Etosha National Park is located in the northern part of Namibia which is a premier wildlife reserve in Southern Africa. It is covering an area of about 22,270 km² which is home to 114 species of mammals including the big 4 (lion, leopard, rhino & elephants) as well as a plains game like zebra, antelopes, small predators and over 330 species of birds. You n also find species that are endemic to northern Namibia such as the Black-Faced Impala and the smallest antelope the Damara Dik Dik.

The Park consists mainly of saline desert, savannah and woodlands. The dominant feature of Etosha National Park is the Etosha Pan which measures 130 kilometers in length and up to 50 km in width at places.

The vast plains of this dried lake are a shimmering spectacle providing excellent photographic opportunities.This Salt pan is dry for most of the year but during the rainy season it is temporarily flooded. When this happens the pan is home to thousands of Pelicans and Flamingos and the Pan is one of the most important breeding grounds for this Flamingo population..

The park is situated between The Namib and Kalahari deserts. The animals in the park relies on man-made water holes. During the dry season these waterholes attract a variety of species which is any photographers dream. The views of elephants, giraffes, lions, hyenas, springbok, zebra and more all drinking together in order to survive the dry winter is something that you don’t see in many other parts of Africa.

The park’s landscape goes through a major change between the rainy season and the dry season. When it rains the park is green and lush which is in stark contrast to the dry season when the park is dry and barren. The game viewing is best in the dry season (May – September) when the bush is clear and the game tends to congregate around the watering holes. This period is the winter period in Etosha Park and the temperatures are mild  

Swakopmund is situated at the coast of Namibia which is a premier holiday resort. The cool Namibian coast offers a relief from the heat of the interior and this has made it the most preferred holiday destination during summer by most local people. This coastal town is an  adventure town and recreation  with a wide range of activities to suit all ages.

The name Swakopmund is actually a combination of two words from two different tribes namely Nama and German. Swakop, a Nama word means ‘an excrement or opening’ is the name of the river that reaches the sea at the town, while mund is a German word which means ‘mouth’ together meaning mouth of Swakop. The Swakop River during floods collects and transport mud, pieces of vegetation, dead trees and dead animal corpses.

Sossusvlei is located in the Namib desert  which is known as one of the oldest deserts worldwide.. Sossus vlei  is a small salt pan surrounded by sand dunes and the pan itself is commonly called Sossusvlei. It is Namibia’s scenic highlight situated 65km from Sesriem in the Namib Naukluft Park.

The dunes in Sossusvlei form part of the Namib Sand Sea which was recently declared a world heritage. The sand was transported by the Orange River in Lesotho and South Africa during flash floods millions of years ago and was deposited at the mouth of the Orange River south of the Namib Desert. The cold Benguella currents of the Atlantic Ocean then moved the sand northwards along the shoreline.

The spectacular red color of the dunes these days is the result of the high iron content in the sand that changes the color through an iron oxidation process over years. The name Sossus  means ‘a place where water collects and vlei is an Afrikaans word for pan’.

The pan retains water for a long time due to the high clay content and this attracts a large number of tourists as it is such an unusual sight.You find the Dead Vlei which means ‘dead marsh nearby the sossus vlei. The Dirt vlei is  surrounded by some of the world’s highest dunes which reach over 400m in height. Once, like Sossus Vlei, the Tsauchab River, that once nourished the trees in Dead Vlei some 9000 years ago, was cut off by the sand dunes as the climate changed.

Dead Vlei soon became dry and as a result the acacia trees died. The trees now stand in Dead Vlei simply scorched black in the sun, desiccated rather than petrified. These dead trees are said to be more than a 1000 years old and they form a barren forest which make for stunning photography.. Surrounded by some of the world’s highest dunes, some of which reach over 400m.

Kaokoland  is the home to the semi-nomadic Himba Tribes in Namibia. If you like extreme terrain, hidden valleys and rare, exotic culture then the Kaokoland in northern Namibia is the place to go. This sparsely populated land with the size of Switzerland lies between the Skeleton Coast Park and the Kunene River on the Angolan border. It has a unique beauty with outstanding mountain scenery.

The Kaokoland  is also home to amazing flora and fauna, including the desert dwelling Elephant, Rhino, Giraffe and Lion. In this region in northern Namibia you can experience cultural interaction with the Himba and track African wildlife on advanced 4×4 trails. Highlights of  Kaokoland: Himba Tribes, Kunene River, Epupa Falls, Marienfluss Valley

Activities in Kaokoland:  Visit the OvaHimba people, Explore the Kunene River,Birding at the Epupa Falls,Enjoy Hartmann’s Valley and Marienfluss Valley andTrack desert dwelling Elephants and other African Wildlife

Damaraland is one of the most scenic areas in Namibia  a ruggedly beautiful region that offers the more traveller a more adventurous challenge. Here there are prehistoric water courses with open plains and grassland, massive granite koppies and deep gorges.

Damaraland is the old apartheid name given to the region south of Kaokoland and north of the main road to Swakopmund. It extends 200km inland from the desolate Skeleton Coast and 600km southwards from Kaokoland. The name Damaraland is derived from the fact that the Damara people live in this area. The name Damaraland is still commonly used in tourism circles  although the entire region has now been renamed; the southern section now lies in the Erongo region while the north forms part of the Kunene region.

Highlights of the area include:

The Brandberg – Namibia’s highest mountain and home to the famous ‘White Lady’ Bushman Painting. The Brandberg ‘the fire mountain’ is named after the effect created by the setting of the sun on its western face which causes the granite massif to resemble a burning slag heap glowing red. The Brandberg (and the Spitzkoppe) is a favourite place for climbers in Namibia and both mountains contain a high density of San (Bushman) art. The main attraction at Twyfelfontein (doubtful spring) is its large gallery of rock art  one of the most extensive in Africa.

Twyfelfontein – a wonderful rocky outcrop with thousands of Bushman engravings. Two other well-known geological features close to Twyfelfontein are the Organ Pipes and the Burnt Mountain. The Organ Pipes are a distinctive series of dolerite pillars that have been exposed by erosion and can be viewed in the small gorge on the left hand side of the road leading to the Burnt Mountain. This flat-topped mountain derives its name from the piles of blackened limestone at its base.

Spitzkoppe – a typical pointed inselberg, and a place of great mystery to the ancient San people. The Vingerklip (finger rock) – a towering finger of limestone that rises 35m above its base. The Spitzkoppe (sharp head) is one of Namibia’s most recognizable landmarks. It’s shape has inspired its nickname, The Matterhorn of Africa but the similarities begin and end with its sharp peak. It is actually the remnant of an ancient volcano formed in the same way as the Brandberg and Erongo massifs. It was first climbed in 1946 and is now a popular climbing destination with local and foreign mountaineers alike  with plenty of technical climbs available.

The Petrified Forest – which is millions of years old. The trees of the Petrified Forest were uprooted some 200 million years ago and were swept along by rivers in flood, covered by sediments and then subsequently uncovered by erosion. Your local community guides will provide more of an insight into the area, whilst ensuring that pieces of petrified wood are not removed.

The 35m-high Vingerklip (finger rock) is also known as Kalk-Kegel (limestone pillar) and rises above the Bertram farm. It is an erosional remnant of a limestone plateau and was formed over 15 million years ago. The large cave in it’s base, surrounded by rubble, gives the impression it will topple over any minute. It was first climbed in 1970 by the American Tom Choate.

A new addition to tourism in the area is the exciting addition of Rhino and Elephant tracking safaris. Proceeds from these safaris go towards the preservation of these animals and there are numerous guided safaris to Damaraland and these offer an informative way of visiting the area. The area has a wide variety of accommodation ranging from campsites to up market lodges such as  Bambatsi Holiday Ranch, Brandberg Rest Camp, Brandberg White Lady Lodge, Camp Kipwe, Damaraland Camp, Doro Nawas Camp, !Gowati Lodge, Mowani Mountain Camp, Twyfelfontein Lodge and Vingerklip Lodge.

Bwabwata National Park is a protected area in northeastern Namibia that was established in 2007 and covers 6,274 km². It was created by merging Caprivi Game Park and Mahango Game Reserve. It is situated in the Zambezi and Kavango East regions, extending along the Caprivi Strip.. Bwabwata National Park occupies a large part of north-eastern Namibia in an area known as the Caprivi, which forms the northern part of Botswana’s Okavango Delta and Chobe regions. Bwabwata Park  is  covered with leafy forests, the typical dry forest prevails. The banks of the Okavango are seamed by riverine forest with reedgrass and papyrus on the slopes. There are  odd wild date palm and baobab in the park. The park is one of five managed as a unit along the famous Caprivi Strip. The other four parks are Mangetti, Khaudom National Park, Mudumu National Park and Nkasa Lupala.

The Bwabwata National Park is a sub-tropical climate – it is very hot and humid in summer, with heavy rainfall during the wet season (November to March). The average rainfall is 550 – 600 mm per year, which makes it the wettest region in Namibia. The best time for game viewing is from April to September and it is during this period the weather is at its most pleasant as well. During these dry winter months you can expect comfortable temperatures between 26 – 28°C (79 – 82°F) during the day. Bwabwata falls into the Tree and Shrub Savanna biome which is known for wetlands, floodplains and woodlands. Not many places allow you to experience the variety of sand dunes, swamps, forest and green river beds that this one does.

Bwabwata is also known as the ‘people’s park’. The strong focus on rural development assures local communities also benefit from tourist infrastructure. One of these projects is three locally managed camping sites: Ngoabaca, Nambwa and Bumi Hill – these campsites are neat and well-organised with private ablutions and spectacular riverside settings that bring you close to nature as well as the hospitality and crafts of the local people.

Popa Falls is situated on the banks of the Kavango River which in turn flows into the Botswana Delta. Popa Falls is just 15km from the Mahango Game Park making it an ideal base to explore the wildlife in this exceptionally scenic yet remote north eastern section of Namibia with its perennial rivers, magnificent indigenous woodlands, riverine forests, floodplains and reed – lined channels. Apart from the ‘falls’, there are good opportunities for hiking and birdwatching. Swimming is definitely not safe as there are hungry crocs about.