Namibia embodies the dramatic with wild and vast landscapes of towering red sand dunes, mountainous ridges, endless stretches of untouched coastline, white salt pans, desert adapted wildlife and nomadic tribes. A former German colony, the country embraces a graceful convergence of European and Namibian traditions apparent in the architecture, art, cuisine, and ways of life throughout Namibia. Any journey will begin in populated cities of Windhoek or Swakopmund, before visitors venture into the wild desert escape.
On the list of highlights is Sossusvlei, located in the world’s oldest desert and characterized by towering red sand dunes lining the ephemeral Tsauchab River that winds into a series of vleis recognizable by the mesmerizing contrast of cobalt skies, glowing orange dunes, snow-white salt and clay pans, and trees burnt black. To the north lies Damaraland, a mountainous region known for its desert adapted elephant and rhino, situated as a gateway to Etosha, an astonishing national park, home to the big predators including lions, leopards, cheetah and more than a hundred other species of mammals. To the west lies the staggering Skeleton Coast, stretching hundreds of miles north with the thundering sea giving way to the graves of shipwrecks and whale bones and where fur seals, antelopes, zebras, and hyenas have breathed life back into the empty, vast lands. Namibia is the epitome of off-the-beaten-path adventures where harsh desert climates have given way to incredible wildlife and astonishing scenery, a true photographer’s paradise.