No matter what way you chose to explore Namibia there are a certain number of highlights that one must tick off if possible, Sossuvlei/Deadvlei, Swakopmund, Fish River Canyon are among the most popular.

In this blog we are going to concentrate on the best wildlife experiences in the country and along the way give you some inspiration for planning your next trip!

This is by far the countries best know national park and wildlife destination. As with much of this arid country it really is at its absolute best toward the end of the dry season when all the wildlife is forced to stay close to permanent water sources. There are a few government properties inside the national park itself, the best of which is Okaukuejo, du to it being home to an incredibly productive waterhole.

Outside of the park in the private reserves the accommodation is of a much higher standard and there are still some fantastic wildlife opportunities in these areas. My own favourite is Ongava Lodge where the hide below the main dinning area gives you the opportunity to come close to wildlife in the day including elephants and many different antelope and on occasion bring congregations of Rhino in the evening.

Damaraland has to be one of the most amazing wilderness areas in Africa. This vast area, now known more often as Kaokoveld, is home to a variety of eco systems, habitats and desert adapted species. We concentrate on two main areas when it comes to wildlife in the Damaraland, Brandberg for some great desert adapted Elephant sightings, (especially in the dry Ugab river bed and natural springs close to the White Lady Campsite) and the Palmwag concession which is home to an amazing population of free roaming Rhino, although do not be deceived, they can still be tricky to find. Along with these two iconic species there are also Lion, Giraffe and a number of other species that are amazing to see surviving in this apparently barren, rugged and unforgiving terrain.

If you have a bit more time and a strong desire to explore this area then we do encourage our clients to split their time across several locations in this vast wilderness in order to full experience its majesty.

A very different wildlife experience and one that being completely honest I did have my reservations about before I visited myself, which have now been completely reversed. This is a fantastic opportunity to see a conservation organisation at work, something which is often hard to see in any kind of natural environment. The Africat Foundation which is based at Okonjima was set up to give orphaned Cheetah a place to survive and hopefully thrive, their findings with regards to captive rearing and release are fascinating and their work to educate the next generations of farmers in how to live with big cats is a great use of time and resources. Reiterating that wildlife and especially predators will only survive in the years to come in places where they are tolerated and where we allow them to.

I wont go into too much detail as I would like you all to go and experience this for yourselves and learn first hand from the people that live and breath this “small” piece of wild Africa.