What to Do on a Trip to Namibia — One of the Most Beautiful Countries in Africa

Only in Namibia can watching a single elephant be far more powerful than witnessing an entire herd, and can staring out at a sea of sand feel like a religious experience. That's partially thanks to the otherworldly landscapes, which elevate every wildlife sighting and outing to supernatural status. On my recent trip to the sparsely populated African nation, I was awed by the simple act of a sole bull elephant strolling on an arrow-straight path across the sandy, dried Huab River in Damaraland, jagged mountains rising purple and blue behind his approaching and growing silhouette, slow footsteps eventually audible.

There's beauty in the minuscule and mighty alike in Namibia — a photographer's paradise, even for amateurs. While it's not undiscovered, wildlife-rich destinations such as South Africa, Tanzania, and Botswana typically seduce those seeking quantity. Wildlife here might be fewer in prolific numbers (though there's a healthy population of rhinoceros), but Namibia is arguably about quality over quantity, and colors so wild you almost don't believe your eyes.

The last few years have been huge for tourism in Namibia, evidenced by dozens of new luxury lodges and camps like Zannier Hotels Omaanda, Zannier Hotels Sonop, Shipwreck Lodge, Hoanib Valley Camp, the fantastical four-bedroom villa at the Sossus, a total rebuild of and Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, and Wilderness Safaris' Little Kulala renovation.

While adventurous road trip lovers can take on Namibia independently, the custom travel creators of Extraordinary Journeys are qualified to put together an epic itinerary and coordinate the logistics of charter flights. Leaving the details to them leads to exciting surprises, like a jaw-dropping Scenic Air flight from Swakopmund to Sossusvlei. From the air, you'll see where the dunes meet the Atlantic Ocean, colonies of seals frolicking in the scalloped surf, shipwrecks looming, and thousands of flamingos flying in a synchronized fashion. It feels like soaring above an entirely different planet.

"There needs to be some art and beauty in your world to really appreciate it," said Scenic Air pilot, Anthony, on our first flight from Windhoek. We were heading north to Onduli Ridge, but it felt like we'd landed on Mars. In reality, it was Damaraland's Doro Nawas Conservancy, which in some places looks like Joshua Tree on steroids.

"The roads are bumpy, but they say bumpy roads lead to beautiful destinations," said our guide, William, as we approached a futuristic circular lodge perched among massive boulders. He was right: Namibian conservation travel company Ultimate Safaris opened Onduli Ridge in April 2021, and it's a fantastical semi-arid oasis that's most striking as the sun begins its daily descent and illuminates the granite in bright orange.

From that wraparound deck, restaurant, and bar spreads a limitless, sublime expanse that's exciting yet calming. In the distance lies Twyfelfontein, a UNESCO World Heritage site consisting of evocative sandstone engravings done by the San people some 4,000 to 8,000 years ago. We searched for vulnerable Angolan giraffes one day, and desert-adapted elephants another, tracking sizable footprints before discovering a mama and baby nursing, playing and bathing in ethereal sand. I felt like a superhero riding an e-bike through the super-flat, highly textured landscape, and learning about impressive anti-poaching efforts, fairy circles, and local fauna and flora, like the euphorbia damarana bush (dangerous to everyone but rhinos). "Those [rhinos] are being protected like presidents," said William. The desert-adapted rhinos are another worthwhile goal requiring a dedicated, purposeful pursuit.

It's not all high adventure: Namibian-made gin and tonics are a must during jaw-dropping sunsets, which precede creative dinners. The gorgeous free-form pool might just be the most serene place in Africa, and the six luxury huts are wholly original structures, with bathrooms built around behemoth boulders. Turndown service takes full advantage of the suite's 180 degrees of louvered doors, and staff rolls the plush king bed out onto the panoramic wooden deck for nights spent under the stars.

The remote NamibRand Nature Reserve's landscapes are equally endless, nuanced, and vivid. Kwessi Dunes sits astride a wavy pink dune that provides ample opportunity for relaxed days watching iconic oryx (Namibia's national animal), dazzling zebras, a lone ostrich, and even black-backed jackals drinking in the watering holes by the elevated turquoise pool. The Natural Selection lodge of 12 thatched-roof canvas chalets is prone to unbelievable hourly changes, with the color palette stretching to include neon oranges, cotton-candy pinks, and eerie purples that get more saturated as the days wear on.

Quad bike outings, slow scenic drives, bird-watching, sundowner jaunts, and stargazing (from your outdoor shower-equipped chalet's second bed in Africa's first International Dark Sky Reserve) all lead to special, surreal moments. But a day trip to Sossusvlei in the UNESCO-protected Namib Sand Sea should be a part of every itinerary, too.

Spending time amid this natural wonder — a panorama of colossal coral dunes and salt and clay pans — is far more compelling than even photos suggest. The garland of sculpted sand is breathtaking in the truest sense, especially on the breathless hour-long clamber up a 1,066-foot tall dune called Big Daddy, which is like walking a tightrope made of the finest particles. Up I wobbled, placing my boots in my husband's disappearing footprints like a stair climber melting away. The black diamond-grade descent was even harder, like what I imagine walking in space to feel like. At the bottom, we saw the sun-baked white clay pan of Deadvlei, where ancient camel thorn trees rise like skeletons.

Less than an hour from Windhoek, the physically and spiritually unique Habitas Namibia, which opened in 2021 and marries the concepts of safari and wellness. Arrival involves warm hugs and intention setting around a clay pot of Himba myrrh. The vibe throughout the 15 tented accommodations as well as the bohemian main tent, restaurant, and pool is celebratory, wrapping art, culture, and music into an all-embracing sensory hug.

On this vast lowveld savanna, which is also a commercial farm being rehabilitated and rewilded, guides share knowledge — such as the fun springbok fact that they jump as a sign of happiness and fitness — while navigating roads cautiously. "You can't preach about conservation if you're going to forget about the little animals and their burrows to go see something big," our guide, Shaanika, told us as we gawked at two white rhinoceros through binoculars.

Some days at Habitas begin with hilltop yoga timed to the golden rising sun, while others wrap with meditation in the bush, followed by artisanal sundowners. Johannes, a San guide, tells stories over bonfires and enlightens guests on the tribe's hunter-gatherer practices during nature walks that are like mini survival lessons. Spa therapies incorporate calabash gourds, Eastern modalities, and red hematite body masks à la the iconic Himba women. Creative and local meals are each as nourishing and beautiful as the black wildebeests, giraffes, and elephants down the hill. At this lodge, elements of surprise are integral, joyful, and meditative all at once. Take, for instance, a thrilling music and dance performance by artists who drummed, stomped, chanted, and hip-shook their way against purple skies, melting our inhibitions and raising the energy level of the whole camp. This was the most liberating gift, a way to foster true connection — not just to Namibia's wilderness, but to the wild within us all.