Posts Tagged ‘Namibia’

Nestled within the Namib Desert on the 37,000 hectare private Kulala Wilderness Reserve, Kulala Desert Lodge is extraordinarily close to the magnificent red sand dunes of Sossusvlei.  It is the only lodge in the Sossusvlei area that has such an incredible view of the great Namib sand sea.

Kulala Desert lodge has its own private gate into the Namib-Naukluft Park which leads to the famous dunes of Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon.  With exclusive access to the park, sunrise /sunset excursions are easy and hassle free.

Kulala Desert lodge offers 19 thatched and canvas chalets with en-suite bathrooms and verandas.  Each chalet is perched on a wooden platform to catch cool breezes and has a deck on the rooftop where guests can spread out the bedrolls and sleep under the draping starry skies.

Kulala Desert Lodge main lounge area’s décor is inspired by northern Africa weaving the theme throughout to the lounge, bar, dining area, plunge pool, and around the veranda overlooking the lodge’s own waterhole.  The waterhole at Kulala Desert Lodge attracts a variety of local wildlife including oryx, springbok, ostrich, jackal, and much more! Together, this is the perfect location to view and photography the brilliant desert scenery.

Activities at Kulala Desert Lodge:

• Early morning guided nature drives.  Enter the dunes of Sossusvlei through Kulala Desert Lodge private gate on the Tsauchab River.  Enjoy the day delving into Sossusvlei and the areas geology/geography/wildlife and eat brunch at a fully laid table under a camelthorn tree.
• Nature drives, walks (Tsauchab River trail), and eco-friendly quad-biking excursions
• Early morning ballooning begins at first light.  This is a unique experience to soar silently above the Namib sand sea only to enjoy a Champaign breakfast served at your intended landing sight.
• Self-drive excursion to Sossusvlei
• Horse riding safari on request
• The scenic sundowner safari – one of the absolute best in the Namib!

For guests participating in the early morning activities, tea/ coffee and rusks are served at Kulala Desert lodge before departing.  A buffet breakfast and lunch is served every morning for all guests not on a morning excursion.  Dinner is a 3-course meal served outside on the verandah by candle light.  If weather isn’t suitable for an outside affair, it will be taken indoors.

Kulala Wilderness Reserve

The Kulala Wilderness Reserve began in 1996 with a desire to be in close proximity to Sossusvlei.  The land was previously used for subsistence goat farming –indigenous wildlife was rare –and with the removal of stock fences the wildlife slowly began to populate the area once again.  When the land extended to the Namib-Naukluft Park, the area officially became the Kulala Wilderness Reserve.

With the rise of the reserve came the opportunity to study and assess the rehabilitation of the area after years of subsistence farming.  The Small Carnivore Research Project began in 2000, when bat-eared fox, aardwolf, black-backed jackal, Cape fox, and the African wildcat were studied as indicator species for land rehabilitation.

Guest at Kulala Desert Lodge not only witness the sparsely distributed desert-adapted wildlife (mentioned above), but also larger predators including the spotted hyena, brown hyena, and porcupine in addition to all the antelope species.

Although the area lacks vegetation, has extremely little rain, in addition to its arid climate, surprisingly the area supports great diversity of insects, reptiles, and rodents.

The Kulala Desert Lodge seems to offer it all with spectacular exclusivity.

Learn more about Sossusvlei here –

Swakopmund activities are the reason people visit the coastal town. Swakopmund, or Swakop as the town is referred to by the locals, has a whole slew of activities, tours and excursions, to satisfy everyone’s appetite.  Quickly becoming the extreme sports Mecca of southern Africa, Swakopmund activities caters to all adrenaline junkies, and even the more mellow of adventure seekers. Between the sands of sea, the coastal waters, and the open skies, there are a variety of activities to suite everyone’s needs, from Cape Cross Tours, Fishing, expanding your knowledge about local minerals, hiking, skydiving, and excursions to Spitzkoppe.  With so many Swakopmund activities for everyone it’s no wonder Swakop is a favorite destinations for visitors to Namibia.

Swakop is also one of my favorite places in all of Namibia and each visit I plan to get myself out and about, generally participating in two or more of the following (also my absolute favorite) Swakopmund activities.

My favorite Swakopmund Activities:

Alter-Action Sandboarding: Sandboarders will be collected from their accommodation in Swakopmund at 09h30 and taken to the Namib Desert, the oldest desert in the world, which houses some of the largest sand dunes on this planet. There is no better way to experience these mountains of sand in more eco-friendly way, than to zoom down them head first on a sandboard and/or sled. Over the years, and countless hours of engineering and design, the equipment used to speed down the dune slip-faces, has advanced from a simple piece of cardboard to imported snowboards with redesigned bottoms, especially adapted for speeding down the sandy surfaces.

There are 2 styles of sandboarding:

• Lie down. – For the lying down style you use a specially polished board to slide headfirst down a dune. Speeds of up to 80km/h can be reached. Talk about the best buzz to wake you up!
• Stand-up – For the standing-up style, you use standard snowboarding equipment and you ‘surf’ your way down the dunes. Stand-up boarding is snowboarding with a much slower experience compared to that on snow. Two different slopes are on offer with various runs on either.

No experience is needed for either Lie-down or Stand-up sandboarding, although if you have previous experience in either surfing or snowboarding, the stand-up is a whole lot easier. There are a total of 6 different slopes to test your skills (or lack of them!).  Although, the lie down is my favorite (you just can’t beat 80 km/h speeds!) I also recommend doing both.

Sandboarding is ALWAYS done in the morning hours, leaving the afternoon open for additional Swakopmund activities.

Mondesa location, just a few kilometers away from the town’s center, was established by the apartheid government in the 1950s as the area for the black population to live. Today it is a vibrant area of Swakopmund where much of the black population prefers to live. The location is rich in Namibia culture, with members from all of Namibia’s clans living here. When you get to talking with the people, you will be amazed at how many languages they are fluent in, how friendly and accepting they are, and how much fun you will have with all the different people. Simply putting yourself in this unique place is what makes this act local. How local you become depends on what you are willing to taste, drink, dance, or talk.

To tour Mondesa, Swakop Township Tours organizes daily visits at 10h00 and 15h00, each four hours in length. A minimum of 2 people is required. Their tours are excellent and culturally rich, allowing traditional food tasting, the visiting of schools, insight into traditional healing, as well as the location’s history. If prearranged, you can visit a Herero lady who runs an HIV clinic.

Quadbiking This is one of the best ways to access parts of the Swakopmund sand dunes that even 4×4′s can’t reach. It is no secret about the apparent controversy over the use of quads over the sands posing threat over the environment and the rare species that thrive in the sand. However, the legitimate companies that make quad biking in the dunes an adventure experience also make conserving their environment a TOP priority.

They have set out a route that goes for about 35km in an area that’s great to practice your wheelies and kick up sand but causes little damage. There are two types of bikes you can choose from. For those who have no or less experience there are 160cc semi automatic bikes, while for those who desire a bit more thrilling ride there are 200cc manual quad bikes.

Companies, if arranged beforehand, will pick you up at your place of lodging, provide all equipment, and even a bit of training.

The following are tour options:

1hr Quad Tour:

20km guided tour. (± 1hr) = a short dune tour.

2hr Quad Tour:

38 – 55km guided tour. ( ± 2hrs)

• This tour is the most popular, a real adventure on the ride of your life.
• Ride the wildest dunes, roller-coasters and spirals of the Namib.
• Excellent photographic opportunities.
• Adrenaline guaranteed.
• Cold drinks included.

3hr Combo Tour:

1hr sand boarding (lie-down only) + 2hr Quad Bike Tour.

Any time of the day (preferably in the morning due to weather conditions.)

2hr 30min Quad and Go-Kart Combo Tour:

Time: 09h00-12h00 or 16h00-Sundown. (min 4 pax) Tour includes: Transfers, water and guides.

Enjoy a real adventure:

• Start within the dunes – riding the wildest dunes.
• Finish off the day with a race against time and laps at the Go-Kart Club.

3hr 30min Quad, Lie-down Sand boarding and Go Kart Combo Tour:

Time: 08h00-12h00 or 15h00-Sundown. (min 2 pax) Tour includes: Transfers, water and guides.

• This is the same tour as the 2hr 30min Quad and Go-Kart Combo Tour, but with the added attraction of:
• Lie-down sand boarding, to round off an action packed day.
• Finish off the day with a race against time and laps at the Go-Kart Club.

3hr Quad Breakfast Run:

70–80km guided tour (± 3hrs)

• Drive up the Swakop riverbed, and enjoy a hearty breakfast at Rossmund Lodge Golf Club.
• Ride the dunes for ±2hr on your way back.

Swakopmund Activities for the whole Family

Living Desert Tour: The tour starts from Swakopmund where you will be collected from your accommodation around 08.30. You travel across the Swakop River towards the local dune belt between Walvis Bay & Swakopmund, which is about 30km long and 5 km wide and supports an impressive wealth of fauna and flora.

We slowly drive along the foot of the dunes, taking precaution not to drive on the gravel plains and cause any unnecessary damage to the environment. As your guide will explain, the gravel plains are protected and home to nesting Damara Terns, which are endemic to this area. In addition, driving along gravel plains leaves scars, which can take up to 100 years to recover, and therefore this is why a guide is needed on the excursion. Conservation issues and the geological structure of the desert will be discussed in detail en-route. Sit back and enjoy the day with frequent opportunities to take photos of the dunes and the surrounding environment.

Your guide will stop continuously to look for tracks (known locally as reading the bushman paper) to determine which animals were active the night before and wherever possible will try to catch some of them to show you. Delve into the guide’s knowledge he shares with you on each desert animal, including emphasis on special adaptations and perfect design used for survival in the desert. Time and care is taken to ensure each animal is returned safely to its home.

We cross the dune belt from East to West in a 4×4 vehicle, lending opportunity for incredible views of the desert landscape and a packed journey where experienced knowledge of sand driving is essential.

Swakopmund activities / tours and excursions should be arranged 1-2 days beforehand.  Your lodge accommodation will help you arrange these upon request and if not, the next easiest way to book your adventure is to call them yourself or book at the Namib i office located in the center of town, or we can easily integrate it into your self-drive or guided safari.

Learn more about safaris in Namibia! - http://wildsafariafrica.com/destinations/safari-namibia/

The most brilliant Namibia self drive safaris target these top 3 places of interest.

#1- Damaraland

Damaraland is sparsely populated and is bewitching with what surrounds the town as something so supernatural. An ideal location for namibia self drive safaris passing from Swakopmund to Etosha National Park. The geology of the organ pipes, the nature of solitude, and a petrified forests ancient signs from an older world, light up the place and make the area magical.

n 2007, at the World Heritage Committee in Christchurch, New Zealand, Twyfelfontein’s San/Bushman rock engravings were awarded World Heritage status. Located in the Huab Valley west of the town Khorixas, Twyfelfontein is home to over 2,000 rock engravings and is one of Africa’s largest. A definite hot spot for Namibia self drive safaris.

#2 – Sossusvlei

Sossusvlei is one spectacular place for Namibia self drive safaris,

thus making it a top destination. The monumental red sand and the magnificent display of different shades, colors, and depressions, fading and deeping, throughout the day make Sossusvlei a place for photographers and romantics alike.

Sossusvlei is lined by exotic, brightly colored dunes. Each hour of the day is unique and as the day carries on, new colors are constantly presenting themselves, whether on the dunes, orange, maroon, or pink, or against the Tsaris Mountains, blue and deep purples, in addition to the yellows and tans of the dancing grasses, it is easy to feel enlightened while visiting Sossusvlei on Namibia self drive safaris. It is also home to ostrich, springbok, and oryx who roam the area like some prehistoric creatures living on another planet.

Together, Sossusvlei and the Namib Desert are home to some of the world’s tallest dunes, plenty of adventure activities and some of the world’s best trekking; a backdrop so surreal it can be compared to nowhere else in the world. Choosing a Namibia self drive safaris easily allows for one to incorporate the liberty to pick and choose the desired activities as the trip unfolds.

#3 – Etosha National Park

Etosha is one of Africa’s best game parks, next only to the parks in the Serengeti of Tanzania. In 2007 the park celebrated its first 100 years of existence. Viewing Africa’s large game populations on Namibia self drive safaris against the Etosha Pan backdrop is like no other found in Africa.

Namibia self drive safaris make Etosha one of Africa’s most accessible game parks to conduct on your own.

The Etosha Pan, the parks definitive feature, is an immense, shallow depression of some 5,000 km² of dry, white sun beaten mud. Mirages shimmer in the far distances while game animals stride across the desolate lands looking completely out of place. Throughout most of the year the area is dry, giving rise to the name ‘the great white place of dry water.’ Nevertheless, when the rains begin, the oshanas in Owamboland drain into the pan and the area becomes an important breeding ground for flamingos, aNamibia self drive safaris highlight.

There are a total of 114 species of mammals, including the rare and endangered black rhino, cheetah, and black-faced impala. The only animals aren’t found in Etosha are the hippo and crocodile. Almost every other animal can be found roaming the park. There are also about 340 different species of birds including the ostrich and secretary birds.

What is the best season to see Namibia wildlife at Etosha and take your own Namibia self drive safaris? http://wildsafariafrica.com/destinations/safari-namibia/

Who needs a guide when self-drive Namibia safaris are just so darn easy? If you wish to maximize your freedom and leisure, desire a more economical approach to fulfilling your African safari dream, yet never be coerced into sacrificing the experience, then a self-drive is just for you.

Namibia is a brilliant country for families who desire to go on safari. Smashed between two of the world’s oldest deserts, the climate is especially pleasant. Comfortable conditions are the norm throughout much of the year.

Lodges and camping facilities are lovely and family friendly with first class facilities. The campsites in Etosha are fenced (perfect for self-drive Namibia safaris!) adding an additional layer of security between your children and the wild.

Self-drive safaris are one of the most cost-effective ways to safari Namibia. Travel at your own pace with considerable, customized, flexibility. Choose the perfect vehicle that is tailored to your needs. Create an itinerary that fulfills your interests and places of accommodation that suite your budget. Whether your safari is geared towards wildlife, nature, culture, history, sightseeing, health, adventure, or a slice of everything, self-drive Namibia safaris can be tailored for all.

Really…why is it so darn easy?

Road maps are provided by self-drive Namibia safaris vehicle hire companies that highlight your chosen itinerary. Well maintained roads are complimented by well marked and highly visible road signs keeping you on track, and in addition to Namibia’s small population you won’t be fighting traffic. Camps and lodges are easy to find and vehicles are designed for long distance travel -multiple spare tires, larger/extra fuel tanks, and all the necessary tools -fuel stations are easily obtainable and well marked.

Namibia lodging and activities!

Himba tours and 3 cultural things you need to know to have a deeper understanding.

Nestled in the low-lying surrounding hills, Opuwo is an Otjihereo word meaning ‘the end.’ It is here you will experience the best Himba tours. This small frontier town grew out of nothing when the South African Defense Force established a military base in order to launch expeditions into the surrounding area. Today, Opuwo is the gateway to Kaokoland and home to the mysterious Himba people who have maintained their original identity and culture for centuries, thus making this your destination for truly authentic Himba tours.

Sure you can see Himba throughout Damaraland – Kamanjab, Khorixas, Outjo – however these Himba are what I call “of tourist design.” But in Opuwo…

Himba congregate in town, walking from surrounding villages, often for many kilometers, to replenish supplies and trade goods. This is not Himba tours to their village but still a great cultural experience you can do on your own. Some Himba have even made Opuwo their permanent home, leaving their traditional nomadic lifestyle behind in hopes for a more centralized life based on a money economy. Many make small incomes with selling their crafts and jewelry, in addition to charging tourists for taking their photo and guiding them back to their villages for an authentic Himba tour. Walking through town, it is easy to see the influence the outside world has had on the people. Himba men often dress in a mix between their traditional ‘skirts’ topped with a western shirt and ball cap. The dusty town with flocks of people and the fresh scent of the Himba women’s ochre, beautifully decorated in their traditional animal skin-wear, take you back in time to a world that is sadly, slowly fading away. Although the Himba elders are determined not to deter away from tradition, it is the school children who are challenging tradition with Western dress and modern amenities. Herero are also very prevalent and the two groups create a community that is something special.

When joining Himba tours have a deeper understanding with these 3 cultural “must knows.”

1. Women are famous for covering themselves with a mixture of butter fat (sometimes Vaseline) and ochre, known as otjize, to protect them from the sun. The mixture gives them a reddish appearance said to symbolize the earth’s red soil and the blood that symbolizes life, both of which match the Himba’s idea of beauty. Women adorn themselves with bracelets, anklets, necklaces, iron belts and beautiful beads made from sea shells.

2. Extended family members generally dwell in a homestead consisting of small, circular mud huts and work areas. The huts surround an ancestral fire, okuruwo, and a livestock enclosure. Together, the fire and livestock are closely linked to their ancestral beliefs and worship.

3. Himba are infamous for wearing their traditional clothes made from animal hide. It is common for both men and women to go topless but men are quicker to wear a Western t-shirt with their traditional wear. If a woman is wearing a headdress-like crown made of animal hide on top of her head, it means she is married.

Namibia destinations

How much do Himba tours cost and who are the best local Himba guides?

Namibia car hire can be difficult when choosing between a variety of companies, many of which you may have never heard of. Windhoek’s top car rental companies, whether with offices at Hosea Kutako International Airport or in the city itself, are often members of an elite association that ensure they live up to your standards. The association ensures reputable companies stay in business and at the same time, offers extraordinary service, agents frequently use to book their client’s self-drive safaris.

What is the Namibian association that tells potential clients if the company is reputable or not?

CARAN, or the Car Rental Association of Namibia, is a non-profit consisting of sixteen active Namibia car hire members. CARAN aims to protect you, the client, and the car rental industry against sub-standard service and quality of vehicles they offer. In order to qualify as a member, car rental companies must adhere to rigorous minimum standards before they are accepted as CARAN members.

The following are CARAN member standards:

• The car company’s vehicle fleet must consist of a minimum of five vehicles
• The car company must be fully and legally registered, complying with all the Department of Trade and Industry of Namibia
• The Namibia car hire company must provide sufficient insurance (the Namibia Tourist Board regulations state that they need to have a minimum passenger liability insurance of N$5 million per incident)
• The car company must have a sufficient system in place to provide 24 hour backup support in the case of vehicles breaking down or in the unfortunate case of an accident
• The car company fleet is no older than 2.5 years and cannot have more than 100,000 KM for sedan and 150,000 KM for 4×4 vehicles.
• The company’s fleet vehicles must be regularly serviced and well maintained, in compliance with Namibia requirements

What are Windhoek’s top 3 Namibia car hire companies?

1) Okavango Car Hire (CARAN member)
2) Caprivi Car Hire (CARAN member)
3) Advanced Car Hire (CARAN member)

Why are CARAN standards important? Due to Namibia’s sheer size, and often remote travel, along with the number of self-drive safaris, CARAN was established to change an unfortunate holiday experience into one that was easy and hassle free even in the event of adverse situations.

CARAN Namibia car hire members hold strong to their superb reputation to immediately addressing any problem that may arise during your self-drive safari. And if you hire a vehicle from a non-CARAN member? Well, let’s just say your experience might not be all that great.

Receive itineraries with distance tables along with estimated travel time.

In such a large country and traveling on limited time, a Namibia fly in safari makes it possible for you to experience all the highlighted points of interest without making any sacrifices along the way.

I mean let’s be honest.  The average traveler to Africa has less than two weeks.  And between traveling there and home, your trip quickly gets narrowed down to a 10-12 day safari.  How is it possible then, to experience Sossusvlei’s monumental sand dunes in the south and Etosha National Park or the Himba Peoples in the north? Or even jump borders into the Okavango Delta in Botswana or Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe?

It’s impossible…if you were driving.

So why a Namibia fly in Safari?

A couple weeks ago a traveler said to me,

“We do not want to join a large group and do not want to drive ourselves. Air or train travel, as available, is acceptable.  We seek accommodations that are upper mid-range or above.”

Train?  Great.  There are options for train travel, just not to the places of interest this client wanted.

Escorted tours are fantastic for some, but wasn’t for this group.

So the only other option was a Namibia fly in safari.

• Do it all and see it all in a short space of time
• Arguably the most romantic of all tours and safaris
• Ideal for guests not wanting to self drive or join a group
• The only way to see some of Namibia’s more remote areas
• Spectacular views from the air show the geology of Namibia

Namibia fly in safari easily combine’s luxury, escorting you to exlusive properties throughout the country (Onguma, Mowani, Kulala, to name a few) with flexibility and exclusivity of a private plane.

In as little as six days you can discover Namibia from the Kunene (far north) to the Fish River Canyon in the far south.  In between you can schedule stop-overs in Etosha, Twyfelfontein, Damaraland, Skeleton Coast, Swakopmund, as well as the dunes of Sossusvlei.

So if you only have a small amount of time for safari, but desire a BIG experience, choose a Namibia fly in safari and be charted around on your own private plane.

To flying high,

Jeremy

What’s the best way to visit Namibia?

Last week when the Bush era tax cuts were extended for the wealthy I didn’t get angry with the monies that could have been collected from the top 1% and what could have been.  I didn’t congratulate a victory for the prospects of the money saved to invest in new start-ups and job creations.  I didn’t take sides or fuel our current tribal warfare between the donkeys and elephants. Nope…

I thought about Wesley Snipes -the actor.

The Hollywood star, best known for the Blade trilogy and White Men Can‘t Jump, was once hunted down by the IRS for dodging millions of dollars in tax money.  Federal prosecutors issued an eight-count indictment accusing Snipes of conspiracy to defraud the IRS by submitting fake claims.

Snipes took on the super action hero in an attempt to keep his hard earned money in his OWN pocket.  Now us normal folks just pay, complain, and hope for the best.  However, if you were willing to risk fighting the government, only to be found and hunted down by Uncle Sam, where would you hide?

In a country half the size of Alaska,(and as isolated as) with a population of only two million people perhaps?

Is that a place you could avoid the paparazzi?  Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (or shall I say Brangelina?) sure thought so.  They recently told reporters they were going to pack up the kids and head for an undisclosed corner of the world.  The paparazzi never found them, however, the locals spotted them several days before Christmas shopping at a mall in the capital city, Windhoek.

What country makes for both tax evasion and holiday travel possible?

Namibia – So why do (law abiding) celebrities seek to visit Namibia?

Brangelina willingly chose to have their daughter Shiloh in a developing country despite the public outcry to as WHY?!

However, Namibia is rather quite modern:

• Private hospitals are on par with the U.S.
• Restaurants serve western fare
• Accommodations are clean, comfortable, and even luxurious
• English is widely spoken

Visit Namibia with the family like Brangelina.  With small and grown kids you really can’t go wrong.  The roads are in excellent shape, car rental is easy and affordable making a self-drive safari a very realistic possibility, and there is a plethora of options to keep you and your family entertained.

Visit Namibia’s Etosha National Park, snack at German bakeries, and delve into the very unique geology and natural wilderness that only Namibia can offer.

Oh, did I mention a large majority of Namibia is Malaria FREE?  A very nice change to the rest of the continent north, don’t you think?

So where would you go if you wanted to get away or dare I say, hide?

To living the life of a celebrity,

Jeremy

p.s. Here is the next best thing to adopting a child that doesn’t live with you http://wildsafariafrica.com/budget-safari/owambo-volunteer-etosha-n-p-safari/

What’s Africa’s hottest new tourist destination? Namibia has been described as the last frontier, a wild and rough country, exposed to the elements like no other southern African nation. Sandwiched between two of the world’s oldest deserts, the Namib and Kalahari, the landscapes are weathered, desolate, and exposed to some of the harshest conditions on the face of our planet. From the rolling hills of Kaokoland, to the Skeleton Coast and the misty cold blanket of the South Atlantic, to the diamond rich area of Sperrgebeit, Namibia is a diverse and contrasting place to experience, luring in the mysterious frontier for explorers to mark a hot new tourist destination.

So with all this excitement why has it now only become a new tourist destination?

As a journalist in 1980 noted…

“South Africa has mobilized thousands of military reservists to reinforce army units in northern Namibia, where one of the biggest operations in the 13 year war against nationalist guerillas is said to be underway. Hundreds of trucks, troop carriers, and armored vehicles have been moved north through Windhoek in convoys often several miles long.”

With the coming of Independence and peace only the most intrepid travelers whole-heartedly jumped into a newly independent Namibia in the early 1990’s and pioneered this new tourist destination.  Since those early days, the word has spread and continues to excite the traveling masses with extraordinary visions.

The Hottest New Tourist Destination in All of Africa

What was it exactly people were saying about Namibia?  And why were their words creating a contagious buzz?

From the days our ancestor’s left Africa and ventured out into the frontiers of Asia minor and what is now Europe, to the Vikings of Scandinavia sighting Greenland for the first time, and even with the curiosity of a great philosopher himself, Thomas Jefferson willingly sending two men on a secret expedition to collect knowledge about the North American continent, human hearts have always discovered purpose and a rejuvenated living spirit in venturing to the unknown.

In an area half the size of Alaska…

Populated by only a measly 2 million people (Namibia is the least populated country in the world, second to only Mongolia) nature reaches to the far horizons, obstructed by nothing.  Wildlife flourishes in what could easily be categorized as some of the earth’s harshest environments, giving life to endemic species such as the Desert Adapted Elephant and the Welwitschia mirabilis in the Namib Desert.

And with each year that passes…

The native peoples of Namibia are being understood and sought after.  The San Bushmen of the Kalahari are treasured and marveled, placed upon the same pedestal as one of Africa’s last remaining semi-nomadic tribe –the Himba.

But even past the sights of an older world, the Herero , Kwangali, Damara, Lozi, and Owambo peoples spark curiosity and inspire compassion.  Namibia’s rich diversity allows for new cultural activities and foods to be discovered and no trip shall go without delving into the ancient Bantu and Bushmen traditions… adding to the allure of a new tourist destination.