Stunning Namibia

Namibia means "a spot of great arid plains" and lives as much as this name. The northern elements of the nation are grass covered savannah, however the lasting impression is one among unrelenting harshness and lack of water.

This is likely one of the most sparsely populated lands on earth. San hunters, Khoikhoi and European renegades fleeing justice in the Cape have been a number of the pioneers of the area. Restless and wild, they had been free from any government management until 1884 when the nation was introduced under the management of the German Empire. Second solely in dimension to the Grand Canyon of the USA, the Fish River Canyon is 161 km lengthy, 27 km large and up to 549 meters deep.

The jagged ravine cuts deep into the arid land. Daytime temperatures reach 48ºC and infrequently drop below 35ºC, however nights might be very cold. The canyon is the scene of one of Africa's best mountain climbing trails. As you descend into the depths of the canyon at its northern end, civilization is left far behind, and for the following four or five days you can experience one of many final tracts of true wilderness on the African continent.

Sossusvlei is one in all Namibia hunting's most spectacular natural wonders. It lies about 400 km northwest of the canyon in the coronary heart of the Namib desert. It was opened to the public only in 1977 and is a good favourite of photographers and nature lovers. The huge red dunes, as much as 300 metres high are the biggest in the world and are an unforgettable sight at dawn or within the late afternoon sun.

The greatest expertise of all however, is to see the pan stuffed with water. That is one thing that seldom occurs and photographers from all over Southern Africa will drop every thing and head for Sossusvlei for a once in a lifetime image on those rare occasions.

Although the Skeleton Coast will be mentioned to encompass the complete coastline of Namibia, the Skeleton Coast National Park is bounded by the Kunene River within the north and the Ugab River within the south.

The early Portuguese explorers called it "the coast of hell" but it grew to become generally known as the Skeleton Coast largely because of the dismal destiny awaiting shipwreck survivors through the centuries.
The Kunene River kinds Namibia's northern border with Angola and is Namibia's largest river.

In historical occasions the Kunene emptied its contents into the Etosha Pan, much like the present day Okavango in Botswana. In former years giant numbers of elephant, rhino, impala and hippo could be found here, as we speak they've largely been hunted out, but Willem van der Riet, the first individual to navigate the river in a canoe, reported that the Kunene crocodiles were the largest and most fearsome that he had ever seen.