LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Coast to Coast
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THREE TO FOUR WEEKS / NOORDOEWER TO SWAKOPMUND
This enormous itinerary meanders over 2500km, from dusty bushveld to dramatic canyons. It combines a good dose of culture with death-defying activities, and all of it is accessible with a 2WD vehicle. There are also good, if slow, public transport links.
Flying into cosmopolitan Cape Town will give you a soft landing. It’s a town you can enjoy for a week or a weekend before setting off for Noordoewer. This town sits astride the Orange River, so you can indulge in rafting down some wild canyon country. Continuing the canyon theme, head north for Fish River Canyon, one of Africa’s hidden highlights. From Fish River Canyon, detour west to marvel at the German anachronism that is Lüderitz. Nearby you can stop off at the diamond-mining ghost town of Kolmanskop.
Back on the main road north, make a beeline for the barchan dunefields of Sossusvlei. In nearby Sesriem Canyon there are two easy hiking trails, or else book a night at a ranch and ride out on horseback.
If the wilderness is taking its toll, head to the capital Windhoek. For those with itchy feet, take the short drive to seaside Swakopmund. Here you can end your holiday in a flurry of exciting activities.
If you have any additional time on your hands it’s certainly worth adding on a few days in Etosha National Park.
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