Namibia is home to some of the World’s most unusual and scenically remarkable National Parks and “protected areas”. The entire country is arid, receiving an extremely small amount of annual rainfall, but this does not mean it lacks wildlife, only that the wildlife here is really special! About 18 per cent of the country has been set aside to house these conservation areas, and Namibia is currently the only country to designate its entire coastline a National Park! Visit Damaraland to track the amazing desert-adapted Elephants on foot, enjoy stunning game viewing at Etosha, where the breath-taking arid landscape makes it really easy to spot wildlife at the waterholes.  Climb the world’s tallest sand dune in the Sossusvlei or hike the very impressive Fish River Canyon.  On the coast you can visit a Seal Colony,  go Whale and Dolphin watching, or be one of the very select few who leave a footprint on the desolate and deserted Skeleton Coast.

The Namib Desert-Skeleton Coast National Park stretches for 1,570km from the northern to the southern borders of Namibia and beyond into neighbouring protected areas in Angola and South Africa.  This desert coastal Park has some of the most dramatic scenery you can find anywhere in Africa, often upstaging the remarkable wildlife which includes desert-adapted Elephants, Lions and unique flora.  On the coast you will find African Penguins and thousands of Cape Fur Seals.  The Northern extremes of this protected area can only be reached by air, and there are strict restrictions on the annual number of visitors allowed to retain the pristine ecology of the skeleton coast – be one of the fortunate few to experience this unique destination.

Inland, the scenery is just as spectacular and the great salt pan that forms the core of the Etosha National Park is a must-see; white and as dry as talcum powder in summer, transforming into a turquoise shimmering lake in summer.  Come here to see four of the Big Five with plenty of predator sightings around the permanent water holes.

In the south you will find the Fish River Canyon in the Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park which straddles the border between Namibia and South Africa.  This incredible geological feature is the second-largest canyon in the World, after the Grand Canyon in Arizona and is a favourite with hikers.  

North of Etosha, on the border with Angola, is the area formerly known as the Caprivi Strip – a narrow strip of Namibian land that stretches east towards the wonderful Okavango Delta in Botswana.  Here we find the Bwabwata National Park situated on the site of an ancient migratory route between Angola and Botswana, which is still used by thousands of animals today.  This is the place to see many Elephant as well as other big mammals like Buffalo and Hippos.

Namibia is the perfect safari destination for active and energetic visitors as there are so many adrenalin-boosting adventure activities to enjoy here, including Dune-surfing, Hot-air ballooning, and tracking the desert-adapted Elephant on foot. To find out more read our  individual profiles for Namibia’s most outstanding attractions.