Namibia's Wilderness

On arrival, you’ll be warmly greeted and chauffeured to the Olive Exclusive Boutique Hotel. Our intimate luxury retreat has just 7 spacious suites, individually decorated to reflect a different region of the country. Enjoy your private lounge with fireplace and a spacious deck where you can relax on a shady daybed.

Transfer to the airport for your safari transfer flight. Thrill to the shifting terrain below as you fly southward into the Namib Desert. Upon arrival, you’ll be escorted to the stunning Kulala Desert Lodge, where stylish thatch and canvas bungalows offer private deck looking out onto the mesmerizing landscapes. After lunch, you’ll have some free time to simply enjoy this extraordinary desert setting at the foot of the majestic Sossusvlei dunes. Over in the main lodge, a wrap-around deck overlooks a waterhole that regularly attracts the local wildlife. Later this afternoon, an afternoon game drive with other lodge guests and our expert safari guide takes you into the midst of this forbidding and arid land, where you may encounter remarkable desert-adapted species of fox, hyena, springbok and oryx. Meals B+L+D

Head out this morning with our engaging guide to explore the spectacular dunes of Sossusvlei. Our Lodge has privileged access to a private entrance to the Namib-Naukluft National Park for a more rewarding safari experience without any crowds. Formed over millions of years and continuously shaped by winds off the Atlantic, the towering red dunes of Sossusvlei are among the tallest in the world.

Return to the Lodge for lunch, and some down time to relax and recharge. A late afternoon game drive offers another chance to encounter and learn about the wildlife. Ostrich, black-backed jackal and gemsbok are other animals that you might check off your list today. Unique bird species include the dune lark, Burchell’s courser, and Ludwig’s bustard. Tonight, after dinner, you can relax on your private verandah and take in the star-filled desert sky. Meals B+L+D

This morning’s exhilarating safari transfer flight takes you over the other-worldly landscapes of Damaraland and Namibia’s infamous Skeleton Coast. Touching down in a remote area of the Kaokoveld – a land of mountains, vast plains and dry riverbeds – you’ll be met and escorted to the luxurious Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp. Here on the pristine Palmwag Concession, you’ll find just 8 stylish under-canvas suites with breathtaking views of the terrain. An afternoon game drive with our deeply knowledgeable and impassioned safari guide reveals the surprising abundance and variety of desert-adapted wildlife. Thanks to freshwater springs on the Concession, your big game encounters might include elephant, giraffe, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, kudu, springbok, lion, leopard, cheetah and spotted hyena. Meals B+L+D

Set out with our expert guide this morning and other lodge guests on an exciting 4x4 excursion to the coast, traveling through dune fields and the wilderness of the Hoanib River floodplain. Reaching the Skeleton Coast, you’ll behold the stark remains of ships wrecked by off-shore rocks or run aground in the blinding fog: A mesmerizing scene that bears testament to the harsh reality of this sparsely populated coast. At Möwe Bay, you’ll discover a thriving colony of Cape fur seals, with thousands of breeding pairs. The return to Camp is a flight-seeing adventure that promises magnificent aerial views of the Skeleton Coast and an unforgettable perspective of the land journey you made earlier in the day. This evening, you’ll enjoy a presentation on the scientific research being done on the Palmwag Concession.  Meals B+L+D

The Palmwag Concession supports the largest free-roaming population of desert-adapted black rhino in Africa, and your morning and afternoon game drives offer additional chances to see this magnificent animal. As you set out with our expert safari guide in search of the great wildlife herds and the predators that follow in their wake, you’ll be mesmerized by the evocative landscapes that unfold untouched for hundreds of miles in every direction. You can also delve into the enigmatic history of the original Strandlopers, their stone circles lying in hidden valleys.  Meals B+L+D

Taking to the skies in our safari aircraft, today’s transfer flight again offers cinematic aerial views of Namibia’s unique topography. Touching down by Etosha National Park, you’ll be warmly greeted and escorted to the intimate Ongava Lodge. Situated on a hilltop in the foothills of the Ondundozonanandana Mountain Range, your stylishly furnished rock and thatch chalet offers far-reaching views of the surrounding terrain. Over at the main lodge, an expansive deck overlooks an active waterhole.  Meals B+L+D

Awake to the sounds of the African bush and set out this morning with our expert safari guide and fellow lodge guests on your morning game drive. Venturing across the pristine terrain of Ongava Private Reserve and into the adjoining Etosha National Park—where no fences hinder the free movement of wildlife—you’ll explore one of southern Africa’s most celebrated ecosystems. Etosha’s vast salt pan and savanna grasslands offer prime viewing of lion, wildebeest, springbok, gemsbok, giraffe, and herds of zebra grazing the plains.
This afternoon, return to the bush in search of elusive big cats or a herd of red hartebeest moving through the thornveld. With luck, you may spot the striking black-faced impala—found only in this part of Namibia. As the sun lowers over the mopane woodland, you’ll return to camp where the comforts of your lodge await. As dusk falls, a thrilling night safari offers a new dimension to the bush, revealing nocturnal creatures like porcupine, bat-eared fox, or even leopard on the prowl. Meals B+L+D
 

Rise early and lace up your boots for a guided bush walk led by one of Ongava’s seasoned naturalists. Moving quietly on foot through the reserve offers an intimate perspective of the land and its wildlife—perhaps the tracks of a lioness from the night before, or a herd of kudu browsing nearby. Keep your eyes sharp for birdlife; over 300 recorded species fill the skies here, from the shimmering Rüppell’s parrot to the elusive Hartlaub’s francolin.  After lunch set out on a game drive with luck see Ongava’s most extraordinary residents: black and white rhinos. With the highest rhino concentration in the country, this is Namibia’s best opportunity to witness these magnificent and increasingly rare animals in their natural habitat.  This evening, gather for sundowners and stories before dinner is served beneath the stars, a fitting close to your unforgettable two-day immersion in one of Africa’s last great wildernesses.  Meals B+L+D
 

After breakfast, you’ll be escorted to the airstrip for your light aircraft flight back to Windhoek. Meals B