Today you leave Windhoek behind you and start your Namibian self-drive adventure. You travel due south along the B2 main road passing the towns of Rehoboth and Kalkrand along the way.
Your destination today is the Gondwana Kalahari Park, situated some 30km northeast of the town of Mariental, right in the middle of the Kalahari Desert, the world’s largest continuous stretch of sand.
Namibia’s Southern Kalahari is more than a destination; it is an exploration in which the traveller discovers ancient Africa, fascinating animals and a rich history driven by people who were hardened by the sun and the will to survive. The night is spent at the Kalahari Anib Lodge, and guests can go on self-guided hiking excursions in the park or join scenic drives. There is a sparkling swimming pool at the lodge, and a typical Namibian dinner can be enjoyed in the restaurant.

Further north to the harsh & forbidding Namib desert, the oldest desert in the world. Sossusvlei, situated right on the edge of the sand sea of the Namib Desert, allows travellers to experience the contrasts of life in the harsh desert environment. You have a full day to explore this fascinating area. A visit to the dunes just after sunrise provides the opportunity to watch the sunlight unfold over the desert from the crest of Dune 45, unveiling red dunes marching off into the distance. As the sun rises higher, the dunes change colour, revealing pastel hues that are so beloved by photographers. The dead camelthorn trees of Hidden Vlei and Dead Vlei make magnificent photos, casting jagged silhouettes against the velvet textures of sand. And in certain years, when the rains have been good, there may be a magical opportunity to see water amidst the dunes. Sossusvlei is also a place of life, with opportunities to see desert adaptations that the desert requires. Oryx survive at temperatures that kill other mammals, dune lizards perform a dance to cool down their feet, and the head-standing ‘tok-tokkie’ beetle drinks condensation that runs down its back towards its mouth. But perhaps the greatest magic of Sossusvlei is the opportunity to experience it’s timelessness, solitude and silence.

Through the barren semi-desert landscape to the cold Atlantic Ocean and Swakopmund, a perennial Namibian favourite, a place to which travellers happily return. Swakopmund’s appeal lies in the contrast of a small but sophisticated coastal resort, with old German architecture predominating, set amongst the harsh dunes of the Namib Desert.
You have a full day to explore this beautiful coastal town and it’s interesting surrounds on your own.
A popular excursion in the area is the The Welwitschia Drive, a half-day, self-drive circuit of the Namib Naukluft Park in the vicinity of Swakopmund. Travellers can view the gravel plains of the Namib, the awe-inspring “moon landscape”, the “living fossil” Welwitschia mirabilis plant and a number of sites of historical interest. A permit to enter the Namib Naukluft Park is required, please enquire at your guest lodge. Activities in and around the town include quad-biking, sand-boarding, boat trips and fishing excursions.
The day could also be set aside for a visit the seal colony at Cape Cross, about 120km north of Swakopmund along the barren Atlantic Coast. A trip to Cape Cross is not just an opportunity to see Namibia’s largest seal colony, with between 80,000 and 100,000 seals. It is also a journey through history. Diego Cao first landed here in 1482, perhaps attracted by the wild beauty of the area, and erected a cross to commemorate his visit, a replica of which can still be seen at this wild and desolate place.

There are two options for the route back to Windhoek. The first option is taking the B2 via Usakos to Okahandja, and from there via the B1 to Windhoek. This is a good tarred road for the entire length of the drive. The second option is shorter in distance, taking the scenic gravel road via the Khomas Hochland and the Bosua Pass, but will probably take as long if not longer to drive than the first.