Into Diamond Area No. 2.
This adventure into the Namib Desert, formerly known as “Diamond Area no 2”, explores the route between Lüderitz and Walvis Bay.
Travel through history that spans from 1908 to 1945 as you experience some of the remnants of the activities that took place during these years.
Places to be visited along the way include Sylvia Hill, Meob Bay, Conception Bay and Sandwich Harbour. Desert wildlife, spectacular scenery, untouched beaches, abandoned mining settlements, miles of sand-driving and shipwrecks are some of the attractions along the way.
“…and the best place there is Namibia. If there is somebody who has not been in the desert, I can only say, go from Lüderitz to Walvis, one of the last adventures, one of the last opportunities to feel the nature.”
Highlights
- Sylvia Hill
- Meob Bay and Conception Bay
- The wrecks of the Eduard Bohlen and the Shawnee
- The abandoned mining settlements of Holsatia, Charlottenfelder and Grillenberger
- Langewand and Sandwich Harbour
- The Roller Coaster, a run of massive slip faces above Sandwich Harbour
Six days, Lüderitz to Walvis Bay.
Rendezvous in Lüderitz
In the early evening, meet the guide team and your fellow travellers in Lüderitz, briefing on what to expect during the next few days. Dinner and overnight are for your own account.
Lüderitz to the Namib Desert
After backtracking for about 30km on the Lüderitz to Aus main road, it is time to say goodbye to tar roads, starting an adventure of a lifetime. On day one we pass the ‘stompneus’ Ford and set up camp close to Suzy.
Passing Suzy and the bulldozer
On the second day the trail leads north, passing Suzy and the bulldozer before crossing into the dune belt on the way to Sylvia Hill. For the next couple of days participants will experience ‘camping under the desert sky’ in true expedition style.
Beach camping
Dunes are getting progressively higher and driver experience and skills acquired during the previous two days will be tested and honed to perfection.
Meob Bay and the mining settlements
The dune belt opens up at Meob Bay, and it is in this stretch between Meob Bay and Conception Bay that active diamond mining was the order of the day during the early 1900s. The settlements of Holsatia, Charlottenfelder and Grillenberger are visited en-route.
Passing the Eduard Bohlen
From Holsatia the trail leads to Conception Bay and along the beach northwards towards Sandwich Bay. En route, the wrecks of the Eduard Bohlen and Shawnee are visited. Passing ‘Langewand’ where massive dunes end in the sea, a very limited time span is available to negotiate this stretch of beach. After Langewand, the trail once again leads into the dunes, circumnavigating the salt pans ‘extensions’ of Sandwich Harbour. The dunes are still getting progressively larger to offer an ever-changing new experience of ultimate dune driving. The night is spent approximately 1.5km from the ocean close to Sandwich Bay.
Ending in Walvis Bay
From Sandwich Bay, the trail enters the ‘Roller Coaster’, a series of massive ‘roaring’ slip faces, not only giving the participants a new thrilling experience but also offering breath-taking views of Sandwich Harbour. Follow a panorama of sandscapes exiting onto the beach south of Walvis Bay. The trail ends at Walvis Bay around lunchtime.
Everything you need. Nothing you don’t.
Included
- Breakfast and dinner, with coffee, tea and fruit juice
- Experienced guides, each with their own vehicle
- Two-way radios for every vehicle
- Camping fees
- Concession fees and levies
- Recovery equipment, for on-site recovery only
- Communal camping equipment: braai grid, cooking facilities and equipment, tables
- Wind shelter, communal camp shower and chemical toilet at each campsite
- An additional vehicle to carry logistics
Not included
- Dinner and accommodation for your first night in Lüderitz
- Your own 4×4 vehicle and its running costs
- Fuel
- Lunch, snacks and drinks
- Camping gear (tent, mattress, sleeping bag, chair)
- Travel insurance and vehicle insurance
- Items of a personal nature
A few honest notes
- Clients need to take out their own travel insurance and emergency evacuation cover in case of a motor vehicle accident, heart attack or any other medical emergency. Please supply details of this information so that we know whom to contact in case of an emergency.
- Own 4×4 vehicle required with front/back recovery points for this self-drive guided tour
- Each vehicle carries its own fuel (220 litres in total), 60 litres of water and 2 bags of wood
- Wild camping in the Namib desert requires pitching and taking down your own tent
Book your dates.
Rates valid 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027.
Scheduled departures need a minimum number of 16 adults booked to go ahead. Ask your Live the Journey consultant for the current minimum on your preferred date. Private departures on other dates can be arranged on their own terms.
Tour cost, SADC residents
Tour cost, non-SADC (foreign) residents
Single supplement: R1,750, both categories. Applies only if you’re the sole adult in your vehicle.
Prices for concession fees, taxes, park fees and fuel may be changed without prior notice. This is beyond our control and any increase levied will be communicated accordingly and is for your account.
Use a currency converter for an approximate figure in your local currency, noting that the final cost is determined by the exchange rate at the time of confirmation and payment.
Optional extras
Accommodation, per adult per night, based on two adults sharing:
- Kratzplatz, Lüderitz: from R525 per adult per night
- Lüderitz Nest Hotel, Lüderitz: from R2,100 per adult per night
- Lagoon Chalets, Walvis Bay: from R 800 per adult per night
- Amjicaja, Walvis Bay: from R895 per adult per night
- De Baken, Walvis Bay: from R1,045 per adult per night
- Sundowner cruise: from R780 per adult
- Dolphin cruise: from R1,450 per adult
For more information or to book your accommodation, meals and/or cruise, please contact your Live the Journey consultant. We can also book other accommodation and excursions.
In their own words.
“Ek sal nog ‘n 100 keer Namib toe as ek kon dis die wonderlikste stuk aarde.”
“We have recently returned from a most wonderful time driving in the magnificent Namib desert dunes. We are most grateful for our guides’ expertise and enthusiasm.”
“The Lüderitz to Walvis Bay Live the Journey Tour was exceptional. They cook like top chefs and drive and guide 4×4’s brilliantly.”
“Wat ‘n belewenis. Beslis die beste ervaring wat ek nog beleef het. Die mooiste mooi wat jy aan niemand kan beskryf nie.”