NAMIBIA
Echoes of Silence: A Tapestry of Infinite Landscapes and Untamed Wildlife
Welcome to Namibia, a land where the beauty and majesty of nature create a sanctuary for the soul. Here, the vastness of the desert, the dramatic silhouettes of ancient mountains, and the shimmering shades of the sky come together to form a breathtaking canvas that invites you to immerse yourself in their splendor.
As you travel through this enchanting landscape, each long drive reveals a new masterpiece - golden dunes, rugged cliffs and open savannahs that stretch to the horizon. The shifting colors and stunning panoramas turn the journey itself into an experience of reflection and wonder.
In this wild and beautiful place, nature's rhythm frees the mind and fills the spirit with peace. Join us as we explore the Namib Desert, witness Etosha's wildlife, and stay in stunning eco-friendly lodges.
Let yourself be amazed by landscapes that look larger and wider than anything you’ve ever seen, surrounded by the oldest desert on Earth.
Day 1 - The rural Windhoek area
After what has likely been a long journey, get your car rental, and drive to Zannier Omaanda. This beautiful hotel is perfect to wind down and relax at the pool for a few hours. You can also go on a game drive and start looking for your first wild animals.
Alternatively, stay at Our Habitas, a beautiful eco-hotel located on top of a hill, overlooking at 360 degrees the otherworldly plan around it. Your room is actually going to be a luxury tent, completely immersed in nature.
Day 2 - A long way to the South
This is going to be a long drive - approximately 5 to 6 hours - but trust us, it’s going to be an unforgettable one. Remember to pack some big bottles of water and fill up your tank before leaving. You’ll drive through incredible landscapes and end up in the outstanding Zannier Sonop. This hotel is built at the top of a hill made out of massive granite boulders, which hasn’t been touched. Simply, the hotel was designed around it to keep its original beauty. Here you can relax at the pool while watching oryxes a few meters from you and enjoy the desert’s silence and enjoy some amazing food and cocktails.
The hotel also offers several excursions’ opportunities.
Day 3, 4 - Drive down to Kolmanskop, the abandoned city reclaimed by the desert
Probably the most beautiful drive of all, the road will lead you initially through hills and then through infinite shades of desert, from white to pink. Kolmanskop is something you have never witnessed before. Once a gold miners’ village, it was abandoned in 1956, when the desert started claiming it as its own, slowly but surely. While the houses on your right are the most conserved - they almost feel like you could move in - the ones on your left are the most sandy, and incredibly enough, the least visited.
If you want to spend the night nearby, your only option is Lüderitz, a quaint village on the nearby coast. Lüderitz is certainly going to be the least exciting sight you have witnessed so far. However, many perfectly kept German colonial buildings are certainly worth a walk tour and the sight of penguins in the nearby penguin island can make your stay worth it!
On the way back, stop here to watch hundreds of wild horses living freely. We recommend stopping again at Zannier Sonop to break your trip in two legs.
Day 5, 6 - Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, the Namib desert masterpiece
Drive up to the beautiful Little Kulala - In this hotel every room is actually a suite, with a spacious outdoor patio and a private plunge. Next to it you’ll find a queen size bed, which gets made at night, so that you can lay down while stargazing (and even sleep there if you’d like!)
The hotel is located inside Sossusvlei’s national park, and has a private entrance to it so you won’t need to worry about organizing expeditions to Big Daddy and Deadvlei because they will do that for you with no extra cost, and they will do it amazingly well. It goes without saying - Deadvlei is surely one the most incredible sights in Namibia. If you can, go a couple of hours after sunrise (if you’re in Namibia during winter, otherwise it would be way too hot) - That way you’ll likely be on your own.
Not only do they organize the excursion to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, but if you’d like, they also arrange trips to Sesriem Canyon, which we highly recommend to be visited in the afternoon before sunset, when the temperature is slightly cooler and the site is less crowded.
And it’s not over yet. On the way back to the hotel, they will surprise you with an aperitivo at sunset, which they quickly set up on the front of the car, with an amazing gin tonic made with local gin and some tasty snacks.
Sometimes even us at the EC try what can seem “touristy” things, and this time we found an outstanding one. The hot air balloon ride over Sossusvlei is simply a must do and, for us, has been one of the most incredible and moving things we’ve ever done. You’ll fly over these magic dunes at sunrise in complete silence, able to observe the desert and its animals waking up from an outworldly perspective. Plus, the flight is followed by an outstanding champagne breakfast in the middle of the desert, where everything is handmade by the owner’s family and employees. The only operator is Namib Sky, which has been doing this for decades and frankly it’s hard to imagine this done better.
Remember to dress in layers as the meeting time is before 6am when the temperature is below 10 degrees celsius.
If you want to be even closer to Sossusvlei, you can choose Kulala Desert Lodge (same property of Little Kulala) or, alternatively, Kwessi Dunes or the andBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge.
A little further away, if you like the idea of being completely isolated, you can book at Desert Whisper, where your room is going to be tucked away in the middle of the desert, far from any other human being!
Day 7, 8 - Swakopmund, its version of the Namib, and its outstanding marine nature
As soon as you get to Swakopmund (after another beautiful 5 hours drive) you feel like you just landed in a different Country. You’re on the Atlantic coast and for the first time the air is humid and cool. Unfortunately, the hotel selection is not as outstanding as in the rest of the Country. Our favorite is Brigadoon Guesthouse. While the hotel per se is not impressive, its staff is kind and helpful.
From Swakop, as the locals call the city, you need to drive to Walvis Bay to hop on a boat and go on an incredible ocean safari. You’ll spot thousands of seals, and if you’re lucky and visit Namibia in the Southern hemisphere winter months (June, July, August), you’ll also see humpback whales.
After a beautiful lunch on the beach - with champagne, oysters and lobster - you’ll hop on a Defender to explore Sandwich Harbor, driving on the dunes and - if you’re lucky and the tide is low enough - on the beach, exactly where the dunes and the ocean meet. Another unique landscape to add to the incredibly long list. Everything is magnificently organized by Mola Mola Safaris. You can reach out to them via whatsapp and they’ll arrange everything quickly and smoothly.
For a dinner in Swakop we recommend the cozy and low key Ankerplatz. On the menu you’ll find from Namibian classics like oryx steak to German specialties like schnitzel. The wine and beer selection is good enough.
Bonus: From Swakopmund you can rent a small plane to fly over both Sandwich Harbor or the Skeleton Coast, or both. Many of these sights can’t be seen from the car, so this is a unique opportunity! The main operator organizing these trips is Sossusfly.
Day 9 - Damaraland and its limitless beauty
Damaraland is a place where towering granite mountains, ancient rock art, and wide-open desert plains meet in breathtaking harmony. If you like hiking, you can do that on Brandberg Mountain (Namibia’s highest peak) and its many trails, on Burnt Mountain or inside the Petrified Forest. One other unmissable experience is the sunset at Spitzkoppe.
We recommend Mowani Mountain Camp for a night stay. The hotel, similar to Zannier Sonop and Our Habitas, is built on top of a rocky hill. From the suite’s terrace (featuring a water hole, an outdoor shower and a bathtub), you can enjoy an incredible view over this unique landscape, and relax after the long trip and the hikes. If you don’t feel like relaxing, from Mowani - and in general in Damaraland - you can hop on a game drive looking for desert elephants and rhinos.
Alternatively to Mowani, you can book at Onduli Ridge, another beautiful hotel in the area. At Onduli, in every room you can move your bed outside of your suite to stargaze and chill outdoors.
The closest hotel to Brandberg is Sorris Sorris Lodge, which can also be a great alternative!
Day 10-12 - The unforgettable Etosha National Park
Are you ready?! Etosha National Park in Namibia is a wildlife lover's paradise, offering breathtaking encounters with Africa’s iconic animals in their natural habitat. Famous for its vast salt pan that transforms into a shimmering oasis during the rainy season, the park hosts an incredible variety of wildlife, including zebras, antilopes, elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards, and cheetahs. The park’s well-maintained network of roads makes it easy for self-drive safaris, allowing travelers to spot wildlife at their own pace. We recommend trying a game drive as well, since the guide’s expertise will provide you with explanations and context and will more likely help you find all the animals you’ve dreamed of spotting.
Etosha has a few hotels inside the park, which means that you can stay inside the park for sunset (otherwise you’ll need to be out by then). All of these are managed by the Government, and are quite frankly unpleasant places to stay. Okaukuejo Resort is the most famous, featuring a massive water hole right in front of it. At sunset, massive herds of animals will come a few meters away from you to drink or shower, making it an absolutely unforgettable experience. If you think that this makes it up for a terrible, old room and a basic restaurant, then stay here (but not more than one night). If you’d rather not spend the night in a mediocre hotel, you’ll still have plenty of occasions to spot incredible wildlife during your self or game drives.
On the other hand, we absolutely recommend staying at Onguma Camp Kala. This insane hotel, featuring only 4 rooms, provides each one with a personal butler and an astonishing service, including tailored experiences and fantastic meals. If Camp Kala’s price tag is a little too high, the beautiful (and huge) Onguma reserve features several hotels in it with different lux levels. Camp Kala’s drivers can drive you both through the private reserve and of course the main show, Etosha.
On the west side of the park, Anderson’s at Ongava is a valid alternative, also located in a private reserve.
Day 13, 14 - The North, the “true Namibia”
The only downside of a trip to Namibia can be the lack of contact with locals, which is quite difficult to have in such a sparsely populated Country. However, the North represents your chance to get to see and meet the “real Namibia”, the Owambo tribe. Start from the capital Ondangwa, and take the chance to visit the shockingly beautiful Ruacana Falls.
Our practical suggestions for you
How long: 7-10 days minimum, ideally 12-14 days
Season: May-October is ideal, during dry season
How to travel through the country: Rent a car and self drive / rent a car with a driver / airplane
Practical advice:
In Namibia most of the roads are unpaved. For this reason, pick a big car, ideally an Isuzu Double Cab. This will allow you not to worry too much while you drive on dirt roads. Usually by getting this car you’ll also get two spare tires, but make sure with the car rental. At the car rental, ask the employee to refresh your tire changing skills and make sure the pressure of the tires is between 1.8 and 2 bar.
Every time you have a chance to fill up the tank, do it. Even if it is half full or even more, do it anyway. Distances in Namibia are incredibly long and gas stations are far from each other, let alone that the Country is one of the least densely populated on Earth. If you want to be extra careful, you can get one or two extra tanks that you can use in case of emergency.
Get extra water! Ideally large water bottles, for two reasons. The first one is obvious - the climate is very dry, and you’ll feel thirstier than usual. Moreover, you’ll encounter many Namibians in remote parts of the Country asking you for water. An extra bottle of water can go a long way!
Plan ahead! Particularly if you visit Namibia in August, when most Europeans will, hotels are going to fill up quickly. Book them a few months in advance to save yourself the hassle and to stay exactly where you would like to.
Pack clothes for multiple climates - from very light clothes to warmer ones, including wool or cashmere sweaters, a wind breaker, a scarf and a jacket. You’ll quickly find out you’ll need all of them. Don’t forget a cap and sunglasses.
If you travel by car and your car is a pick-up - which we recommend - find a cover (or even a plastic bag) for your suitcases as the trunk, even if closed, is not hermetic. They’ll get really dusty all the time you travel and the sand will find its way even through the zip.
