Watch wildlife roam free in one of the most spectacular pans on earth. Explore the oldest, driest desert in the world. Climb the world’s highest dunes. Plunge into Africa’s deepest canyon and take a trip back in time at one of Africa’s richest rock art sites.
See a land of endless horizons. Sky-scraping dunes crashing into rugged coastlines. Joyous music over the savannah. You’ll find adventure at every turn. The locals invite you to share their land and explore the raw, natural, soulful and liberating place they call home. Learn more from them about what makes Namibia one of the most inspiring places in the world.
Namibia has a contrasting geography, so there are climatic differences depending on the location. The climate in Namibia is generally very dry and pleasant, as it is situated on one of the driest deserts in the world, the so-called Namib.
The Benguela Current keeps the coast cool and rain-free, with rain falling mostly inland in summer (November to April). In January and February, daytime temperatures can exceed 40˚C (104˚F), but nights are usually cool. In winter, the nights can get quite cold, but the days are generally warm again.
The bottom line: Namibia is a year-round destination. Just pack accordingly.
Namibia is truly unique, influenced by different cultures during colonisation. Namibia is a true sense of unity in diversity, the coming together of at least 11 major ethnic groups, all celebrating their past while working together for the future. This is noticeable in clothing, language, art, music, sports, food and religion. A wonderful collage exists and Namibians are proud to be Namibians.
Namibia – four countries in one.
Namibia has four distinct landscapes and each has its own features and attractions.
The Namib: a long coastal desert stretching the length of the country, characterised by dune belts, dry riverbeds and canyons.
The central plateau: home to most of Namibia’s towns and villages and is divided into rugged mountains and sandy valleys.
The Kalahari Desert: with its ancient red sand and sparse vegetation.
Kavango and Caprivi: blessed with generous rainfall and surrounded by tropical forests, perennial rivers and forest savannahs.
Conservation is a cornerstone of Namibia.
Namibia was the first African country to enshrine the protection of the environment in its constitution. The government gives communities the right to manage their wildlife through communal protected areas. Over 43% of Namibia’s land is under conservation area management, including national parks and reserves, communal and commercial conservancies, community forests and private conservation areas. Today there are more than 70 registered protected areas throughout Namibia.
Namibia now boasts the largest free-ranging population of black rhino and cheetah in the world and is the only country with a growing population of free-ranging lions. Namibia’s elephant population more than doubled from 7,500 to over 16,000 individuals between 1995 and 2008. This remarkable turnaround has led some to call Namibia’s conservation efforts the greatest story of African wildlife recovery ever told.
Namibia has a wealth and diversity of wildlife of all sizes. Namibians are very committed to protecting the country’s natural resources and abundance of wildlife. They live side by side with wildlife, including predators and large mammals. Namibia is the only country in the world where large numbers of rare and endangered wildlife are being translocated from national parks to open communal land. Wildlife conservation is important because the country has remarkable biodiversity and a high degree of endemism.
Namibia is home to 217 mammal species, 26 of which are endemic, including the unique desert-dwelling rhinos and elephants. There are also about 4,350 species and subspecies of vascular plants, of which 17% are endemic. Six hundred and seventy-six bird species have been recorded, of which over 90 are endemic. This high level of endemism lends global significance to the conservation of biodiversity in Namibia.
English is the recognised official language, but the population of 2.4 million brings in up to 30 languages. The most popular among them is Oshiwambo.
The Namib Desert is 55 million years old and stretches over 2000 km along the Atlantic coast of Namibia, South Africa and Angola.
There is more than enough rock art to confirm that the San have been in this land for more than 6,000 years.
The highest dune in Namibia (Dune 7) rises 383 metres into the air. Climbing the Sossusvlei Dune (Big Daddy) to watch the sunrise is a popular tourist activity.
At Cheetah Conservation in Namibia you can meet one of the country’s more than 3,000 free-ranging cheetahs.
The Fish River Canyon, is also the oldest in the world. Researchers have determined that the canyon was formed 500 million years ago by water and wind erosion combined with the collapse of the valley floor.
The Himba tribe in the Kunene region has clung strongly to its traditional way of life and beliefs. They wear traditional clothes, eat traditional food and even practice traditional religions. The women wear skirts and the upper body remains naked. Basically, they have not been touched by modernity in any way.
The Gibeon meteor shower occurred in prehistoric times in central Namibia. It covered an elliptical area of 275 by 100 km. The remains of this meteorite shower are on display in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia.
