Namibia
Latest stories
Namibia named top country in Wanderlust Awards
Namibia has been voted number one in the Top Country category at this year's Wanderlust Readers' Travel Awards, with a satisfaction rating of almost 97 per cent.
Wilderness Safaris to open new camp in Namibia
Wilderness Safaris has announced the building of a new camp – Hoanib Skeleton Coast in Namibia.
Track Black rhinos in Namibia
Intrepid explorers won’t find an encounter more thrilling than this: on-foot tracking of desert-adapted black rhino.
Cycle challenge raises cash for rhinos in Namibia
Brits who want to make a difference to the world with their next holiday may be excited by a project running in Africa.
South Africa and Namibia last minute holiday
Discover the beauty and variety of South Africa and Namibia on this 13-day adventure holiday.
Namibia is an alluring rural playground possessing spectacular deserts and dramatic seascapes.
An expanse of 824,000 square km, Namibia is vast, even by Africa’s standards. With such a large surface area, it is not surprising that Namibia encompasses a variety of different landscapes, from the sand dunes and dry riverbeds of the coastal desert of Namib to the central plateau to the tropical forests of Kavango and Caprivi.
One of Namibia’s biggest draws is undoubtedly the staggering array of wildlife. The country is home to the ‘Big Five’ as well as an abundance of small game and boasts the highest Cheetah population in the world, estimated between 2,500 and 3,000 cats. Endangered species are also present in Namibia, including the black-faced Impala. The quest to see one up close is a focus of many a safari here.
Etosha National Park is one of Africa’s largest game reserves and during the dry season a plethora of mammals descend on the watering holes. Luckily the Park is designed to make viewing such events easy, with plenty of look-outs and camps.
Some of Namibia’s top attractions are the Kalahari Desert – the largest stretch of sand in the world – and the Skeleton National Park, a coastal strip of burnt-orange volcanic rock and sand dunes. The Park is aptly named, due to the amount of shipwrecks littering the beaches – the work of the Benguela Current.
In contrast, the wettest region of Namibia – Caprivi – consists of wetlands, floodplains and rivers, including the mighty Zambezi and is home to a vast array of wildlife, including Hippopotamus, buffalo and elephant. The rivers aren’t for swimming though, unless you want to come face-to-face with a crocodile!
Namibia Essential Information:
Capital: Windhoek
Major cities: Swakopmund
Places of Interest: Etosha National Park, Kalahari Desert, Skeleton Coast National Park, Caprivi and Sossusvlei
Time Zone: GMT +2
Language: English (official), Afrikaans, German, Oshivambo, Herero, Nama
Currency: Namibian dollar. For up-to-date exchange rates see: www.xe.com/ucc.
International dialling code: +264
British Embassy: visit the website for more information
