Namibia: In Pictures

Our Africa expert Emma just returned from Namibia, a country of lofty sand dunes that shape shift on the daily, desert-adapted wildlife thriving where riverbeds run dry, and a national park centered on a seemingly infinite salt pan. Check out her epic holiday snaps below.

The shifting sands of Sossusvlei

Sossusvlei's satisfyingly sweeping dunes are the brightest jewels in Namibia's almost embarrassingly bedazzled crown. The queue at the gate starts building up at least half an hour before the park opens (usually just after sunrise) but the chance to see the shifting shadows and any ascending hot air balloons in the valley is well worth the early start.

Deadvlei's clay pan and its lifeless camel thorn trees are a Namibia (if not Africa) icon. To reach the pan, you can take the low road (an easy-ish rolling walk) or the high road: a short but somewhat challenging what-goes-up-must-come-down hike along the edge of a dune.

The exceptional environments of Etosha

While Namibia's parks are not as big-cat rich as say the Maasai Mara or the Serengeti, they're great at making common game seem uncommon thanks to their big-sky backdrops. Etosha National Park's watering holes are a life source for predators and prey alike so hang around for an unforgettable wildlife show.

As well as providing much-needed sustenance, the water holes are a social hotspot with hierarchies made, solidified or even challenged. Prey animals tend to mill around during the middle of the day when predators are usually lazing in the shady scrub. 

The lack of light pollution in Etosha leaves star-gazers in awe - the Milky Way's galactic plane is plain to see with the naked eye. Check out the moon phases before you go; if you're here during a new or crescent moon, the celestial views are even clearer.

The desert landscapes of Damaraland

North-west Namibia's Damaraland mixes human history and culture with the wild world. Stop off at Twyfelfontein to see the ancient rock engravings which depict all manner of legendary African animals and their tracks as well as a cluster of hunter-gatherer scenes.

Human history is the focus at The Living Museum of the Damara. With an unreal backdrop of rocky outcrops, a handful of the Damara's 'lost' ways of life are showcased and preserved.

Seeking out Damaraland's desert-adapted elephants is the highlight of a Namibia trip. They're harder to find that Etosha's more prolific herds but that makes chancing upon them way more rewarding. 

The fiery sunsets of Swakopmund

Known as Swakop to its friends, the town of Swakopmund sits right on the edge of the Atlantic. The clouds often roll out to sea in the late afternoon leaving you with an uninterrupted sunset experience (extra points for a seal spotting as the sun starts to dip). Pure beachside bliss.