Namibia

Namibia is less about density of wildlife than about space, light and the animals that have adapted to some of the driest country on earth. It is also Africa’s best self-drive safari destination.

Etosha National Park

Etosha is built around a vast salt pan. In the dry season, from about June to October, animals gather at waterholes — elephant, black rhino, lion, giraffe and big herds of plains game — and you can watch from your vehicle or from floodlit waterholes at the rest camps after dark. Good roads make it ideal for self-drive.

Damaraland

A rugged landscape of red rock and dry riverbeds, home to desert-adapted elephants and black rhino. Rhino tracking on foot with expert trackers, often run with community conservancies, is one of Namibia’s great experiences.

The Skeleton Coast and Sossusvlei

Fog, shipwrecks and seal colonies on the Skeleton Coast; towering red dunes at Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert. Not classic safari, but unforgettable — and most Namibia itineraries include both.

Self-drive or guided?

Namibia’s roads, signage and network of lodges make self-drive straightforward for confident drivers, with distances that are long but manageable. Fly-in safaris save time and reach remote areas like the Skeleton Coast. Many travelers mix the two.

When to go

May to October is dry and cooler, with the best game viewing in Etosha from July to October. The summer rains, around December to March, bring dramatic skies, newborn animals and fewer visitors. See when to go.