Namibia Geography

Sossusvlei Sand Dunes

The Namib Naukluft National Park is best known for the Sossusvlei Dunes, a fluid landscape of spectacular beauty and silence with towering dunes sculpted by the winds. Sossusvlei is a huge clay pan with some of the highest sand dunes in the world (300 meters). This part of the Namib Desert (the world's oldest at 80 million years old) is a photographer's paradise and should be seen at sunrise when the gold and apricot colors of the dunes come alive and the wonderful shadows cast over the dunes create striking contrasts. Gemsbok or springbok are often seen wandering in the area in search of grazing and water.

Etosha National Park

Etosha is one of Africa's most spectacular wildlife sanctuaries, encompassing 15,000 square miles of African wilderness, and is famous for the endless pan of silvery-white sand filled with dust devils and a diverse range of ecology and wildlife. Multitudes of elephant, lion, cheetah, zebra, leopard, oryx, springbok, giraffe and many other species are seen in the acacia and mopane woodland which surrounds the huge pan. We recommend a few luxury lodges located immediately outside the park as the government accommodation in the park is marginal.

Skeleton Coast

The Skeleton Coast was named as a result of the treacherous waters taking the lives of countless seafarers. This is a befitting title for the coastline area between the Swakop River and the Kunene River, which has seen many a shipwreck. The Skeleton Coast parks host such varied terrain as sand dunes, gravel plains, and eerie fog-covered shores. The coast is home to flamingos, seal, and penguins, while inland you may see desert elephant, lion, giraffe, leopard, buffalo, kudu, gemsbok, klipspringer, sable antelope, roan antelope, and black and white rhino.

Kaokoveld

The Kaokoveld is the least inhabited area of Namibia and is characterized by two areas, Damaraland in the south and the desolate Kaokoland in the north. The landscape ranges from the coastal desert plains to rocky, rugged mountains. In this area the Himba tribe, a traditional nomadic-pastoral people, dwell. The Himba are the only indigenous people living in this inhospitable environment and still live a relatively traditional, semi-nomadic lifestyle.

It is possible to visit these proud people in their traditional villages where you will be welcomed in the company of a local guide who speaks their language and is accepted as a friend to the Himba. The Himba benefit economically through the proceeds of the local camp and are better able to perpetuate a traditional way of living, as outside forces restrict their traditional grazing range. Due to the lack of population in the northern area, wildlife thrives in this region. As a result of the desert climate, many species have adapted to survive including the famed desert elephant. Other game found in this region includes gemsbok, kudu, springbok, ostrich, giraffe, and mountain zebra, as well as the rare wild black rhino.

Damaraland

Damaraland is a 32,000 square mile area famous for its population of desert elephant, mountain zebra and the rare black rhino species "diceros bicornis". With expert rangers you can endeavor to track these species if they are close enough to camp. Oryx, giraffe, impala, springbok, mountain zebra, kudu and giraffe are among the many other species you are likely to see. The unique Damaraland landscape is noted for its strange cone-shaped hills and rocky gorges. Rare Euphorbia plants add another dimension to the otherworldly appearance of the terrain.