Namibia rarely gets the attention it deserves. But whether you’re looking for extraordinary wildlife encounters or self-drive adventures, here’s a country which seems to have it all. And in bucket loads, with 44% of its land in some form of conservation or protection. Having explored from north to south and… Continue reading
The Sperrgebiet has a fearful reputation. Translating from the German for ‘forbidden zone,’ it has been a no-go area of stunning desert landscapes for over a century. However, it is possible to visit the Sperrgebiet without having to dodge its armed guards. I’ll explain all below. Why visit the Sperrgebiet… Continue reading
Namibia is where southern Africa’s natural beauty shines through. The salt pans of Etosha National Park provide some of the finest wildlife viewing opportunities on the continent. You can add to that hikes through the likes of Fish River Canyon, the largest in Africa. And majestic desert dunes, running for… Continue reading
Imagine a clenched fist (thumb tucked in) with the first finger pointing to the right. You have the basic shape of Namibia down to a tee. The pointing finger is the Caprivi Strip, a narrow ribbon of land. It extends 250 miles (400 km) towards (but never quite reaching) Zimbabwe…. Continue reading
Ghost towns are always beguiling places. They seem to call to our sense of what it means to be human. There are some very well-known ghost towns round the world, not least Chernobyl in modern-day Ukraine and Oradour-sur-Glane in France. Given its size, it’s hardly surprising Africa has its fair… Continue reading
The Big Five are synonymous with safaris, and safaris with the Big Five. While the great plains of Africa are teeming with wildlife, it’s these five animals that get much of the attention. So much so, that lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and Cape buffalo have become emblematic of the best… Continue reading
What is the best time to visit Namibia? You’ll need to know if you’re to experience the country at its best. There is an irony in the fact that one of Africa’s newest nations contains one of its oldest cultures. The Khoisan (once derogatively called bushmen) have inhabited the harsh… Continue reading
Think of Africa’s top national parks and thoughts of great swaths of savannah grassland prowled by lion probably come to mind. This iconic – perhaps stereotypical – scene does exist, and really is a bucket list experience. But there are more to Africa’s top national parks that wallowing hippos and… Continue reading
All across Africa I was aware others had been there before me. This became increasingly apparent as I reached southern Africa – Angola, Namibia and South Africa. Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias reached Tombua, in the far south of modern day Angola in 1487. He had made his way along the… Continue reading
It’s an easy hour’s drive into South Africa through hills that look more like piles of boulders, the brown hues only broken by a strip of green along the Orange River (that acts as the border) where raisons and mangoes are grown. From the small mission town of Steinkopf I’m… Continue reading
