beautiful namibian

Namibia means “a place of great arid plains” and lives up to this name. The northern parts of the country are grassy savannas, but the lasting impression is one of unrelenting harshness and a lack of water.

This is one of the least populated lands on earth. San hunters, Khoikhoi and European renegades fleeing justice on the Cape were some of the pioneers in the area. Restless and wild, they were free from any government control until 1884, when the country came under the control of the German Empire. The Fish River Canyon is the second largest after the Grand Canyon in the US and is 161 km long, 27 km wide and up to 549 meters deep.

The jagged ravine plunges deep into the barren land. Daytime temperatures reach 48ºC and rarely drop below 35ºC, but nights can be very cold. The canyon is the scene of one of the best hiking trails in Africa. As you descend into the depths of the canyon at its northern end, civilization is left far behind and over the next four to five days you can experience one of the last stretches of true wilderness on the African continent.

Sossusvlei is one of Namibia’s most spectacular natural wonders. It is located about 400 km northwest of the canyon in the heart of the Namib desert. It was only opened to the public in 1977 and is a great favorite with photographers and nature lovers. The huge red dunes, up to 300 meters high, are the largest in the world and are an unforgettable sight at sunrise or in the afternoon sun.

However, the greatest experience of all is seeing the pot filled with water. This is something that rarely happens and photographers from all over southern Africa will drop everything and head to Sossusvlei to take a unique photo on those rare occasions.

Although the Skeleton Coast can be said to encompass the entire Namibian coastline, the Skeleton Coast National Park is bounded by the Kunene River in the north and the Ugab River in the south.

Early Portuguese explorers called it “the coast of hell”, but it became known as the Skeleton Coast in large part due to the sad fate that awaited survivors of shipwrecks over the centuries.

The Kunene River forms Namibia’s northern border with Angola and is the largest river in Namibia.

In ancient times, the Kunene emptied its contents into the Etosha Pan, just like today’s Okavango in Botswana. In previous years large numbers of elephants, rhinos, impalas and hippos could be found here, today they have been largely hunted, but Willem van der Riet, the first person to navigate the river in a canoe, reported that the crocodiles Kunene’s were the largest and most fearsome he had ever seen.

Kaokoland (or Kaokoveld) encompasses a vast arid area where the desert meets the sea and some of the oldest desert on earth. Within the region 2586 the high Brandberg mountains and deep river gorges, such as in Tsisab, where you can see the beautiful and mysterious rock painting known as ‘The White Lady of Brandberg’. Also in the region are dinosaur footprints dating back more than 150 million years, the world’s largest known meteorite, an ancient petrified forest, and the spectacular natural sculpture known as the “Finger Klip.”

The shallow 120 by 50 kilometer basin at Etosha is believed to have been an inland lake fed by the Kunene River before it changed course to reach the Atlantic Ocean.

The pan edges are typical of the Mopane forest, and wild game abounds. Everything from the big 5 to huge herds of antelope and wildebeest can be seen in the park. There are several hostels and tourist camps in the area for all tastes and budgets.

The Kaudom Game Reserve is located in the most remote north-eastern corner of the country, bordering the border with Botswana. The area is dry most of the year, but the grasslands and game flourish during the brief summer rains.

Game viewing is best during the winter months when the animals congregate around water holes. The roads are rough at any time of the year and are only suitable for 4×4 vehicles.

Extending east from Kaudom is a thin finger of land that borders 4 neighboring countries. The Caprivi Strip is influenced by the Kavango, Zambezi and several smaller rivers which are the very lifeblood of the local people. The majestic African fish eagle is a familiar presence along the waterways teaming with fish and birds.