This 10-night route runs from the deserts of northwest Namibia to the wetlands of northern Botswana. You begin in Damaraland, red-rock plains and dry riverbeds where desert-adapted elephants move, then reach the Kunene River on the edge of the Skeleton Coast and Kaokoland, pause a night near Windhoek, and cross into Botswana’s Linyanti, permanent water and dry woodland along the Chobe boundary.
You travel by light aircraft between camps and by open 4×4 on the ground, with tracking on foot where the terrain allows. Days follow desert wildlife, the Kunene and its rapids, and the elephant corridors of the Linyanti. The four camps run from six tents in a hidden valley to stilted villas above the river and a Premier camp on Osprey Lagoon.
You spend three days tracking desert-adapted wildlife through the dry riverbeds of Kaokoland, reading fresh spoor in the sand for elephant, giraffe and lion across the plains and rocky hills. Black rhino tracking is done on foot with experienced rangers, and at the Giraffe Conservation Foundation field base you sit with the team following the Angolan giraffe that move through these valleys. Hoanib Valley Camp is six solar-powered tents spaced along the valley, each ensuite with a private veranda facing the riverbed, run in partnership with the Sesfontein community.
The Kunene runs past the camp here, the only permanent water for a wide stretch of desert, with Angola's black volcanic mountains across the water. Days cross gravel plains scattered with fairy circles by open 4x4, take quad bikes along pre-mapped tracks through the dunes, and run full days into the Marienfluss Valley with a picnic lunch. Nile crocodiles haul out on the rocks below the decks and fish eagles work the current. Serra Cafema is eight stilted villas of wood, canvas and thatch, linked by timber walkways that thread between the Ana trees, developed as a joint venture with the Himba-owned Marienfluss Conservancy.
A drive of thirty to forty minutes from Windhoek and its airport brings you to the private Zannier Reserve, where the city drops entirely from view. On the plains you can track rhino and elephant on foot, join carnivore tracking, and go behind the scenes of the conservation work run with the N/a'an ku sê Foundation, while a waterhole below the lodge draws giraffe and antelope into view of the pool. Omaanda is a set of round thatched huts drawn from Owambo homestead architecture, each opening onto a private terrace with a fireplace and a bathtub set for the view.
Crossing into Botswana, you reach the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, a private concession along the western edge of Chobe National Park. In the dry season from July to October more than 2,000 elephants gather along the Linyanti river system, and herds cross the water in front of the suites; because this is private land, the reserve allows night drives, off-road driving and guided walks not permitted in the national park. Lion, leopard, spotted hyena and African wild dog are all present. DumaTau sits on Osprey Lagoon with around 45 kilometres of exclusive river frontage, and lunch can be taken on a floating barge moored to the bank.
Ed Charles, BBC Producer
Fitzroy are true specialists in accessing the wilderness. They know where to go and importantly, when to go there. Highly recommended.
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namibia
Twelve nights across Namibia, from the Namib dunes and the Atlantic coast to rhino tracked on foot in Damaraland and at Ongava.
01 of 14
namibia
Nine nights across Namibia, from the red dunes of Sossusvlei to the Atlantic and the remote Skeleton Coast.
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namibia
Eleven nights across Namibia, from the Sossusvlei dunes and the Atlantic coast to the granite ridges of Damaraland.
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our approach
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
Every journey starts with a conversation. We favour a direct, personal approach: understanding your vision before anything else.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape a journey that is both thoughtfully considered and expertly delivered.
Get in touch to start planning yours.
