Here is what a 4-Day Spitzkoppe, Sossusvlei and Sandwich Harbour Tour from Swakopmund in Namibia feels like.
On Day 1 you stand under a 700-metre granite rock and look at paintings made by people who lived here thousands of years ago. On Day 2 you drive into the oldest desert on earth. On Day 3 you climb a red dune taller than most city buildings. On Day 4 you stand on a coastal dune above the Atlantic Ocean and watch flamingos.
Every single day is completely different from the one before. All four are unforgettable.
Day 1: Spitzkoppe
You leave Swakopmund in the morning and drive east for about two hours to Spitzkoppe. This massive granite peak rises 700 metres above the surrounding plains and reaches 1,728 metres above sea level. It is one of the most photographed mountains in Namibia.
At the base, your guide leads you through giant boulders and up to ancient San Bushman rock art painted directly on the stone. The natural rock arch nearby is one of the great photo spots in southern Africa. In the late afternoon, you drive south toward Sesriem.
Day 2: Drive and Sesriem Canyon
The drive south takes most of the day. You pass through flat Namib scrubland with very little around you except the sky. In the late afternoon you arrive at Sesriem Canyon, a narrow 30-metre-deep gorge cut by an ancient river. Rest here overnight.
Day 3: Sossusvlei and Deadvlei
You enter Sossusvlei at sunrise. The dunes are enormous. Dune 45 rises about 170 metres. Big Daddy reaches 325 metres. From the top, red sand runs to every horizon.
Deadvlei sits nearby. Dead camelhorn trees stand on a white clay pan. They stopped growing 900 years ago. The dry conditions mean they cannot decay. They are still standing upright, perfectly black against the white ground.
Day 4: Sandwich Harbour
You drive north to Walvis Bay. Your guide takes you by 4×4 across the tidal flats to Sandwich Harbour. The dunes here rise over 100 metres and drop straight into the Atlantic. Flamingos fill the lagoon. The ocean breeze comes in cold and clean off the Benguela Current.
Four days. Four different worlds. All in one country.