12 day mid range self drive

Day 1 & 2: Windhoek - Okonjima Today you have about a three hour drive north of Windhoek on the B1 road. Your destination is Okonjima and the AfriCat foundation. Apart from the beautiful location, stunning accommodation and wonderful meals the main reason for visiting Okonjima is to view cats. Your activities here are included in this package and centre around viewing leopard & cheetah, visiting a night hide and generally learning about what the AfriCat foundation is doing to preserve these wonderful animals. Meals: Brunch & Dinner Accommodation: Okonjima Bush Camp

Etosha

Day 5: Etosha - Damaraland Hopefully by now you will have seen everything the park has to offer and are ready to move on. From today onwards the geographical features you encounter will become more striking as you head into the Namib Desert. Leaving Etosha via the Andersson gate head south to the Town of Outjo and from there westwards to Khorixas. Those interested in geological matters may be inclined to take the short detour from the main road to visit the Vingerklip (Rock Finger). From Khorixas continue westwards until you reach the Petrified Forest, here you will need to pay for a local guide to show you the remains of million year old petrified tree trunks (interesting, if not exactly riveting stuff). Luckily the highlight of this part of the trip is still to come - from here head to Twyfelfontein, this world heritage site has an extremely high density of bushmen rock engravings. After hiring a local guide you will be shown some of the more striking of these petroglyphs. Your accommodation tonight is at a lodge close to Twyfelfontein Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Doro Nawas Lodge

Day 8 & 9: Erongo - Swakopmund Leaving Erongo there is a short drive on a tarred road through the towns of Karibib & Usakos towards Swakopmund. As you head further westwards you will notice things becoming drier as you are now entering the gravel plains of the Namib Desert. There are a host of adventure activities to participate in while in Swakopmund. These range fromsandboarding through quad biking to sky-diving. No activities are included in this package but they can be pre-arranged when you book this itinerary or left for you to arrange on arrival is Swakopmund Being a German inspired town good food and beer is never hard to find, so we are sure you will find something productive to do! Meals: Breakfast  Accommodation: Sams Giardino

Day 11: Swakopmund - Sossusvlei Wake up early and leave your lodge, heading for the Sesriem entrance gate to the Namib Naukluft Park. This gate only opens at sunrise, so there is no point arriving earlier, but driving the 60km from Sesriem through the dunes towards Sossusvlei while the sun rises is a real pleasure. The first major dune you will encounter goes by the imaginative name of Dune 45 - many people choose to stop and climb this dune but we suggest you continue onwards towards Sossusvlei. Park at the the 2x4 car park (unless you have a 4x4 vehicle this is as far as you can drive), Sossusvlei is a further 4km from here but you are already amongst fairly large dunes. The walk along the dry river bed into Sossusvlei is lovely but for the very unfit or terminally lazy there are 4x4 shuttles from the car park to Sossusvlei.  Deadvlei, so named because it is a large pan with sculptural dead trees, is close by and definitely worth a visit. When you have had enough sand - head back to your vehicle (there really is no shame in taking the shuttle back - the sand is likely to be hot, and the walk less pleasant than the one in the cool of the morning) On your way back to the lodge stop at the Sesriem Canyon - follow the signs from the Sesriem Campsite.  Meals: None Accommodation: Sossusvlei Lodge