Just jump. Oh, and hang on.: Namibia: Beyond Expectation

August 22, 2013

Exactly five months to the day from when we first arrived in South Africa, M and I took our first big trip outside of S.A.. Before I get into the details of our itinerary and photos of the trip, I thought I'd take a minute to provide a bit of background into why we chose where we did and what it's all about.

Namibia, or Nam, is not somewhere we had even considered visiting prior to moving to S.A., but it is somewhere that I have repeatedly heard about recently from other expats as well as locals as a must-see destination. With its close proximity to S.A.(a direct two-hour flight from Joburg), its ease of travel (self-drive is very feasible and is the recommended way to get the most out of a Nam trip), some of the most dramatic landscape on earth, and many highlights to make a memorable and adventurous trip, I felt that we were onto something. Especially since one of the things particularly appealing about living in S.A. and travelling from here is the opportunity to learn about places that I didn't even know existed. There is something magical in discovering a new place without any pretence of what to expect.

As for what Namibia is all about, here are some fast facts:
1. It is the second least densely populated country on the planet (second only to Mongolia)
2. Over 85% of the roads are dirt/gravel/salt- the country is basically one huge desert
3. The main languages are English, Afrikaans, German, Owambo, Kavango and Herero
4. One Namibian dollar is equal to one South African rand (or $9 Namibian= $1 Canadian)
5. The Namib Desert is the oldest in the world and is home to some of the world's tallest dunes

And so, for our first out-of-S.A. travel adventure, we were Nam-bound. 2500km of driving + 2500km of flying = Nam in a nutshell. Our itinerary included riding through the desert on horseback in Sesriem, hiking the rust-red dunes of Sossusvlei, exploring the adrenaline soaked seaside town of Swakopmund, driving the desolate Skeleton Coast, searching for the elusive desert elephants in Damaraland and game viewing in the vast expanse of Etosha National Park. All of this while taking in the wide open spaces, dry desert air, stunning sunsets and dramatic landscapes that are Namibia.

While I cannot fathom not sharing at least a fraction of the 2400+ photos I took during our trip, I thought I'd start with a quick teaser, and then go into more detail in subsequent posts. Deal?

Alright, here are a few of my favourites to serve as an introduction to our journey: