Nature Reserves & Desert Dunes: Exploring Namibia with Teenagers

We’ll give you a personalised welcome at the airport before you pick up your hire car and drive to your luxurious accommodation in the capital. You can spend the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying your sumptuous surroundings.

Today you’ll drive to Omaruru in the superb Erongo region, about two-hours-and-15-minutes away. With the Namib Desert to the west and mixed savannah terrain to the east, these mountains are a combination of incredible ecosystems where endemic plants, reptiles, mammals and birds thrive.

You’ll spend the rest of the day in the Erongo Mountains nature reserve, where you’ll travel by 4x4 through the magnificent landscapes dotted with imposing granite rocks. Steeped in history, these eroded rock formations are the remains of a volcanic crater complex that’s approximately 130 million years old and home to unparalleled biodiversity. As you explore the reserve’s countless rock painting sites, your guide will explain the history, technique and interpretations of Bushman rock art. You’ll spend the night here in a lodge surrounded by rocks and cave paintings. Look out for warthogs coming to cool off in the property’s watering hole during the day’s hottest hours. 

Your next stop is Etosha National Park, where you’ll stay for two nights in a beautiful lodge full of creativity and flair. This evening, enjoy a braai (South African barbecue) before cosying up around the fire in the courtyard listening to live music.

We recommend a safari in Etosha National Park today. Covering 8,598 square miles, this is one of the world’s largest animal reserves, and you can explore it in your hire car at your own pace. Travel across the immense salt plateau of the Etosha Pan, whose short vegetation gives you a clear view of the wild animals. In dry season, they gather around water points, so to give you the best chance of seeing them, organise your route around the reserve’s 30 watering holes. Depending on nature’s rhythm, you might come across elephants, black rhinos, lions, oryxes, leopards, giraffes, ostriches, kudu, springbok and even cheetahs. At the old whitewashed fort of Namutoni – now a national monument – you can get a wonderful view of the bush from the main keep.

You’ll drive to the Palmwag Concession today, about three-hours-and-40-minutes away. This huge nature reserve is located between Etosha Park and Skeleton Coast Park in the heart of Kunene. Its sublime desert landscapes are home to elephants, hyenas, antelopes of all kinds and, of course, black rhinoceroses – the largest population in Africa, in fact. To immerse you even further into this incredible natural environment, you’ll spend the next two nights in an eco-responsible tent camp in the foothills of the Grootberg massif. This privileged location lets you watch animals roaming nearby while enjoying the luxuries of proper beds and a private outdoor shower room. Meals are served around a large communal table.

Your next stop is Spitzkoppe in the south of Damaraland. Here, 5,675ft of granite rocks emerge from the ground, proving that the Namib Desert is not just a vast arid plain. In the first and last hours of daylight, the ochre colours of the rock are truly spectacular. This beautiful area is perfect for hiking and spotting wild animals, as well as admiring the cave paintings created by the ancestors of the region’s Bushmen.

You’ll spend one night here in a lodge at the foot of the Große Spitzkoppe, a spectacular granite peak. This spacious accommodation has been designed to limit its impact on the environment, and though there’s no air conditioning or heating, its location and design ensure it maintains a pleasant temperature day and night. Relax on your private covered terrace or in the common areas this afternoon before dinner in the superb restaurant. The views here are spectacular, and there’s even a small swimming pool if you want to cool off.

For a change of scenery today, you’ll drive southwest through plateaus and eroded mountains to Swakopmund, a seaside resort on the Atlantic Ocean. The journey takes two hours in total, but you can stop along the way at The Brandberg, Namibia’s highest peak, or take a detour to Cape Cross to visit its famous sea lion colony.

We’ll also arrange for you to go surfing… in the sand dunes that is. Whatever your level, you’ll rush down the slopes of the Namib Desert’s majestic sand dunes on a sandboard that can reach 40 miles per hour. When you’ve recovered from the adrenaline rush, you’ll set down your suitcases for two nights in a lodge not far from the centre of Swakopmund. With the city behind you, the immensity of the desert in front and Swakopmund beach just moments away, this is a truly exceptional setting. Take in the view from your small terrace, sip on South African wine by the fireplace in the lounge area and wake up to the incandescent morning light.

Popular with Europeans, this seaside town has Germanic colonial roots that you can’t ignore. Its buildings are reminiscent of those built on the shores of the Baltic Sea at the beginning of the 20th century, and locals still speak German today. We’ll arrange for you to go mountain biking in the Namib-Naukluft National Park today. Equipped with everything you need, you’ll set off for a ten to 11-mile ride south of Walvis, in one of Southern Africa’s last marine sanctuaries: Sandwich Harbour. This protected nature reserve sees the meeting between the giant dunes of the Namib and the Atlantic Ocean, an unforgettable sight. It’s also a refuge for pink flamingos and other birds, offering magic opportunities for photography lovers. If you like, we can also arrange for you to take a flight over the Namib Desert for a completely different perspective.

You’ll drive for three-and-a-half hours today until you reach Solitaire, an isolated town in western Namibia that feels like the middle of nowhere. You’ll spend tonight in a small camp in the sand dunes, from where you’ll have a spectacular view of the landscapes of the Namib Desert. Like your camp in the Palmwag Concession, this eco accommodation has been designed with the environment at the forefront. After a delicious chef-prepared dinner tonight, join your guide for stargazing to learn more about the constellations visible to the naked eye. Back in your cabin, push your bed (on casters) onto the terrace so you can fall asleep underneath the stars.

Your journey continues south towards Sesriem. This one-hour route between dunes and ocean first crosses the desert and shale-covered landscapes before leading you to the apricot dunes and red cliffs on the horizon. Along the way, you can take some time to explore the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Once you enter through the Sesriem Gate, you’ll see nothing but immense dunes, canyons and the occasional animal.

While you’re here, we recommend a climb up Dune 45, one of the most photographed dunes in the world that sits 28 miles from the Sesriem Gate (which equates to 45km, hence the name). From the top, you’ll get an incredible view of Dune Valley. You can also venture into the dry clay pan of Deadvlei, full of dark 900-year-old trees which contrast with the white clay, red dunes and clear blue sky. In the late afternoon, take a stroll in the Sesriem Canyon, which is over 15 million years old. And throughout the day, keep your eyes peeled for an oryx, springbok or ostrich. You’ll spend tonight in a tiny village with a view of the Namib plains. Delicious meals with African flavours are prepared on-site, and this simple accommodation in the heart of nature really allows you to connect with your surroundings.

On your final full day in Namibia, you’ll drive towards the capital to spend a last night around 25 miles from Windhoek. In the heart of the savannah, this small hotel is located on an old farm and boasts beautiful views of your surroundings. While you’re here, take a walk in the reserve with expert guides to learn more about the animals that live here. From lions and leopards to wild dogs and baboons, each animal has a story to tell. Afterwards, enjoy dinner in the on-site restaurant before retiring to your comfortable room.