Holidays & Sabbaticals to Namibia – In a Nutshell

Meaning ‘Wide Land’, Namibia certainly lives up to its name. The second most sparsely populated country in the world, this vast land is a destination of immense landscapes and open spaces. Dramatic vistas sweep beyond the horizon. The elements collide as sand dunes plunge into the ocean. Balancing rock formations defy gravity. Light and shadow contrast strikingly on each slope of the velvet folds of towering sand dunes. Among the ancient red sands and scorched desert earth you could mistake your destination for the surface of Mars. This is a place to feel dwarfed by the immensity of nature. Bring your camera.

Experiences you shouldn’t miss in Namibia:

Erongo rocks: Clamber through trails between spherical rocks. Marvel at the balancing boulders in this area, also famed for its rock engravings, in the Central highlands
Skeleton trunks: In the white clay pans of Deadvlei, walk among the blackened trunks of old acacia trees, jutting from the parched earth against a backdrop russet dunes
Waterhole action: In Etosha National Park, let your patience pay off as you wait at a waterhole to see what encounters unfurl before your eyes
Damara Land: In this Martian landscape, wonder at the resilience of the wildlife that has adapted to survive these harsh conditions
Stargaze: Sleep under the Milky Way in the world’s oldest desert, and Africa’s only dark sky reserve: Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert. There is no danger here
Oysters: Dine on some of the best, plumpest oysters in the world in Swakopmund
Get active: In Swakopmund, get active with dune biking, guided walks, and kayaking among seals and bottle nosed dolphins
Road trip: Namibia is the best country in Africa for self-driving

Off the Beaten Path in Namibia

Desert ocean: Take a helicopter ride over the sand dunes to the ocean to see the desert drop into the waves
Clay bathing: daily rituals
Seals & Shipwrecks: Along the Skeleton Coast, take a light aircraft over the crashing shoreline to see the vessels that met their fate at the ‘Gates of Hell’. View vast colonies of seals draped over rocks along the shore
Dune hike: Embrace the challenge of hiking the spectacular dunes of Sossusvlei – the highest freestanding dunes in the world. Marvel at the contrast of light and shade
Balloon ride: For a more serene view of the tallest dunes in the world, take a balloon ride over the velvet folds of the Sossusvlei and marvel at the contrast of light and dark of their winding slopes
Zambezi safari: In this lush riverine paradise, spot elephants, water buffalo, wild dogs and elusive leopards on a boat or jeep safari

Wildlife in Namibia

Along the coast, huge seal colonies flourish. Flamingos festoon the lagoons in Swakopmund in their thousands.

With water at a premium in most of this country, wildlife has adapted to survive. On safari, patience is rewarded with spectacular sightings at waterholes.

The North Eastern strip of green riverine savannah is populated with large game, with a lot of wildlife to be seen on boat and jeep safaris.

How to get to Namibia

Connect into the capital Windhoek via Frankfurt, Germany, or via other African countries such as Ethiopia. There are no direct flights from the UK or USA. Flight time to Namibia is from 15 hours from London UK, and from 19 hours from New York.