Tucked between the Kalahari and the South Atlantic, Namibia is a country of contrasting landscapes and stark natural beauty - deserts, seascapes, open and boundless bush. Blessed with rich natural resources, a solid modern infrastructure, colourful and diverse people and cultures, it is a beautiful country bursting with potential.

It is a great family destination with good infrastructure and a plethora of activities and attractions. Due to its size and remoteness, Namibia is far quieter in terms of tourists which we think is one of its attractions. You can easily spend a month in the country, and we would advise giving the county at least a week at the bare minimum, unless you are incorporating Namibia in a multi-country trip. You can occupy yourself with superb game viewing, enjoying wonderful dune and desert landscapes and perhaps some relaxing time floating down a river on a canoe. For the more adventurous, Namibia is a favourite calling point on the regional 4x4 circuit, and you won't be short of remote and rugged terrain to put your vehicle through its paces.

Namibia is dominated by the desert and no Namibian holiday would be complete without spending time understanding and appreciating the desert. However, despite first impressions of a somewhat harsh and dry land, Namibia has some of the most pristine, remote and dramatic landscapes in Africa. The country’s major natural features include:
· Sosussvlei - with the planet's highest sand dunes
· The majestic Fish River Canyon
· Etosha National Park - one of the top game viewing spots in Africa
· The famous red Namib Desert - the oldest desert in the world
· The Kalahari Desert - home of the San people

The San, or Bushmen, are accepted as the first inhabitants in the area many centuries ago, and many today still live in a relatively traditional manner, in harmony with nature. About 500 years ago, Bantu immigrants from neighbouring regions began settling around the country. Being a harsh and dry landscape, it wasn't the preferred choice of European settlers, but it was explored by many Europeans in the 19th century. Eventually, the Germans took control and Namibia was known as German South-West Africa, apart from an enclave, Walvis Bay, which was under British rule. Much of this German influence is seen in the architecture, culture and cuisine across the land, and 30,000 German speakers live in Namibia today.

South Africa occupied the colony during World War I and managed it until the end of World War II when it unilaterally annexed the territory, without international recognition. After a long and protracted war with the revolutionary SWAPO organisation, South Africa agreed to end its administration of the region in 1988 and in 1990, Namibia became an independent country. Walvis Bay, which was at this stage part of South Africa, was ceded to Namibia in 1994.

Among the sovereign countries with the lowest population density, Namibia lies in second place, after Mongolia. This encourages many of the population to rely on subsistence agriculture and informal cashless trading. Wildlife conservancies are one of the fastest growing areas of economic development in Namibia. These conservancies are particularly important to the poor and generally unemployed rural population. Namibia is the only country in the world to specifically address conservation and protection of natural resources in its constitution.

Reading:
To find out more about Namibia or to bag some books, dvd's or music for your trip, please take a look at the Mud Hut's Reading List!