13-Night Namibia Family Fun

Getting to Namibia is incredibly convenient. You’ll fly overnight to Windhoek, with a connection in Johannesburg. Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted and chauffeured by private car to your first destination. Galton House, located in a tranquil residential area, offers a modern retreat with amenities such as WiFi and Satellite TV. While it’s just a short drive from the historic city center, you can also relax by the pool and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. For a lively dining experience, Joe’s Beer House is a must-visit, offering exotic meats cooked over an open fire and local beverages. Later, your 4×4 will be delivered to Galton House, where a local representative will provide you with route information, local tips, and a pre-programmed local mobile phone. Additionally, a representative from Europcar will guide you on using the 4×4 and ensure that you have everything you need, including extra tires and super cover. This way, you can focus on planning your journey and deciding where to stop for lunch.

Main Destination: Windhoek, Namibia

Accommodation: Galton House ( 1 night )

This morning, embark on an exciting journey; the tarmac stops south of Windhoek, so leave everyday life behind. If you’re in the mood for something a little different, head to the Spreetshoogte Pass, where the mountain route offers breathtaking views of the Namib Desert. Treat your passengers to something delicious from the Solitaire Bakery, which is known for having the “best apple pie” in Namibia. Desert Homestead Outpost, located next to Sossusvlei on a private reserve, offers breathtaking vistas and an enticing setting that will entice you to stay forever. With private terraces and covered roofs that may be transformed into star beds for an outdoor slumber beneath the endless constellations, each of the rustically exquisite tented suites has an own patio. After the drive, burn off some steam in the lodge’s pool or stretch your legs on one of the well designated mountain paths.

Savor the essence of Africa on your first evening as you gaze down from the observation deck as the sun gently sinking over the horizon and setting the mountains on fire. The next morning, you get an early start for your guided tour of Sossusvlei. In time for dawn, your knowledgeable guide drives you to the Namib Nauklauft National Park gates. As the sun rises, the dunes burst into color, and your guide’s witty and entertaining commentary brings the desert to life. When you drive your 4×4 across the dunes and tumble into the sands near Soussesvlei, the true fun begins as you arrive at the famous location. Take a family hike to Namibia’s most popular picture location, where you may capture the moment framed by the soaring ochre dunes. This afternoon, go on a sundowner trip on horseback across the bleak Namib Mountain valleys. At a secret location, a staff is waiting for you with food and beverages so you may enjoy the sunset. As the sun sets, the entire area appears to be bathed in gold. Savor the peace and quiet before returning to the lodge and maybe spending one more night outside.

Main Destination: Sossusvlei, Namibia

Accommodation: Namib Outpost ( 2 nights )

Today you head north to the laid-back Atlantic seaside town of Swakopmund. There are many of chances for road trip games as you drive across the desolate landscapes as the desert rolls by. Midway along Namibia’s barren coast sits Swakopmund. Its laid-back vibe belies the exciting hub where the Skeleton Coast provides an abundance of activities to thrill even the most discriminating family members. Just yards from the sea, in your own apartment, you may unwind in total peace while visiting Swakop, as the locals name it.

Run by the excellent Cornerstone Guesthouse, Atlantic Sicht has a light-filled Scandinavian atmosphere and enough of space for everyone. With three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large living room (with WiFi and satellite TV) and a private balcony, you may come together or go as you choose. The evenings may be spent indulging in freshly caught fish at the quaint Tug Restaurant or maybe telling each other your best holiday memories while the BBQ seductively sizzles away in your own yard.
You may not be tempted to swim in the icy seas off Swakop, but just offshore is a marine paradise.

While flamingos stroll on the beaches and cape fur seals cavort in the surf, enjoy your morning in complete wonder as you paddle around Pelican Point, watching the enthralling and naughty seals leap about your kayak. You may spend the afternoon as you choose, racing down dunes on a sandboard or bouncing over the desert on a quadbike. Swakopmund offers everything you could possibly desire to experience excitement or get the ideal family picture.

Main Destination: Swakopmund, Namibia

Accommodation: Cornerstone Apartment – Atlantik Sicht ( 2 nights )

Turn east and into the arid heart of the area, leaving the sea behind and the Damaraland mountains looming on the horizon. The desert elephants that entice tourists from all over the world may even be seen as oryx gracefully lope down the side of the roadways. Around Twyfelfontein, scattered among the boulders and outcrops, Camp Kipwe nearly appears as you turn a bend and the expansive views of the Aba Huab Valley unfold in front of you. Camp Kipwe, which is intended to fit in perfectly with the surroundings, successfully combines an intimate atmosphere with a full sense of spaciousness, the interiors mixing with the dramatic outside to fully immerse you in the magnificent vistas. Before climbing the steps to the amazing sunset balcony, where you plunge into the 360º views—which never fail to impress—escape the heat in the cool rock pool.

Seek the high point of any trip to Damaraland by rousing the family in the faint light before morning, following desert giants over the plains. Finding these nomads in the apparently barren terrain is an experience that everyone will remember. Elephants travel great distances in their never-ending quest for water. If the morning bustle persists, explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Twyfelfontein, where education and adventure meet in the shadows of the region’s ancient bushmen.

Main Destination: Damaraland, Namibia

Accommodation: Camp Kipwe ( 2 nights )

Step into a different world where nature calls with no distractions but the animals. Drive a short distance to northern Damaraland and the flat peaks of the Grootberg Massif. Leave the everyday behind as the family is taken from Palmwag to the remote crags of the Etendeka Conservancy. Spend the next few days trekking the isolated paths of the Etendeka Walking Trails. This experience is suitable for everyone, and a dedicated team will look after your every need. Trek between two camps, the trails offer a challenge while still being accessible, and the kids can discover the inspiring story behind this conservation success. After dark, sit around the crackling fire watching shooting stars as the sounds of the bush hum all around. On your first night, sleep under the blazing Milky Way on your protected open platform at River Camp, so close you could touch.

The accommodation is rustic, but the experience is anything but. Enjoy hot showers after a long walk and hearty homecooked Namibian meals. Breakfast in the cool pre-dawn hours before traversing the slopes of Crystal Mountain where Hill Camp awaits. Take a relaxing stroll across the top of the mountain. The next morning, take a relaxed route down to Etendeka’s main camp. Rest your feet, then head out into the concession on your final afternoon for a nature drive during the golden evening light. Sit out on the terrace of your tented room, taking in the view one last time.

Main Destination: Etendeka Conservancy, Damaraland, Namibia

Accommodation: Etendeka Walking Trails ( 3 nights )

As you drive approaching Etosha National area, the scenery gradually flattens as you get closer to the well-known salt flats that identify this area. Safari calls. In the Ongava Private Game Reserve, which borders Etosha and has Andersson’s sitting over a waterhole, the magic of the Lion King comes to life. Completely refurbished in 2019, each roomy suite has a live waterhole feed on the TV, and the huge terrace offers a greater view of the action. With an almost undetectable electronic fence enclosing the lodge, you can see rhinos come to drink just a few yards away and still be totally safe. Make your own David Attenborough memories in Andersson’s submerged hide, or chill down at the lodge’s infinity pool.
Because the waterholes are the sole sources of water for hundreds of miles during the dry season, Etosha is brimming with life. Following the dust of the many animals as they try to slake their thirst, your knowledgeable guide leads you into the national park at first light. Skilfully detected by your guide, elephants stroll over the pans as lions nap in the shade of acacia trees. Once back on the reserve, select from a wealth of afternoon activities. Take the older children on a nature walk where you can observe the bush from a different perspective. Explore the Research Centre in more detail to learn about the state-of-the-art studies that are preserving some of the most endangered animals in Africa. All part of the wonder of safari, or just enjoy the time spent watching the people of the reserve come and go.

Main Destination: Ongava Private Game Reserve, Etosha, Namibia

Accommodation: Andersson’s @ Ongava ( 2 nights )

On your final day, the route bends south and returns you to Windhoek, bringing the epic adventure to a close. Okonjima, a simple drive, is your final reward for this road journey. Okonjima Reserve, which reclaims farmland and protects the area’s wildlife, is an inspiring and heartfelt stay. Plains Camp prioritizes family stays, with specialized cabins and a large pool for cooling down. Arrive in time to assist hunt one of Okonjima’s legendary leopards through the deep bush using radio tracking equipment to discover your reward – an up-close look of these elusive and regal big cats in their natural habitat. 

Main Destination: Central Highlands, Namibia

Accommodation: Okonjima Plains Camp ( 1 night )