out in Windhoek and time to explore the city a bit in the morning.

Overnight at Olive Grove Guest House or an alternative that we recommend according to budget and preference (eg. Hilltop Guest House, The upmarket Heinitzburg Hotel or more modest Thule Hotel)

It’s worth taking a couple of hours in the morning to explore Windhoek a little. As a suggestion, the Namibia Craft Centre in the Old Breweries Complex close to the city centre is well worth a visit, and there’s a good café here too. Allow 45 minutes to drive to Hosea Kutako International Airport to drop your hire car and check in for your flight.

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