Namibia Bucket List: 10 things to do on your next African adventure
By David Dawson
NAMIBIA, the driest country in Sub-Saharan Africa, is home to hardy animals and friendly people. With good infrastructure and a developed tourism industry, it’s a relatively easy place to get around, too.
I have travelled around the world, and visited several countries in Africa, but Namibia holds a special place in my heart. It was long on my bucket list, and didn’t disappoint. Here are 10 reasons why you should add it to yours.
1. Vast Deserts
The Namib Sand Sea is Africa’s only fog desert (where fog drip supplies moisture to support life), and one of the oldest deserts in the world.
It’s protected as a UNESCO world heritage site. Running north-south for much of the length of the country, it reaches all the way down to the sea.
2. The Deadvlei
Like something out of a Mad Max film (much of Fury Road was actually filmed in Namibia), Deavlei is literally a dead valley in the desert, created when an underground river changed its path, taking the only water source with it. Now it’s a salt pan with dead trees set against a backdrop of bright red sand dunes and a cloudless, rainless sky.
The spectacle at dawn is a must see, and for amateur and professional photographers alike a kind of pilgrimage across the dunes.
3. White Elephants
In Etosha National Park there are elephants that cover themselves with mud so lightly coloured it makes the elephants appear white when it’s dry. These elephants range far and wide in search of water and vegetation, and as they appear on the dust-filled horizon they have a ghostly appearance, gaining the nickname the ‘Ghosts of Etosha’.
4. Leopards
Namibia is still a place where you have a decent chance of seeing leopards, one of the world’s most elusive cats. We saw some in Okonjima camp, part of the Africat Foundation, set up to ensure the survival of Namibia’s large carnivore species. It’s part of a 55,000 acre nature reserve that was once farmland, but now allowed to return to its natural state.
5. Cheetahs
Namibia is also home to the world’s largest free-roaming and wild cheetah population. The animals are under pressure from humans, as they are in all of their habitats, so seeing one of the most beautiful cats is always difficult. Even in National Parks they are under threat, being pushed out by stronger and bigger carnivores, like Leopards, Lions and Hyenas that will kill them or their cubs to reduce competition.
In Okonjima you are able, under strict guidance, to leave the safari vehicles behind and follow them on foot. It’s amazing how much more respect you gain for these creatures as soon as you step out.
6. Desert-Adapted Elephants
Elephants are such a must-see, they make my Namibia bucket list twice! Desert Elephants were once thought to be a separate sub-species of the African Elephant. They have longer legs, smaller bodies and wider foot-pads to cope with the conditions. They have also made behavioral changes, migrating further as water patterns change, and water holes dry up and food runs out.
7. Black Rhinos
Rhinos are such a delicate subject in Namibia, as the war between poachers and rangers continues on. The request of tourists is that if they do take pictures of rhinos, they make sure they are not Geo-tagged with the phone or camera’s GPS co-ordinates, as this could tip off poachers to the whereabouts of these gentle giants.
Seeing a rhino with its horn intact is bittersweet, as it’s a tool to the rhino, using it for protection and fighting – but unfortunately, it puts it a greater risk. The Namibian government reportedly removed hundreds of horns from rhinos in an effort to protect them.
8. The Himba People
The last semi-nomadic people of Namibia, the Himba people I met were very friendly, and proud of their traditions – as well as sharing them with us. Many have their skin covered with a mixture of ochre and butterfat, helping keep it clean and protected from the sun in such a dry environment.
9. The Skeleton Coast
The Skeleton Coast is one of the top things to do in Namibia, taking its name from a time when whale and seal bones littered the coast – a legacy of the whaling industry. In modern times, the name remains fitting – more than a thousand skeletons of ships are strewn up and down the coast, caught by offshore rocks amid heavy fog.
10. Etosha National Park
Aside from the animals that make Namibia a unique place for wildlife viewing, Etosha National Park also provides for great viewing of general big mammals.
Different to game viewing in East Africa, the land is much drier, especially in winter, and animals will travel great distances to visit waterholes, with natural ones supplemented by some that are man-made.
The Etosha Pan that gives the park its name is a 120km salt pan on the edge of the savannah – it provides a stunning backdrop to many a wildlife picture. In the rest of the park, zebra and giraffe are common, but always lovely to see, especially with the slender giraffes gracefully bending down to drink.
With a bit of luck you should be able to spot lions and hyenas, although leopards and cheetahs are harder to see. Time and luck are required.
Time is certainly one of the things you will be wishing for in Namibia… one more trip, one more day out on safari, or just one last sundowner.
– www.independent.ie