Namibia

Namibia has a charm completely different to that of South Africa but its call will draw you into its heart.  The harsh desert environment to which the inhabitant wildlife adapted, makes for spectacular scenery unlike anywhere else.

One of Namibia’s most dominant features is the Namib desert, one of the oldest deserts in the world, which stretches for nearly 1000 km along the Atlantic coast.  It has some of the highest sand dunes in the world, in fact the dunes tower like mountains around you.

From Sossusvlei the desert is the most accessible.  In this magical place the dunes changes colour as the sun rises and sets which makes it the ideal place for exceptional photography.

Further south you will find the Fish River Canyon, which is one of the largest canyons in the world.  It stretches for 160 km and reaches 27 km across at its widest and nearly 550m down at its deepest.

You will start your Namibian journey in Windhoek, the capital city.  It is beautiful and clean and, like the rest of the country, has a strong German influence.  This is due to the fact that the country was formerly a German colony.

From Windhoek it is well worth taking a drive to Swakopmund, only 330 km away.  It lies on the coast of Western Namibia, and is a stunning seaside resort featuring German colonial architecture.  Throughout the quaint hotels, coffee shops, nightclubs and bars can be found and activities in the area include skydiving, balloon rides, quad biking and cruises.

Another town absolutely worth a visit is Luderitz, a typical German town with art nouveau architecture which, unlike Swakopmund, makes one feel as if it got stuck in time.  Churches, bakeries and cafes create the atmosphere of a little Bavarian village, totally incongruous considering where in the world one finds yourself!

The town lies between the Namib desert and the South Atlantic coast and its rocky coastline harbours flamingo flocks and penguin colonies.

Namibia is a vast country and distances between towns and cities are far, but it is well worth doing a road trip to discover as much of the country as one possibly can.