Unseen Namibia - 3 unforgettable safari experiences

From hot air ballooning to rhino tracking, these three unforgettable experiences show a deeper way to witness the soul of Namibia.

Today’s travelers are seeking out-of-this-world scenery—and they want it all to themselves. Our team leads the charge here, creating life moments and experiences along with deeply insightful guiding and sophisticated accommodations, all in some of the most remote parts of Africa.

Here’s a taste of what to expect in Namibia.

1. Embark on foot to follow rhinos in a private Etosha reserve

Etosha National Park is the country’s most famous national reserve and rich in game, from cheetahs and lions to wildebeest and kudu. But to skip the park’s crowds, our guests embark in-vehicle or on-foot for rhino tracking in the privacy of Ongava Private Reserve, a leading conservation space adjacent to Etosha. In these 68,000 acres of guest-exclusive terrain, travelers with Rothschild Safaris can begin their day searching for white rhinos—typically gentle grazers—as well as their elusive cousin, the critically endangered black rhinos.

After a moving morning, we’ll return to our accommodations at the new Horizon by Ongava (previously Little Ongava), a superb hilltop lodge consisting of just three expansive villas. Everything here is curated with an intimate, world-class touch, and each villa provides the hospitality of a private butler, a private dedicated guide, and a personal safari vehicle. Enjoy the plunge pool on your deck, and that afternoon, browse the well-stocked curio shop at the neighboring Andersson’s at Ongava, which sells hand-crafted tanzanite jewelry, technical safari gear, artisan crafts, guide books, and more.

2. Fly with the sunrise in a hot air balloon, soaring over Namibia’s red dunes

In southwestern Namibia, the famed Sossusvlei clay salt pan stretches over the ground like a piece of the moon. White, lunar, and otherworldly, it’s surrounded by ochre-red sand dunes. Such a phenomenon is best seen with a bird’s eye view—and Rothschild Safaris arranges early-morning hot air balloon rides for expressly this purpose. Guests stay at Zannier Sonop, a 1920s-inspired tented sanctuary full of playful touches, like the heated infinity pool overlooking the desert and the open-air cinema showing classics like Out of Africa. After leaving in the pre-dawn darkness, taking stunning photographs from the air, and touching back down to an alfresco breakfast and Champagne, we’ll return to Sonop with a deep sense of accomplishment, happy to enjoy whatever else the day may bring.

3. Find desert-adapted elephants in the Hoanib Valley

Within the curves of the seasonal Hoanib River, life flourishes at all levels. Giant anna trees line the banks and stretch to the sky; far below, tiny steenboks dart through the undergrowth and endemic bare-cheeked babblers flit amongst the bushes. Here in this verdant landscape we might spy a mighty bull—a desert-adapted elephant, his dusks a soft white, walking down the dry riverbed with all the majesty of a king.

The new Hoanib Elephant Camp provides sanctuary for Rothschild Safaris guests hoping to see these wonderful creatures, and enjoy plenty of leisure besides. In this wild corner of Kaokoland, framed by hulking mountains in the distance, guests at the lodge relax in their spacious canvas villas, perhaps slipping into their private plunge pool or sinking into an en-suite massage in the afternoon. As night arrives, order a glass of South African pinotage or a hot chocolate spiked with Amarula, and take to the firepit to gaze up at the stars and listen for the calls of hyenas.