Namibia

10 Most Famous Big Game Safari Destinations

Many tourist and wildlife guides that discuss African safaris often use the term Big Five Game to describe the animals that can be seen. Big Five actually refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot and was coined by game hunters but is now used...

Introduction

One of the most tourist-friendly countries in Southern Africa, Namibia is a fantastic place to explore that is most known for its stupendous landscapes, scenery and nature. While most visitors come to bask in its natural splendor or see its abundant wildlife, some interesting cities, towns and ancient rock art sites can be found here and there.

Set in the southwest of the continent alongside the Atlantic Ocean, Namibia is bordered by Angola, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. While most of its massive landmass is made up of the endless sands, dunes and savannah of the Namib and Kalahari deserts, pockets of sparse vegetation help its elephants, cheetahs and rhinos survive in national parks such as Etosha and Namib-Naukluft.

Asides from seeing some awesome animals up close and personal, most visitors to the country head off to explore the gigantic, red sand dunes and dramatic, dead trees of Sossusvlei. While these vivid scenes and colours make for some fabulous photos, the captivating Fish River Canyon – the second largest in the world – awes and astounds in equal measure with its size, scale and beauty.

Yet other popular places to visit in the sun-scorched nation are the aptly named Skeleton Coast due to all its eerie shipwrecks and Spitzkoppe which is known as the ‘Matterhorn of Namibia’. Wildlife lovers will also want to drive around the ecologically diverse Waterberg Plateau Park and see Cape Cross which is home to a humongous colony of Fur Seals.

Although most people simply use Namibia’s cities and towns as bases from which to explore nearby nature spots, its capital Windhoek has some fascinating historic sites and cultural landmarks to stop by. Luderitz and Swakopmund also have some fine German colonial-era buildings and churches to check out while Walvis Bay is where locals and tourists alike go to relax, unwind and enjoy some watersports or take unforgettable sightseeing cruises up and down the coast.