Namibia By Land Rover
In May 2023, Next Adventure’s Marketing Director, Jeremy Townsend, spent 12 days with a friend self-driving through Namibia’s vast northwestern territory.
They drove a 1998 Land Rover V8 from Swakopmund up the seemingly endless Skeleton Coast through the wild Hoanib Valley and across the stunning terrain of Damaraland.
Namibia holds an almost mythical place in the minds of curious travelers. It is known for vast unpopulated landscapes, rugged desolate coasts, fossil river valleys, soaring dunes, fascinating desert-adapted wildlife, and striking traditional cultures. Experiencing Namibia by Land Rover offers a unique way to connect with these dramatic terrains, allowing access to remote regions few ever reach. This type of Land Rover safari lets travelers experience the raw and remote character of the country firsthand. Traveling by Land Rover in Namibia gives you the freedom to follow ancient riverbeds, scale red dunes, and reach places untouched by mass tourism.
Jeremy describes it as one of the most moving and powerful travel experiences he’s ever had. The overwhelming sense of scale and geologic change provokes deep philosophical musings. The scarcity of wildlife in these inhospitable habitats makes the precious sightings all the more incredible. Here, it’s not the huge herds and abundance that impress us, but the sheer persistence and survival of individual animals that seem beyond belief.
While some of the drives can be long, they are never tiresome. Moving overland in Namibia between these areas feels like a true journey, chasing the horizon through an ever-changing landscape that just keeps reminding you how small you (and your everyday worries) are.
Namibia is elemental. It is the ancient stuff of life pared down to the basics and laid out in stark contrast: sand and stone, sun and surf, wind and water, life and death. Namibia is evocative. It is full of wonder, asking big questions and answering with very simple truths: impatience kills, water is life, and we’ll all get further by working together.
Let us help you plan your perfect safari.
Namibia Trip Report
Drive from Swakopmund to Skeleton Coast
This has to be one of the most epic drives in the world. From the charming seaside German town of Swakopmund with its breweries, schnitzels, and strudels, the drive up the Skeleton Coast hugs the shoreline where the cold South Atlantic Benguela Current slams into arid, desolate dunes. The coast is littered with 100 years of shipwrecks, strange histories, and every variation of nothingness.
Shipwreck Lodge and Dune Riding on Skeleton Coast
Accommodations are few and far between on the Skeleton Coast. Shipwreck Lodge is a truly extraordinary place with a striking design and lots of fun activities like cruising the dunes on ATVs, walking through the wild coastal dunes, game drives in search of the elusive brown hyena, dune surfing, and just watching time slip away from the deck.
Drive through the Hoarusib River Valley to Hoanib Valley Camp
This was an unforgettable day seeing the landscape change from the powdery dunes through the rugged ancient riverbeds and the lush canyons to the Mars-like plateau at sunrise and onward across endless stretches of gravel and rock to the life-giving Hoanib River Valley. Here we saw a family of desert-adapted elephants with a 2-week-old baby and a lone lioness on a stealthy hunt of an oryx.
Drive to Damaraland
Reminiscent of the American Southwest, this area delivers incredible scenery, unusual rock formations, the biggest sunsets, and the opportunity to visit the Twyfelfontein rock art.
Okonjima
For our last stop, we visited one of the most successful predator conservation programs in Africa. Okonjima is a private conservation area, a sanctuary for big cats as well as a plethora of wildlife, including rare brown hyenas and pangolins. It is also home to the Africat Foundation, which runs research and environmental educational projects for neighboring communities and farmers.
Begin Your Journey with Next Adventure
Ready to experience Namibia by Land Rover at its most remote and rewarding? Let Next Adventure create a journey that takes you deep into the heart of this extraordinary location. Contact us today for more details or to start planning your trip.