Simba Safari, day by day

You leave Windhoek in the morning and head south-west through the central highlands: farmland, camel-thorn trees and, often, kudu or oryx near the road.

Then the road drops down the escarpment and the country opens up into the Namib. Much of the way is on gravel, with stops for photos and to stretch your legs.

You arrive near the Sesriem gate in the afternoon, in time to watch the dunes turn from orange to deep red at sunset. Nights here are very quiet, and on a clear night the stars are worth staying up for.

The first morning starts early in the dunes. You enter the park at first light, when long shadows fall across the red sand, and walk about a kilometre to Deadvlei, a white clay pan of dead camel-thorn trees hundreds of years old. There’s time to climb a dune if you want the view.

By late morning it’s time to leave the desert. The drive north-west crosses the Tropic of Capricorn and winds through the Gaub and Kuiseb canyons before the long, open run to Swakopmund. You arrive in the late afternoon to cool sea air.

The next day has no long drive. Swakopmund is a small seaside town of palm-lined streets, German colonial buildings, a jetty and a beach promenade, and it’s easy to explore on foot.

It’s also the day to add an excursion if you’d like one: the dunes of Sandwich Harbour, where the desert meets the Atlantic, or a boat on the Walvis Bay lagoon to see seals, pelicans and flamingos. Or simply take it slowly.

A short drive inland across the gravel plains. Spitzkoppe appears long before you reach it: a cluster of granite peaks rising about 700 metres above the flat desert floor.

After settling in there’s time to explore. Walk to the natural rock arch and see the San rock paintings tucked among the boulders. Our founders spent much of their childhood around these rocks, and we know the quiet corners.

Late in the day the granite glows orange and red. Spitzkoppe is one of the best places in Namibia for sunset, and after dark the sky fills with stars.

Heading north, the road leaves the granite behind for the wide valleys and flat-topped mountains of Damaraland. It’s one of Namibia’s most open landscapes: red rock, pale grass and very few people.

Look out for welwitschia, a strange two-leaved desert plant that can live for well over a thousand years. Damaraland is also home to desert-adapted elephant, which follow the dry riverbeds. Sightings are never guaranteed, but your guide will know where they have been seen recently.

The region is rich in rock art. The engravings at Twyfelfontein, made by hunter-gatherers thousands of years ago, are a World Heritage Site. Evenings are quiet, with big skies and a real sense of distance.

The first day you drive north-east out of Damaraland, through mopane woodland and cattle country, and reach Etosha National Park in time for an afternoon game drive as the heat eases.

The second day is all wildlife. Etosha is built around a vast white salt pan, and the springs and waterholes along its edge draw animals in from the plains. You set out early, when the air is cool and animals are moving, and often wait quietly at a waterhole as elephant, zebra, giraffe, springbok and oryx come and go.

Lion and black rhino live here too, and with luck you may see leopard or cheetah. The middle of the day is hot and slow, a good time to rest, before heading out again in the late afternoon light.

A last early drive in the park while the animals are active, then out through the southern gate.

The road back to Windhoek is good tar through cattle country, past Otjiwarongo and Okahandja. The wood-carvers’ market at Okahandja is a good stop for gifts.

If you are flying out the same day, tell us your flight time when planning and we’ll shape the day around it.