Namibia

The Raw, Consuming Beauty of Namibia

d.i.y. travel
Desert scenery in Namibia

Namibia is not a place to take a vacation. It’s a place to delve into beauty, undoubtedly—an alien beauty arising from dust and sand. It’s a place to have the boundaries of your mind expanded by nature’s lack of boundaries; by the great absence of anything or by the presence of something in the most […]

Continue reading →

A Namibian New Year

eats and drinks

Your time in Namibia is coming to an end. The year is coming to an end. So when you’re offered a glass of champagne as you head into a New Year’s Eve dinner in the capital city of Windhoek, you take it and raise it to two weeks of exploring one of the most fascinating […]

Continue reading →

Photo Essay: A Late Afternoon Off Road Adventure in Namibia

captured on memory card

We signed up for a sundowner excursion through the Kunene region because it was our last chance to search for elephants on this trip. We never saw any, but as we drove through the veld, ruggedly beautiful views were plentiful: Our vehicle for the drive. Namibia’s fairy circles, mysterious bare patches spread throughout the desert […]

Continue reading →

Photo Essay: Unique Rock Formations and Ancient Art in Twyfelfontein, Namibia

captured on memory card

In Twyfelfontein, red sandstone rocks perch precariously atop other rocks, looking as though they are ready to tumble at any moment and join the field of boulders below. Some have taken on shapes that are reminiscent of the sea and others that have been artfully carved and arranged by the elements look like transient public […]

Continue reading →

!Nara Melon: The Essential Fruit of Namibia’s Topnaar People

eats and drinks
!Nara Melon in Namibia

One of the first things people notice about Namibia is how clean and orderly it can look compared to other developing countries. But if you go far enough in certain directions, you’ll see people living in extreme conditions that belie the seeming prosperity. On paper, Namibia is an upper-middle income country, but the reality is […]

Continue reading →

Photo Essay: Mountains of Sand and Otherworldly Landscapes in Sossusvlei, Namibia

captured on memory card
The Deadvlei, Namibia

In a country overflowing with surreal scenery that pushes the boundaries of what you think the earth can look like, Sossusvlei is perhaps the most peculiar. There, sand is piled at its greatest heights and trees that have been dead for centuries still stand in a dried up marsh. A surprising amount of animals survive […]

Continue reading →

Songs for the Road No. 20: A Soundtrack for a Road Trip Through the Namibian Wilderness

Namibia

If you ever find yourself on a Namibian road trip, you’ll want to have a healthy collection of music to accompany you on the long drives. Here are some suggestions: The Lion Sleeps Tonight by Ladysmith Black Mambazo & the Mint Juleps Even though jungles are nonexistent in Namibia and lions don’t live in jungles […]

Continue reading →

Photo Essay: Solitaire, the Namib Desert Oasis

captured on memory card
Rusty truck sinking into the sand in Solitaire, Namibia

It’s called Solitaire. It was not named after a card game or a piece of jewelry, but for its remoteness. There, in the middle of the desert, you’ll find rusty old defunct trucks sinking into the dust and spiky plants rising out of it. It looks like a place where vehicles have come to die. […]

Continue reading →

← Previous Entries