popular destinations

Etosha is renowned as one of Africa's premier wildlife reserves and Namibia's key conservation area. Encompassing an expansive 22,300 square kilometers (8,610 square miles), the park predominantly features vast grassy plains surrounding a massive salt pan that transforms into a picturesque lake during periods of heavy rainfall, attracting significant numbers of pink flamingos resembling cotton candy.

Notably, Etosha boasts a substantial and notably secure population of black rhinoceroses globally, alongside other iconic species such as giraffes, as well as rare and unique wildlife like the black-faced impala, Hartmann's mountain zebra, and the diminutive Damara dikdik, which holds the distinction of being the smallest antelope species worldwide.

Sossusvlei, located in the southern part of the Namib Desert within Namib Naukluft National Park in Namibia, is a unique salt and clay pan surrounded by towering red dunes. This iconic landmark is often used to encompass the surrounding area, which includes Deadvlei and other impressive dunes, making it one of the key attractions in Namibia for visitors.

The name "Sossusvlei" has a fascinating origin, combining Afrikaans and Nama languages. "Vlei" in Afrikaans means "marsh," while "sossus" in Nama translates to "no return" or "dead end." This name is fitting as Sossusvlei serves as an endoreic basin for the Tsauchab River, meaning it is a basin without outflows, hence the reference to a "dead-end marsh."

The Fish River Canyon  is located in the south of Namibia It is the largest canyon in Africa as well as the second most visited tourist attraction in Namibia.It features a gigantic ravine, in total about 160 kilometres (100 mi) long, up to 27 km wide and in places almost 550 meters deep.

The Fish River is the longest interior river in Namibia. It cuts deep into the plateau which today is dry, stony and sparsely covered with hardy drought-resistant plants. The river flows intermittently, usually flooding in late summer; the rest of the year it becomes a chain of long narrow pools. 

The breath-taking mountainous region of Damaraland is home to an assortment of desert-adapted wildlife such as elephant, rhino, zebra and lion, which eke out an existence in this near-barren landscape.

A not-to-be-missed attraction is the picturesque Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain, which is home to thousands of ancient rock paintings – most notably the White Lady.

The rocky outcrops of Twyfelfontein feature exceptional Bushmen engravings, which are considered to be some of the best-preserved etchings on the continent. Visit the Petrified Forest, which dates back millions of years and offers a haunting landscape of gigantic fossilised trees.

The Kalahari Desert offers warm colours and great contrasts. A superb photo motive is a light brown and black Sable standing with its long curved horns on top of a deep red sand dune which has been all but hidden by little green and golden tufts of grass.

• Highlights: Red desert dunes, Kokerboom/Quiver Tree Forest, African Wildlife (Black-maned Kalahari Lion, Giraffe, Warthog, Meerkat, etc.)
• Activities: walk throught he e Quiver Tree Forest, enjoy game-drives in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (Botswana and South Africa, Namibian border)

In contrast to the high sand dunes in Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert, the look of the Kalahari is characterized by little grass clumps and red dunes. They are not very high but long and have a sharp crest. Spot African wildlife like Black-maned Kalahari Lion, Oryx, Giraffe, Warthog or little Meerkat (Suricate) on game drives or just enjoy the silence around you.

The Kalahari Desert covers eastern and southern Namibia, large parts of Botswana and the north-western area of South Africa. It can't be defined as a real desert as it receives too much rain. It can rather be called a fossil desert.

This area in Namibia is inhabited by the San people (Namibian bushmen), who used to be hunter-gatherers. They are now surviving by game hunting and collecting edible plants, like berries or desert melons.

 Epupa Falls (also known as Monte Negro Falls in Angola is a series of large waterfalls formed by the Cunene River on the border of Angola and Namibia, in the Kaokoland area of the Kunene Region. The river is about 0.5 kilometres (1,600 ft) wide in this area and drops in a series of waterfalls across a length of 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi), with the greatest single drop being 37 metres (121 ft) in height.The settlement near the falls is also called Epupa.

Namibia’s western coast plays host to an array of popular destinations – most notably, Swakopmund and the Skeleton Coast.

The charming town of Swakopmund retains a strong German flavour – from its cobbled streets and picturesque buildings to typical German restaurants and pubs.

Swakopmund is perfect for relaxing after a few days in the desert; wash off the sand and sample renowned Swakopmund fare such as the utterly delicious Swakopmund oysters.

Few attractions are as evocative and atmospheric as the haunting Skeleton Coast. Situated on Namibia’s remote western coastline, it is named after the many ships that sank here over the past few centuries.

The rusted remains of wrecked ships are often surrounded by swirling mists and make for moody and dramatic visuals. The Skeleton Coast is home to the flourishing Cape Cross seal colony — one of the largest breeding colonies of Cape fur seals.