Safaris Namibia

Namibia is a beautiful land of stunning red sands, rich bush land wide open plains and some of the most enchanting people in Africa. Namibia safaris are becoming increasingly popular as more and more travellers discover this beguiling world. With a burgeoning tourist industry there is a mounting demand for luxurious accommodations in which to house this growing band of intrepid and discerning travellers. Luckily though, Namibia already has that base covered as the country boasts some of the most renowned safari properties in Africa.

Le Mirage Desert Lodge- Located just 21km from Sesriem, at the gateway to the Namib Desert and the famous Sossusvlei region this unique property offers the comfort and security of a five star hotel but nestled within the rugged and enchanting Namibian landscape. The unusually designed architecture evokes a sense of Arab elegance with its fort-like aesthetic. Boasting 25 luxury rooms with en-suite facilities and a catalogue of modern features guests Le Mirage functions as the ideal base from which to explore the stunning Namib Desert. With a restaurant serving fabulously innovative cuisine, a nationally renowned spa facility and a list of activities that will exhaust you just reading it, Le Mirage offers a great alternative to the more traditional safari ‘camp’ feel. This could be the ideal property if you have younger children.

Epacha Game Lodge and Spa- Set within a private 21,000 ha private reserve the Epacha, like Le Mirage is a member of the leading hotels of Africa portfolio, but offers a more authentic safari camp feel. Set into a hillside overlooking the rolling plains, eighteen individual luxury chalets stand sentinel, adorned and accented stylishly with local materials, artefacts and curios. Each chalet features a private balcony, modern en-suite facilities and open air showers. The lodge’s ‘Mystique Spa’ will relax and rejuvenate you after an exhilarating day out on the game drives where you can expect to see a range of large mammals and birds including the rare sable antelope and equally endangered black rhino.

Gocheganas- Conveniently nestled just south east of the capital of Windhoek, yet a world away in terms of atmosphere it offers a hybrid of styles, borrowing both from Epacha and Le Mirage to produce a more traditional safari camp lay out with individual thatched chalets but, circum-located  around a main resort centre. The wonderfully crafted suites incorporate all of the modern conveniences of a luxury property into the more authentic stone walled and wood beamed structure. With a state of the art spa offering hit tech treatments and services such as a crystal bath, vichy shower, cave sauna and hydrotherapy bath as well as a fitness centre and juice bar. Three different dining experiences await you with the Hilltop and Outdoor restaurants serving up international cuisines whilst Kraal, offers up a traditional style of Namibian BBQ cooking.

Namibia is one of the largest countries in Southern Africa, greater in size than Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya and over three times as vast as the UK. Its wide open plains, plateaus and deserts make Namibia one of the most dramatic and rugged landscapes in the world offering tourists and photography enthusiasts unrivalled panoramas.

Due to the sheer size of the country I would consider one of the best ways to enjoy Namibia safaris to be a luxury fly-in safari. A fly in safari offers prospective tourists the opportunity to partake in a completely flexible all encompassing safari format, travelling via light aircraft you can quickly and effortlessly transfer from the wilds of Namib Rand to the lush valleys of the Central Plateau and the savannah of the Etosha National Park.

Some people consider that a fly-in safari lacks the intimacy and detail of a more close quarters walking or land based safari but the beauty of this kind of experience is that it does not contradict or limit the degree to which you can get up close and personal with nature but actually proliferates these opportunities. A fly in safari promises more time and a wider range of exposure giving a sense of the real diversity of this nation.

Due to their incredibly open nature, fly in safari itineraries allow you to start and finish your journey almost wherever you want. Whether you intend to explore the Caprivi Channel in the far East or start in the south west at the Kulala Wilderness Reserve the choice is entirely up to you. I would certainly recommend a stay in the Sossusvlei region which as I have already discussed in this blog is an unbelievably beautiful and surreal part of Namibia. Take a balloon ride over the world’s largest sand dunes for a view unlike any other or go wildlife spotting for ostrich, springbok gemsbok aardwolf and bat-eared fox.

A flight over the skeleton coast is also a must, a bizarre and eerie landscape where shipwrecks and large whale bone litter the misty coast. Stop at Wallis Bay for a boat ride and keep an eye out for dolphins, seals, turtles, sunfish and even penguins.

The central plateau is where most of the population of Namibia live, this being the least densely populated country in the world, and also where the capital of Windhoek is located. Travelling inland you can immediately mark the change in the landscape, turning from a terracotta brown/red to a more fertile yellow/green. Although only one percent of Namibia’s land is used for farming almost half of the population is employed in the agricultural industry.

The Kalahari Desert is perhaps the most easily recognizable name associated with Namibia and although it is described as a desert a considerable proportion of the area and particularly that which makes up the Central Kalahari Game Reserve features lush grasses and a vast array of plant and animal life. For a more typical safari experience you could jet off straight to the Kalahari or head north to Etosha, perhaps the country’s most established National Park. At Etosha you can see a wide range of animals including lions and leopards and even the endangered white and black rhino.

A fly-in safari is a perfect way to embrace the many sides of Namibia, it opens out this many layered country for you to explore and fall in love with.

Although most people come to the country for Namibia safaris there is another side to this place that is so often overlooked by visitors.

Windhoek is the largest city and capital of Namibia; one of the most rapidly expanding communities in Southern Africa. Although the 2001 census determined a population of just over 230,000 people, estimations today already rate the number nearer, if not beyond the 300,000 mark.

The city was first established by South African tribal leader Jonker Afrikaner in around 1840. Although the region also experienced British influence in the 1870s but control was requested by German merchants and a protectorate put in place of German West Africa. It was during this period that modern day Windhoek began to take shape.

Following the First World War South African troops occupied Windhoek and took control of administration on behalf of the British Empire. Only in 1990 did Namibia once again become an independent state and Windhoek recognised as the capital of the Republic of Namibia.

The city’s long and some times tumultuous past faced with a fast paced and commercial future  has produced a fascinating and striking architectural conglomeration which renders Windhoek such a unique place. Juxtaposed against the undeniably Bavarian ‘three castles’ some of the oldest structures in the city, established by the protectorate commander Curt Von Francois are the steel and glass, Asian influenced constructs of the modern day Windhoek. The Christ Church, perhaps the city’s most famous landmark is a Lutheran minster constructed in the early 20^th century by German architect Gottleib Redecker in a conflicting but equally spectacular art nouveau and neo-gothic style.

Although Windhoek and Namibia as a whole have selectively chosen to distance themselves from many aspects of its German colonial history there is certainly still a European culture that resonates today. During the day a busy continental café culture dominates the streets of the city centre and particularly in the ‘pedestrianised’ precincts with their chic boutiques, shops and restaurants. If you arrive in the city later in the year, from mid September to early October you may even be able to celebrate the annual German festival.

The city also enjoys quite a bustling nightlife and a plethora of restaurants and eateries. Whether your stay in Windhoek signals the start of your Namibian safari adventure or the end of it an interesting and delicious idea is to head to Joe’s Beer House, a popular tourist bar that also serves up savannah based specialities including eland, zebra, crocodile, oryx, kudu and springbok. The bar might not be to everyone’s taste, particularly those looking for a more authentic Namibian dining experience but there is an awful lot of fun to be had here; other excellent dining options include Homestead one of the city’s finest restaurants; La Marmite offering enticing West African cuisine (you either love it or hate it) and O Portuga not surprisingly specialising in Portuguese food.

Windhoek is a vibrant and diverse city, a great place to start or finish any tour of Namibia and somewhere I recommend to anyone visiting the country.

For some people Namibia safaris are all about the animals, where to see them, when, how and what kind, from the smallest reptiles to the largest mammals. For others though, they want a little more from their experience; chasing some of the most iconic creatures on earth across the savannahs is not quite thrilling enough and it is for these individuals that Namibia’s reputation as the adventure capital of Sothern Africa comes into fruition.

There are numerous ways to see Namibia all of which are spectacular, but few panoramas are comparable to that at 13,000 feet above the earth, with nothing but sky between you and Africa’s rolling plains below. Sky diving is the ultimate adrenaline rush and there are few more spectacular places to enjoy it than Namibia; behold the curvature of the earth, the seemingly never ending skeleton coast and the dramatic juxtaposition of sea and desert. For a more relaxing aeronautical experience you could try your hand a gliding or paragliding or the sedate beauty of gently drifting through the clouds in a hot air balloon. Namibia offers some of the most spectacular scenery in Africa and to see this landscape by air is a truly humbling privilege.

If you’d prefer to keep your feet a little closer to the ground then there are numerous land based activities on offer in Namibia for you to get stuck into; 4x4ing quad biking, horseback riding, hiking and even dune boarding (surfing across sand dunes reaching speeds of up to 80kph) promise different but equally magical encounters with Namibia. If you would prefer to explore along the vertical then there are excellent climbing and caving sites in Namibia particularly at Spitskoppe and Brandberg to the west of the country. In my last post we also explored the extensive natural beauty of Namibia, particularly the Skeleton Coast and areas such as Sossusvlei. This dramatic, mercurial landscape has asserted the country as a Mecca for amateur and professional photographers alike, so if you fancy yourself as the next Ansel Adams, Namibia is an ideal safari destination.

Although Namibia is predominantly known as an arid nation there is plenty of splashing about to be done. The popular coastal town of Walvis Bay plays host to numerous water based activities and all along the skeleton coast water sports and boat trips are organised daily. Particularly popular are catamaran excursions, relaxing tours down across the Bay accompanied by champagne and snacks, the perfect place from which to see local wildlife, birdlife and the families of bottlenose dolphin that live in the area. Why not propel yourself under your own steam in kayak or canoe, get up close with the wildlife that wander the banks and coasts as well as the dolphins that are especially inquisitive and playful. Although the waters just off the coast of Namibia are not particularly good for diving there are several spots inland that offer perfect conditions, particularly Lake Okjikoto and Harib Lake, Okjikoto’s underwater museum of wrecked first world war machinery and armaments is particularly spectacular.

Namibia safaris are incredible experiences but with such an eclectic and wide ranging nation it can be challenging trying to prioritise your safari itinerary.

Etosha National Park- Situated in the North West Kunene region of the country, Etosha is considered as the first and foremost conservation area in Namibia. Established in 1907 by the then German colonists, its original territory stretched over a range of 100,000km², making it the largest national park in the world. Today Etosha occupies a little under a quarter of this once colossal area, but the park is by no means any less diverse or impressive. The region is dominated by the imposing Etosha Salt Pan, which in the wetter months fills with water and attracts numerous bird and animal species including beautiful flocks of flamingo and pelican. When the water dries up, powerful cross winds blow the crystalline dust across the landscape and out into the Atlantic; this naturally occurring mineral enrichment is an important part of the natural cycle upon which many plants and animals depend in Namibia. Perennial springs offer oases, particularly in the dry season, and attract a variety of wildlife including the endangered black rhino and the endemic black faced impala.

Skeleton Coast- This spectacular and rugged wilderness in the northwest of the country has a deserved reputation as one of the most uncanny, yet spectacular regions in Africa. A graveyard for ships due to the unpredictable Benguela Current, still today the decaying steels carcasses of tankers and fishing vessels can be seen littering the coastline. With an even more morbid splendor and as a constant reminder of a once thriving whaling industry now long since outlawed, the bleached bones of some these great creatures can also be stumbled across, nestling amongst the sands like half sculpted limestone monuments. Despite its rather sinister reputation, the Skeleton Coast boasts a bounty of animal and bird species almost as impressive as its landscape. Giraffe, desert adapted elephant, baboons, springbok and lions roam the plains and sand dunes and the area is also home to one of Africa’s highest populations of Black rhino.

Sossusvlei- In the Southern Namib Desert, Sossusvlei has become famous for its incredible, almost surreal landscape. Featuring some of the highest sand dunes in the world it is recognised as one of the most photographed locations in sub-Saharan Africa. A feature of numerous commercials, television documentaries, music videos and feature length films, the vivid pink-orange sands of the region have become an icon of Namibia. Despite being part of the Namib Desert, plant life is relatively rich here and is able to support a huge variety of species, particularly smaller mammals and reptiles who can survive with little water including jackals, oryxes, springboks and ostrich.

Bwabwata Park- Over in the northeast in the Caprivi area is the less well known but remarkably lush Bwabwata Park. It is often referred to as a ‘people park’ because of the way several communities coexist within the region alongside the animal and wildlife species. Located on the banks Kavango River the park is dominated with deciduous forest with species such as seringa, copalwood and Zambezi teak. Although access by road is limited between Kavango and Eastern Caprivi you can still enjoy looking out for elephants, Kudu, Roan and wild buffalo.

Namibia is a beautiful country, a volcanic landscape, which has long been associated with the sweeping dunes and migratory belts of the Namib and the red sands of the Kalahari Desert; but there is so much more to the country. Kavango and Caprivi for example are areas which enjoy an abundance of annual rainfall and are therefore lush, tropical oases which provide habitat for thousands of animals, birds and plant species.

To compliment this stunning landscape it is important on your Namibia safari that you choose the right accommodation, a property that marries the true sense of Namibia with all of the modern comforts that have become synonymous with Namibian luxury travel.

Little Kulala is the newest of Wilderness safaris private reserve based accommodations. The company bough a 90,000 acre private share of the impressive Namib rolling desert just over ten years ago and have continued to sympathetically develop the area into a haven for enthusiastic tourists come to embrace the grandeur of the region. Beautifully constructed with locally sourced woods, glass and thatching the eleven impressive buildings boast private plunge pools, rooftop balconies, ‘sky beds’ for stargazing, as well as tastefully appointed interiors. The resorts proximity to the famous Sossusvlei sand dunes makes it a perfect place from which to explore the stunning landscape.

In the greener North West, Kaokaland is home to increasingly popular Serra Cafema camp. Drawn by the stunning local geography tourists come for the undulating green dales, forests and volcanic mountains which combine to produce a truly breathtaking environment. Set amongst lush albida trees the main lodge is lofted up upon wooden stilts which provide patrons with excellent views across the Kunene River which actually separates Namibia and its neighbour Angola. The eight beautifully designed, loft-like chalets have been artfully adorned with natural dark woods, light textiles and furnished with local Ngoni furniture to produce a stunning contrast. The cuisine is excellent and a candlelit dinner under the stars at the Serra Cafema is a unique and very romantic experience.

Back down in Namib stretch is the Dunes Lodge, another oasis of calm set amongst the grounds of famous Namibian environmentalist Albi Bruckner’s private NamibRand Nature Reserve.  The massive 440,000 acre conservation area was converted in the 1980s with the few sheep farming lodges in the area refurbished into an interlinking group of small cottages, known as the Wolwedans Collection. The wood and canvas properties have been environmentally designed to have as little impact upon the landscape as possible.

On the south edge of Namibia’s popular Etosha National Park within the 75,000 acre private ongava Game Reserve is the Little Ongava lodge. The three cottage-like properties have been acknowledged as one of Namibia’s most luxurious accommodations. Renowned interior designer Anne Christopher has rendered the site a shrine to African culture and craft with an eclectic mix of ornaments and features including masks from Burkina Faso Burkina Zambian made wooden bowls, Ethiopian trays, Congolese wall hangings and native Namibian wall paintings. With the infinity pools, dark woods and cleans lines the place seems almost too glamorous for its setting, as if it has been transplanted from a Hollywood hillside.

Namibia is often referred to as the land of contrasts.  Half of the country is desert while the other half is full of enticing plant and animal life as the land stretches towards the Atlantic ocean.  This dual set of characteristics means that visiting Namibia can give you something different each time you visit.  The characteristics of Namibia mean that you’ll rarely get such experiences elsewhere.  Here are, in my opinion, the top five reasons to visit Namibia.

1.      Extreme sports.  Quite a few extreme sports are popular in Namibia due to the aforementioned climate.  The harsh desert makes it a great choice for desert runs and ultra-triathlons.  The uneven climate, likely to shift beneath your feet when running across the desert, combined with dry air and sand dunes make the Namib desert a particularly difficult place to explore.  Naturally, this makes it an excellent challenge, and Namibia was the host to a Racing the Planet marathon in 2009 thanks to its climate.  This 7 day race involved all 213 runners carrying their supplies for an entire week on their back as they negotiated the treacherous terrain.  I recommend heading out in groups to help you keep your bearings!  You can also head to Swakopmund, which offers free-fall parachuting, dune-bike riding, and sand boarding.

2.      National Parks.  We have a number of prominent national parks in Namibia, though our best is Etosha Pan (and is probably the only you’ve heard of).  The others include Namib-Naukluft, Skeleton Coast, and Waterberg Plateau Park.  Etosha Pan is an excellent choice for spotting the endangered Black Rhinos and the black-faced Impala, in particular, as well as the many zebras that inhabit the camp on a regular basis.  You’re also likely to spot lions, elephants, and giraffes especially around the waterholes, many of which have been newly constructed to help the animals live happily inside the fenced reservation.  Etosha is also our oldest national park; it’s been around since 1907, well before Namibia gained its independence.

3.      Skeleton Coast.  This national park is one of the world’s natural wonders.  The desert is right up against the ocean, creating an incredible dichotomy between the immediate greenery and the more extensive desert beyond.  While this particular stretch of desert doesn’t have too many animals, you’ll find lots of marine life, with birds, seals and fish living right up to the shoreline.  There are also quite a few wrecks of boats which have been lured in by the deceptive tide, which has led to the coast’s name.  These wrecks give the whole shore a spooky feel.

4.      The game viewing.  All of Africa really is amazing for viewing game, but with Namibia’s National Parks our country truly holds its own amongst the variety of countries out there.  Our country’s safaris are different and we pride ourselves on providing a unique experience for the travellers who make an effort to visit with us.  We really do provide an adventure.

5.      Choice.  Namibia, despite our poverty, has a well developed infrastructure, which means you can hope into a rented car and just go; a guide with you is always the best idea, because you’ll never get lost and you’ll have help on deciding where to go, but it’s by no means necessary.  My best recommendation for a safari in Namibia is of course a walking safari; I do personally guide tourists on the hunt for black rhinos and when you find one, it can be an incredible life-changing experience.

Come back soon for more reasons to visit Namibia!