Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
NORTHWESTERN NAMIBIA
For those who like to take a walk (or even a drive) on the wild side, northwestern Namibia
is a stark, desolate environment where some of the most incredible landscapes imaginable
lie astride 4WD tracks. Along the Skeleton Coast, seemingly endless expanses of foggy
beach are punctuated by rusting shipwrecks and flanked by wandering dunes. Here, travel-
lers are left entirely alone to bask in this riveting isolation, bothered only by the concern of
whether their vehicles can survive the journey unscathed.
Not to be outdone by the barren coastline, the Kaokoveld is a photographer's dream-
scape of wide-open vistas, lonely desert roads and hardly another person around to ruin
your shot. A vast repository of desert mountains, this is one of the least developed regions
of the country, and arguably Namibia at its most primeval. The Kaokoveld is also the an-
cestral home of the Himba people, a culturally rich tribal group that has retained its striking
appearance and dress.
And then there's Damaraland, home to the Brandberg Massif, Namibia's highest peak,
and Twyfelfontein, which together contain some of Southern Africa's finest prehistoric
rock paintings and engravings. A veritable window into the past, these two sites help to il-
luminate the hidden inner workings of our collective forebears, who roamed the African sa-
vannah so many eons ago.
Geography
Northwestern Namibia is synonymous with the Skeleton Coast, a formidable desert coast-
line engulfed by icy breakers. As one moves inland, the sinister fogs give way to the won-
drous desert wilderness of Damaraland and the Kaokoveld. The former is known for its
unique geological features, including volcanic mounds, petrified forests, red-rock mesas
and petroglyph-engraved sandstone slabs. The latter is known as one of the last great wil-
dernesses in Southern Africa. Despite their unimaginably harsh conditions, both regions are
also rich in wildlife, which have adapted to the arid environment and subsequently thrived.
Getting Around
Since there is virtually no public transport anywhere in the region, and hitching is practic-
ally impossible, the best way to explore northwestern Namibia is with a private vehicle. A
2WD vehicle is suitable for the sealed highway to Opuwo, as well as the graded dirt C-
roads and most D-roads in Damaraland. However, be advised that the roads in the
