Namibia expedition

Namibia is about space. The dunes, the river valleys where the elephant are, and the fog of the coast are hours apart and worth every one. A private guide for the drive and a light aircraft for the longest leg.

Lodges are chosen for position above everything.

Where we go

Sossusvlei and the Namib dunes; the Skeleton Coast and its seal colonies and shipwrecks; Damaraland for desert-adapted elephant and rhino and some of the best rock art in Africa; Etosha for a classic waterhole safari in the north. The country is enormous and the plan is as much about moving as staying.

How the week runs

Fly-in safaris by light aircraft cover the distances and give the views that make Namibia; self-drive on gravel roads suits parties who want independence and time. Most trips combine the two. Days are long, dry and bright; nights are cold in winter and extraordinarily starry.

Who it suits and when

Travellers who want landscape as much as wildlife, photographers, and families with older children who can enjoy a long day. May to October is cool and dry; the shoulder months either side are warmer and emptier.