Namibia is like no where else in the world. That really struck me as I sat, legs dangling over the world's second largest canyon, completely alone. Save for my group of friends, there wasn't another person in sight, and you don't just almost never find that; you never find that. Something I notice more and more on my travels is just how over-commercialised everything is becoming, often at the expense of authenticity[...]
You know that feeling when you're in a beautiful place and you're suddenly overcome by the moment? Nearly moved to tears by the sheer wonder of what you're seeing, overwhelmed by a feeling that there's no where in the world you'd rather be, a sense that you are truly living and a sort of premonition that this is a memory you'll revisit for your entire life? I live for this feeling. It's why I spend every cent on fli[...]
The Orange River, or Fish River depending on who you talk to, is one of the longest rivers on the entire African continent, meandering its way through a number of countries and marking the border between Namibia and South Africa. Aside from providing a vital water source to the region, it is also a beautiful spot for a lazy summer paddle, which is how we find ourselves floating on down the Orange River this afternoo[...]
Southern Namibia's awe-inspiring Fish River Canyon, despite being the second largest canyon in the world, flies just about as far under the radar as the rest of this alarmingly underrated country. At 160km long, 28km wide, and just 550m deep, it is still a far cry from Arizona's Grand Canyon in terms of sheer volume, but its lack of commercialisation and tourist crowds really place it a step above— while both cany[...]
Crossing well and truly into the Namib Desert yesterday (although we've been in and out of the desert for the last few days and it's basically been desert weather for the entire trip), we now have just a couple hours of driving this morning to reach Namib-Naukluft National Park and two of Namibia's most popular natural attractions, the sand dunes and the large salt and clay pans that lay beneath. Unlike the arguably[...]
As we journey farther south through Namibia, we cross The Tropic of Capricorn, a latitude about 23 degrees south of and parallel to the equator, at which point the sun sits directly overhead at midday. Little more than an imaginary line signifying the boundary of the tropics, it's not the line itself that's cause for excitement, but rather the dramatic shift in setting that this distance brings. Leaving the coo[...]
For all of Swakopmund's charming German architecture and persistent European undertones, it couldn't be farther from its colonial past just a few blocks off the main street. Standing in a sea of golden sand and catching glimpses of the sparkling Atlantic over the dunes as camels wander past, this town is distinctly African, yet still unlike anywhere else on the continent. To really explore this expansive desert, we[...]
Surrounded by waves— the pumping Atlantic Ocean to the west and the golden dunes of the Namib Desert to the east— Swakopmund is far more than just the country's definitive adventure capital or a jumping off point to travels through the entire region, it's a stunning destination in its own right. This little seaside town is dominated by colonial architecture reminiscent of Namibia's history as German South Africa[...]
Driving south from Etosha National park on a long (and incredibly remote) road, the horizon is dominated by a stunning formation of jagged granite mountains. Towering 800m over an otherwise flat desert landscape in central Namibia, Spitzkoppe and its many peaks are like something from another planet. But this stunning natural wonder is not only impressive by appearance— unlike other mountains that have been formed[...]
Etosha National Park, whose name literally means "Great White Place" in reference to the enormous and blindingly white salt pan in the centre of the park, is one of Namibia's (many) treasures. Hundreds of animal species roam around the 20,000 square kilometre conservancy and visit the watering holes at night, most notably the near-extinct black rhino. It's incredibly rare to see these African giants in other nationa[...]
Namibia's capital city, though barely larger than a small town by other standards (and Wollongong is pretty low standards at just 300,000 people), is a bustling and rapidly developing city full of African charm. Still dotted with German relics from its colonial past, it is an interesting blend of old and new that I'm coming to recognise as distinctly Namibian. Other than its standing as the capital, though, Windhoek[...]