Black Wildebeest Self-drive Safari: Day-by-day
More detailed information of what each day entails, and the various places you’ll stay on the Black Wildebeest Self-drive Safari. Everything we do is completely tailor-made so while this is an idea which works well, we’ll always design an itinerary just for you.
Starts: Cape Town International Airport
Pick-up car: Cape Town International Airport
On arrival into Cape Town International Airport your hire vehicle will be ready and waiting for you to collect.
Vineyard Hotel
The Vineyard Hotel is located in the leafy suburb of Newlands and has spectacular views dominated by Table Mountain. It's a very well-known landmark in Cape Town, and over the years has built up a good reputation and a loyal following of return visitors.
The Vineyard Hotel is located in the leafy suburb of Newlands and has spectacular views dominated by Table Mountain. It's a very well-known landmark in Cape Town, and over the years has built up a good reputation and a loyal following of return visitors.
"We loved everything about this hotel"
Mr & Mrs H fromLeicesterArrived 28 Sep 2024, 3 nights
The Vineyard Hotel is a good-value, upmarket hotel in a beautiful green setting, which works well for families, couples or single travellers. It's fairly large, which perhaps helps it to run very smoothly and professionally, and has a central location, close to many of Cape Town's sights. The Vineyard remains independent and family-run; it's not part of any chain. What's perhaps most impressive about it is that it continues to reinvent itself – by updating and upgrading its rooms and facilities. So whilst generally the Expert Africa team aren't keen on larger hotels, the Vineyard ranks as a very honourable exception. See our full report on Vineyard Hotel
Activities
Birdwatching
Boat trip
Canoeing
Cultural excursion
Dune-boarding
Fishing
Ndedema Lodge
Ndedema Lodge is an elegant Victorian House in the heart of Clanwilliam, only about a 2 hour drive from Cape Town.
Ndedema Lodge is an elegant Victorian House in the heart of Clanwilliam, only about a 2 hour drive from Cape Town.
"Comfortable enough,..."
Mr & Mrs RfromSyderstoneArrived 4 Sep 2022, 2 nights
Wilma and Johan are fantastic hosts and travellers here are made feel at home. Ndedema Lodge is an affordable guesthouse with lots of character and a great base to explore the nearby Cedarberg mountains and a good halfway stop en-route to Namibia. See our full report on Ndedema Lodge
Annie's Cottage
Annie's Cottage is situated in the residential area in the heart of Springbok and is a good base from where you can explore the Namaqua National Park, especially in spring (the end of August/beginning of September) when the beautiful wild flowers bloom.
Annie's Cottage is situated in the residential area in the heart of Springbok and is a good base from where you can explore the Namaqua National Park, especially in spring (the end of August/beginning of September) when the beautiful wild flowers bloom.
"There was a pleasant veranda, but this was not private"
Mr & Mrs RfromSyderstoneArrived 6 Sep 2022, 1 night
This small, individual guesthouse offers a friendly atmosphere and a good place to stay for visits to the nearby Namaqua National Park. It is quite quirky but we thought it a fine guesthouse when we last visited in May 2011. See our full report on Annie's Cottage
Canyon Lodge
Canyon Lodge (formerly Cañon Lodge, or even Canon Lodge) lies in the 1,270km² Gondwana Canyon Park, just 20km from Namibia’s iconic Fish River Canyon. Tucked away from the canyon edge among deep-red granite boulders, or kopjes, the lodge’s lush lawns are an oasis of green in this arid environment.
Canyon Lodge (formerly Cañon Lodge, or even Canon Lodge) lies in the 1,270km² Gondwana Canyon Park, just 20km from Namibia’s iconic Fish River Canyon. Tucked away from the canyon edge among deep-red granite boulders, or kopjes, the lodge’s lush lawns are an oasis of green in this arid environment.
"The cabins are beautifully located amongst the rocks"
Mr & Mrs H fromLeicesterArrived 9 Sep 2024, 2 nights
Canyon Lodge is probably our first choice on the southern side of Fish River Canyon for most travellers. The chalets are designed to fit among and between huge granite rocks, and the lodge's main area has quite a “cosy farmhouse” atmosphere. We think that it's a lovely place to stay for exploring the canyon, either driving yourself or on one of the lodge's guided trips. If you’re visiting in winter, just be aware that this area can get quite cold. See our full report on Canyon Lodge
Activities
4WD Safari
Guided walking safari
Self-guided walking
Namtib Desert Lodge
Namtib Desert Lodge is located just off the D707 – one of southern Namibia’s most scenic roads. It is part of the Namtib Biosphere Reserve – a farm covering about 16,400 hectares on the edge of the Namib Desert.
Namtib Desert Lodge is located just off the D707 – one of southern Namibia’s most scenic roads. It is part of the Namtib Biosphere Reserve – a farm covering about 16,400 hectares on the edge of the Namib Desert.
"In a beautiful area and it was a welcome change to be on a working farm."
Mr & Mrs RfromSyderstoneArrived 9 Sep 2022, 1 night
Namtib Desert Lodge is a really great way to break the journey from Aus or Luderitz up to Sossusvlei. If time allows then we think two nights here would allow you to really take in the beautiful scenery and enjoy some of the peaceful walks in this little-visited area of the country. See our full report on Namtib Desert Lodge
Activities
4WD Safari
Horse-riding
Self-guided walking
Hoodia Desert Lodge
Dwarfed by the majesty of the Namib-Naukluft Mountains, Hoodia Desert Lodge is both welcoming and stylish. It’s a winning combination at this owner-managed lodge, where Thomas and Henreza Becker are often on hand to greet their guests with a cool drink after a dusty journey through the desert.
Dwarfed by the majesty of the Namib-Naukluft Mountains, Hoodia Desert Lodge is both welcoming and stylish. It’s a winning combination at this owner-managed lodge, where Thomas and Henreza Becker are often on hand to greet their guests with a cool drink after a dusty journey through the desert.
Freshening up is next on the agenda, perhaps in the small pool sculpted into natural rock, perhaps in the privacy of your spacious air-conditioned chalet, where a powerful shower awaits. Or take indulgence to another level and luxuriate in the decadence of your own open-air bath.
Then relax on your shaded veranda and take in the views – whether of the ephemeral Tsauchab River or across the plains to the mountains.
If the setting is special, so is the restaurant, where delicious traditional and international cuisine is accompanied by a selection of South African wines, matched by attentive service. Tables are set around a large fireplace, which in summer morphs into a barbecue, while centre stage are the views, best seen from the outside terrace which doubles as a good spot for birdwatching, and a superb sundowner spot.
"Brilliant place: accommodation amazing, friendly efficient staff,"
Mr & Mrs BfromWraysburyArrived 11 Sep 2024, 2 nights
Explore the immediate surroundings on foot, but to make the most of the iconic desert surroundings, look at the full-day excursion. With excellent interpretive guides and a superb picnic lunch, it’s a real highlight of your Namib experience. See our full report on Hoodia Desert Lodge
Activities
4WD Safari
Guided walking safari
Helicopter
Hot air ballooning
Quad-biking
Hoodia Sossusvlei excursion
Escape the crowds and experience the iconic and beautiful Namib Sand Sea with an experienced guide from Hoodia Desert Lodge. The approach is personal and the guiding knowledgeable, making your introduction to the highlights of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, including Sesriem Canyon and the famous pans of Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, both interesting and unhurried. Read all about Hoodia excursion
Cornerstone Guesthouse
Small, friendly and particularly personable, Cornerstone has a welcoming feel that makes you feel instantly at home. It’s also in a near-perfect location: close to the heart of Swakopmund, yet just a short walk to the ocean, and barely more than that to the fringing sands of the Namib Desert. After a long drive or a busy safari, this owner-run bed and breakfast is an ideal spot to catch your breath.
Small, friendly and particularly personable, Cornerstone has a welcoming feel that makes you feel instantly at home. It’s also in a near-perfect location: close to the heart of Swakopmund, yet just a short walk to the ocean, and barely more than that to the fringing sands of the Namib Desert. After a long drive or a busy safari, this owner-run bed and breakfast is an ideal spot to catch your breath.
Set yourself up for the day in the large, bright breakfast room, where a substantial buffet is matched by home-cooked bacon and eggs. Enjoy a freshly brewed coffee or tea against a background of soft music, or rummage through the selection of books about Namibia before setting off to explore.
Swakopmund itself has cafés, shops, museums and restaurants aplenty – all within easy walking distance of Cornerstone. Just a little further afield you could take a guided trip into the desert, head south to the lagoon at Walvis Bay, or challenge yourself to one of the local adrenalin activities.
"comfortable and well resourced - lovely gardens, attracting different birds."
Mr & Mrs H fromVictoriaArrived 10 Sep 2024, 2 nights
Returning to your comfortable room in the afternoon, a powerful shower awaits, as does a private patio set with a table and chairs – or you could wander round the attractive gardens. Then all you need to do is decide where to have dinner – perhaps over a refreshing cool drink. See our full report on Cornerstone Guesthouse
Activities
4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Boat trip
Dune-boarding
Fishing
Kayaking
Ai Aiba Lodge
To stay at Ai Aiba is to be immersed in an extraordinary gallery of ancient rock art. It's no accident that the place is also known as The Rock Painting Lodge, for here – amidst the rugged terrain of the remote Erongo Mountains – the San people were recording their way of life in art more than 2,000 years ago.
To stay at Ai Aiba is to be immersed in an extraordinary gallery of ancient rock art. It's no accident that the place is also known as The Rock Painting Lodge, for here – amidst the rugged terrain of the remote Erongo Mountains – the San people were recording their way of life in art more than 2,000 years ago.
It’s fitting, then, that Ai Aiba is a simple lodge, its deeply thatched roofs and small windows keeping the extremes of weather at bay.
That’s not to say it goes without creature comforts: air conditioning in the 20 en-suite rooms is welcome in the summer heat, while enjoying a coffee in your own living area or veranda is the perfect way to unwind in privacy.
The main area is comfortable, too, with tables laid for good, home-cooked meals, a warming fire for winter evenings and a bar on hand for cooling drinks.
But it’s the great outdoors that is at the heart of the lodge’s appeal. Even without leaving the grounds you can bask by the palm-shaded pool or settle down in the peace of the lush gardens.
"giraffe coming up to the small waterhole right by the lodge"
LyndafromNomadArrived 8 Oct 2024, 1 night
Explore on foot, with or without a guide; you just choose the distance. Or venture further by 4WD and discover more of Erongo’s secrets. And to learn more, take in a visit to one of Namibia’s “living museums”, where San people depict their traditional way of life. See our full report on Ai Aiba Lodge
Activities
4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Cultural excursion
Guided walking safari
Self-guided walking
Okaukuejo Camp
For most visitors, Okaukuejo is about just one thing: a wonderful floodlit waterhole that's a magnet for wildlife. Right in the heart of Etosha, the waterhole is – for humans and animals alike – the focal point of the Okaukuejo Resort. Despite changes over the years, the camp remains true to its roots: a place where visitors can get up close and personal with the park's fabled wildlife.
For most visitors, Okaukuejo is about just one thing: a wonderful floodlit waterhole that's a magnet for wildlife. Right in the heart of Etosha, the waterhole is – for humans and animals alike – the focal point of the Okaukuejo Resort. Despite changes over the years, the camp remains true to its roots: a place where visitors can get up close and personal with the park's fabled wildlife.
The rambling range of accommodation remains, too, making it work for solo travellers, couples, families, or groups of friends. It may not be luxury, but it is relatively affordable, with self-catering options for those on a budget, and a small convenience shop on site.
A rather old-fashioned bar makes a good place to start the evening, before dining inside or out at the buffet restaurant (which is open for breakfast and lunch and dinner). Three swimming pools vie for family attention, and a fuel station looks after the basics.
"under the floodlights we saw... a 'stand off' between elephants and rhino..."
A & KfromBoltonArrived 18 Oct 2024, 2 nights
But all this is to Etosha as popcorn is to the cinema: a sideshow to the main event. By day or by night, find a ringside seat by the waterhole, then sit back and watch. Or explore by vehicle – your own wheels or an organised game drive – and discover why Etosha is Namibia's flagship national park. See our full report on Okaukuejo Camp
Activities
4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Night drive
Okonjima Plains Camp
Underpinning almost every stay at Okonjima is the chance to track – and photograph – wildlife, and especially leopard. Even for the most casual visitor, the plains, rocks and riverine thickets of the huge Okonjima private reserve make an enticing setting for a game drive or a walk through the bush; for the keen photographer, it's close to leopard heaven.
Underpinning almost every stay at Okonjima is the chance to track – and photograph – wildlife, and especially leopard. Even for the most casual visitor, the plains, rocks and riverine thickets of the huge Okonjima private reserve make an enticing setting for a game drive or a walk through the bush; for the keen photographer, it's close to leopard heaven.
To an extent, Plains Camp mirrors the size of the reserve in its sheer scale. Whether they're after a drink or a substantial meal, a curio or to book a game drive, guests gather in The Barn, a spacious yet contemporary take on a traditional farm building, complete with floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the plains. Murals depict the cattle-farming origins of the camp, while an old farm dam is the influence behind the swimming pool.
Echoing the sense of space are the bedrooms, where splashes of colour and African artwork offset the light décor, and views from the beds could be an incentive for a lie-in.
"An excellent spot to finish the holiday."
Mike & DawnfromBoltonArrived 26 Sep 2024, 1 night
And in case you need a further incentive, a stay at Okonjima also contributes to the work of the AfriCat Foundation, which is committed to further wildlife conservation through education and research. See our full report on Okonjima Plains Camp
Activities
4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Cultural excursion
Mountain biking
Night drive
Self-guided walking
Drop-off car: Windhoek International Airport
After exploring two countries and many miles at the wheel it is time to hand in the keys to your hire vehicle at Windhoek International Airport.
Ends: Windhoek International Airport
Experiences you can add to this trip.
Optional extra day-trips and excursions possible whilst staying at lodges on this trip. These are usually best arranged in advance so talk to us.