why
Namibia?
Namibia is an exceptionally arid country, home to the both the Kalahari Desert in the east and oldest and driest desert to the west, the Namib. It holds and equally special place in our hearts with Botswana but for many different reasons. We lived in Namibia for a number of years and our first son, Finn, was born there too.
Namibia is the land of contrasts and where you can ‘have it all’ – the coastal town of Swakopmund where the desert meets the sea and you can really see the German influence which is reflected in the architecture, culture and cuisine. You can hike the Fish River Canyon, raft the Orange River, have incredible game sightings in Etosha National Park, see desert-adapted elephants in Damaraland and Skeleton Coast, experience scenery like no other in the Namib Desert and even ‘knock Old Daddy’ off – the largest sand dune in the world. Namibia is unforgettable and a must visit for those wanting an unforgettable African experience in a uniquely breath-taking and untamed wilderness.
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- Population: 2.6 million (2017)
- Area: 825,615 km2 (34th largest country by area)
- Capital: Windhoek
Damaraland
This is the closest you will get to being on the moon if you aren’t an astronaut! The area is characterised by massive craggy mountains, sandstone cliffs sculptured over centuries of erosion, wide valleys and ephemeral riverbeds which snake their way through the airy landscape. These dry riverbeds are the arteries of life in the region, supporting a myriad of fauna and flora with their deep-water tables. The towering clay castles in some areas dwarf the desert adapted elephants in their search for water.
- The desert adapted wildlife, especially elephants and black rhino.
- Multicultural population.
- Surreal sunsets.
- Bushman rock carvings and paintings at Twyfelfontein.
- Petrified forests.
Etosha
National Park
Etosha National Park, situated to the north of the country, is dominated by the enormous mineral pan at the heart of the reserve. Dry for the majority of the year, however after the rainy season it transforms to a shallow lake habitat supporting flamingos and pelicans on masse and great numbers of grazers arrive to feed, and where there is prey, the predators are never far away. In the dry season, the dotted waterholes at periphery of the pan are an oasis for gameviewing.
- Night drives in the private concessions bordering the park.
- Spot lit water holes watching night time activity.
- Let the animals come to you at the waterholes in the dry season.
- Black and white rhinos.
“I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up and wasn’t happy”
– Ernest Hemingway
Skeleton
Coast
The Skeleton Coast, aptly named as one of the harshest environments on the planet. It has a history of shipwrecks and coastline strewn with bones and wreckage of the early 1900’s whalers. It was one our favourite places to guide safaris when we lived there. Ironically, what is a harsh, bleak and desolate place for a human existence, the cold Benguela current which pushes north supports marine mammals and fish in abundance which flourish in the nutrient rich waters.
- Prehistoric landscapes and welwitchia plants.
- Wide open spaces.
- Seal colonies.
- Desert adapted elephants, lions and brown hyeanas.
- The perennial Kunene River.
- Quad biking the dunes.
- Interacting with nomadic Himba tribe.
Sossusvlei
Located in the vast area of red dunes in the Namib Desert stretching over 400 km North South along the west coast and approximately 100 km inland to the escarpment. Home to some of the tallest sand dunes in the world, the Tsauchab River culminates in vast pan known as Sossusvlei, a surreal landscape to behold.
- Climbing gigantic sand dunes.
- First light hot air balloon ride over the dunes.
- Sesriem canyon.
- Photographing ever changing shadows and shadows in Sossus and Dead Vlei.
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