Namibia managed to capture my heart forever.
Possessing some of the most stunning landscapes and wildlife on the African continent. Natural wonders such as that mighty Fish River Canyon and the wildlife utopia of Etosha National Park. All this with the added beauty of the world’s oldest desert and the infamous Skeleton Coast. Among all this is a German legacy evident in the cuisine and architecture, and in festivals such as legendary Oktoberfest.
Sandwiched between the coastal towns of Swakopmund and Luderitz is the 50 000km² Namib Naukluft National Park, which is one of the largest conservation areas in the world - a fitting testament to the word 'Namib' which means 'vast' in the local Nama language.
As you move north along the coastline you will enter the infamous Skeleton Coast - The shipwrecks that litter the beaches north of Swakopmund and all the way to the Angola border have given this stretch of Namibia's coast its striking name. Long a graveyard for shipwrecked sailors whose vessels fell victim to the Atlantic's treacherous currents, shifting sandbanks and thick fog, the Skeleton Coast is still a remote and desolate area but also one of hidden surprises.
One of the three towns on this vast strech of Namibian coastline is the former German colonial town of Swakopmund. Home to unique German-themed architecture and culture.
As you move inland and away from the coastline you can expect to find magnificent landscapes and rock formations. The diverse and breath-taking landscapes of the Spitzkoppe will force your mind to think in vast stretches of time.
Between the Skeleton Coast and the Etosha National Park and the even wilder and more remote Kaokoveld, the largely uninhabited Damaraland is an area of dramatic, harsh geology. The mountainous scenery is genuinely breathtaking and the night sky is a carpet of stars. These lands are host to numerous wildlife and the worlds only herd of Desert elephants.
In the North of the country lies one of Africa's greatest wildlife reserves, the 22 750 km² Etosha National Park, one of the easiest, safest and most rewarding big game destinations in Africa.
Moving east into Namibia you will find Africa’s own Grand Canyon, the Fish River Canyon. The largest canyon in the southern hemisphere, and probably only second to Arizona’s Grand Canyon in terms of size. Approaching the Fish River Canyon from the north is like driving across Mars. The vast rocky landscape breaks up into a series of spectacular cliffs, formed by the Fish River as it meanders between boulders over half a kilometer below.
As the sun sets in Namibia one can not help but to admire the astonishing beauty, peace and serenity of this magical place.
