A Namibia adventure,

Experience epic dunes, wildlife and cultures, and capture them perfectly with Nikon, Imagine Africa and South African Airways

With its rippling dunes, wildlife-rich parks and ancient tribal lands, Namibia is Africa’s adventure capital. It’s a country where sandy mountains seamlessly blend into endless wilds and leopards stalk prey through lush bushlands. You can explore the country’s highlights and hidden corners yourself, as you and a friend have a chance to win an 11-night Namibia experience from award-winning specialist tour operator Imagine Africa. The winner will also get to take full advantage of the scenery with a top-of-the-range Nikon D3400 camera.

DESERT HIGHS

Namibia is awash with wild corners, but the capital, Windhoek, is a fitting starting point. Its breezy location – nestled nearly 1,700m above sea level – and laid-back vibe makes it a pleasant spot to explore, and very different to the other, more bustling, African capitals. Its tree-lined boulevards a nod to the German colonists who founded it in 1890, and their façades still sprinkle the city centre.

The rugged Auas Mountains to the south and sloping Khomas Hochland Plateau to the west are just tasters of the wilds that lie beyond, with the shifting sands of Sossusvlei only a five-hour drive away. The latter’s cracked white salt pans dissolve into a sea of amber where 300m-high dunes rise up like huge waves rippling through the Namib Desert. Walking, quad biking and horse riding are all fine ways to absorb the scenery, but arguably floating high above in a hot-air balloon is the best means of getting a true sense of its grand scale, especially as the sands turn a deep red at sunset – an eminently snappable image if there ever was one.

Move up the west coast for another of the country’s wonders: Swakopmund. An old German stronghold, this seaside town is laced with colonial buildings, but its location, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Namib Desert, means it’s now a thrillseeker’s paradise. Tackle everything from sandboarding and surfing to skydiving – an adrenalin-fuelled way to soak in the landscape.

If that isn’t your bag, nearby Walvis Bay provides wildlife-rich views, its lagoon tinged pink with thousands of flamingos. Armies of pelicans, terns and cormorants also flood its waters, and kayaking and catamaran tours slide alongside nearby dolphins and Cape fur seal colonies. Further out to sea, ford the waves beyond for – if you’re very lucky – sightings of humpback and southern right whales, throughout July to November, as well as bobbing leatherback turtles spotted in February and March.

LUSH & ANCIENT

Further north, Damaraland is a tapestry of natural drama, from the peaks of the Brandberg and Spitzkoppe – the latter nicknamed the ‘Matterhorn of Africa’ – to the rock formations of the Etendeka Mountains. Many of these rocky edifices are etched with ancient carvings – Twyfelfontein has an impressive haul – while the Brandberg is splashed with its own fine collection of rock paintings by the San (the indigenous people of Southern Africa).

Towards the country’s northern border, you can track desert-adapted elephant, springbok and black rhino as they patrol the plains of the Kunene region. You can also experience the county’s centuries-old culture first-hand by camping out near the Himba tribe and learning of their traditions.

Nearby also lies the 20,000 sq km Etosha National Park. Here, you’re all but assured wild encounters. Namibia boasts all of the Big 5 game, four of which are found in Etosha; the lion, leopard, rhinoceros and elephant while the buffalo can be found in the Zambezi Region. Park a safe distance from its waterholes and watch on as lions, giraffes and Hartmann’s mountain zebra quench their thirst, while the continent’s largest collection of black rhino also roam here – a perfect setting to capture on camera. It’s not just land-dwelling creatures that will catch your eye. Spy ostriches skipping across the plains, then tilt your head skyward to spy bateleurs and martial eagles soaring above – just a few of the 340 bird species recorded in the park. Meanwhile, its shimmering, sugar-white, 130km-long salt pan – Africa’s largest – is a remarkable sight in itself, so big that it’s visible from space.

Namibia boasts a wealth of wildlife, but it also knows how to look after them too. In between Etosha NP and Windhoek lies Okonjima Nature Reserve, home of the Africat Foundation. Here, you can spend your days tracking cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs and leopards, as well as taking the time to witness the conservation work that the foundation undertakes, working hard to ensure that all the animals here have a bright future. Thankfully, getting to experience this important work – and the rest of the country – has never been easier, thanks to improved Uk-namibia flight connections: South African Airways offers daily overnight flights from Heathrow to Johannesburg on board the new A330-300, with up to three daily onward flights bringing you to Windhoek.

Imagine Africa has focused on crafting trips across the African continent for over ten years, specialising in tailor-made trips and passing on its knowledge to those who travel with them. It’s the ideal way to explore Namibia’s lesser-visited wilds; plus, with a new Nikon camera by your side, you’ll be brilliantly placed to capture its epic landscapes. Many of Namibia’s vistas lie off the beaten track, so you’ll have the chance to delve beneath the skin of this diverse country and capture its untamed scenes crowd-free. The perfect wild escape.