Depart London Heathrow on award winning South African Airways flight to Namibia’s capital Windhoek. 
 

Day 1

On arrival you will be met by a representative of Emerald, who will hand over detailed travel documentation and assist with your car rental. Depart for Hilton and check in for your overnight stay. The rest of the day is at leisure to explore this lovely city, with its German Colonial legacy in its architecture, restaurants and shops, the German language is still widely used. 

 

Day 2

After breakfast you will drive to Namib the world’s oldest desert, stretching along the entire length of Namibia’s coastline and unusually for a vast sandy desert, the scenery is remarkably varied. Owing to age of this ancient desert, there are numerous species that you will only find in the Namib, like the endemic chameleons, fur seals along the coast, brown hyenas and one of Africa’s largest antelope the Gemsbok, along with an amazing array of flora and fauna manages to survive in the desert. Interestingly the name Namib means ‘vast place’ Overnight is a Sossusvlei Lodge for two nights on a dinner bed and breakfast basis. 

 

Day 3

This lovely lodge is conveniently located at the Entrance Gate to the Namib Naukluft Park, offering direct access to the huge red sand dunes for you to explore the famous pan of Sossusvlei and the scorched black trees of Deal Vlei. Your luxury accommodation are individual units, fully air-conditioned with en suite bathroom with shower, specious bedroom under canvas and private patio. Relax at the end of each day in the sparkling swimming pool or watch the sun go down in the beer garden. Dinner is alfresco on the terrace with exquisite food, award winning wines and fabulous views of the floodlit waterhole.

 

Day 4

Your journey continues to Swakopmund, often described as being more German than Germany! A lovely seaside resort and is the capital of the Skeleton Coast tourism area, with a quirky mixture of German and Namibian influences and German Colonial era buildings. The next two nights are staying at the Hotel Zum Kaiser on a bed and breakfast basis. Conveniently located on Sam Nujoma Avenue, this luxurious hotel has direct access to the beach and to the lively town centre with its quaint architecture, vibrant street life, shopping and fine dining. There is an on-site Bistro Zum Kaiser serving eclectic cuisine, or enjoy a cool drink in the evening on the Roof Terrace as the sun goes down over the Atlantic.

 

Day 5

Today a full day of Marine Dune Tour is included. Your drive takes you between the dunes and the Atlantic Ocean to the only deep water harbour on the Namibian coastline at neighbouring town of Walvis Bay. Explore the bay area by ski boat which is home to a variety of turtles, dolphins, seals and birdlife. Wash delicious fresh Namibian oysters down with sparkling wines as you watch Cape Fur Seals and dolphins swim and play around the boats. Disembark at Pelican Point for 4 x 4 journey to the remote area of the coastline only accessible by 4 x 4 vehicles; pass towering dunes, rising tides and quicksand along the way to Sandwich lagoon, scenically one of the most beautiful spots in Namibia. 

 

Day 6

This morning after breakfast, depart for your onward drive to Mowani Mountain Camp at Damaraland, for one night on a dinner bed and breakfast basis. Damaraland’s huge untamed beauty has an exceptionally scenic landscape of spectacular rock formations and open plains with its main attractions Spitzkoppe, the Brandberg, Twyfelfontein, Vingerklip and the Petrified Forest.Mowani Mountain Camp is a luxurious, eco-friendly, tented lodge with magnificent desert views from your private deck, with open-air en-suite bathrooms. The Twyfelfontein conservancy protects the southern-most roaming black rhino and elusive desert elephant. 

Game drives led by local tribes people are available along with hot air balloon trips over the Aba-Huab Valley are available at an additional cost 

 

Day 7

Today you will drive to the Onguma Tented Camp in Etosha for two nights on a dinner bed and breakfast basis. With just seven tents providing exclusive private accommodation, Onguma in the local Herero language means ‘the place you don’t want to leave’ and this beautiful tented camp will live up to its name. 

Included in your itinerary is a sunset nature drive on the Onguma Reserve with an expert who will explain the intricacies of the Namibian bush, the duration is approximately two to two and half hours and will include drinks at sundown.

 

Day 8

In the morning there is a 4 x 4 game drive through Etosha Game Drive including park entry fees and drinks. Etosha Game park is 22 750km² wildlife sanctuary in Namibia, being one of Africa’s most accessible and stable countries. Etosha means ‘place of dry water’ referring to the flat depression ‘The Pan’ of approximately 5 000km².overlooked by the Onguma Reserve. The spectacular parched area gives a silvery backdrop of shimmering mirages in an area of semi-arid savannah grassland and scrub. After very good rains the Pan does contain water for a few days every year, which is enough to stimulate the blue green algae which grows attracting thousands of flamingos. 

Expert guides will track as many sightings of the 114 species of mammal residing in Etosha, including black faced impala, the black and white rhino which are under constant threat of extinction, monkeys and of course the hippo, buffalo and crocodile.
 

In the evening there is a Rhino Research drive including drinks. The estimated number of black rhinos is estimated to be around 4,240 surviving in the wild a huge decrease of the population in the 1970’s. Since 1997 intensive anti-poaching efforts are resulting in a very slow recovery, the emphasis of this two and half hour afternoon drive is to highlight guests to the conservation programme for the Black Rhino in Namibia conducted on the Onguma Reserve. 

 

Day 9

This morning after breakfast, you will drive to the airport for your return flight to London Heathrow.