Leopard 20 Day Self-Drive

20 Days

The Leopard Self-Drive Tour visits many of the Meerkat Self-Drive's highlights, but with the added attraction of 2 nights in one of our favourite places, Erongo Wilderness Lodge.The accommodation and route is designed to appeal to those who want to appreciate the sights, sounds & smells of Namibia while staying in comfortable quality mid-range accommodation.

Wildlife enthusiasts will appreciate the few extra days in Etosha National Park as well as in some of the less-visited, but equally enthralling destinations of the southern region. Leopards are solitary and nocturnal creatures, notoriously difficult to spot in the daytime.

First up is a drive to Okonjima, nestled amongst the Omboroko Mountains and is home The Africat Foundation. This non-profit organization has rescued more than 850 cheetahs and leopards, with 85% having been released back into the wild. They also care for orphaned and injured animals.

Next is a full 3 days wildlife extravaganza in Etosha National Park. It is busiest in the drier, dustier months from May to September. From October the animals have to visit at least 1 waterhole virtually everyday until the January rains arrive. Then the animals become harder to see because of higher roadside vegetation and the increase in available natural watering locations. Self-driving offers a clear year-round advantage when searching for wildlife activity.

Driving through Damaraland is not as wild as Kaokoland but the gravel roads ensure you still travel through some pretty wild and scenic countryside. All the main natural highlights can be reached by 2x4 and the fortunate might catch a glimpse of desert-dwelling animals on the way round as well.

The Erongo Mountains are only a short drive away from Brandberg Mountain. The Erongo Mountain itself is 65km in diameter and stretches from Usakos to the town of Omaruru in the north. This area is wildlife-rich with many species of antelope present as well as leopard, cheetah, giraffe, elephant and rhino. Over 200 bird species have been recorded here. If you prefer getting off the beaten track for a while, there is an interesting cross-country drive to Spitzkoppe from Erongo Wilderness Lodge. This breaks up your journey to the coast.

If you arrive at Swakopmund in the early morning or late afternoon expect some coastal mist. There is an abundance of day trips and activities in Swakopmund to enjoy, as well as over 50 decent restaurants offering a variety of seafood and German cuisine.

An advantage of The Leopard Self-Drive is the days set aside to explore the Sesriem / Sossusvlei area properly and at different times of the day. Photographic opportunities tend to be better under a soft morning light than in the middle of the day, which is the ideal time to visit Sesriem Canyon. For some, silence is tantamount for a desert experience. So if you want to miss the peak-time mayhem at Dune 45, then try Elim Dune not far from the campsite at Sesriem.

Klein Aus Vista will reunite you with a tarred road that leads to Luderitz and a drive past the Feral Wild Horses at Aus. Once again the extra day will allow for a bit of exploring in the area before you move on to Fish River Canyon. Here it is possible to stand all alone on the rim of the canyon and gaze at the horizon.

On the way back to Windhoek, you can experience another desert. This time it is the Kalahari. It offers a completely different landscape and atmosphere to the Namib. Your overnight accommodation in the Kalahari are also the custodians of cheetah.

Although it is possible to book this itinerary 'as is', as with all our self drive trips this is entirely customisable. We can add or delete days, change the accommodation used and generally design the tour to suit your individual requirements. If you do not like the idea of driving yourself, a guided safari could be arranged.