Depart London Heathrow this evening on British Airways to Johannesburg (10 hours 55 minutes).

Arrive in Johannesburg and connect with your British Airways flight (operated by Comair) to Windhoek (1 hour 55 minutes). On arrival transfer by road (approximately 30 minutes) directly to the Olive Grove Guesthouse. The rest of the day is at leisure.

From Windhoek, travel by vehicle (380 KM/approximately 5 hours) to Kulala Wilderness Camp, enjoying awe-inspiring views of the mountains and the desert floor – on a clear day you can see the fog banks of the Skeleton Coast. En route, enjoy a lunch close to the Khomas Hochland escarpment, reaching onto sweeping vistas below.

One of the most enduring impressions of this area is the early morning light on the sea of vivid orange dunes of Sossusvlei, some as high as 300 metres. Located in the Namib Naukluft Park, the surreal vistas of Sossusvlei are a major highlight of any visit to Namibia. Containing some of the highest sand dunes on the planet, this remarkable area affords reasonably easy access to one of the world’s most spectacular desert landscapes, where a walk to the top of one of the towering dunes can present quite magnificent views across up to 100 kilometres of timeless desert scenery. Sunrise and sunset offer the best times to visit, when the spectacular colours play across the land, burnishing it in a golden glow that presents a wealth of magical photographic opportunities. Afternoon activities include nature walks, drives to scenic viewpoints and marvelling at the unique Namib fauna and flora in the private Kulala Wilderness Reserve.

Travel by road north-west (380 KM/approximately 6 hours) via the Kuiseb Canyon with its dark, craggy canyons and via a moon-like landscape of flat gravel plains (with stops along the way that include viewing the extraordinary Welwitschia plants). Arrive at the grand Hansa Hotel in Swakopmund in the late afternoon, where you will stay for 2 nights. Hedged by the desert and the wild Atlantic, Swakopmund is Namibia’s premier seaside resort, resembling a Bavarian village with its numerous 19th century buildings. Swakopmund offers old world charm, a relaxed atmosphere and a host of activities.

On our second day, explore the ice-blue Atlantic coast, from the port towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund to its incredible marine mammals. A private boat cruise at Walvis Bay and down the coast to Sandwich Harbour (weather permitting) provides a unique chance to see the diverse pelagic (ocean-going) birdlife, Cape fur seals and rare Heaviside’s dolphins up close. This activity is rounded off with a private seafood lunch, before returning to the hotel in the afternoon. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure to explore the charming town of Swakopmund before meeting in the evening for dinner.

Travel up the legendary Skeleton Coast (named for the numerous shipwrecks the treacherous shores have claimed over the years) to Cape Cross (250 KM/approximately 3 hours) where the Portuguese seafarer Diego Cao became the first European to set foot on Namibian soil in 1486. Cape Cross is home to more than 80,000 Cape Fur Seals, and extensive lichen fields feature along the coast. You will visit Cape Cross only if we have not seen large populations of seals on the boat cruise from Walvis Bay. From here drive the back roads (300 KM/approximately 3 hours 30 minutes) through the game productive Ugab riverbed, travelling north past the Brandberg Mountain – the second largest monolith on earth – to Damaraland. This all-day excursion with lunch en route ends with our arrival at Damaraland Camp. Damaraland is a land of stark desert beauty. Early morning mists, generated by the clash between the icy Atlantic Ocean and the warm desert air of the Skeleton Coast, drift inland along the canyons, providing sustenance to the flora and fauna of the region. Rare succulent plants abound in this harsh countryside. Activities include explorations on foot, by mountain bike or 4-wheel-drive vehicles, viewing springbok, gemsbok and ostrich, and tracking the unique desert-adapted elephant.

Depart Damaraland Camp and drive into the Huab riverbed to search for desert-adapted elephants, before heading north to the mountainous and rocky paradise of the massive Palmwag Concession (75 KM/approximately 2 hours 30 minutes). Desert Rhino Camp is situated in the enormous private Palmwag Reserve in north-west Namibia, between Etosha and the Skeleton Coast – few places on the planet can offer this level of privacy and wilderness experience. Stay at Desert Rhino Camp for 2 nights.

This reserve has a number of freshwater springs that support healthy populations of animals including desert-adapted back rhino and elephant as well as large populations of the rare Hartmann's mountain zebra, giraffe, gemsbok, springbok and kudu. The predator population is the largest outside of the Etosha National Park including lion, cheetah, leopard, and brown and spotted hyaena. Bird life is prolific and diverse featuring most of Namibia's endemics. Welwitschia plants (ancient and highly unusual succulents) dot the plain in front of the camp. The speciality of the area is its growing population of the rare desert-adapted black rhino (the largest concentration in the world outside a national park), which are monitored and protected by the Save the Rhino Trust.

Depart Desert Rhino Camp and head eastward combining wildlife viewing (first part of the drive) with a transfer drive (350 KM/approximately 7 hours) to Etosha National Park, where you will experience the pinnacle of game viewing – but accommodated in the privacy of an exclusive bush camp situated on an extensive private game reserve, Ongava, just on the outside of Etosha. Stay 2 nights at Ongava Tented Camp.

One of Africa’s great game parks, Etosha can boast a staggering variety of game and birdlife, with some 114 species of animals and 340 species of birds recorded across its desert pans and open savannahs. At its centre lies the vast depression of the Etosha Pan, which covers nearly a quarter of the park and for the most part presents a spectacular flat expanse of white salt pans, which, after particularly heavy rains can revert back to an immense lake. Game is abundant across these open spaces, with large herds of zebra gemsbok and elephant regularly seen, as well as rare black rhino. A number of waterholes present ideal viewing areas, attracting the rich diversity of animal and birdlife. Activities include day and night drives, walks and hides. Within Etosha we visit numerous perennial springs and pans, encountering a myriad of differing species.

Enjoying a breathtaking flight (45 minutes) across the dramatic landscapes of the Namibian Desert, you head for the exclusive Skeleton Coast Research Camp. Located within a private concession in the Skeleton Coast Park.

This is one of the most inhospitable but hauntingly beautiful places on the planet: desolate and uninhabited. It has everything, from roaring sand dunes, windswept plains, towering canyons and saltpans to seal colonies and shipwrecks. Full day explorations may include visits to the clay castles of the Hoarusib River, Rocky Point, the roaring dunes, lichen fields, seal colonies, Himba villages, shipwreck sites and secret water seeps that attract wildlife like oryx, springbok, giraffe, ostrich, brown hyena, jackal and other smaller mammals. Walking also plays a part in the activities; due to the pristine nature of this area many parts are accessible only on foot, as vehicle tracks can damage the environment. Many specially adapted species of plants like Lithops and Welwitschia can be visited in this way. The terrain is rugged and harsh, hence this camp will be enjoyed by those who are looking for a true wilderness experience, in some of the most spectacular scenery in southern Africa.

Same as above

Today you will fly back to Windhoek (2 hours 30 minutes), arriving later this afternoon, at approximately 1600 hours, for your overnight stay at the Olive Grove Guesthouse.

This afternoon you will be transferred to the airport for your flight on British Airways (operated by Comair) to Johannesburg. Connect with your British Airways flight back to London.

Arrive at London Heathrow in the early hours of this morning.