Namibia

Namibia and its bizarre geology has a haunting and captivating beauty. The vast Namib Desert occupies much of the territory and gave the nation its name. This desert is the world`s only coastal desert ecosystem and its uniquely adapted flora and fauna are fascinating to observe.  To the north and east of the sandy wilderness lie rocky deserts with moonscapes, and dry thornveld savanna. Where the Namib meets the cold Atlantic Ocean, unusual weather conditions prevail and the resultant mist and fog in the early mornings brings moisture to that sustains a wide variety of uniquely adapted desert creatures, such as the welwitschia plant, that can live for thousands of years on the condensation that the daily fog brings.

The Skeleton Coast is the treacherous stretch of coastline and gets its name from the shipwrecks that can be seen on its shores. The Orange River forms the border with South Africa, and the Kunene and Kavango Rivers run along the northern frontier. In between, there is precious little water at all.

Sossusvlei is a spectacular area with some of the highest sand dunes in the world. An ideal time to visit Sossusvlei is just at sunrise when blankets of mist part to reveal the colors of the dunes at their deepest red and the intriguing patterns of shadows change as the sun traverses the sky. The views from the dunes into other valleys and of the mountains beyond are breathtaking and well worth the effort of a climb. Colorful beetles, gemsbok, antelope, ostrich and other desert creatures roam these arid dunes.

Inland from the Skeleton Coast National Park, is the mountainous Damaraland region which is spectacularly beautiful and very different from any of the other desert areas of Namibia. The rolling red-rock terrain receives almost no rainfall but a life-sustaining mist rolls over the mountains from the Atlantic and a whole range of bushes, small trees and grasses receive the moisture needed to survive. Where there is plant life there is animal life and the area is home to desert adapted elephant, rhino, a variety of antelope and even, occasionally, some predators.

The Fish River Canyon is second only in depth and length to America`s Grand Canyon.  Carved out of an inhospitable desert, it is a sought-after trekking destination and permits need to be secured in advance.  Hikers can complete an 80-km length of the canyon in 4 to 5 days.  Incredible geological formations are observed the entire length of this spectacular canyon.

Etosha National Park is one of Africa`s greatest parks both in size and variety of wildlife species. The park is mainly mixed scrub, mopane savanna and dry woodland which surrounds the huge Etosha Pan. The salt pan is a silvery white shallow depression, dry except during the rainy season. Etosha has good concentrations of elephant, lion, leopard, black rhino and all of Namibia`s plains game including springbok, gemsbok, and hartebeest. Approximately 340 bird species have been identified in the park including ostrich, pygmy falcon and all the raptors in abundance. Some of the local specials include short-toed rock thrush, freckled nightjar and Meyer`s parrot.