Namibia Virtual Tour (1)

Namibia means "a place of great arid plains" and lives up to this name. The northern parts of the country are grass covered savannah, but the lasting impression is one of unrelenting harshness and lack of water.

This is one of the most sparsely populated lands on earth. San hunters, Khoikhoi and European renegades fleeing justice in the Cape were some of the pioneers of the area. Restless and wild, they were free from any government control until 1884 when the country was brought under the control of the German Empire. 

Second only in size to the Grand Canyon of the USA, the Fish River Canyon is 161 km long, 27 km wide and up to 549 meters deep. 

The jagged ravine cuts deep into the arid land. Daytime temperatures reach 48ºC and seldom drop below 35ºC, but nights can be very cold. The canyon is the scene of one of Africa's finest hiking trails. As you descend into the depths of the canyon at its northern end, civilization is left far behind, and for the next four or five days you can experience one of the last tracts of true wilderness on the African continent.

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

The greatest experience of all however, is to see the pan filled with water. This is something that seldom occurs and photographers from all over Southern Africa will drop everything and head for Sossusvlei for a once in a lifetime picture on those rare occasions.

Although the Skeleton Coast can be said to encompass the entire coastline of Namibia, the Skeleton Coast National Park is bounded by the Kunene River in the north and the Ugab River in the south.

The early Portuguese explorers called it "the coast of hell" but it became known as the Skeleton Coast largely due to the dismal fate awaiting shipwreck survivors through the centuries.

The Kunene River forms Namibia's northern border with Angola and is Namibia's largest river.

In ancient times the Kunene emptied its contents into the Etosha Pan, much like the present day Okavango in Botswana. In former years large numbers of elephant, rhino, impala and hippo could be found here, today they have largely been hunted out, but Willem van der Riet, the first person to navigate the river in a canoe, reported that the Kunene crocodiles were the largest and most fearsome that he had ever seen.

The Kaokoland (or Kaokoveld) encompasses a vast arid area where the desert meets the sea and some of the most ancient desert on earth.

Within the region the 2586 high Brandberg mountains and plunging river gorges, such as at Tsisab where the beautiful and mysterious rock painting known as 'The White Lady of the Brandberg' can be seen. Also in the region are dinosaur footprints dating from over 150 million years ago, the worlds largest known meteorite, an ancient petrified forest and the spectacular natural sculpture known as "Finger Klip".

The 120 by 50 kilometer shallow pan at Etosha is believed to have been an inland lake fed by the Kunene River before it changed its course to reach the Atlantic Ocean.

The edges of the pan are typical Mopane woodland, and wild game abounds. Everything from the Big 5 to vast herds of antelope and wildebeest can be seen in the park. There are several lodges and tourist camps in the area catering to every taste and budget.

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