Silvester (New Year's Eve) Special - Motorbike tour

Day 1: Departure from EU/Germany to Namibia

Individually booked departure to Windhoek/Namibia (WDH) usually overnight flight = arrival next morning (+1")

2. Tag: Auasberge / Windhoek Mountain Lodge

Ankunft auf dem internationalen Flughafen Windhoek und Abholung durch uns. Ein einstündiger Transfer bringt Sie zu unserer komfortablen Windhoek Mountain Lodge in den Auasbergen südlich der Hauptstadt Windhoek – unsere Basis-Station für alle Gravel Travel–Touren in Namibia. Nach einem guten Frühstück gibt es Gelegenheit zum Akklimatisieren, zur Entspannung am Pool mit erholsamem Weitblick auf die umliegenden Bergzüge und das weite Buschland. Und wer mag, genießt seinen ersten namibischen "Sundowner" auf der Aussichtsplattform oberhalb der Lodge, bevor das legendäre "Bushman-Fondue" zum Dinner ruft ...

Day 3: Windhoek Mountain Lodge + Introduction tour

Well rested and relaxed, we will deal with a detailed travel briefing today. A thorough one on the motorcycles and the GPS devices. Then we go on a half-day warm-up tour, where you can familiarize yourself with the road conditions and the technology at your leisure, so that we can start well-armed and well-prepared the next morning.

Day 4: Windhoek - Mount Etjo

After breakfast we meet "saddled and spurred" for the morning briefing. We'll introduce on the day's stage with its route-specific features - then off we go: today's destination is "Mount Etjo Safari Lodge" - we pass Windhoek on the outskirts and soon leave the tar road to descend into the hilly Khomas highlands. The gravel road leads us through farmed, typical bushland, far past Okahandja via the old missionary town of Otjimbingwe and the small town of Omaruru, until we finally reach the striking table mountain – Mount Etjo – in the vastness of the bushveld landscape. The dignified safari lodge leaves hardly a wish unfulfilled...

Day 5: Mount Etjo – Waterberg

Actually too nice to sleep in: when the hippos wake you up in the morning or the lions roar in the distance: today it's time for a safari: we go into the bush by an off-road vehicle - discovering giraffes, zebras, antelopes, even rhinos and elephants... Afterwards we start our next stage to the east, which takes us on remote farm roads past the Omatako Mountains and on gentle, red tracks through the traditional tribal area of the cattle-raising Hereros – via Okakara to the Waterberg. This large table mountain is unusually blessed with water, green, lush vegetation and thus great diversity of wildlife. The plateau itself is today a valuable nature reserve. A fabulous view into the infinite distance is offered from every lodge chalet and if you feel like it, you may explore one of the exciting hiking trails.

Day 6: Waterberg – Vingerklip
Vingerklip Lodge (1 Night)

We leave the Waterberg on a wide, smooth track, surrounded by lush green landscape and deep red termite mounds. Some wildlife is absolutely diurnal and the broad roadside vegetation can be home to giraffes as well as all sorts of pygmy antelope, guinea fowl and warthog, which are less easy to spot in the tall grass. Today's stage takes us out of the "Omaheke" to the north. Behind the town of Otjiwarongo we soon descend on lonely gravel roads to the west and meander through the mopane bush savannah that is typical here. In the area of the Ugab Terraces, the landscape suddenly changes - grandiose and picturesque table mountains protrude from the flat bush savannah. We have reached our destination at the extremely cozy Vingerklip Lodge - it is not far from a unique rock formation, the huge "rock finger" in the middle of a wonderful panorama.

Day 7: Vingerklip - Grootberg
Grootberg Lodge (1 Night)

After a leisurely breakfast we start north through the Ugab terraces, along settlements of the native Damara tribe, passing through the village of Khorixas for a fuel stop, where the central Damaraland hosts its most necessary facilities such as school, hospital, post office and supermarket. Through the huge Huab river valley we finally reach the Etendeka plateau on lonely gravel roads. The always great views just don't let it get boring. And a great feeling accompanies the impression that lions, elephants and rhinos are (still) part of the repertoire of this free natural landscape. At the end of the Grootberg Pass we arrive at our destination, the Grootberg Lodge, enchantingly nestled on the edge of the plateau above the canyon of the Klip River...

Day 8: Grootberg - Opuwo
Opuwo Lodge (1 Night)

With wonderful impressions of this unique place, we continue north today, the stage takes us up into the southern "Kaokoveld", where the Himba people live in particular. Already the pass, which we leave in the direction of Palmwag, could give us a sight of elephants, then follows one of the most beautiful, game-rich stretches through northern Damaraland to Sesfontein. Springboks, giraffes, zebras and gemsboks can cross our paths, the reddish, rugged rocky landscape is open and clear. The further north we advance, the more frequently we pass settlements, cattle with their shepherds cross the roads. Incredibly thick giant trees suddenly appear along the way - the legendary baobabs - we then have almost reached Opuwo and its Black Africa feeling: our accommodation is on the outskirts of town on the city's hill, a great hotel - the Opuwo Country Lodge.

Day 9: Opuwo - Khowarib
Khowarib Lodge (1 Night)

Although today's stage will be almost the same like yesterday, hardly anyone will get bored on what is probably the most beautiful and most African path of the whole tour... After breakfast we make a short detour to a traditional Himba village and then it opens up the winding road back south. Shortly before our destination we'll have a stop-over in Ongongo (hot spring). It's hard to believe how water can gush out of the rocks in the middle of the desert ... but you can refresh yourself wonderfully in the crystal-clear "pool" of this spring. We soon reach our accommodation for today – the Khowarib Lodge, beautifully situated in the deeply indented Hoanib river valley. Elephants often pass by the cozy tented chalets at night...

Day 10: Khowarib - Twyfelfontein

Today's stage takes us further back south. Via the scenically beautiful Grootberg Pass we return from Kaokoveld region to Damaraland with its unique table mountains. Today's destination is the Twyfelfontein Country Lodge, a unique, quite luxurious place in an extreme landscape near the famous rock engravings. Immediately in front of the lodge you can marvel at a small taste of this art on the large rock slabs... and dinner on the rustic terrace is a pleasure.

Day 11: Twyfelfontein - Erongo

Coming from Twyfelfontein we head south along the rivers of Aba-Huab, Goantagab and Ugab. Along these larger tree-lined dry riverbeds the desert elephants tend to hang out and it's always good to keep eyes sharp for the gray giants too. This desert elephants are rather powdered red like these rocky landscapes that we are now crossing. We pass some Damara settlements along the gravel roads. When the Brandberg massif is getting closer, we have almost reached Uis. After a short refueling stop we set course through wide, open gravel areas towards the "Spitzkoppe", which rises steeply out of the open space as an unreal mountain monument. The closer we get, the more fascinating the huge granite rock formation looks. We'll have a stop-over here to enjoy the impressions. Today's destination is east of us - the Erongo Mountains, also a so-called inselberg complex with massive outer walls of this volcanic ruin, with over 2300m above sea level it is one of the highest elevations in the country. The Ai-Aiba Rockpainting Lodge is wonderfully nestled in a picturesque landscape of round, smooth rocks, as we have already seen at Spitzkoppe. It is easy to understand that Bushmen already liked to stay here 2000 years ago.

Day 12: Erongo - Rotstock Berge

Today we have to start early so that we have enough time for the stage ahead of us further south. We leave the Erongo mountains through rustic rocks to the west and with a bit of luck we are able to the Brandberg Mountain, 90 km away, over the wide desert of open Damaraland on the horizon. Along the steeply rising walls of this old volcanic ruin we follow the rough gravel road to Usakos and a piece of tar passage to Karibib, then dive into the so called moon landscape, which finally leads down to the large river bed of the Swakop and then to the Bosua Pass, which leads our way down from 1800m to 1100m sea level.  A view point offers great panaroma of the Namib Desert. Another special and idiosyncratic accommodation in the lonely expanse of the Namib Desert awaits us near the Rotstock Mountains... the high pool lounge invites you to relax - with a fantastic view  over wide valleys of this extremely picturesque landscape...

Day 13: Rotstock Berge - Windhoek Mountain Lodge

When everyone has slept in and had a leisurely breakfast, we are reluctant to set off on our last stage. Today there is another gravel road and pure driving pleasure. Over the Us Pass we climb the large edge step back up into the Khomas highlands - it goes up and down,  the route is very winding. In the afternoon we reach our Gravel Travel "home", the Windhoek Mountain Lodge, where we are expected by our team: a cool sundowner drink ends the tour and later we enjoy the best dinner from the "Bushman Fondue" - and have the whole night to review the past days and impressions.

Day 14: Departure flight from Namibia to Germany/EU

This day is at leisure at our lodge or for a stroll in Windhoek, depending on when your return flight departs – mostly in the evening. So some sightseeings can be done in the capital and numerous street cafes as well as bazaars and shops with local handicrafts invite to observe the hustle and bustle all around. We'll ensure your timely transfer to the airport from the lodge.

Day 15: Arrival in EU/Germany

Arrive early next morning in Frankfurt/Main or choosen airport with continue by train or plane to your home town.