Namibia’s Hidden Delights

"Contrary to most pre-conceptions, Namibia is a land of remarkable diversity. Classed as an “arid” country, the importance that water plays in its life-cycle cannot be underestimated; it affects the very core of the country, sustains its living beings and shapes the surfaces upon which we gaze.

There are no compromises with Namibia; it as an unforgivingly and unapologetically beautiful country that, when visited, demands your attention. The scenery is mightily impressive in every possible way – incomprehensible at times, and though the species of wildlife that can been seen are not out of the ordinary, to encounter and observe any of them at close quarters in such surroundings is both humbling and exhilarating.

It is like no other country in Africa that I have ever visited.” Nick Joynes

Join Nick Joynes on an exploration of Namibia. Starting in two of the best private reserves in the country, Onguma and Ongava, you will get the chance to encounter lion, dik dik and black rhino, along with a plethora of birds including African hawk eagle, gabar goshawk, giant kingfisher, snake eagles, hornbill’s, sunbirds, waxbills, hoopoes, drongo’s and rock-buntings. Bordering the eastern and southern sides of Etosha National Park respectively, we will also have time to go in search of the impressive population of elephants, as well as lion, leopard, giraffe, Burchell’s zebra and wildebeest that gather around the waterholes, creating an outstanding concentration of wildlife in a seemingly desolate habitat.

The trip then moves to the entirely different landscape of the Skeleton Coast – to the Hoanib River and then to the Hoarusib – two of the last true wilderness areas of Africa. These important ephemeral rivers form a corridor for wildlife between the western concessions of Etosha and the Skeleton Coast. For almost all of the year, these rivers are parched - dusty and hot, very windy and extremely dry. This arid landscape, however, still manages to support ostrich, springbok and gemsbok, as well as Angolan giraffe, Hartmann’s mountain zebra and - most remarkably - small populations of desert adapted lion and elephant.

The landscapes of the Skeleton Coastline are truly spectacular, the aesthetically pleasing curves and slopes of the dunes being made even more beautiful by the spectacular sunsets. The final stop on this fantastic exploration of Namibia is the world’s finest desert, the Namib Desert, with its towering sand dunes and uniquely adapted desert wildlife.

To find out more about A Living Desert, or to book onto this incredible Namibia experience, contact our wildlife team.