4x4 Tour FOCUS Namibia

After a brief morning briefing, we set off on a journey along relatively shallow gravel roads to the south-eastern part of the country. Thorn bush savannah and barren pastureland, where Karakul sheep typical of the region graze, characterise the landscape on the edge of the Kalahari. Passing through tiny villages such as Uhlenhorst and Stampriet, we finally reach our first lodge through the charming Auob Valley, whose landscape we will explore in more detail later on...

Today we set off early to allow ourselves a ‘short’ detour south to Fish River Canyon before heading north again. This stage is characterised by a very varied desert landscape, canyons, mountain ranges and wide plains, providing us with a wide variety of scenery. Our destination for the evening is the Helmeringhausen Adventure Camp, built especially for us, where we will be ‘camping’ in comfort in the charming camel thorn landscape... nothing is missing there and the evening around the campfire is sure to be a long one, not least because this enchanting place is ideal for astrophotography...

Today we are travelling to the world-famous Sossusvlei, a salt-clay pan at the end of the Tsauchab River, surrounded by the highest dunes in the world. This unique landscape lies in the heart of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. We are getting up very early today to admire the first rays of sunlight shining on this red dune backdrop...

After breakfast, we head towards ‘civilisation’, refuel in Solitaire and cross the Gaub River, passing the Tropic of Capricorn before plunging deep into the Kuiseb Canyon via a pass that also contains a monument to an exciting history from the Second World War. The rough gravel road now leads 150 km through the lonely silence of the northern Namib-Naukluft National Park to the roaring Atlantic Ocean. The seemingly lifeless landscape surprises us with lightning-fast oryx antelopes, springboks, ostriches and mountain zebras, which can suddenly cross the road. Only immediately before the coast do high dune belts build up again, and the air becomes noticeably fresher. In Swakopmund, our hotel awaits us on the beach ...

From Swakopmund, the route takes us close to the Atlantic Ocean through Dorob National Park on a smooth, solid salt road heading north, leaving a lasting impression of Namibia's beach landscapes on the ‘Skeleton Coast’ – whose apparent hostility to life from a human perspective may belie the unique, sensitive habitat for many rare plants, small animals and breeding birds. Heading inland, we reach the magnificent Spitzkoppe, which rises out of the flat semi-desert landscape, Namibia's ‘Matterhorn’. Simple tracks allow us to pass between the bizarre, imposing and extremely photogenic granite formations. After a short photo break, we continue eastwards, the rough gravel roads leading us to the mighty Erongo Mountains. Along the steep walls of this 120-million-year-old volcanic ruin, we reach our next lodge ...

From Vingerklip Lodge, our route takes us along charming gravel roads through the wild heart of Damaraland. These gravel roads, which are still very little used today, lead us past endless thorn bush savannah and lonely farms, where oryx antelopes and springboks often cross our path. Behind every bend, new panoramas of dry river valleys and vast plateaus open up. Away from the main roads, we enjoy the unspoilt beauty of Namibia. In the midst of vast bush landscapes, we finally approach Otjiwa Lodge with the Otjiwa Game Reserve, one of the oldest private game reserves in Namibia.

It's actually too beautiful to sleep in – when the hippos wake you up early or the lions roar in the distance: if not the night before, then today is safari day... we head into the bush in an off-road vehicle – on the lookout for giraffes, zebras, antelopes, rhinos and elephants! Afterwards, we set off on our final stage, back to Windhoek Mountain Lodge. We pass through remote farmland on remote gravel tracks and return to the central highlands of Namibia via Omaruru and Otjimbingwe. In the late afternoon, we reach our GravelTravel base on lonely side roads, where a very convivial evening with sundowners and a delicious barbecue awaits us.