Southern Highlights - Guided Self-Drive Safari
16 days guided self-drive tour through southern Namibia and the KTP
This guided self-drive tour - with focus on photography - takes you through the grant landscapes of the remote south of Namibia and into the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa, famous for its abundance of wildlife, especially big cats.
This relaxing and eventful safari program targets travellers, who wish to experience the Southern parts of Namibia as self-drivers, whilst enjoying the security of traveling in a small group. With a maximum of 8 persons the safari is led by a guide in his own vehicle, with extensive knowledge of the country, whilst you follow in your own 4x4 vehicle: a great offer which grants you all the freedom of a typical Namibian self-drive tour, with the additional access to the inside knowledge of your German- and English-speaking guide and his expertise in landscape and wildlife photography.
Duration: 16 days
Safari Guide
The Safari is organised with an English and German speaking guide by World Geographic Excursions. Tour guide on this guided self-drive tour is Chris Hug-Fleck.
Guided Self-drive Safari Overview - "Highlights of the South"
- Day 1: Overnight flight
- Day 2: Arrival in Windhoek – Take-over of rental vehicle
- Day 3-4: Kalahari – Red dunes, game drives
- Tag 5-6: Kgaladi Transfrontier Park – National Park in South Africa
- Day 7: Keetmanshoop – Quivertree Forest
- Day 8: Fish River Canyon – World’s second largest canyon
- Day 9: Lüderitz – Rugged charm at the Atlantic
- Day 10: Kolmanskop – Ghost town and diamond diggers
- Day 11: Tiras Mountains – Impressive landscapes
- Day 12-13: Sossusvlei – Wonder world of the Namib Desert
- Day 14 Windhoek: Back to the capital
- Day 15: Journey home – Good-Bye Namibia!
- Day 16: Arrival back home
Costs
From € 4.665 pP
(Lodge)
Group size
- Minimum: 5
- Maximum: 8
Tour dates
- 16.08 - 31.08.2023
- 19.08 - 03.09.2024
- 19.08 - 03.09.2025
Tour overview- "Guided Self-drive Safari - Highlights of the South"
Day 1: Overnight flight to Windhoek
Many European citizens only require a passport still valid for 6 months at the end of the intended stay. Please carefully check the expiry date of your passport.
Day 2: Arrival in Namibia ~ 45 km
After your arrival at the Hosea Kutako Airport, located about 45 km east of Windhoek, you will be transferred by the car rental company to Windhoek. Here you take over your vehicle for the tour. Check in at your private accommodation in one of Windhoek’s up-market suburbs and dinner at one of the many good restaurants in town.
Services included:
- Transfer from airport and take-over of the rental vehicle.
- Accommodation in a B&B or hotel, dinner
Day 3: Into the Kalahari~ 240 km (3h)
After breakfast we start our journey through scenic landscapes into the Kalahari. On good gravel road we reach the Jansen Kalahari Guest Farm and gain a first impression of the idyllic Kalahari with its typical orange-red longitudinal dunes.
Services included:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner, accommodation (Jansen Kalahari Guest Farm)
Day 4: Kalahari~ 320 km (4.5h)
We travel deeper into the Kalahari towards the South African border, where the beautiful Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is found. We stay at the Kalahari Game Lodge.
Services included:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner, accommodation (Kalahari Game Lodge)
Day 5 & 6: Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park~ Game drives
We spend the next days in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP), one of the biggest nature conservation areas worldwide (the KTP is nearly as big as Switzerland). Three quarters of the park are situated in Botswana and one quarter in South Africa, whereas we will concentrate on the South African side bordering Namibia. The focus lies on wildlife photography.
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is known for its big cat population. The famous black maned lions are frequently seen, as well as cheetahs and leopards. Spotted and brown hyenas are also common. And of course many antelopes like oryx, springbock, wildebeest and kudus roam the park. Occasionally large herds of Eland can be spotted. In the South African part of the park giraffe have been re-introduced some time ago.
Services included:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner, accommodation (Kalahari Game Lodge)
Day 7: Quiver tree forest~ 250 km (3.5h)
We bid the Kalahari good-bye and continue after a relaxing breakfast towards Keetmanshoop. We spend the night on a private farm close to "Keetmans" and the biggest quiver tree forests in southern Namibia. Especially at sunset the quiver tree forest is a magical place with superb photographic motifs.
Services included:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner, accommodation (Quivertree Restcamp)
Day 8: Fish River Canyon~ 160 km (2.5h)
After a last photo shoot at the quiver tree forest we travel via Keetmanshoop and Seeheim on good gravel road further south to the Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world.
After checking in at our lodge we visit the canyon rim during the late afternoon / early evening hours. The Fish River is the longest river in Namibia, only carrying water during or shortly after the rainy season, which has ground its way into the rocks for hundreds of meters here at Hobas. From different viewpoints we enjoy the sunset and look down into million-year-old layers of rock.
Services included:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner, accommodation (Lodge at the Fish River Canyon)
Day 9: Lüderitz~ 400 km (4.5h)
We pay the canyon another visit early in the morning, before continuing back to Seeheim and further into the Namib Desert towards the Atlantic coast. On our way we stand a good chance to spot the famous Feral Horses of the Namib.
We reach Lüderitz, a small, sleepy, rugged, peculiar hence charming harbour town, in the afternoon. Depending on our time of arrival we can still visit Shark Island or the Rock Church. Afterwards we will take up accommodation and go for dinner in one of the many good restaurants.
Services included:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner, accommodation (Guest house in Lüderitz)
Day 10: Kolmanskop, Tiras mountains~ 240 km (4.5h)
After breakfast we visit the ghost town Kolmanskop, just outside of Lüderitz, where during German colonial times masses of diamonds were found. Today the town is kind of an open-air museum with guided tours taking place and a lot of excellent motifs for beautiful pictures.
We continue back inland and will stop for lunch in the small village of Aus. Turning north we reach the very charming landscape of the Tiras Mountains. We travel along the D707, known as one of Namibia’s most beautiful gravel roads.
Our accommodation for tonight is Farm Kanaan, and with endless views from the terrace we let the day fade away.
Services included:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner, accommodation (Kanaan Desert Retreat)
Day 11: Tiras mountains~ 0 km
After the very exciting and intensive last few days we spoil ourselves with a relaxing day. The Tiras Mountains with their peaceful location and scenic beauty are ideal for this. Those who still have the urge for more safari photography have the opportunity to go onto a nature drive or walk. Everyone else can take some deserved rest and let the impressions of the journey sink in.
Services included:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner, accommodation (Kanaan Desert Retreat)
Day 12: Namib Naukluft Park, Namib desert~ 240 km (3.5h)
Today our journey takes us through impressive mountain and desert landscapes into the Namib Naukluft Park. We stay over at a lodge directly inside the park, which allows us to stay an hour later / earlier in the National Park: Perfect for shooting pictures of the spectacular array of colours at sunrise and sunset in the Namib Desert.
In the afternoon we visit Dune 45 to get the first impression of the unbelievable sand sea of the Namib. (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013).
Services included:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner, accommodation (Sossus Dune Lodge)
Day 13: Sossusvlei & Dead Vlei~ 180 km (2.5h)
Before breakfast we travel to one of the most impressive natural spectacles in Namibia: Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei. Just before sunrise we reach the picturesque clay pans, framed by high sand dunes and are able to enjoy the landscape whilst having a peaceful breakfast.
We return to the lodge before lunch and are able to spend the hottest time of the day at the refreshing pool, before visiting some especially attractive dunes in the evening for an unforgettable sunset.
Services included:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner, accommodation (Sossus Dune Lodge)
Day 14: Via Solitaire back to Windhoek~ 310 km (4.5h)
Filled with new impressions we leave the endless desert landscape behind and travel via the small desert hamlet of Solitaire (apple crumble and car wrecks), up the steep Spreetshoogte-Pass (breathtaking views) and through the untamed Khomas Highland back to Windhoek.
Services included:
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner, accommodation (Guest house in Windhoek)
Day 15: Departure day~ 0 km
Depending on your flight schedule you might have some time to spend in Windhoek for some souvenir shopping or sightseeing.
Services included:
- Breakfast, lunch
Day 16: Arrival back home
Good-bye Namibia!
Tour inquiry "Guided self-drive safari - Highlights of the South"
Services
Services included:
- Local guide
- Accommodation in lodges according to the program on a double room basis
- Full board from the evening of the first day to lunch on the last day
- All drinks except spirits, sparkling wine, champagne. Beer, wine and all soft drinks during the trip and at the lodges are included.
- All trips according to the program in private 4x4 double cab pick-ups (each for 2 people) with hardtop. More people per car are possible.
- Petrol or Diesel
- Fully comprehensive vehicle insurance (in the event of a car accident, there are no extra costs)
- All entrance fees and park permits
Services not included:
- International flight
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal expenses
- Tips
Travel information
- This guided self-drive safari does not place any particular physical demands on the participants. Smaller walks and short hikes to the photo locations are undertaken, but no kilometer-long hikes.
- All cars are equipped with a refrigerator and are air-conditioned, so cross-country trips at lunchtime are also possible. Endurance and stamina are required for the longer drives.
- The daily stages often consist of a few short walks spread throughout the day. The bottom is mostly sandy, dusty or rocky. Sure-footedness (meaning walking safely on terrain of different types, often with no path and/or sandy or very rocky terrain) is a great advantage.
- We stay in lodges and guesthouses in double rooms. Single rooms at an additional cost (single supplement)
- It goes without saying that your tour guide's aim is to reach all the points on the programme. Should it be weather-related (rain, flooded streams and other unforeseeable events) necessary deviations from the advertisement for organizational or other reasons, we ask for your understanding.
- Also take note that you take part in the trip at your own risk.
