(Driving time: approx 8 hours; travelling time for excursion variable) This morning we descend into the Namib-Naukluft Valley at the southernnmost edge of the dune fields. The scenery is stunning, with the grassy savannah interspersed with free roaming wildlife such as springbok, oryx and ostrich. We reach our lodge in the late afternoon, in time to settle in and enjoy the sunset. The effort required getting up and departing before dawn (Day 5) should be well and truly worth it! As we drive in towards Sossusvlei the stars fade and, as pre-dawn light brushes the dunes, the full impact of this incredible scene begins to hit you. When dawn arrives, the scene becomes breathtaking. The colours of some of the greatest dunes blaze orange, as the sun first strikes their slopes. The sheer size of it all, together with the impact of light and shade on the ridgelines, leaves most people speechless. Later in the morning we walk into Sossusvlei, which is the end of an ancient riverbed. Usually it is devoid of water, but in recent years some unseasonal and heavy rains on occasions have turned it into a lake, surrounded by mountains of sand. There is the opportunity to climb Dune 45, depending on how energetic you feel. It can be quite hard work as your feet seem to slip and slide away from beneath you, but the rewarding views make it all worthwhile. This afternoon we visit nearby Sesriem Gorge - a small, but fascinating area where the desert strata has been cut away by the force of occasional floodwaters over thousands of years. A trip out to Elim Dune is the perfect way to end our experiences in Namib-Naukluft National Park. Our accommodation is in an area of tranquillity, silence and solitude, perfectly suited to its surroundings of awe-inspiring plains and magnificent mountains. We enjoy wonderful views over the vast plains of the Namib Desert, with its contrasts of rock, grass, mountains and sand. This is sure to whet our appetite for the even more impressive sights to come and is a perfect way to end the day.

(Driving time: approx 7 hours) We bid Swakopmund farewell and continue north to Cape Cross, on the southern end of the Skeleton Coast. Cape Cross is a huge breeding site for Cape fur seals, with numbers reaching up to 100,000. With so many seals concentrated in a small area we are greeted with an incredible sight and sometimes an incredible smell, especially if the winds are blowing the wrong way! The site also contains a large cross and an informative plaque about the person who left the cross there - Diego Cao, who in 1485 was the first European person to land on Namibian soil. Leaving Cape Cross we turn inland across the gravel plains of the Namib Desert, head north and continue deeper into Damaraland, an incredibly picturesque region where prehistoric water courses merged with open plains, grasslands, massive granite koppies and distant mountains to carve out a unique landscape. The area is also home to several free roaming species including desert elephant, black rhinoceros, ostrich and springbok. We spend the day exploring, by travelling through impressive and sometimes breathtaking semi-desert scenery, distinguished by amazing shapes and colours and sometimes weird vegetation. This is literally a land of vast open spaces and far horizons. On arrival at the great rock amphitheatre of Twyfelfontein, we stop to view some of the hundreds of rock engravings and imagine what life must have been like here thousands of years ago. Some of these etchings actually date back to the early Stone Age and are now UNESCO World Heritage listed. Unbelievably, some 2000 figures are engraved here into the rocks and serve as key artefacts which help archaeologists to uncover more information about the traditions, rituals and beliefs of local tribes. It is a bit of a scramble to reach some of the best etchings, but well worth the effort. We then continue a short distance to Khorixas, the capital of the region.

(Driving time: approx 4 hours; game drive times variable) In the morning, we can make a optional visit to Kamanjab and visit the Otjitotongwe Cheetah Park. Many cheetahs are being persecuted in Namibia by farmers because they pose a threat to livestock, so this centre helps to protect them and provide them with a home. A drive in a truck around the large enclosed areas out the back enables us to meet several cheetahs. We may also get a very close-up encounter with lodge’s tame cheetah near the house. We then continue to Etosha, Namibia’s largest and best known national park and the third largest wildlife sanctuary in the world. The Etosha Pan (the word 'pan' meaning either a wet or dry waterhole) that forms about a third of the park is a vast shallow depression 139 kilometres long and 50 kilometres wide, and is all that remains of a once great inland sea. 

Most of it is dry for much of the year, resulting in a shimmering sea of white salt. However, a number of permanent springs are located along its southern shores and these sometimes hold water left by the rainy season, which provides sustenance for the large quantities of wildlife. Many wild animals are attracted to these springs and, during the course of our stay, we hope to see wildebeest, zebra, springbok, kudu, giraffe, jackal, elephant and, with a little luck, lion, leopard, hyena or perhaps even a cheetah. Upon arrival into the park, we check into our bungalow accommodation before taking a short game drive before sunset. We spend three outstanding nights in Etosha National Park and explore the varied regions of the park by staying in the park's rest camps. Each of the camps have floodlit waterholes, ensuring that our game viewing opportunities are continuous. Included breakfasts are taken at the restaurants, whilst lunches and dinners are at your own expense. 

For these other meals, you may like to eat in the restaurants located within the camp. There are small local shops that sell groceries at each of the camps. The usual routine involves waking up a little before dawn to start our morning game drive when the sun comes up, as this is often one of the most productive times of the day when most animals tends to be more active. After what is hopefully an exciting morning’s drive (every game drive is different and, as you are not in a zoo, there are no guarantees!), we return to camp for brunch and to relax during the heat of the day. Alternatively you may wish to take a swim or spend some time at the waterhole, before the next drive. We set off again in the afternoon and expect to return to a little before sunset. It is always a treat to watch the sunset before enjoying supper and then going out to view the star-filled night sky.