Namibia - By Mark Tanner

When I have visited Namibia, I’ve always been amazed by the sheer vastness of the Country. Whether it be panoramic vista or the amazing Night sky, the sheer scale of the environment and its unspoilt nature always amazes me.  From the Etosha Pan to the magnificent dunes of Sossusvlei, the landscapes capture the imagination and inspire you to explore this wonderful country.
As part of our time in  Namibia We spent a couple of days in the  Etosha  National Park self driving around the park .We were fortunate enough to spot  Rhino hiding in amongst the bush, a tower of  Giraffe wandering the pan,  Lion lounging in the scrub,  and Elephants grazing in the tree and shrubs amongst others.  As you drive around the park there are set drive- in areas off the main roads overlooking waterholes or areas where animals are known to gather. They were never that busy and it was where we sat and watch the animals at our leisure. Driving on the gravel roads was not too taxing and the road system was easy to follow. There are Lodges and campsites in strategic locations within the park and some of these have swimming pools and minimarkets, petrol stations, as well as a record of the latest sightings.

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We stayed in Okaukeujo where there is a selection of facilities available. In the evening, we sat out overlooking one of the man made floodlit waterholes, where one of the local Rhino came for his evening drink.

Out in Damaraland, the scenery takes over. The landscape fills the horizon and the sky open up.  In some areas the scenery is filled with massive sand coloured boulders and rocky outcrops that punch into the spectacular blue sky.  As you drive past them you are dwarfed by their size and majesty.
 One of my favourite times was on a clear night laying on the ground, star gazing the amazing cosmos where you have no light pollution to obscure your view. Here, with the crystal clear skies, you see an amazing display of stars and constellations. It’s a truly amazing sight.
As we drove through Namibia we headed south down to Sossusvlei and the Fish River Canyon. The Dunes at Sossusvlei are truly massive, with some even having their own names! You really do need to see them to appreciate their size. You can climb along the ridges to the top to get a panoramic view over the line of dunes and the baron hinterland landscape.  It is vast!
From Sossusvlei we continued on south until we came to the fish River Canyon. This is the largest canyon in Africa and second largest in the world.  The first time we visited in the late 90’s, we were allowed to climb down into the canyon, but nowadays you can only view it from the rim from specially built viewing platforms. There is a track you can walk along part of the rim that gives you the amazing view as the river snakes its way through the walls of the canyon.I have to say that to get the most out of Namibia, you do have to do a lot of travelling but the rewards are well worth it. The Landscape is amazing and the people are extremely welcoming, and there are a myriad of things you can get up to.  So if you are into safari, star gazing, tandem parachuting, climbing or just taking amazing photos, Namibia will not disappoint!