Emirate Airlines - A Bountiful Harvest Awaits the Adventure Traveler #8211; namibia &

And sun-baked saltpans are the bounty that awaits the traveler, majestic canyons, desolate wind ravaged coastlines, thorn bush savanna, timeless deserts. The country is designed almost specially with the active and adventure seeker in mind. The apparent desolation is deceptive and plant and animal life and even man has adapted to this environment. Shimmering mirages and treacherous dust devils, the most vivid images are those of a haunting technicolor landscape of swirling orange dunes. Namibia is a largely arid country of stark rough-hewn beauty.

Hiking and mountaineering; 4x4 desert runs, scuba diving, desert camel riding, coastal and fresh water angling, that most spectacular of rock sports, more fun games to pick from include abseiling &ndash. Whitewater rafting and sand skiing along coastal dunes are good activities for starters, paragliding, skydiving over land and sea, ballooning over the desert. The range of activities you can indulge in the unsurpassable physical environment is truly impressive, on a Namibia safari. The birding experience in the country is truly superior. S finest game sanctuaries; rated as one of Africa’ s top draw is the Etosha National Park, namibia&rsquo.

Rocky outcrops and expansive plains, magnificent canyons, and carries rugged mountains, the well-watered central plateau runs north to south. Resulting in dense fogs, the icy cold Atlantic meets the blazing African desert, at the coast. S oldest desert, is said to be the world’ which at the age of 80 million years old, along the coast is the Namib Desert. The slender Caprivi Strip is nested between Zambia and Botswana and is a wet area of woodland blessed with a few rivers. A great area for wildlife and heart of Etosha National Park, in the north is Etosha Pan. Namibia has four distinct geographical regions.

And other water bearing plants as well as underground sip wells supply their water requirements, melons, tubers. Surface water is not to be found, one of their domiciles, in the Kalahari Desert. Just pause and think that these are the only people in the world who live with no permanent access to water. It is a marvelous thing how well they are adapted to their difficult habitat. These most hardy of people have a highly advanced knowledge of their environment. Otherwise known as Bushmen, the most intriguing are the San. The people are as unique as the land they live on. Is very sparsely inhabited and carries only 1.8 million souls, one and half times the size of France, namibia.

Nama and Tswana, damara, himba, herero, caprivians, kavango, the African groups include the Owambo. 400 years ago, they are thought to have arrived from western Africa from about 2. Are mostly of Bantu origin; who are indigenous to the continent, s other people, namibia&rsquo. And dance, mimicry, bushmen speak in a peculiar click language and are very gifted in the arts of storytelling. 000 years in these parts of the world, for at least 25, mostly as hunters and gatherers, historians estimate that they have lived. 000, bushmen number about 50, in Namibia today.

Whose ancestors had lived in the Cape from 1652 resented British control, this strongly independent people. Especially after the Dutch Cape Colony was ceded to the British in 1806, moved north from their Cape settlements, white farmers of Dutch origin, afrikaners. Germans arrived in significant numbers after 1884 when Bismarck declared the country a German Protectorate. 00 and are mainly of German and Afrikaner heritage, white Namibians amount to about 120. Other groups comprise about 15% of the population and have played an important role in the emergence of the modern nation, the Africans aside.

And the Basters are indeed proud of it; but it is not derogatory, , bastard” baster is actually derived from &ldquo. In 1871, finally founding their own town Rehoboth, they trekked northwards, alienated from both white and black communities. Descended from Hottentot women and Dutch settlers of the Cape, the Afrikaans-speaking Basters. Racial classification was a fine art, even in pre-Apartheid South Africa. This makes sense considering that Namibia was run by South Africa after the First World War. They have a separate identity and culture. Black- white for example, coloured in Namibia and southern Africa refers to people of mixed racial heritage. S people - Basters and Coloureds; two other distinct groups complete the spectrum of Namibia&rsquo.

Conflict was inevitable with the inheritors of the land, as German settlers moved into the interior. Dwestafrika or South West Africa; bismarck subsequently declared the territory covered by Namibia a German colony and named it Sü. That was until 1884 when the German merchant Adolf Luderitz established a permanent settlement between the Namib Desert and the Atlantic seaboard that afterwards took his name. S barren and unwelcoming coastlines served as a natural deterrent to the ambitions of European explorers; namibia&rsquo.

Historians now consider events that followed to constitute the first genocide of the twentieth century. Over 100 German settlers and soldiers died in the uprising. The Nama joined the insurrection and the authorities did not regain control even after six months of trying. Rose suddenly and unexpectedly in arms against their colonial overlords, the Herero led by Chief Samuel Maharero, on the first day of the year 1904. S harsh and racist rule and the effect of the encroachment on their lands on their livelihood and way of life; the Herero resented the German&rsquo. The German occupation was a particularly unhappy experience for the Herero.

The population of the Nama diminished by 35-50%. The Herero fared very badly and 80% of her people perished. The survivors were herded in concentration camps where unspeakable things happened. 000 Nama and Herero were killed, 100, at the end of it all. He argued that the Herero must be destroyed as a people and he did not wince at the murder of women or children. Lothar von Trotha was a generation ahead of his time and his kind of thinking was to become government policy under the Third Reich. Hitler's right hand man, the governor general of the territory was then Rudolph Goering -the father of Herman Goering. 000 soldiers and tasked to put down the rebellion, lieutenant General Lothar von Trotha was furnished with a contingent of 14.

And white rhino, giraffe, kudu, leopard, this extensive mountain wilderness is home to cheetah. Located 230 km from Windhoek is popular with weekenders, the Waterburg Plateau Park. Zebras and over 200 species of birds, baboons, in this resort you find ostriches. The Dan Viljoen Game Park lies 24 Km west of Windhoek on the gentle hills of Khoma Hochland. And the Namibia Crafts Centre, state Archives, places of interest in the city include the State Museum. The positive aspects of the German period can be seen in the charming style of older buildings in the city. This is where you settle practical matters, for those traveling to more remote regions. 000 people is the only true city in the country, the capital of 165, windhoek.

The effect of this background is magical and some of the best wildlife photographs have been taken here. Attract many birds and land animals in the dry winter months, the perennial springs around the pan. That is the heart of park, 000 sq km, a depression that sometimes holds water and covers 5, but it is the Etosha Pan. Dense brush and woodland, the unusual terrain of Etosha holds savanna grassland. The park is comparable in size and diversity of species with the best in Africa. Etosha National Park is what brings wildlife lovers to Namibia.

Etosha is 400 km to the north of Windhoek by road. When water draws them in huge numbers to the edge of the pan, the best time to see animals is between May and September. Halali and Okaukuejo, there are excellent accommodation facilities at the three rest camps of Namutoni. You will get best value by spending at least three days here. The birding is great at Etosha and over 300 bird species have been recorded. Gemsbok and black rhino, blue wildebeest, jackal, cheetah, leopard, some other interesting wildlife here includes giraffe. There are 144 mammal species in the park and elephants are particularly abundant.

There is an established 90 km hiking trail that will take you 4-5 days to cover. Hiking through the canyon is the ultimate endurance adventure for hikers. Adventure lovers do not merely come for the views. You experience incredible views at various points along the rim. But size alone does not explain the appeal of the canyon. The Canyon runs for 160 km and reaches a width of 27 km and depth of 550 m. The Fish River Canyon is unrivalled in Africa and only the Grand Canyon in the U.S in larger.

Fish River Canyon is 580 km to the south of Windhoek. The authorities disbelieve the capacity of most people to undertake the hike and will actually insist on seeing a medical certificate of fitness before allowing you to start off. You must be physically fit, the hike is quite strenuous and needless to say. You are allowed to hike between early May and end of September. The trail ends at Ai-Ais hot spring resort where you can unwind.

400 sq km and begins at 355 km northwest of Windhoek, the Skeleton Coast Park covers 16. You find a seal colony carrying tens of thousands of seals, to the south at Cape Cross. Adventure travelers love trekking along the coastline as they enjoy the stark beauty of the area. One of the driest and most unwelcoming places, ahead is the Namib Desert. And woe to the ship wreck survivor who expects respite onshore! The problem is the dense fogs. The Skeleton Coast has been the graveyard of seafarers and whales and deserves that morbid name.

Unforgettable atmosphere, the orange tint giants extend as far as the horizon and the area has an unreal. Here you have dunes rising to 300 m! The Sossusvlei area is unsurpassed, for really spectacular dunes. And deep cut gorges, majestic sand dunes, the landscape is very diverse and covers mountain outcrops. 000 sq km, a vast wilderness covering 50, further south is the Namib-Naukluft National Park. He is probably one of the people whose experiences discouraged Europeans from venturing ashore until the arrival of the Germans 400 years later. The Portuguese explorer Diego Cao reached this part of the world in the year 1486.

Game viewing safaris and river trips in traditional mokoro boats, hiking, here you have an opportunity to partake fishing. The Caprivi Reserve falls in an area of swamps and flood plains. Lion and various antelope species, cheetah, buffalo, elephant, some of the wildlife in the region includes leopard. Animal numbers are however building up rapidly. Poachers did great damage to wildlife during the years of the civil war in neighbouring Angola. Mudumu and Mamili, mahango, caprivi, game reserves in the area include: Kaudom. The area also promises a feast for bird lovers. The well-watered Kavango and Caprivi Strip region offers an unspoilt wilderness suitable for rugged game viewing and camping, to the northeast of the country.

It is best to avoid the Namib Desert and Etosha between December and March when it can get unbearably hot. When it is easier to see animals at waterholes, the best time to travel is over the dry months of March to October. But beware of flash floods in the vicinity of riverbeds, rains do not much affect travel. The rains inland fall in summer (November-April) and are heaviest in the Caprivi region. Winter nights can be quite cold and frost occurs over large parts of the country. But can rise to 40C in the north and south of the country, daytime temperatures range from 20C-34C, inland. The coast is temperate and thermometers run between 5C-25C. In Namibia you can enjoy up to 300 days of sunshine.

And it also good that you do not encourage the trade in ivory products that keeps poachers busy. You may not be allowed to carry them through customs at home. Do not be tempted to buy items made of ivory. Equipment and supplies in dust proof bags, be ready for dusty conditions and carry your clothing. Sunscreen and mosquito repellant, sun hats, sunglasses, binoculars, some useful stuff to pack includes: camera. As the ground gets very hot, comfortable walking shoes are essential. Warmer wraps and sweaters, you need heavier cottons, over winter nights and mornings. You can get by wearing light cottons and linens in summer.

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