NAMIBIA
The Namib Desert is the oldest on Earth. The dunes at Sossusvlei are among the highest freestanding dunes anywhere. NamibRand Nature Reserve is the first Dark Sky Reserve in Africa and the stargazing borders on disorienting. The Skeleton Coast is one of the great atmospheric coastlines on the planet, where the fog from the Atlantic still haunts the shipwrecks and whale bones in a way that feels like cinema. The Zambezi Region in the northeast is verdant river country. Desert-adapted elephants and free-roaming rhinos exist here in numbers that exist almost nowhere else. Namibia is for the photographer, the serious safari traveler, and anyone who has ever wanted to stand in awe somewhere that simply does not look like anywhere else on Earth.
A Taste of What's Possible
Hot air balloon over the Namib Desert
Sample artisanal gin at a woman-founded distillery
Sleep on a bed on a private deck under billions of stars
Where You'll Stay
We spend a lot of time obsessing over the perfect accommodations. Our favorites tend to be smaller, boutique properties with a unique sense of style and fantastic service.
Here are just a few of our favorites...
Three of Our Favorite Spots
Damaraland
01
A primordial landscape where ancient rock engravings, free-roaming desert elephants, and burnt-ochre mountains collide in a silence so vast it feels like the Earth is still being made.
ZAMBEZI
02
Tucked into Namibia's verdant northeastern finger, this lush river wilderness is a teeming maze of floodplains, papyrus channels, and wildlife-rich islands where hippos grunt through the night and dawn is a cacophony of life.
Skeleton Coast
03
Where the cold Benguela Current hurls fog over shipwrecked hulls and the bones of whales, this haunting northern shoreline is one of the last truly untamed edges of the world.
“Itinerary: Perfect - just the right time in each place and good mix of city, landscape / relaxation and safari. Guides: As always wonderful. Accommodation: Outstanding. Looking forward to our next and 5th trip with Boutique Explorer.”
Philip A. // United Kingdom
Sample Itinerary
The Oldest Desert Meets the Dark Sky: Eight Days Across Namibia
Day 1: Arrive in Windhoek and connect to a light aircraft flight to the Sossusvlei area. Fly over the central highlands of Namibia before descending over the Namib Desert, where you meet your local guide and transfer to your beautiful desert lodge.
Day 2: Rise early for a magical sunrise excursion into the Namib Naukluft National Park, boasting some of the highest free-standing sand dunes in the world. Later enjoy an afternoon picnic in the shade of a camel thorn tree. Relax back at your luxurious accommodations in the afternoon.
Day 3: After breakfast you’ll depart by light aircraft heading north to the Damaraland area. Here you’ll be met by your private naturalist guide who will accompany you during your time in the north. Enjoy sundowners and awe at the unique surroundings in the Damaraland wilderness from your one-of-a-kind lodge.
Day 4: Head out by 4x4 along the ephemeral Aba Huab and Huab River valleys to explore this remarkable region and to search for game, including the elusive desert adapted elephants on the areas ephemeral riverbeds. Damaraland is home to a variety of desert adapted wildlife and hidden desert treasures. In the afternoon visit Twyfelfontein, where boulders of red sandstone hold thousands of prehistoric engravings.
Day 5: This morning you will have an early departure and head out by private transfer to Etosha, arriving in time for an afternoon game drive on the Ongava Game Reserve with the local camp guide in search of rhinos. Settle into your camp in the private reserve, located along the southern boundary of Etosha National Park.
Day 6: Spend the day exploring Etosha National Park, a saline desert with a wide variety of game and bird species. In the evening, you’ll have excellent game viewing at your camp’s floodlit waterhole.
Day 7: Private transfer from Etosha National Park back to Windhoek, passing through the small towns of Outjo, Otjiwarongo and Okahandja along the way. Spend a final night in the capital city prior to departure.
Day 8: Private transfer back to the Windhoek airport for your flight home.
