With many nicknames such as the land of the brave, the land of giants or the deserted land, Namibia is truly the land of many faces. A lot of countries are judged using their people, you can easily describe a country using its population. But as of Namibia, well being deprived in population, makes it up in its geology. Namibia is indeed a geological marvel. Decorated by the Namib Desert and the Kalahari Desert, welcoming the Atlantic Ocean and hosting the driest environment at the same time, not forgetting the lovely welcoming and charming different tribes that survive the hostile environment.
Namibia is one rich country that easily takes you back to the ancient tectonic periods which shaped the whole of Southern Africa. The home to the oldest desert in the word, the Namib Desert. Having endured arid conditions for roughly between 55 -8o million years, the Namib Desert contains some of the world’s driest region with only the Atacama Desert of South America to challenge it for age and aridity benchmarks. The Namib Desert stretches for more than 2000km along the Atlantic coastline of Angola, Namibia and South Africa, extending 450km from the Namibia-Angola border on the north while the southern point straddles in the neighbouring Kalahari Desert.
The most famous sand dunes are the main attractions as the roll over and only blocked by the Atlantic Ocean. The highest dunes that include the BIG DADDY rise some 350m above the vlei. Different types of sand dunes ranging from crescent dunes to linear dunes, though they are all rolling dunes due to the constant movement of the sand. The desert itself is a living desert as small dispersed communities can be encountered as you drive around. Despite being that hostile, the desert is also a home to animals such as elephants, giraffes , zebras and the elegant oryx.
Namibia is also home to the second largest canyon in the world, the Fish River Canyon. Despite being dry because of the desert influence, thousands of rivers drain the upper plateau into the major rivers such as the Fish River and Osakos River. Hundreds of small other canyons dominate the dry areas with their underground flowing rivers that can be testified to only by the umbrella acacia trees which line up in deserted format .
The rock formation of Namibia contributes a lot to its beauty. Several regions celebrate their unique appearance hidden in tall mountain rocks that are shaped by the day’s heat and the chilly desert nights while the winds tell the stories of age .
Rock paintings are dotted throughout the country with the most concentration being in Damaraland. They depict ancient activities carried out back during the early stone age and the responsible descendants being the interpreters of their meaning. Some traditional tribes that still practice their old traditional lifestyle still thrive in Namibia.
Namibia offers a variety of wild animals ranging from the small antelopes such as the dik dik to the largest antelopes such as eland. The big 5 is also spotted in Namibia though the full collection will call for the combination of national parks and game reserves. History have got it that animals used to roam freely in most African countries before the boundaries were introduced. Animals belonged to no one and who ever managed to hunt them got his share. Wild animals were hunted for meat and their skins were used for clothing. Latter protected areas were introduced as the land was claimed and sold to individuals. Feeding ranges for animals became scarse as humans encrotched into the natural feeding habitants and the bounderies hindered free movement of animals. As the pressure mounted on the animal kingdoms, most animals migrated to places where there was little human interference and the fear of losing animals through migration led to the introduction of protected areas such as national parks. But due to poaching and over hunting, conservation areas were then introduced such as game parks. Game farming was also introduced first as a conservation measure though it had degraded to commercial standards.
Namibia have the national parks, game parks, game farms and conservation sanctuaries. The most popular national parks are the Etosha NP, Skeleton Coast, Namib Naukluf, Waterberg, Mudumu, Dorob and the Ai Ais Richterveld Transfrontier Park. Off the list above, Etosha National Park top up the list, some national parks such as the Dorob or the Skeleton Coast Park you rarely realise that you are in the park unless you see the signs on the side of the roads. Some such as the Namib Naukluf Park are so vast that you freely drive and enjoy the special landscapes.
The park is located some 500km north of the capital Windhoek. It covers an area of approximately 23 000 square km and is the most famous parks as well as one of the largest preserves on the continent Africa. The park encompasses a vast salt pan which is about 5000 square kilometres .
The park is a home to elephants, rhino, lions, giraffe, leopard, chetah, zebra, kudu, impala, gemsbok, hyena, eland, fox and over 340 species of birds including the famous ostriches, Kori bustards, flamingos, pelican and yellow billed hornbills.
Wildlife viewing is good for most part of the year but the best time being in winter, which is also the dry season, from May to September. During this period animals gather at the waterholes to drink and cool off. Beautiful campsites and lodges built inside the park by the national park to accommodate tourists and also act as tourist offices. Areas adjacent to the park are mainly game farms which also have some of the animals that are found in the park. Because of its dry nature, the buffalo is not found in Etosha NP as it is a water dependent giant.
On the southern part of Namibia there is the Kalahari Desert which also have a national park. The Kalahari Transformer Park runs through South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. The beautiful red soils paints the evenings of the Kalahari into one of the epic sceneries. Animals such as the lions, leopards and brown hyenas are very famous here. The isolation of the park is a great silence adventure.
Up on the northern horn is the most humid part of the country. In the Zambezi region, popularly known as the Kaprivi (see Kaprivi) is an area of different dimensions as compared to the geography of Namibia. Four giant rivers alter the desert country into a near amazon. The Kavango River flows across to form the Okavango Delta, the Kwando River floods the region and seems to be confused whether to join the Kavango or the Chobe River. The Linyati tries to drain the Kwando but the Chobe have to face the conquering Zambezi River. All these four rivers cross an area that stretches for about 440 km only .
In the Zambezi region there is the Bwabwata National Park, Mudumu, Mahangu, Kwando and Khaudom. All these parks are also known as the core parks or the buffalo core area as that is where there is the largest concentration of buffaloes in the country. In these parks almost all the animals that are found in the region can be seen. Animals here move freely to the Okavango Delta and the Chobe NP in Botswana as this part between the two countries does not have fences that restrict their movements.
Namibia is a great country that is home to various tribes and traditions. The people of Namibia are a happy family despite their different origins. With a population of only 2,53 million, the economy of the country is one of the best in the region. The country’s capital city, Windhoek, which is situated in the centre of the country have a mix of all tribes. Up in the north towards Angola we have the Ovambo, the Herero are on the east and the San in the Kalahari. The south is dominated by the Nama while the Damara are mostly in the central part. The Himbas are densely populated in Kaukaland just close to Angola where their cousins the Vambos are. English and Afrikaans are spoken in almost all parts of the country with some German in parts of Windhoek and Swakopmund.
Popular cities in Namibia are Windhoek, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Outgo, Katima Mulilo, Roibooth, Keetmanshoop Luderitz, Rundu, Gobabis, Okahanja and Karabib. These are just some of the popular tourists towns though there are many more that are little spoken about but have a very great history and atmosphere .
At Twende Afrika it is our responsibility to listen to your wishes and we take you to an authentic Namibian experience. We can tailor make your destination and discover some of the most exciting places that are on your bucket list .
