Namibia straddles the Namib and Kalahari deserts. This is a country of startling contrasts wedged between desert and the cold South Atlantic. Despite the harsh climate, Namibia has some of the world’s most magical landscapes and boasts some of Africa’s finest and most diverse national parks as well as a rich cultural heritage. The scenery is so far removed from what we normally see and feel in our everyday lives that it simply fills one with awe.

The Skeleton Coast Park and the Namib Naukluft Park both border the Atlantic Ocean and the shores are stunning both from the air and on the ground. Seals in their many thousands colonize lonely beachheads, the bleached skeletons of whales and the ghostly rusting hulks of beached ships emerge from the sands.

The Kaokoveld and Kuene tracts in the north west are home to the nomadic Himba tribe, who migrate with their animals in search of grazing and water. They are a culturally fascinating people and it is an honour to spend time with them and see first-hand how they live.

There is good game in some areas; of particular interest are the amazing desert adapted animals, including elephant and, if you are very lucky, rhino. Game is not to be found in the vast numbers that inhabit other countries in Africa and we feel, therefore, that a visit to Namibia combined with a trip to its game rich neighbour, Botswana, works especially well.

Credit and thanks for the images included here goes to the Wilderness Image Gallery( Mike Myers, Michael Poliza and Dana Allen). If we have left anyone out this has not been intentional and we apologise.