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The 20,000 sq km (7722 sq mi) Etosha National Park is one of the world's greatest wildlife-viewing spots. For a few days each year, this immense, flat, saline desert is converted by the rains into a shallow lagoon teeming with flamingos and white pelicans. However, it's the surrounding bush and grasslands that provide habitat for Etosha's diverse wildlife.
It may look barren, but the landscape surrounding the pan is home to 114 mammal species as well as 340 bird species, 16 reptiles and amphibians, one fish species and countless insects.
The best way to see Etosha's animals is to hire a vehicle, park near a waterhole and wait for the lions, elephants and springboks to turn up for a drink.
Etosha's three main entry gates are Von Lindequist (Namutoni), west of Tsumeb; King Nehale, southeast of Ondangwa; and Andersson (Okaukuejo), north of Outjo.
car
bus to Tsumeb, then hire car
train to Tsumeb, then hire car
| full | US Dollar 4.00 |
Sossusvlei is a huge ephemeral pan set amid towering red dunes that reach up to 325m (1066ft). The dunes are part of the 32,000 sq km (12,355 sq mi) sand sea covering much of western Namibia, and belong to one of the oldest and driest ecosystems on earth. The landscape here is constantly changing as colours shift with the light and wind alters the dune shapes.
car
| full | US Dollar 4.00 |
There's nowhere else in Africa like Fish River Canyon, which has been gouging this gorge for thousands of years with incredible results. It's huge - 160km (99mi) long and 27km (17mi) wide - and most of the canyon falls within Fish River Canyon National Park, where you can camp, walk, hike or relax in the bubbling hot springs.
At the northern end of the national park, there's the Hobas Information Centre, picnic sites, camp grounds, walking trails, and access to some of the best viewpoints in the canyon.
From Hobas, you can walk the five-day Fish River Hiking Trail to Ai-Ais, at the other end of the canyon. The 85km (53mi) walk follows the sandy bed of the river (it should contain water in May or June). There are also day walks at the northern end of the canyon.
At the southern end, Ai-Ais is a pleasant hot-spring oasis. The springs, which are piped into swimming pools and jacuzzis, apparently relieve rheumatism and nervous disorders. Ai-Ais has camping sites, bungalows and caravans.
(near South African border)
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train from Keetmanshoop to Hoolog rail halt, then hitch 43km (26.7mi) to Hobas
| full | Namibia Dollar 120.00 |
The Central Plateau is the prize of colonialism. This is prime agricultural land and the German and Afrikaner settlers and their families who have inherited this area run sheep and cattle on vast, wide-open rural properties, or grow citrus fruit and market vegetables.
Rehoboth was founded as a Rhenish mission station in 1844, but was abandoned 20 years later only to be revived in the 1870s by the Basters (literally 'bastards'), an ethnic group of mixed Khoi-Khoi/Afrikaner origin who are very proud of their history and name, rather than considering it offensive.
Towns are widely spaced, and Namibia's main arterial north-south route, the B1, is so good that most pass by way too fast to appreciate the surrounds.
Brukkaros is a 2km (1.2mi) wide volcanic crater which can be seen from the B1 between Mareintal and Keetmanshoop. Camping is permitted anywhere in the crater and Brukkaros's famous clear night skies make this an unforgettable experience.
The central crossroads in southern Namibia is Keetmanshoop, a town of 15,000 people and the centre of the regional wool industry. Here too are many fine colonial-era buildings, and Keetmanshoop Museum is well worth exploring. Tours are available from the town to areas of interest in southern Namibia.
Namibia's Central Highlands are dominated by its small, Germanic capital, Windhoek. Set at the geographical heart of Namibia, it serves as the nerve centre of the country's business and commercial operations and boasts Namibia's international airport.
Situated among low hills at an elevation of 1660m (5444ft), Windhoek enjoys a refreshing highland climate with considerable temperature variations and a lot of rain. This makes for lush gardens and spectacular flower beds. The population of 160,000 people reflects Namibia's ethnic mix.
The city centre is characterised by a mix of German colonial structures and pastel-coloured modern buildings. Dominating the skyline is Christuskirche, the neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau-designed German Lutheran church. Other striking buildings include the parliament building, Tintenpalast; the whitewashed Alte Feste, an old fort that's now a museum; and the Cape Dutch-style railway station, which dates back to 1912.
Windhoek is great for meandering around on foot. In the centre of the Post Street pedestrian mall is a display of 33 meteorites from the Gibeon meteor shower, which deposited 21 tonnes (24 US tons) of extraterrestrial boulders on the area of Gibeon in southern Namibia in 1837.
