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Namibia

– Where Life Rises Like the Phoenix, Every Day-

Less than half a cup: that is the annual rainfall in this vast country, crafted by aridity: an ancient land-face, etched by earth shifts. Not one, but two great deserts are to be found here. A place where the ghosts of rivers snake into the sand and a jagged coastline is measured in shipwrecks. And yet, this is a country of triumphs, a world of natural treasures, a towering tree of life.

Be intrigued

In the parched northern region, you will find people. This is the place of the Himba: a nomadic tribe steeped in a culture spanning centuries. Ornate hair designs portray age and social status. Red-hued bodies symbolize deep belief in the total unity of human life and the earth.

Be aware

This is a place of illusion where dunes roar, plants take the shape of men and stones flower. You will need to look closely and tread carefully. This is where the masters of disguise are to be found: the domain of web-footed dancers; burrowing, sand-diving, cartwheeling artists and side-winding slitherers.

Be Captivated

Go to where the earth shimmers green and white, a bleached scar known as ‘the great white place’. In wet years, this crusted hollow fills and a million pairs of pink wings colour the water. It is here, amidst a sanctuary of grass plains, you will find a parade of Africa’s biggest, wildest and most threatened.

Be Amazed

Eco-tourism in Namibia is alive and very well. Conservancies occupy large sections of the country. Elephant and lion numbers are on the rise. Black rhino and cheetah roam free in the world’s largest numbers. An interesting counter to this is that Namibia’s second only to Mongolia in terms of human population.

Quick Facts

Population: 2.303 million

Area: 825,418 km²

Preferred Properties: 4

These recurring patterns of circular, barren and regularly spaced shapes have scientists mystified.

In folklore, they are the footprints of the Gods. They are to be found in Namibia’s far, far north-western corner: a region that is a mind-spinning blend of water, desert sands and sea mist.

Gemsbok Oryx gazelle

The rapier-shaped horns, carried by both sexes, cut a distinctive outline.
These antelope are exquisitely adapted to arid regions. The availability of drinking water is not a criterion for their preferred territories. In the dry season, desert-plant fruits such as the spiky ‘gemsbok cucumber’ and Kalahari melon (a close relative of the watermelon), are invaluable sources of moisture.

Suricate (slender-tailed meerkat) Suricata suricatta

These petite carnivores face the challenge of being both predator (head down, digging furiously for grubs) and prey (scanning land and sky for threats). It is the cohesive teamwork of the suricate group that resolves this dilemma. A roster of vigilant sentinels keeps a sharp lookout from a high point, giving the rest of the group a chance to forage.

Desert day melts into the ink-blue night of the NamibRand Nature Reserve.

An unparalleled experience: dune dining in the heart of the Namib Desert under a Van Gogh canvas of soaring, starry skies. The crystal clarity of the Namibian skies guarantees the best stargazing in Africa, and secured this region as Africa’s first Dark Sky Reserve.

From towering mountain range, to canyon depths: these are the geological extremes marking the ancient history of the Fish River Canyon.

The rock formations of this natural wonder are amongst the oldest on the planet. In the protected southern reaches, the Canyon forms part of the Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park.