Person wrapped in brown blanket against desert landscape, Serra Cafema, Kunene River, Namibia
Canvas tent accommodation with peaked roof and wooden deck, Hoanib Valley Camp, Damaraland, Namibia
Waterfront wooden deck with loungers at sunset, Omaanda, Windhoek, Namibia
Waterfront lodge with thatched structures reflected in water, DumaTau, Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, Botswana
Riverside deck and lounge area at dusk with water view, Serra Cafema, Kunene River, Namibia
Person stargazing under Milky Way at night, Serra Cafema, Kunene River, Namibia
Night sky with Milky Way above illuminated outdoor deck, Omaanda, Windhoek, Namibia
Illuminated wooden boardwalk extending into wetland at dusk, DumaTau, Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, Botswana
Luxury bedroom with wooden deck overlooking river, Serra Cafema, Kunene River, Namibia
Infinity pool overlooking savanna landscape and mountains, Omaanda, Windhoek, Namibia
Luxury tent interior with leather seating and deck views, DumaTau, Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, Botswana

inspiration

namibia & botswana: the desert coast to the linyanti

Private Safari
From $20,915 pp
2 guests
10 nights

trip highlights

  • Track desert-adapted elephant, giraffe and lion through the dry riverbeds of Kaokoland, and rhino on foot with experienced rangers.
  • Sit with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation team at their field base as they follow the Angolan giraffe that move through the valley at Hoanib.
  • Cross the gravel plains and dune fields of the Hartmann Valley by open 4x4 and quad bike, with full days into the Marienfluss Valley.
  • Stay on Osprey Lagoon in the private Linyanti reserve, where more than 2,000 elephants gather along the river system from July to October.
Scroll for the full itinerary
Wooden deck overlooking calm water at dusk with wildlife, DumaTau, Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, Botswana

Northwest Namibia and Botswana's Linyanti

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.

plan your safari

Daily Itinerary Breakdown

Damaraland: Desert Wildlife and Giraffe Research

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 River and the Hartmann Valley

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.

Windhoek: A Night on the Zannier Reserve

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.

Linyanti: Elephant Corridors and Osprey Lagoon

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 photographing wildlife

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.

Ed Charles

Bafta & Emmy award winning film producer of BBC’s Planet Earth 2 and A Perfect Planet

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Planning a journey together

our approach

remote, exclusive
& personal

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.

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