This Namibia family holiday is perfect for adventurous families who like to explore different landscapes and discover new experiences.

Self-driving in Namibia offers the freedom and flexibility to go somewhat at your own pace, to stop or detour at will and to get closer to Namibia’s stunning landscapes.

There are some very suitable family accommodation options in Namibia to suit a range of budgets and we can tailor your Namibia family holiday to match your requirements.

Bear in mind that driving distances can be long in Namibia and things can be quite demanding for younger children in particular.

We think a Namibia family holiday is especially suitable for older children, particularly for those who have developed an interest in wildlife, nature and landscapes.

At a Glance

• International flights from the UK
• 5 nights Cape Town
• 2 nights Okonjima
• 3 nights Etosha National Park
• 2 nights Damaraland
• 3 nights Swakopmund
• Visit the AfriCat Foundation at Okonjima
• Game viewing in Etosha National Park
• Living Desert experience in Swakopmund

Day 9: Etosha National Park

Drive towards Tsumeb, passing by the Waterberg Plateau Park heading towards the eastern sector of Etosha National Park where you will stay two nights, using this as your base from which to enjoy daily exploratory self-drive trips or professionally Lodge lead (payable locally) 4x4 game drives into and out of the Etosha National Park.

Depending on your choice of accommodation, you have the option to partake in the lodges own guided safari game drives in the private concession of where you stay and you can do exploratory game drives into Etosha National Park.

Today’s drive is mostly on tar-sealed roads, with about 4.5 hours driving time.

We highly recommend a stay at Mushara Bush Camp, which is very family friendly.

Overnight Mushara Bush Camp. Breakfast & dinner included.

Day 10: Etosha National Park

We recommend joining a morning game drive into the Etosha National Park. Being in an open-sided game vehicle is a much better way to experience Etosha than by self-drive.

Overnight Mushara Bush Camp. Breakfast & dinner included.

Day 11: Etosha National Park

Today self-drive through the Etosha National Park (park fees payable locally), entering at the Eastern Gate and spending the day, slowly driving through the park, exiting the park at the Anderson’s Gate (Southern Etosha), in the mid afternoon, after having had a picnic lunch during the day by a waterhole.

We highly recommend a stay here at Andersson’s Camp, which is a fenced and very family-friendly camp in the private Ongava Reserve.

Overnight Etosha National Park. Breakfast and dinner included.

Day 12: Damaraland

Today drive west and then south down to the Damaraland region which is located near to the dry Huab River.

This is a fabulous area to enjoy seeing some uniquely adapted wildlife such as the Desert Elephant.

If you’re fortunate, you may also see Cheetah and Lion as well as a multitude of antelope species and rare birds.

In addition to the wonderful wildlife and landscape in the area, you can also enjoy some incredible ancient rock art done by the ancient San (Bushman) people who inhabited this area.

Today’s driving time is around 5 hours.

Camp Kipwe is a good family option in Damaraland. Children can be accommodated in a separate tent by one of the rooms.

Overnight Damaraland. Breakfast & Dinner included.

Day 13: Damaraland

Included today is a morning excursion in search of Damaraland’s desert adapted elephants.

In the afternoon take an excursion to the rock art site of Twyfelfontein.

Overnight Damaraland. Breakfast & Dinner included.

Day 14: Swakopmund

Continuing your self-drive adventure, you will head towards the coast where the scenery changes from mountains to seemingly endless gravel plains leading to the sea.

An interesting diversion is to Cape Cross, where there is a 10,000 strong Seal Colony.

Continue south to Swakopmund for a 3-night stay.

Swakopmund is a fascinating old style Germanic town with a wide range of fun and exciting activities on offer in the vicinity.

Today’s driving time is around 4 hours.

We recommend one of Swakop’s excellent guesthouses as a base. The Cornerstone self-catering apartments are what we recommend.

Alternatively, Desert Breeze on the outskirts of town has good options for families and views over the desert.

Overnight Swakopmund. Breakfast included.

Days 15: Swakopmund

This morning enjoy a unique guided excursion into the desert and learn something of the secrets of life in the desert.

Search for geckos, chameleons and desert snakes accompanied by an expert naturalist.

A visit to the Living Desert Snake Park is an additional activity that might appeal, or alternatively relax in Swakopmund or enjoy one of the many activities on offer.

An evening desert walk is included to complement the morning excursion. This is a great chance to see nocturnal desert life such as scorpions, geckos and other reclusive wildlife such as the elephant shrew.

Overnight Swakopmund. Breakfast included.

Day 16: Swakopmund

Apart exploring this town, there are many adventure activities such as sand boarding, tandem parachuting, fishing and quad biking which can be arranged prior to your arrival.

We highly recommend a day trip to the marine sanctuary of Sandwich Harbour, which shows a unique environment comprising towering sand dunes, a freshwater lagoon and the wild Atlantic Ocean. Driving along the Skeleton Coast beach is a fabulously exciting day trip.

Other activities include half-day boat trips and sea kayak trips from Walvis Bay where you can go whale watching, seeing the dolphins and many different species of birds.

Spaces are limited and pre-booking is recommended.

Overnight Swakopmund.

Day 17: Fly back to the UK

Transfer to the airport for your flight back to the UK

Day 18: Arrive UK

Arrive back in the UK

Planning your Namibia family holiday

A family holiday to Namibia can offer a huge learning experience for children and also a chance to see how lives are lived in other parts of the world.

There are some key ingredients which need to be considered when planning a family holiday to Namibia:

• Ages and interests of the children
• Ease of travel to and from destination
• The duration of time spent on safari versus other areas of interest
• Specialist interests of any family members
• Time of year you wish to travel on safari
• Vaccinations or malaria precautions
• Budget

Those are some of the factors we take into account when planning your Namibia family safari.

Several of our team are parents, and as such we understand the importance of getting the trip balance just right.

When planning your family holiday we can go over these pointers so we can tailor a trip for you which suits your personal interests and requirements.

Child ages

Bear in mind that Namibia has some malaria-risk areas, such as Etosha and for that reason alone, some areas of Namibia aren't really suitable for toddlers.

Child policies vary between different accommodations, although many of the more remote bush style camps don't accept younger children because of the open nature of the camps and the risks from wildlife.

We are able to recommend camps and lodges suitable for your ages of children and your previous experiences, if any, of family safari holidays.