Namibia, land for adventurers and dreamers

Namibia’s allure is its wide open spaces, extraordinary landscapes and abundance of wildlife. It’s a country that begs exploration, as if it has opened its gargantuan arms and invited each and every visitor to discover its wonders.

Unique among countries, it includes the protection of the environment in its constitution, embracing a conservation ideology and protecting a vast portion of its land. State-owned, private and communal conservation areas encompass over 44% of Namibia’s surface area and include national parks, nature- and game-reserves, and conservancies. In several areas, parties, with assisting NGOs, are working together in conservation initiatives that bypass borders as they envision a greater whole. The waves of positivity radiate outwards with infinite ripple effects.

Home to myriad species, the land comprises desert, African bush and savannah, woodland, rivers and waterways, and incorporates a huge marine protected area that stretches along Namibia’s coastline and an extensive conservation area running from south to north, safeguarding one of the world’s most ancient deserts.

Namibia has a rich and diverse assortment of African animals: the ‘Big Five’, a plethora of bird species, a dazzling variety of ingenious smaller creatures and a multi-coloured tapestry of vegetation. Wildlife includes rare and endangered species, desert-adapted animals and wild populations of animals that follow scattered rainfall and migratory routes that have been passed from generation to generation. The protected areas and parks are pockets of land, havens for fauna and flora, created to retain, restore and re-wild. They are rare jewels of land on a planet where wild areas are rapidly decreasing.

The Gondwana Travel Centre Blog has chosen a selection from the treasure trove of Namibia’s protected areas to tantalise those travelling tastebuds and to share some of the secrets these special pieces of land have to offer.

Tread lightly, travel responsibly - and relish these sparkling gems of conservation. Enjoy.

Author: Ron Swilling

Photos: Lambert Heil

Do you feel like exploring Namibia and her treasures?

Contact the Gondwana Travel Centre to plan your trip.

travel@gcnam.com