Let's start with the mind-blowingly beautiful landscape.
The red dunes of the Namib Desert are some of the most photographed in the world.
None more so than the Namib-Nauklift National Park's oddly shaped Dune 45 or those of the Sossusvlei area.
The red dunes of the Namib Desert are some of the most photographed in the world.
None more so than the Namib-Nauklift National Park's oddly shaped Dune 45 or those of the Sossusvlei area.
Dune running —
Peering over the precipice of a 325-meter mountain of sand, only an idiot would try to run straight down.But despite the steepness of "Big Daddy," the king of Namibia's unearthly desert landscape, it's impossible to fall.
Sand seeps into shoes, weighting runners upright as they rocket down.
A minute later, the wind erases any trace of footprints.
Cheetahs —
Cheetahs aren't one of the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and Cape buffalo), but they're nevertheless a classic member of the cast of safari creatures. And with one of the densest wild cheetah populations, according to Laurie Marker of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Namibia offers some of the best chances to see them.
"To witness the amazing speed, power and grace of cheetahs is a unique experience you'll never forget," says Marker.
"Out of 10,000 cheetahs remaining in the wild, approximately 3,500 live in Namibia."
Animal overload —
You know you're spoiled for game when the appearance of a pride of lions no longer induces gasps and a volley of camera clicks.Any trip to Namibia's Etosha National Park can quickly rack up animal sightings.
A recent three-dayer scored 35 lions, one leopard (killing a zebra), three cheetahs and too many zebra, elephants, giraffes and rhinos to count.
To complete the Big Five, a visit to Bwabwata National Park -- bordering Angola, Botswana and Zambia -- will tick off the Cape buffalos.
The park is a core buffalo conservation area with almost 1,000 of the grumpy-looking animals.
Even the bird life is worth a look -- most notably the explosion of color that is the lilac breasted roller.
Etosha National Park, from $7 per person per day, park opens from sunrise to sunset
Bwabwata National Park, $3.50 per person day, park opens from sunrise to sunset
Ghost town —
The abandoned Namibian diamond mining town of Kolmanskop is a surreal and eerie gift to photographers.Once home to 1,000 people, the place was abandoned in the early 1900s when better rock-hunting grounds were found further south.
Shifting desert sands soon reclaimed the town's 40 or so buildings, drifting in through windows and doorways.
Despite standing empty for more a century, the town is remarkably well preserved. Colorful house interiors remain bright because of the dry climate.
Crowd-free travels —
Even in tourist hotspots, crowds are never an issue in Namibia.The country has one of the lowest population densities in the world with just 2.7 people per square kilometer.
On trips outside towns and national parks, it's not unusual to see no other cars on the road.
Namibia's population of just more than 2 million is sparsely scattered through smaller towns and villages. These often make intriguing pit stops
With a population of 92, Solitaire is one such place, on the way to Namib-Luft National Park.
The "town" welcomes visitors with a scene of defunct cars being swallowed by sand and possibly the best apple pie found in a desert.
Superlative stargazing —
With an extremely dry climate and some of the lowest light pollution in the world, the Namibian night sky is thick with stars."Because of Namibia's latitude in the southern hemisphere, many of the most interesting objects, including the center of our Milky Way galaxy, Magellanic Clouds and planets, appear high in the sky," says Nils Odendaal, CEO of NamibRand Nature Reserve, named an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2012.
Sossusvlei Desert Lodge has one of the country's best night viewing facilities, complete with 12-inch telescope and resident astronomer.
In the heart of the reserve, the Wolwedans campsites lend out smaller portable telescopes and provide guides trained in basic astronomy.
Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, C27, Maltahohe District; +27 11 8094300; packages from N$4,950 ($445)/person per night
Wolwedans; +264 61 230 616; packages from N$3,310 ($297)/person per night
Smoke baths —
It's taboo for women of Namibia's Himba tribes to bathe with water.To stay fresh, they burn a plant called commiphora, with a scent similar to incense, wafting its smoke under their bodies and hair.
Then they layer on a red mixture of ochre and butter known as ojitze, that protects from insects and sunburn and permanently removes body hair.
"The smoke opens and cleanses the pores," says Jaco, a local guide who leads tours of villages where Himba women are happy to be watched performing their aromatic ablutions.
Wild cuisine —
Most safari trips to Namibia involve a pause in Windhoek or Swakopmund and neighboring Walvis Bay.It's a chance to sample game meat versions of favorite barbecue recipes.
Joe's Beerhouse in Windhoek, pictured here, offers ostrich, crocodile, springbok and kudu, as well as more traditional meats.
The game meat steak platter at Swakopmund's Napolitana has zebra, oryx, kudu and springbok.
Meat to-go in the form of jerky-style biltong can also be purchased at grocery stores, highway stalls and butcher shops.
Joe's Beer House, 160 Nelson Mandela Ave., Windhoek; +264 061 232 45
Napolitana, 33 Nathaniel Maxuilili, Swakopmund; +264 64 40 2773
Ultra-fresh oysters —
Just as wine tastes better in a vineyard, oysters are at their peak when scarfed meters away from the farms where they're raised."Namibian oysters grow quick and especially plump," says Pieter Geyser, a skipper and guide with Levo Tours (Corner of Union Street & 5th Road; +264 64 20 7555).
Salesmanship perhaps, but there's some truth to it.
The delicious oysters in Namibia's Walvis Bay are fed by nutrient-rich waters brought up from Antarctica by an ocean current called the Benguela.
They have a mildly salty and mineral taste and are best, according to Geyser, enjoyed with pepper, lime and Tabasco sauce.
"It's the Namibian way," he says.
Beyond the tours, the fresh oysters can be enjoyed on the Walvis Bay Waterfront.
Try Lyon Des Sables, 88 Kovambo Nujoma, Walvis Bay; +264 64 221 22
Or Anchors at The Jetty, Atlantic Street 1-3, Walvis Bay; +264 64 20 5762
