Namibia

Southern Africa's hidden gem

By Melanie van Zyl

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If there's one place that's truly about the journey, not the destination, it is Namibia.

I've visited often with family, camping in Etosha and chasing sunsets in Sossusvlei, but I have frequently driven big distances on solo assignments too, exploring Swakopmund and seeking stars in the NamibRand Nature Reserve. I dream of gathering my mates for a girl's trip to the northernmost reaches and designing a fishing voyage that will rival any guy's golf trip.

What do I love most about Namibia? Swathes and heaps of enchanting space. The trick is allocating enough time to soak it all up. As the second-least populated country in the world after Mongolia (placing seven people in every square mile if you do the maths), despite its vastness, Namibia is an accessible self-drive destination with celebrity status as a road trip address. Its open plains, endless uninterrupted gravel roads and diverse landscapes will enchant photographers, adventurers and families alike.

Hidden gems in Namibia

Bwabwata National Park

Watch migrating elephants

Melanie van Zyl

Bwabwata National Park has limited accessibility and few self-drive routes, but the wildlife is no less dramatic than other popular parks. My favourite area is Horseshoe Bend in the Mayuni Conservancy zone, with its abundant plains animals. Elephants congregate here in their hundreds on their migration route between May and September, and it's where I snapped my first magazine cover shot. Nambwa Campsite and Nambwa Lodge (a treetop stay with high walkways for elephants to wander freely below) are the nearest accommodations. The park can get busy in peak seasons, impacting the sense of wilderness. Also, consider exploring the less-visited Nkasa Rupara National Park nearby.

Namib-Naukluft National Park

Learn about the living desert

Melanie van Zyl

So many people visit the iconic dunes of Sossusvlei but don't notice the phenomenal creatures that eke out an existence in this extraordinary landscape. Unlike other deserts, critical ocean mists feed the Namib sands and sustain fog-sipping beetles, nude-coated lizards and handsome snakes that bury themselves in the sand. They’re tricky to find by yourself, so get a guide to share their tips and tricks for seeking out the small stuff.

Walvis Bay

Sea kayak with seals

Melanie van Zyl

Enjoy a unique desert sea safari by kayaking amidst playful marine companions. Departing in the morning when the waters are calm, this three-hour tour has you paddling towards the Walvis Bay Cape fur seal colony, where it's common for them to swim close and sometimes even hop onto the ends of the kayaks! I also spotted dolphins, pelicans, flamingos, and Damara terns on the Pelican Point sandbar. Be sure to dress warmly. If kayaking isn't your thing, you can also opt for sedate boat tours.

Damaraland

Track the critically endangered black rhino

Melanie van Zyl

Head out on a game drive or an immersive (though sometimes hot and long) walking safari to track the world's last remaining free-roaming population of the critically endangered black rhino. I always find Rhino tracking a heart-pounding adventure. A dance of anticipation and caution as you trek the rugged landscape. Palmwag Concession is the best area, and top sightings generally occur between April and November, but stay at least two days to up your chances of seeing the rare animals. Well established, the Desert Rhino Camp is high-end, but Damaraland Camp, Camel Top Community Campsite, Palmwag Lodge and Sesfontein Guesthouse are affordable alternatives.

Etosha National Park

Spy on elephants at the waterhole

Melanie van Zyl

Etosha's waterholes provide an excellent David Attenborough-worthy opportunity to witness wild animals up close. Watch elephants slake their thirst under the scorching sun or detect the sounds of rustling leaves and animal calls as giraffes, zebra and impala tentatively gather during the evening. The Okakuejo's floodlit waterhole is a great spot to glimpse the critically endangered black rhino. I recommend you book accommodation in advance during peak season, weekends, and festive December. Alternatively, visit during the wet season when the landscape is greener, but water availability causes animals to disperse. Etosha is surrounded by other private game reserves and luxurious places to stay, including Anderssons at Ongava (I have my heart set on visiting the Ongava Discovery Centre next) and Onguma Camp Kala.

Gondwana Namib Park

Retreat to the Desert Whisper pod

Melanie van Zyl

Perched on the rim of a gravel-strewn hill, a 4X4 abandoned me at a remote villa in Gondwana Namib Park. This secluded stay feels like a Mad Max spaceship landed in the middle of nowhere. Designed for couples as a one-of-a-kind honeymoon hideaway, the open-plan apartment has a pool, plush reading lounge, and cocktail nook. The view – and everything besides – is yours alone, with nobody else for miles around. There are few places where you are left entirely to your own devices. Enjoy the breathtaking perspective and soak up the silence.

Namib-Naukluft National Park

Horse ride (or ebike) past fairy circles at Wolwedans

Melanie van Zyl

Wolwedans is one of the most established lodge collections in the country, with enviable locations dotted across the NamibRand Nature Reserve. I loved how committed this operation is to treading lightly, and I had tremendous fun gliding along, up and down, over the dunes of the Namib Desert by horseback and bike. Whether a flat-out gallop or a sedate trek, all levels of riders are welcome to wind between the “fairy circles”, mysterious barren patches amid the desert flora that have long perplexed scientists. Theories range from plant self-organisation to toxins from euphorbia bushes. Still, my favourite story is the Himba explanation that they are the footprints of Mukuru, their supreme being.

Namib-Naukluft National Park

Wake early for sunrise at Deadvlei

Melanie van Zyl

The Sesriem junction is the starting point for trips to the Sossusvlei and Deadvlei claypans. To experience sunrise (or sunset), beat the heat and get ahead of the crowds, spend the night at one of two lodges located within the park gates (Sossus Dune Lodge and the pricier, more private Kulala Desert Lodge). Alternatively camp at the very basic Sesriem Camp for the perk of an hour-early entry to the park. It's a 60-kilometre drive to the Sossusvlei and Deadvlei sites (many visitors stop at Dune 45 instead, but I recommend you forge on). Deadvlei is then a further one-kilometre hike from the car park (not everyone is fit enough for this trek, especially in peak sunshine) and is where you can climb the spine of the Big Daddy Dune.

Namib-Naukluft National Park

Balloon ride over the Namib Desert

Melanie van Zyl

While you might be disappointed that the balloon doesn't actually cross over the Sossusvlei or Deadvlei claypans, there is freedom in being beholden to the desert winds. Dramatic views from a balloon basket offer an eerie sense of the vastness and solitude of the Namib Desert, evoking a deep appreciation for this untouched wilderness. We even spotted a brown hyena scuttling across the sands below during my flight. Be prepared for a rudely early wake-up call. It's best to stay close to the launch site at Kulala Desert Lodge, or the kitschy Le Mirage Desert Lodge and Spa.

NamibRand Nature Reserve

Stargazing and walking safari in NamibRand

Melanie van Zyl

If you have the bucks, the NamibRand Nature Reserve is where I like to escape the masses that can crowd Sesriem at the entrance to Namib-Naukluft National Park. There are luxury lodges here, such as Kwessi Dunes or &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, which are well-regarded if pricey. I prefer the organised overnight walking safaris: light pollution is minimal here and the skies are among the darkest and clearest on earth. Immersed in the silence of the desert darkness, I experience a humbling connection to the cosmos.

Learn about the living desert

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Horse ride (or ebike) past fairy circles at Wolwedans

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Wake early for sunrise at Deadvlei

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View all 10 Namibia experiences

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