The Himba are a semi-nomadic tribe whose existence centres on herding and breeding sheep, cattle and goats. The women are known for covering their bodies with otjize, a mixture of butter fat and ochre which gives their skin and plaited hair a reddish tinge. Traditionally both men and women go topless and wear skirts or loincloths made of animal skins.
The border river between Namibia and Angola, the Kunene, plummets down a 40 metre deep gorge at the Epupa Falls close to the nearby village of Epupa. In the Herero language Epupa means “falling water”. Raw Africa at its best. My favourite place in Namibia. One of the highlights of Kaokoland in the far northern reaches of Namibia, Epupa is a magical belt of makalani palm forest on the perennial Kunene River.
The so-called Organ Pipes are situated near the small inselberg of Burnt Mountain, west of the town of Khorixas in Namibia. They are a rock formation that comprises a group of columnar basalts which resemble organ pipes. The Organ Pipes were formed about 150 million years ago as the result of the intrusion of liquid lava into a slate rock formation, which was exposed over time by erosion. Palmwag is the perfect place for contemplating all these extremely diverse desert landscapes where the last black rhinos and the desert elephants live.
Big Daddy is the tallest dune in the Sossusvlei area. This magnificent dune is situated between Sossusvlei and Deadvlei and at 325 meters it dwarfs the other dunes. Should you want the ultimate bragging rights, take a lot of water and trek to the top of Big Daddy and then run down the steep dune onto Deadvlei. Dune 7 is the highest dune in Namibia. The dune has been measured at over 1,256 feet and is named Dune 7 because it is the seventh dune one encounters after crossing the river Tsauchab. The Spitzkoppe is a group of bald granite peaks or inselbergs located between Usakos and Swakopmund in the Namib desert of Namibia. The granite is more than 120 million years old and the highest outcrop rises about 1,728 metres above sea level. The peaks stand out dramatically from the flat surrounding plains.
The balloon rises as the sun rises ... The duration of the excursion is approximately 3½ hours. The Hot Air Balloon flight itself takes about one hour and ends with an exclusive Champagne Breakfast at the landing spot in scenic nature. Sesriem Canyon is located approximately 4.5km from the entrance gate of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The Tsauchab River has shaped the Canyon over millions of years and it is one of the few places in the area that holds water all year round.
Kolmanskop is a ghost town in the Namib in southern Namibia, ten kilometres inland from the port town of Lüderitz. It was named after a transport driver named Johnny Coleman who, during a sand storm, abandoned his ox wagon on a small incline opposite the settlement.
Ai-Ais Hot Springs Resort is at the source of a mineral and sulphur-rich hot spring, and means 'burning water' in the local dialect. This resort is situated at the southern end of Namibia's Fish River Canyon. Ai-Ais is part of the Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park which includes both the Richtersveld in South Africa and Ai-Ais in Namibia. Desert Horse Campsite at Klein Aus Vista is a magical campsite. Here, wild horses of the Namib roam and desert sand blows through old diamond towns.
The Giant’s Playground is located on the outskirts of Keetmanshoop, in the south of Namibia. It features a series of 180 million year old dolerite boulders that span over a surface area of 180,000 km squared. Nearby is the popular Quivertree Forest hosting trees as old as one hundred to two hundred years old. The Fish River Canyon, is located in the south of Namibia. It is the largest canyon in Africa, as well as the second most visited tourist attraction in Namibia. It is comprised of a gigantic ravine, in total about 160 kilometres long, up to 27 km wide and in places almost 550 meters deep.
The Quiver Tree Forest is located about 14 km north-east of the town of Keetmanshoop, on the road to the small village of Koës, in southern Namibia. Here grows, on a private farm, about 250 specimens of the quiver tree, or aloe dichotoma, which is a tall, branching species of aloe, indigenous to the Northern Cape region of South Africa, and parts of Southern Namibia. The unusual look of aloe dichotoma has made this area a popular tourist attraction. The quiver tree is not really a tree, rather a plant of the genus aloe, as evident from its scientific name, and one of the few species of aloe that reaches tree proportions —it can grow 7 to 9 meters high. It has a stout stem that may grow to one meter in diameter, and is covered with beautiful golden brown scales with sharp edges. The crown consist of numerous forked branches, which gives the species its name dichotoma, which means forked. The quiver tree is so named because native bushmen used to make quivers from the branches of the tree. Aloe dichotoma doesn't have real wood but a soft pulpy tissue, that can be hollowed out easily. One end of the hollow section is closed off with a piece of leather and used by the bushmen to hold arrows. The natives also used large hollowed out trunks to store food and water. The fibrous tissue of the trunk has a cooling effect as air passes through, allowing the natives to store perishables for longer durations.
Set among sand dunes in a remote desert location, this laid-back lodge is 46 km from the nearest town of Mariental, 65 km from Hardap National Park and 301 km from Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport. The lodge offers activities including bush tours, horse-riding and cheetah feeding.
