Namibia

There’s a faint chill in the still pre-dawn air as we climb into our 4x4 for the 60km drive into the oldest desert on the planet. Soft light falls across high dunes for the final leg, walking across the cool sand. Reaching the top of a low rise we look down on the baked, bone dry lake bed. Its surface seems to glow. Dotted across it are the evocative, darkly skeletal remains of camelthorn trees, dead for a millennium. Towering deep-orange dunes enclose the bowl and, as we watch, the first rays of dawn kiss the slopes to our right. Time to make some photographs…

​

This hauntingly beautiful place is Deadvlei; just one of the many wonders we will see on an incredible journey into some of the most amazing landscapes on Earth. I first visited Namibia in 2008 and was immediately smitten by its austere beauty. Since then I have returned as often as I can and it still holds its allure.

Our journey begins with one night in Windhoek, the nation's capital. The following day we will head south into the oldest desert on Earth, the Namib-Naukluft. Here the dunes march from the Atlantic coast to the foot of the Naukluft Mountains, the sand rising to over 300m in places.

 

We will spend the first two nights in a lodge with direct access to the Tsauchab River valley, allowing us to get ahead of the pack and arrive pre-dawn for photography at Deadvlei.

​

Our next three nights will be at the incomparable Wolwedans in the NamibRand Nature Reserve, one of the largest private reserves in Southern Africa. Here we will find some of the finest landscapes in the Namib, with extensive views to distant mountains across rolling dunes and grassland. The experience will be elevated further by exceptional food and beautiful accommodation.

​

On to another unique landscape at Namtib. Here a broad valley is enfolded by granitic mountains. In places, the rock has been sculpted by wind, rain and frost into beautiful shapes. Camel thorn trees are scattered across the valley, whilst quiver trees cling to the slick rock above. We will have exclusive access to this beautiful landscape for two nights. This small family run guest farm has a limited number of rooms so these two nights will be on a twin share basis.

​

After a full week in the desert we will reach Namibia's Atlantic coast at Luderitz, one of only two ports along over 1,500kms of coastline.  Our attention will be centred inland on the sperrgebiet, which translates as "prohibited area". This is a former diamond mining area sprawling over 3,200kms of desert. The mining has largely moved offshore but there are a number of ghost towns within the reserve. Kolmanskop is perhaps the best known. Many of the buildings are still standing but have been inundated by sand creating surreal scenes. We will have special access to Kolmanskop for an afternoon session. 

​

We will also travel deep into the sperrgebiet to Elizabeth Bay and another ghost town. The harsh weather on this exposed coastal site has blasted the mud brick walls and wooden structures. The steel remains of a water treatment plant offer many bizarre and colourful opportunities for imagery.

​

Namibia's flora has evolved to cope with incredibly harsh conditions and in the process developed almost alien forms. No plant is more iconic than the quiver tree with its strangely patterned trunks alternating between smooth almost blue bark and fissured golden wood. These trees need rocky landscapes in which to anchor themselves and are usually widely scattered but in a few places they grow closer together in what might be seen as a more conventional forest. We will spend our final night near Keetmanshoop, right next to one of these groves and venture out at dawn to capture their otherworldly beauty.

​

This new itinerary includes some of Namibia's iconic destinations but we will also be visiting amazing areas well off the beaten track!