Generations of those members that speak with hypnotic clicks and high-pitched dips and thongs; unseen anywhere else in the world.
What stories live within that land down the West African coast, where the oldest desert meets the ocean? Harbouring a 60 000-year-old river that intercepted the Atlantic with the world's second biggest canyon, high dune pan clay under slopping landscapes. Generations of those members that speak with hypnotic clicks and high-pitched dips and thongs; are unseen anywhere else in the world.
If you've been under the strain of busy schedules, and toxic skyscrapers and feel the urge to be in your natural element, do let that ethereal inner spirit out on the beautiful contrast of Gondwana (the designated name given to the ridge that formed The Fish River Canyon some 350 million years ago).
Yes, that was a very long time ago, but the Namib Desert does not hold any prisoners. A wide range of the highest sand dunes that covers an area of about 50k along the entire western coast of Namibia retains its wonder by running side by side with the Atlantic Ocean.
Once you land in the country your immediate experience would be the bustling city of Windhoek, Namibia's capital, a mountainous construct of clean sidewalks and cultured buildings mixed in with a youthful zeal that's discovering its artistic expression through architecture and creative spaces. What separates Windhoek from most cities might be the traditional nature that it carries, despite being a technologically advanced city. There is a balance between its design and social surroundings which germinate through its people.
One of these happens to be a night scene that incorporates clubs, and live performances surrounding inner-city conversations that revolve around fashion, music, art and a general good laugh when needed. Offering hotels with the experience of what Namibia feels like whether that's in the services offered or the people who cater to those needs. As a country, Namibia is one of the very few African countries with peaceful nurture throughout its history despite a long liberation struggle that was realized on 21st March 1990. It has remained relatively peaceful throughout its independence this has allowed a culture of giving and calmness to form part of its identity.
Formulated by the cold breeze of the Benguela current, the coast harbours wrecked ships of the past centuries and populates a sense of discovery for any tourist visiting.
If you are in search of tourist attractions, there is no lacking expenditure for that kind of experience. Depending on the direction you will be travelling from, once you stretch the west coast close to the desert and the ocean. There are innumerable attractions, such as the Namib Naukluft its blue skies accentuated even more by the dust orange dunes that offer singular beauty and peace. Gentle breezes grounded by the Sossusvlei Dunes which are the highlight of the Namib Naukluft across bleached white sand giving you the colourful warmth of the sweeping wilderness of Africa and the Deadvlei. The Skeleton coast has a chilling ring to it and rightfully so, during colonial times when ships were eager to get to India by travelling around the African continent, they required an outpost near the south to the harbour, refill, search for food upon their encounters they met with scrupulous weather, and temperatures unbearable to most people. Formulated by the cold breeze of the Benguela current, the coast harbours wrecked ships of the past centuries and populates a sense of discovery for any tourist visiting, with old colonial backdrops on failed apprehension about the unwilling nature of the coast. It is a testament to the harsh environment that sweeps across the 'The land of the brave'.
If you travel northwest from the capital, enter terrains that create an experience of gravel before arriving at the pit stop of granite stone steps site called Spitzkoppe.
When you finally arrive at two of the coastal towns, Swakopmund or Walvis Bay, you will have an abundance of activities to fulfil your thirst for the outdoors including quad biking across the hilled sand dunes or skydiving down to them. Dune boarding, another fun-filled family activity is very popular not just among tourists but also the locals because of its exhilarating atmosphere. If these are activities that are too physical for you, then opt for a ‘camel ride’, or horse trail adventure through the desert that keeps you close enough to town ensuring that your hotel is a quick dip away from you. Places galore is one of the best words I could use to describe a Namibian adventure, so if the opportunity to visit a country that is unorthodox in its history, people and feel, hop on the next flight to Africa and find the land that meets the sea in the middle of a brave people.