Northwestern Namibia is one of the few true wilderness areas left in Africa. It has very few people, about one person every 2 square kilometers, and is not visited by many tourists. It is home to special wildlife that has adapted to live in the desert. On this safari, you will explore Namibia’s dry rivers, meet the OvaHimba people, visit Epupa Falls, and enjoy a boat cruise on the Kunene River. The trip ends with a visit to the quiet northwestern part of Etosha National Park.
Day 1: Windhoek to Brandberg Mountain Area
Your guide will meet you at the airport or hotel in Windhoek. You will drive to Brandberg, stopping for lunch along the way or when you reach the Brandberg White Lady Lodge. In the afternoon, go for a sundowner drive around Brandberg and explore the Ugab River. Many animals and birds live along this river. Brandberg is the highest mountain in Namibia at 2,573 meters. Its name means “Burning Mountain” in Afrikaans, Dutch, and German because it looks red in the sunlight. The local Damara people also call it “Dâures,” which means the same thing. Of the 357 plant species found here, 11 are found nowhere else.
Day 2: Brandberg Mountain Area
After breakfast, take a short hike to visit the White Lady Rock painting. The hike takes about 30 minutes. The San people lived here and made over 45,000 rock paintings. The White Lady painting is very famous. Some experts thought it showed European influence, but now many agree it shows a local boy covered in white clay during a ceremony. Some say it may show a Shaman. Local guides will explain the painting. Return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, look for desert-adapted elephants.
Day 3: Brandberg to Damaraland
After breakfast, travel to the Twyfelfontein area. After lunch, visit the Bushman Rock Engravings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with more than 40,000 ancient carvings made by the San people about 2,000 years ago. It’s a 45-minute guided walk. Then visit the Organ Pipes and Burnt Mountain. The Organ Pipes are tall rock columns, and the Burnt Mountain looks beautiful in the late afternoon light.
Day 4: Damaraland
Explore the Aba-Huab and Huab rivers, which are dry most of the year, in search of desert wildlife like elephants, rhinos, oryx, springbok, and giraffes. After lunch, visit the local Damara people and learn about their old ways of life. You’ll see traditional tools, crafts, songs, dances, and games.
Day 5: Damaraland to Palmwag Concession
After breakfast, visit the Petrified Forest, where large trees turned to stone about 280 million years ago. The trees were buried in sand, and their cells turned into stone. These trees are believed to be the same type as those that made Europe’s coal fields. Then continue to Palmwag. You may see wildlife on the way. In the afternoon, relax at the lodge or take a walk. Later, go on a sundowner drive.
Day 6: Palmwag Concession
Start early to search for desert black rhinos with local guides and rangers. The Namib Desert is home to the last wild black rhinos in open land. This is a special project run by the Namibian government, local people, and wildlife groups. It helps people protect and benefit from the rhinos. The trip may take most of the day, but you may also go for a drive later in your own vehicle.
Day 7: Palmwag to Kaokoland
After breakfast, drive to Purros and explore the Hoanib River. This river is dry for most of the year but supports many animals, including elephants, rhinos, giraffes, lions, and other wildlife. You’ll have lunch along the way and reach your destination in the afternoon.
Day 8: Kaokoland (Purros)
In the morning, explore the Hoarusib River, another dry river with birds and animals. After lunch, visit the OvaHimba people and learn about their daily life. They are semi-nomadic herders who keep cattle. You’ll learn about their food, clothes, houses, and holy fire, which is the center of their homestead.
Day 9: Kaokoland (Epupa Falls)
Continue your trip north to Epupa Falls. Arrive around lunchtime. In the late afternoon, visit the falls. The Kunene River drops 60 meters over a stretch of 1.5 kilometers, forming many small pools and waterfalls. The area is beautiful, with rocks, palm trees, and wild fig trees. You may see birds like the Rufous palm thrush, African fish eagle, and giant kingfisher.
Day 10: Kunene River
After breakfast, drive along the Kunene River, surrounded by tall palm trees. Arrive for lunch, then go on a boat cruise to look for rare birds like the Cinderella waxbill, grey kestrel, and Angolan cave chat. Optional activities include fishing, canoeing, or white-water rafting.
Day 11: Kunene River to Etosha National Park
After breakfast, drive along the Kunene River past a hydroelectric dam and through the town of Ruacana. Continue to northern Etosha, passing through the Owambo region, where people farm for a living. This area has many birds and wetlands. Stop for lunch along the way and arrive at your lodge near Etosha’s less visited northern part.
Day 12: Etosha National Park
Explore the northern part of Etosha. Go for morning and afternoon game drives. This part of the park has both open grassland and thick bushes. Etosha is home to about 114 types of mammals and over 350 bird species. Look for rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants, zebras, hyenas, giraffes, and more.
Day 13: Etosha National Park
After breakfast, drive from the northern to the southern part of the park. This is a full-day game drive with lunch on the way. Etosha is dry, so animals depend on springs and waterholes for water. You’ll stop at different waterholes and try to see more animals before your safari ends.
Day 14: Departure
Drive back to Windhoek. You can either stay a night in the city or go straight to the airport for your flight home.
