There are few places left in the world where one can truly escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life… but Namibia is one of them.

A vast and beautiful country with a tiny population of just 2.48 million inhabitants, Namibia is one of those places where you can drive for hours and not see another soul, which is perhaps why it is fast becoming one of Africa’s most popular self-drive holiday destinations.

In addition to its russet red sand dunes of the Kalahari, the wildlife abundant plains of Etosha National Park, the breathtaking mountains of Damaraland, the coastal cities of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, and the magical Caprivi Strip, Namibia homes one of the most magnificent stretches of untouched coastlines in the world, which reaches over 1,500km from South Africa in the south to Angola in the north.

It is along this vast and eerie coastline that one will find the Skeleton Coast National Park, where hundreds of ships met their demise while sailing in the unforgiving waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and many remain stranded on the sandy shores of Namibia today.  One only has to drive along the Skeleton Coast to view shipwreck after shipwreck, some dating back to the early 1900s. In a way, it’s quite unnerving, but this ship graveyard is fascinating all the same!

The people of Namibia are an eclectic mix of 13 different groups, including the Himba, the Owambo, the Herero, the Damara, the Bushmen (San) and the Whites. Warm and inviting, Namibians welcome visitors with open arms, and while those working in top end hotels and game lodges have adapted to tourism, the rest of the population seem to be very natural, gentle people who live life to the full.

Namibia is a holiday destination quite unlike any other, and the possibilities for adventure are endless here. All you need is a 4-wheel drive, a map, and buckets full of wanderlust to enjoy a trip of a lifetime, but if you prefer the safety net of an organised holiday, you will find endless small group tour options to suit every age group and every budget.