Namibia self-drive & Mozambique

Windhoek is the capital of Namibia and the location of the main international airport, so most visitors pass through here at least once in their trip. It is usually possible to connect through without having to overnight, but actually it is a rather relaxed and pleasant place to break a journey.

Set in the southwest of Namibia, Sossusvlei is home to the enormous and iconic orange dunes of the Namib Desert, a truly remarkable combination of desert landscapes. Guest accommodation is in around twenty lodges of various levels, offering a good range of activities including quad-biking, ballooning and scenic flights.

Swakopmund is the main town on the Namibia Coast, a bizarre Germanic outpost, atmospheric and strangely appealing. Guest accommodation is in around twenty diverse hotels, offering a wide range of marine and active experiences.

Set in the west of Namibia, Twyfelfontein is the best known and most frequently visited area in the country for desert elephants and rock-art, plus some superb hiking and geology. Guest accommodation is in half a dozen decent lodges.

Etosha South is an area of very popular private reserves clustered outside the South Gate of the main park, containing a selection of reasonably good quality camps which provide a more peaceful bush environment from which to raid into the park for wildlife viewing.

Etosha East is an area of private reserves clustered outside the East Gate of the main park, containing a selection of reasonably good quality camps which provide a more peaceful bush environment from which to raid into the park for wildlife viewing.

Otjiwarongo is a large area of ranchland through which virtually all visitors drive between Windhoek and Etosha. Although these are not wild areas, there are points of interest, notably two very prominent animal conservation projects, renowned for cheetahs.

Set to the northeast of South Africa, Johannesburg is the great commercial heart of the country and the main transport hub, a sprawling mess of a place, scarred through its heart by the gold mines. It is not somewhere safari travellers tend to linger too long, although the Cradle of Mankind may be worth a visit.

Set 500 km north of the capital Maputo, the Bazaruto area is our favourite tropical beach area in Mozambique, with some fabulous offshore islands, strong diving and sailing, with guest accommodation in a decent range of lodges and direct flight connections from Johannesburg.

Set 300 km north of Maputo, the Inhambane area of Mozambique contains some interesting beach lodges, centred on the well known settlements of Tofo and Barra, most of which can be accessed via the airport at Vilanculos to the north.