Namibia, Botswana and Victoria Falls Safari: Desert, Delta and Wildlife

Located halfway between Windhoek and Etosha National Park, the Okonjima Nature Reserve spans 550 km² and is best known for its significant population of cheetahs and leopards. But Okonjima is more than a place to observe wildlife: it is a genuine conservation centre dedicated to the protection and rehabilitation of carnivores. The reserve works to raise awareness among local communities and visitors alike about the importance of coexisting with these predators and preserving their natural habitat.

Part of the reserve is specifically set up to help cheetahs and other carnivores relearn the skills of life in the wild. In this protected environment, they can regain their bearings, develop their instincts and acquire the abilities needed for a successful release back into the wild, contributing to the repopulation of Africa’s wide-open spaces.

To monitor their progress and ensure their wellbeing, the animals are fitted with tracking collars, allowing conservation teams to follow them and intervene if necessary. Okonjima is thus a unique place where protection, education and wildlife observation come together to secure the future of Namibia’s iconic predators.

Run by the same company as Mowani Mountain Camp, Camp Kipwe is a unique place built into the landscapes typical of this region of Damaraland, where giant boulders are stacked one upon another.
The camp is ingeniously designed, blending intimacy among the rocks with sweeping views over the valley.
Climb up to the panoramic terrace and watch the sunset over the rocks overlooking the camp. Even a G&T tastes better up there!
A great base camp for exploring Damaraland — go on a morning safari in search of the famous desert elephants, hike along the ancient Aba Huab riverbed, or step back in time at the rock engravings of Twyfelfontein.

Located a few dozen kilometres south of Walvis Bay, Sandwich Harbour lagoon, once a fishing port, is a unique spot where dunes meet the ocean. You can explore it on foot or, for a more spectacular experience, by 4x4, across the towering dunes overlooking the beach. This off-road adventure offers unique sensations and breathtaking views over the ocean and lagoon.

The bay is also a birdwatcher's paradise, where thousands of birds gather: pelicans, flamingos, cormorants and many others. During the excursion, you'll cross the dune belt, skirt the coastal lagoon and reach “Bird Rock”, before passing by the site of the old port. Along the way, it's not uncommon to spot springbok, ostriches, jackals and hyenas, adding a wild dimension to this already spectacular experience.

All the splendour of the Namib Desert is concentrated in this vast expanse, 300 km long and 150 km wide, a true sea of dunes that takes the breath away. Here, the giant dunes, among the highest in the world, sometimes reach 300 metres, unfolding as far as the eye can see across a landscape at once wild and romantic, where every ridge tells the story of wind and time.

Light transforms these dunes into an endless palette of colours: ochres, reds, pinks and mauves reveal themselves as the sun moves across the sky, shifting from delicate pink to deep purple, pale orange to vivid red, apricot to blood red. A unique spectacle, sculpted by the wind and magnified by light, which calls for an early start to be fully appreciated — and amply rewards the lost minutes of sleep.

Around the dunes lie numerous dry clay pans, including the famous Dead Vlei, where dead trees have stood frozen for centuries, creating an almost mystical atmosphere. The faint whispers of wind sweeping through seem to carry for several metres, giving the place a timeless, spiritual aura.

1,700 metres long, 108 metres high, with a flow of over 9,000 m³ of water per second during the rainy season (60,000 bathtubs every second!), and a spray cloud that can reach 400 metres in height, forming a plume visible from nearly 48 km away. What begins as a small stream at its source becomes the largest waterfall in the world. Victoria Falls lives up to every superlative: a striking, captivating spectacle.

During the rainy season, the flow is so powerful that it becomes very difficult — at times impossible — to see the falls themselves, obscured as they are by swirling vapour. At this time of year, it is more rewarding to view them from the Zambian side, where the flow is lower. But wherever you stand during this period, expect a thorough soaking! Ponchos, boots and umbrellas are essential — unless you'd rather end your day wrapped in a towel!

The Okavango, the river that never reaches the sea. A delta that gradually vanishes into the Kalahari Desert, in Botswana.
Picture an ever-shifting maze: only the most experienced guides can find their way through it.

The Okavango Delta is without doubt one of the most majestic landscapes in southern Africa, and safaris here are legendary.

Although the delta is permanent, water levels vary throughout the year. As a result, exploring this vast mosaic of river channels, lagoons, islands and floodplains is done by mokoro, motorboat, on foot or by 4x4.

Wildlife of a diversity rarely matched elsewhere reigns supreme here. The delta is home to one of the largest elephant populations in Africa, along with all the major predators.
In the dry season, it is common to see hundreds of elephants in a single day. Lions and leopards are often part of the scene, and it is not unusual to come across African wild dogs in certain parts of Moremi, Chief Island or Linyanti.

As with a masterwork, it is from a distance or from above that one truly grasps its beauty, among winding lagoons.

But come closer, quietly, without a sound…
You will discover the details that make up the richness of this work. Here, African life pulses at the water's edge.