Inspiration Itinerary | Namibia's Skeleton Coast &

Namib Desert

Wilderness in contrasts

A desert wilderness

The Skeleton Coast region is one of the planet’s most inhospitable yet beautiful places, a wild and uninhabited wilderness where a lunar landscape of gravel plains covered with lichens and welwitschias, interspersed with sand dunes, gives way to the harsh Atlantic coastline. You can marvel at the ancient welwitschia plant, savour landscapes that unfold untouched for hundreds of years and discover the wealth of desert-adapted life on game drives. Freshwater springs support healthy populations of giraffe, gemsbok, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, springbok, kudu, black-backed jackal and brown hyaena. Even elephant thrive and lion, rhino, leopard and cheetah can also be seen but are more elusive.

You will stay in two contrasting locations over 4 nights, the first inland in the ancient and spectacularly beautiful Kaokoland, covered in towering mountains, dry river beds and sand dune, all of which can be explored by vehicle and on foot. Then head towards the buffeting Atlantic seas of the Skeleton Coast where your accommodation is designed around the relics of the old shipwrecks that dot the shoreline. Spend your time roaring over the huge dunes on your own quad bike, explore in a 4×4 along the dunes and the dry Hoarusib River to trek the desert adapted wildlife and visit the Mowe Bay seal colony and some of the shipwrecks remains.

The flight south to your next destination will reveal from above the true contrasts of Namibia’s changing desert landscapes and the inhospitable coastline. Namib-Naukluft Park is the largest park in Namibia covering nearly 50,000 square km of desert savanna, quartz plains and estuarine lagoons. The Namib is the world’s oldest desert and possibly one of the most striking when the early morning or late afternoon sun hits the red ochre and tall grasses, offering abundant contrasts of colour. Your last exquisitely luxurious camp, set amongst huge granite boulders, allows you to lose yourself in this magical landscape.

8 UNFORGETTABLE DAYS

DAYS 1 - 2 | KAOKOLAND | 2 NIGHTS

Depart from Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, flying north-west into the spectacularly beautiful landscape of Kaokoland. There is very little out here, but that’s the whole point! Rolling dunes, rocky mountains, desert plains and dry river beds abound. There are desert adapted species in the area such as lion, elephant, giraffe, oryx and there is even a population of free-roaming black rhino, but wildlife viewing is not the main focus of your stay here given the breadth of natural landscape to explore and marvel at. Your home for the next two nights will be Hoanib Valley Camp.

DAY 3 - 4 | SKELETON COAST | 2 NIGHTS

Depart with your guide in an adapted 4×4 for a scenic day trip with picnic lunch as you drive in ancient dry riverbeds and breathtaking desert landscapes towards the Skeleton Coast. Stay for two nights at Shipwreck Lodge where your accommodation has been designed around the relics of old shipwrecks. You will have plenty of time for adventure here – there are seal colonies and shipwrecks to visit, game drives searching for desert adapted species, quad biking over the enormous sand dunes and 4×4 excursions to the Clay Castles, the Hoanib River Delta and along the coast.

DAYS 5 - 7 | NAMIB-RAND NATURE RESERVE | 3 NIGHTS

Farewell the Skeleton Coast with a light aircraft flight south to the NamibRand Nature Reserve. This air transfer will fly over a vastly changing landscape, and possibly even over the rugged coastline with a refuelling stop in the historic German-inspired town of Swakopmund (note, a private charter scenic flight can be arranged for additional cost). Arrive at Wolwedans Boulders Camp, nestled amidst huge granite boulders and rocks within undoubtedly one of the most romantic and beautiful landscapes in Africa. Set against a backdrop of unparalleled beauty, Boulders provides the perfect base from which to explore. Walking safaris, scenic drives, all day excursions with picnic are just some of the options on offer. The property and region also lends itself to simply switch off and absorb the beauty around you.

DAY 8 | END OF SAFARI

Your desert isolation comes to an end as you fly back to Windhoek for connection with onward destinations.

WHERE YOU’LL STAY

A selection of the finest safari camps

Hoanib Valley Camp – Kaokoland

In a country jam-packed with vast, strikingly beautiful landscapes, Hoanib Valley Camp is located in perhaps the most spectacular of them all - Kaokoland. A stay at Hoanib Valley camp combines fantastic wildlife, stunning scenery and strong ethics providing a perfectly rounded Namibian safari experience. Read More

Shipwreck Lodge – Skeleton Coast

The Skeleton Coast is a raw, rugged and impossibly remote slice of African wilderness. Each of Shipwreck Lodge's ten freestanding chalets has been architecturally designed to artfully mimic the ghostly shipwrecks that line these beaches and a stay here is your gateway to one of Africa’s most mysterious and enchanting landscapes. Read More

Wolwedans Boulders – NamibRand Nature Reserve

Envelop yourself into the pristine wilderness surrounding Wolwedans Boulders camp, deep south of Namibia's NamibRand Nature Reserve. Surrounded by large granite rocks, spacious tents are dotted in between with comfortable interiors offering maximum space to take in the views of the remoteness. Read More

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