ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

Although home to 17 national parks and reserves, Etosha – which means Great White Place – is Namibia’s best-known and also acts as the country’s flag-ship game-viewing sanctuary. Its translated name refers to the Etosha Pan, a shimmering salt pan that makes up the centrepiece of this region.

Both natural and man-made watering holes attract a huge variety of game into an open landscape, but it’s the Etosha Pan that visitors really want to see. A vast yet shallow depression, the pan is one of Africa’s most magical spots for game viewing. For much of the year it’s a striking expanse of white, cracked mud that attracts hordes of game.

Entrance to the park is strictly between sunrise and sunset. There are three NWR rest camps in the park for those who wish to stay inside it and take advantage of the guided night drives available, as well as the floodlit watering holes that are attached to the camps.

NAMIB-NAUKLUFT PARK

Covering almost 50,000 sq km in the central southern sector of the country, Namib-Naukluft is one of the largest national parks in Africa

Here you’ll find the oldest desert on earth

Entrance to the park is strictly between sunrise and sunset

Namib-Naukluft is renowned for its rolling sand dunes, deep river valleys, dramatic mountain outcrops and shimmering pans. Its stark plains come alive during the rains as they transform with thick grass and creeping yellow flowers that attract herd upon herd of gemsbok, springbok and Hartmann’s mountain zebra

The mammoth dunes at Sossusvlei make up the most iconic image of the park and is also the number one attraction for tourists to Namibia, known for being the highest sand dunes in the world. Having climbed the dunes to their heart’s content, visitors can enjoy a well-earned picnic brunch in Sossusvlei’s camping area

A hot air balloon ride over the dunes at sunrise makes for the most memorable way to experience Sossusvlei and is perfect for any clients looking to celebrate a special occasion. Trips can be booked in advance and often include a luxury champagne brunch – perfect for honeymooners

Top tip: to see Namibia’s giant dunes of Sossusvlei at their best, tell clients to head to the park early. In the early morning light, they are ten times more atmospheric than when the sun comes up and the light is flatter – it’s also a good way of ensuring that clients aren’t in the desert during the heat of midday sun

FISH RIVER CANYON PARK

A seasoned trekker’s dream, Fish River National Park is the largest canyon in Africa and the 2nd largest canyon in the world. It boasts hot springs and a tricky hiking terrain.

• Straddling the Orange River on Namibia’s southern border, visitors will find the Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, a conservation area shared with South Africa
• The park includes the Ai-Ais Hot Springs Resort and Huns Mountains, which have been incorporated into one conservation area. Its highlight, however, is the Fish River Canyon Park, the second largest canyon in the world after the USA’s Grand Canyon in Arizona
• The Fish River Canyon is nothing short of magnificent. Its immense rock strata of purples, greys and pinks formed over hundreds of millions of years stretch for an incredible 161km
• Although one of Africa’s top natural wonders, it’s little visited and little commercialised meaning that visitors can often see it in complete solitude!

THE SKELETON COAST

One of Namibia’s most renowned attractions, The Skeleton Coast Park and Wilderness Areas protects about one-third of the country’s wild coastline. Here, Namibia’s iconic dunes are replaced by gravel and rock for around 250 kilometres before the giant dunes return again.

• The swirling fogs and treacherous currents that have claimed so many ships over the years are what gave this coastline its unnerving name, but wrecks are now few and far between
• At first glance, it seems a desolate and barren place – all part of its ghostly attraction – but it’s actually where some of the most remarkable wildlife on earth has evolved
• A network of rivers, with their rich supply of food and water, sustain large numbers of the numerous species that live in the region – think elephant, giraffe, black rhino and lion, as well as many smaller species like springbok, ostrich and gemsbok
• The most northern accommodation that it is possible to reach by car in the Skeleton Coast Park is located in Terrace Bay which is about 322km north of Henties Bay, a popular place for angling
• One of the best ways to view this attraction is from above, via a light aircraft. Sunset flights are particularly popular and can be easily pre-booked in Swakopmund, the official gateway to the Skeleton Coast