Highlights of Southern Namibia

2nd Night: Mariental – Kalahari Anib Lodge

Making you way towards the south your next stop offers you a first taste of the adventures that await you on your journey. The Kalahari Anib Lodge is surrounded by the sands of the Kalahari, which is famous for the intense colours of its sand.

Explore the Kalahari on a morning or sunset drive and enjoy the beauty of this special place and its magical colours. The best time to experience it is when the sun dips in the late afternoon and lights up the sand as if glowing from an inner fire.

3rd and 4th Night: Fish River Canyon – Fish River Lodge

Today you’ll experience a highlight of South Namibia: The Fish River Canyon, the world’s second largest canyon, which measures 160km in length, up to 27km in width and reaches a depth of 550m. Nothing quite prepares you for the size and vastness of the canyon, a surreal experience that offers endless photo opportunities. The Fish River Lodge is the only lodge directly bordering the rim of the canyon and thus you will have a truly magical experience.

Enjoy the view from your private deck – during warm nights it is even possible to sleep outside right under the stars. You can enjoy the canyon by vehicle, bike or on foot – special hiking packages are offered exclusively to guests of the lodge. If you want something more relaxing, spa treatments are available or experience the magical light during a sundowner drive.

5th and 6th Night: Luderitz – Luderitz Nest Hotel

Leaving the imposing landscape of the canyon behind you, you’ll continue your journey towards the coastal town Luderitz. You’ll be surprised to find the wild horses of the Namib, which are roaming the region on your way to Luderitz. The town is characterized by many colourful buildings, which have been built during the time of German colonialization.

You can spend the afternoon wandering the streets, visiting Felsen Kirche, a church that dominates the town from high-up on Diamond Hill, from where you have a nice view over the bay and the town. Diaz Cross, is also worth a visit, as it is the place where Bartholomew Dias first reached Namibia. The next day you should go to Kolmanskop, an abandoned German mining town just outside the town of Luderitz. A whole town trapped in time and swallowed up by the desert makes for the most unbelievable photos. Founded in the 1900s the town was once a prosperous diamond mining community that lasted 40 years, now dilapidated and slowly being reclaimed by the sand. An eerie place with plenty of photo opportunities.

Luderitz Nest Hotel offers a unique on the rocks and sea location, with far reaching uninterrupted views. The hotel’s private beach with walk-on jetty allows the guest to get close-up to the sea.

7th and 8th Night: Namib Rand – Wolwedans Dunes Lodge

The next part of your route will be truly magical and you’ll experience many different landscapes. The further you’ll drive the sandier and redder your surroundings will become. Your destination is the NamibRand Nature Reserve – an area that offers a visual utopia you probably have never seen before. The diversity in the park offers contrasting colours and shapes that leave you inspired. The reserve is rich with history, flora and fauna and unusual phenomenons like the fields of mysterious fairy circles.

Wolwedans Dunes Lodge offers a breath-taking location capturing the beauty of the desert in an unforgettable way. To top it all off: The ecolodge is built to minimize the environmental impact whilst using sustainable technologies. Spend your time exploring true wilderness and join a variety of activities: soar the desert skies in a hot air balloon, learn about small and large desert dwellers on a scenic drive, or explore the desert on foot on a walking safari.

9th and 10th Night: Sossusvlei – Sossus Dune Lodge

It is hard to surpass the experiences of the last days, but the next stop can definitely compete with it. Making your way further through the desert towards the world’s highest sand dunes in Sossusvlei, which is a memorable sight not to be missed when visiting Namibia. The national park boasts towering waves of deep red sand as far as the eye can see and captures nature in its absolute purest and simplest form.

Fascinating desert animals and plants have adapted to the harsh conditions and now thrive in this arid environment. Experience the beauty first hand by climbing the dunes, although quite a challenging and sandy hike, the view from the top is unforgettable and really puts the size and vastness of the desert in perspective. Deadvlei is another magnificent site to see in the area and is a photographer’s paradise. The contrasting colours of the white clay pan filled with dark, dead trees, surrounded by the deep red dunes and under the crisp blue skies is an unusual and spectacular sight.

Sossus Dune Lodge is the only lodge inside Namib Naukluft National Park, so you will be granted early and late access to Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon, which will make the experience even more special.

11th and 12th Night: Swakopmund – Desert Breeze Lodge

Passing through the desert along the Naukluft Mountains and beautiful landscapes you’ll reach Swakopmund, a small city on the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy the breeze! Swakopmund is a city full of contrast: The colonial German architecture seems surreal in its surroundings and the hot desert winds collide with the breeze of the ocean.

Spend your day strolling through this fascinating city where palm trees line the promenade, visit some cosy cafés or spend time in the bustling markets. Swakomund and the surrounding areas offer a variety of interesting activities – on land, at sea or in the air. You can book some marine activities on the Atlantic Ocean like kite surfing, kayaking or join a seal and dolphin boat cruise. Explore the desert on special tours to learn more about the fascinating variety of desert adapted animals.If you are seeking adrenaline you can also go quad-biking, try sand boarding or take a scenic flight to have the ideal view of this unique place, where the desert meets the ocean.

Swakopmund offers a variety of excellent sea-food restaurant. You could have dinner at “The tug” or Jetty 1905, which are both located at the shore, so you can watch the sun set over the ocean and enjoy some delicious food.

13th Night: Windhoek - River Crossing Lodge

Back in Windhoek you can spend your last day in Namibia strolling around the city or simply reminiscing about all the unforgettable memoires made in this beautiful country, before returning to every-day-life.