The Wild Horses Ride in Namibia

Welcome to Namibia!

Arrive at Hosea Kutako International Airport. A shuttle service will collect you from Windhoek International Airport (Hosea Kutako) to your first overnight in Windhoek (your name will be on a welcome board). Meet your fellow riders and host/riding guide Andrew Gillies for sundowners and dinner. Andrew will give you a briefing about your adventure.

After breakfast on day two, there is a 5-hour commute with lunch en-route, followed by a decent down the picturesque Zaris Pass to our camp in the Tiras Biosphere Reserve. Settle in and explore your surroundings – here you will meet your crew, your horse and be instructed in how to be ‘desert savvy’. As the soft evening light descends, enjoy your first spectacular sundowners as the sky turns from red and orange to reveal stunning views of the Milky Way overhead.

After breakfast, you will set out across the wide open country calling out for some faster paced riding and the chance to release your inner cowboy! Riding across vast plains of truly unspoiled countryside with exceptional panoramic views where sentinel inselbergs (island mountains) dot the desertscape. You will have spontaneous lunch spots, enjoyed under a shady tree or somewhere particularly picturesque. Desert adapted wildlife such as oryx, zebra, giraffe and antelope can be spotted in the rich grasslands.

Reaching your overnight camps before the sun sets will give you a chance to grab that all important sundowner beverage and watch the trademark pastel light of the Namib paint the landscape, before tucking into your camp bed for yet another night spent sleeping under the stars. The Namib Desert, with such little light pollution, offers unparalleled views of the southern constellation.

Crossing the dune sea is an experience in itself and you will come to appreciate why Andrew chose this route – the remarkable desert-scapes on the far side are as true “Namib” as one can get. Being desert pioneers, this section of the route may vary depending on weather conditions or other circumstances but there is no doubt each day will be an adventure and one to remember.

From Your last night camp in Geistershlucht (Ghost valley) you will visit the waterhole of the Namib’s – the wild horses of the Namib – for a sundowner. The Namib Desert horses are likely the only herd of feral horses in Africa and one of the most isolated horse populations in the world. After crossing this desert landscape, you’ll be even more in awe of these incredible horses who not only survive in the desert but have thrived!

On your last day you’ll visit the extraordinary ‘ghost town’ of Kolmanskop – the town the desert is ‘reclaiming’.  This is a photographers paradise! This was an old diamond mining town established in 1908 which was abandoned in the late 1950’s. Now only the museum remains in tact, and the rest of the buildings are slowly being covered by desert sand. Overnight at Klein Aus

After bidding a sad farewell to your horses, and the staff, you will be transferred to Windhoek International Airport (journey time approx. 7 hours). Flights should depart Windhoek after 18:00.