Raw Namibia

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 Ker & Downey’s Jamie Bell shares her top Namibia travel highlights from her recent trip.

Namibia is otherworldly. There are few countries on the earth that rival its raw, natural beauty: dramatic landscapes of sand seas and soaring dunes, dead-tree valleys, the Skeleton Coast, Naukluft Mountains, and the arid desert to name a few. The country is vast being twice the size of California. Conversely, with a population of around two-million people, it has the second lowest population density in the world.

Remote Safari

It’s remote, and its wildlife is plenty. As such, Namibia is one of Southern Africa’s best places to safari. In Etosha National Park, one of the country’s premier safari destinations, you’ll find big cats, elephants, black rhinos, and an abundance of plains game. Farther south, Damaraland is home to a number of desert adapted species, including elephant who can survive for four days without water, desert-adapted lion, and Africa’s largest population of free-range rhinos. Against the odds, life has found a way to survive in the harsh conditions of the desert.S

Himba of Namibia

In addition to its stunning natural beauty and abundant wildlife, Namibia is home to the Himba. This semi-nomadic population live in scattered settlements in the Kunene Region moving between settlements throughout the year in search of grazing for their cattle. For many centuries they have lived a relatively isolated existence. They are known for the red ochre cream they rub over their bodies to protect them from the sun, and the intricate hairstyles and traditional adornments the men, women, and children wear.

Ker & Downey’s Jamie Bell recently returned from a trip and shares her top Namibia travel experiences below.

Where were you?  I was in Namibia – Windhoek, Sossusvlei, Damaraland, the Huab Conservancy, and Okonjima.

Highlight of the trip?  The scenery. Between the dunes and the rock formations, the view everywhere was amazing.

Favorite Activity?  Seeing the Himba people and learning about their fascinating rituals and culture; and seeing the desert-adapted elephants of Damaraland.

Don’t miss… Twyfelfontein, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most extensive rock-art galleries in Africa with over 2,500 engravings; the Organ Pipes, a rock formation formed around 150 million years ago and resembles organ pipes; and the Big Daddy dunes, the tallest dune in the Sossusvlei area at 1,066 feet.

Anything else you want to add?  Namibia is vast and the distances between the country’s most iconic destinations are far. If you don’t mind long drives, you’ll see some pretty spectacular landscapes. However, flying gives you the opportunity to spend more time on the ground with wildlife, among the natural beauty, or with the Himba. Likewise, the view of the terrain from above is pretty spectacular, too.

It’s time to see Namibia for yourself. To start planning your Namibia travel safari, contact your Luxury Travel Designer.

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