Namibia self drive adventure vacation

Planet

You will visit several national parks and reserves on this itinerary, including Etosha National Park and Chobe Game Reserve. In our detailed pre-departure travel pack we have included a note to remind you not leave any litter in the national parks and reserves – everything you carry in, you must carry out. Aside from the environmental damage, litter can be harmful to the wildlife.

On this itinerary you’ll spend two days at the Okonjima Plains Camp located within the Okonjima Nature Reserve, home of the famous Africat Foundation - an education and research facility dedicated to the rescue, relocation and rehabilitation of Namibia's big cats, particularly cheetah and leopard. Okonjima own several farms up in the mountains, split into large enclosures where cheetah and leopard roam. It is a fantastic programme and it offers an incredible opportunity to get close to big cats and learn about them. Activities from Okonjima include drives to track the leopard and view the cheetah and to learn more about Africat's work.

People

During your time in Namibia you should try to interact and engage with the local people as this will offer a much more meaningful and enriching travel experience.

On this vacation you’ll have the option of staying at the Kalahari Farmhouse where you can go for a walk with one of the local San Bushmen. The San are believed to be southern Africa's original inhabitants and around a third of the 90,000 remaining San live in Namibia. Walking through the Kalahari with one of the San Bushmen offers a unique insight into their culture, and the knowledge and understanding that they have of the land. There may also be opportunities to meet the women of the tribe who can show you how they create the beautiful hand crafted jewellery they adorn themselves with. Spending time with the San people is a fascinating cultural experience and it may well be the highlight of your Namibia vacation.

On this trip we have incorporated visits to towns and villages such as Swakopmund. We encourage you to support the local economy by buying authentic handmade products such as cotton fabrics, wood carvings, pottery and silver jewellery at markets, villages and small-scale souvenir shops rather than hotel tourist shops or on organised shopping trips. When you buy products at markets, villages and small-scale souvenir shops you are helping to support a fragile economy and supporting local artisans helps keep traditional crafts alive. We recommend that you visit the Cosdef Arts & Crafts Centre in Swakopmund which supports local artisans and unemployed people by providing a shopfront for their work. The quality of the products is high and by purchasing items here you are supporting sustainability in local communities.