Beyond the Highlights
Discover
the places beyond
the familiar routes —
a Namibia that
few travellers take
the time to explore.
Go Further
Some of Namibia’s most rewarding journeys begin where the classic routes end.
Beyond the Highlights is not a fixed itinerary. It is an invitation to explore the country more deeply — to follow remote tracks into the northwest, spend time as guests in remote Himba settlements, discover the rivers and wetlands of the Zambezi Region, or stay with the Ju/’Hoansi San and learn about their knowledge of the land.
These journeys are shaped around your interests, the season and the time available. We may focus entirely on one region, combine several areas into a longer expedition, or add a more remote chapter to a wider journey through Namibia.
What matters is not how far we travel, but what we find along the way.
A Journey Shaped Around You
There is no single route through Beyond the Highlights.
One journey might spend two weeks exploring the remote northwest. Another might combine Kaokoland with Etosha, or continue east towards the Ju/’Hoansi San and the rivers and wildlife of the Zambezi Region. A longer expedition could bring together several very different parts of Namibia, while another might simply add a few less familiar places to a Classic Namibia journey.
The possibilities depend on the season, the time available and, most importantly, what draws you to Namibia.
The starting point is simple: tell me what interests you, and we’ll begin shaping the journey from there.
Kaokoland
Into the Remote Northwest
Namibia’s remote northwest is a landscape of mountains, dry riverbeds and immense open spaces. Roads gradually become tracks, distances feel greater and the journey itself becomes part of the exploration.
Depending on conditions and the route we choose, we may follow dry river systems in search of desert-adapted elephants, cross remote mountain passes or spend days exploring landscapes where we may encounter very few other travellers.
This is a region that rewards time and flexibility. Wildlife moves across enormous areas, road conditions change, and some of the most memorable discoveries come from having the freedom to change direction when there is a reason to.
Time with the Himba
More than a brief visit
For many visitors, meeting Himba people is one of the reasons they are drawn to northern Namibia. Yet there is a great difference between briefly visiting a village and having enough time for a genuine encounter to develop.
Together with a Himba friend and local guide, we visit remote settlements where families rarely receive other visitors. We normally arrive early in the day, stay overnight and leave the following morning, giving us time to settle into the rhythm of daily life rather than passing through as part of a short visit.
During our time there, daily life continues around us. Livestock need attention, food is prepared, children come and go, and there is time to sit together, ask questions and learn about a way of life still closely connected to family, livestock and the land.
There is no staged programme to follow. We are there as guests, with time to observe, listen and talk, while curiosity is allowed to work in both directions.
Zambezi Region
The Rivers of the Northeast
The Zambezi Region reveals a very different side of Namibia. After the dry landscapes of the west, its rivers, floodplains and woodlands create a greener, more tropical landscape.
Elephants move through riverine forests, hippos and crocodiles inhabit the waterways, and the region supports some of the richest birdlife in the country. The rivers shape both the wildlife and the lives of the people who live beside them.
A journey here follows a different rhythm. Boat trips, quiet wildlife drives and time beside the rivers replace the long desert tracks of the west. For travellers interested in wildlife, birdlife and ecology, the Zambezi Region offers an extraordinary contrast to Namibia’s arid landscapes.
Time with the Ju/’Hoansi San
Knowledge of the Land
For travellers continuing towards the northeast, time with the Ju/’Hoansi San offers another very different perspective on Namibia.
We visit the Ju/’Hoansi near Grashoek and normally stay overnight, rather than arriving for a short demonstration and continuing immediately afterwards. The extra time allows the visit to unfold more naturally and gives us the opportunity to spend time together beyond the planned activities.
During our stay, Ju/’Hoansi guides share some of their knowledge of the bush — tracking, identifying plants, finding food and water, making fire and understanding the many signs in the landscape that most of us would simply pass without noticing.
The activities are organised for visitors, while the knowledge being shared comes from a much older relationship with the land. Staying longer gives us time not only to watch and learn, but also to talk, ask questions and better understand how Ju/’Hoansi life is changing today.
Is This Journey for You?
Beyond the Highlights is for travellers who are curious about what lies beyond the familiar routes and are comfortable allowing a journey to evolve.
You do not need to be an experienced overland traveller or be looking for difficult conditions. Going beyond the highlights can mean travelling into remote country, but it can equally mean exploring one region slowly and in greater depth.
What matters most is curiosity, flexibility and the desire to discover more of the country than can be seen from its most familiar routes.
If there is a part of Namibia you have always wanted to explore — or if you simply know that you want to travel differently — that is enough to begin the conversation.
The Far South
Vast landscapes & forgotten places
Southern Namibia is a land of enormous distances, open horizons and places that tell very different stories.
The Fish River Canyon cuts through an ancient landscape on a scale that is difficult to understand until you stand at its edge. Near Lüderitz, the abandoned diamond-mining town of Kolmanskop is slowly being reclaimed by the desert, while further along the coast, dunes, rocky shores and windswept landscapes create a Namibia very different from the north.
The south can form the basis of a journey in its own right or become part of a longer expedition for travellers with enough time. Distances are considerable, but that is also part of its appeal: long roads, changing landscapes and the sense of travelling through a country that still has space to spare.