Highlights & Attractions

Namibia, a country of vast open spaces and contrasts, enthrals travellers with its landscapes, wildlife and culture. Travel from the world famous Sossusvlei situated in the oldest desert in the world, with breath-taking sand dunes developed over millions of years to the rolling savannah of the central plateau and the Etosha National Park, one of the finest parks in Africa, and largely undisturbed by human influence. Namibia averages 300 days of sunshine a year with a climate typical of a semi-desert country where droughts are a regular occurrence. The dry winter months from May to August are the best times to visit.

Highlights

Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park was proclaimed as Namibia's first conservation area in 1907, and is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. Of the 114 mammal species found in the Park, several are rare and endangered.

Fish River Canyon

The Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the World. It is set in a harsh stoney plain inhabited by drought resistant flora and fauna.

Namib Naukluft Park

This is one of Namibia's most arid regions stretching over some 50,000 square kilometres making it Africa's third largest National Park and home to wildlife that has adapted to the harsh dry environment of the desert.

Sossusvlei

Meaning the "Gathering place of water", these monumentally high sand dunes with their colours ranging from pale apricot to brick orange and deep red, contrast vividly with the large white plains.

Skeleton Coast Park

The dramatic Skeleton Coast Park extends northwards from the Ugab River to the Kunene River. The attraction of this remote area is brought about by the untouched landscapes of windswept dunes, rugged canyon walls, mountain ranges and forlorn shipwrecks.

Cape Cross Seal Reserve

Proclaimed a reserve in 1968 to protect the largest and most well known of the Cape Fur Seal colonies that breed along the coast of Southern Africa.

Attractions

Etosha National Park

Namibia's best-known tourist attraction, and one of the most interesting game reserves in the world because of its unusual terrain, Etosha is a combination of dried lake (salt pan) in the north and grasslands, dense brush and open plains in the south. Etosha National Park is one of the largest and most impressive game reserves in the whole of Africa. The Ovambo name Etosha, means 'place of dry water' - and the reserve was named this because of the vast, shallow salt pan which shimmers a silvery bright-white, from salt across its entire surface.

Almost all African animal species are represented in the nature reserve. Well maintained gravel roads lead to watering holes, where game viewing is best. The water-holes, scattered throughout this area, are the basis of life for countless wild animals. There is an estimated number of 300 lions in the park, 300 rhinos, 2000 giraffes and 1500 elephants.

Particularly numerous are the dainty springbok, of which at least 30,000 specimen can be found here. Protected species such as the black-faced impala and black rhino can also be seen. After exceptionally rainy periods, the pan fills with water and enormous numbers of flamingoes and pelicans arrive to feed and breed.

Etosha is home to more than 3,000 species of birds and large animals, among them the elephant, giraffe, zebra, leopard, cheetah, lion, kudu, black-faced impala, black rhino and hyena. The prime water holes are on the southern side of the park, but they're only full after the rainy season (December-March). The Kuvelai River, which feeds Etosha, either floods or dries up completely, vanishing into the sand.

The park is open all year, but the best time to visit is August-September. The Etosha Park is about 400 km north of Windhoek.

The Skeleton Coast National Park

The attraction of this remote area lies in the colours, changing moods and untouched profiles of the landscape. The aura of mystery and mightiness is largely due to the dense coastal fog and cold sea breezes caused by the cold Benguela Ocean current from the Arctic, and bones scattered along the beaches from which the coast derives its name.

The landscape in the park ranges from sweeping vistas of wind swept dunes to rugged canyons with walls of richly coloured volcanic rock and extensive mountain ranges. Its level coastline characterises the park, only occasionally broken by scattered rocky outcrops. The southern section consists of the gravel plains, but north of Terrace Bay high dunes occur in the immediate vicinity of the coast. The remains of shipwrecks scattered along the coast bear witness to the many ships, which have come to grief along these desolate shores.

The Ugab River is its southern boundary, and the park stretches north to the Kunene River. The park covers over 1.6 million hectare and its divided into two zones; the southern section between Ugab and Hoanib rivers, and the northern section, between the Hoanib and Kunene rivers.

The southern section of the park is accessible to the general public and attracts anglers from far and wide to its superb fishing grounds. The vegetation between the Ugab and Huab rivers is of the Central Namib type, while that north of the Huab is classified as Northern Namib. The vegetation is relatively spare, the most common species being dollar bush, brakspekbos and the occasional stands of ganna. Mammals along the coast are mainly limited to black-backed jackal, brown hyena and the Cape fur seals. Adjoining the northern section of the Skeleton Coats Park is Kaokoland inhabited by the Himba people who still live according to ancient customs and traditions. To the south of the park is Damaraland, inhabited by the Damara people, who have adopted western lifestyles.

Fish River Canyon

The incorporation of the Ai-Ais Hot springs Resort, Fishriver Canyon and Huns Mountains in 1989, into one conservation area of 346 117 ha, led to the establishment of the Fishriver Canyon Park.

The main attraction is its isolated and otherworldly landscape and wealth of interesting xerophytes plants such as the "halfmens" or elephant's trunk. Eroded over many millennia, the Fishriver Canyon is the second largest natural gorge in Africa. Set in a harsh, stony plain, with drought-resistant succulents such as the quiver tree, this spectacular natural phenomenon with its full length being 160km - 27km wide and a depth of 550m.

As the river flows intermittently, there is always water in certain of the pools, which contain small and largemouth yellow fish, sharp tooth catfish, Mozambique Tilapia and common carp. Baboon, rock dassie, ground squirrel and klipspringer are often seen in the canyon, while the presence of leopard and mountain zebra is indicated by tracks left at waterholes.

The 90km Fishriver Canyon hiking trail is regarded as one of the major challenges of Southern Africa and takes about 4-5 days to complete.

Sossusvlei

The entrance gate to the most famous part of the Dune Namib - and no doubt one of Namibia's most notable sights - is located at Sesriem. From there it is still another good hour's driving to Sossusvlei. 'Gathering place of water' the Nama called this place.

And indeed - amongst the high dunes of the enormous sand sea there is a clay pan, which was clearly formed by water. The pan only fills up once within several years, though, when there has been sufficient rain in the catchment area of the Tsauchab. Usually Sossusvlei is totally dry. The famous star dunes of Sossusvlei tower around the depression, offering thousands of themes to photographers - the most beautiful ones early in the morning and late in the afternoon when light and shadow create a more three-dimensional appearance of the landscape. Do not hesitate to climb a dune! Only from the top will you experience the sheer size of the dunes, and your effort will be rewarded with a spectacular view of the sand sea. At Sossusvlei you will come across sign boards showing the way to another two depressions which are well worth a visit: "Dead Vlei", a dry pan with lumps of clay and dead camelthorn, and secluded little-known "Nara Vlei".

Damaraland

Damaraland is one of the most interesting and dramatic regions in Namibia. Referring primarily to a harsh stretch of burnt mountains and rugged semi-desert, the region is just inland from miles of wild, deserted beaches, littered with ghostly shipwrecks and where you are likely to see dolphins frolicking joyously in the surf.

Namib Naukluft Park

Sand and stones, sun and mirages, blue sky - or stars as far as you can see. Tiny beetles like the Tok Tokkie which collects its supply of moisture by fog-basking. Antelope like the Oryx whose body can heat up to temperatures which no other living being would be able to survive. Plants like the Welwitschia, some of which are already several hundred years old and still growing. The desert - so vast, so isolated, so inhospitable but nevertheless so diverse, so colourful and so much alive.

Namib Naukluft Park is the largest nature conservation area in Africa, extending between the tarred road Aus-Luderitz in the south and the Swakop River in the north, and from the Atlantic coast in the west to the highland in the east.

Due to low rainfall the park basically consists of desert - whatever shape it may ultimately take. Visitors have access to four sections of the park: the dunes of Sossusvlei in the so-called Dune Namib, the Naukluft Mountains, the gravel plains of the Namib between the seasonal Swakop and Kuiseb Rivers, as well as the dune area on the Atlantic coast around the lagoon at Sandwich Harbour.

All the information contained in this document was correct at the time of printing and is to be used as a guide only. Health, visa and other specific details should be double-checked by your travel agent at the time of booking.