Adventure in Namibia

 Last month we focused on Uganda, and this month, we're turning to the wild and captivating country of Namibia, also called "The Land of Many Faces."

Here are my thoughts on where to stay and what to do, plus a sample itinerary that pulls it all together! I hope you enjoy this highlight, and I hope you keep dreaming of Africa.

OKONJIMA LUXURY BUSH CAMP - OKONJIMA Home of the AfriCat Foundation, which is focused on educating Namibia's youth and on research projects vital to wildlife conservation, Okonjima Bush Camp is an excellent place to see leopard, brown hyena and pangolins in the wild. The camp offers eight thatched chalets offering unrestricted views of the savannah.  ONGUMA THE FORT - ETOSHA Known for its African feel with Moroccan touches, The Fort's 11 suites and 1 honeymoon suite are all perfectly situated for beautiful sunset views over the Etosha Pans. Each suite features a spacious bedroom and dressing area, and an en-suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers. LITTLE ONGAVA - ETOSHA  Opened in June 2021, Little Ongava is perhaps the most luxurious accommodation in Namibia, with just three luxury villas, each with its own plunge pool. It is an excellent area for viewing lion, white and black rhino, and plains game. SHIPWRECK LODGE - SKELETON COAST Perhaps the most Instagrammable lodging on this list, the Shipwreck Lodge is home to 10 shipwreck-shaped cabins with a view of the Atlantic Ocean, each with its own deck for enjoying the scenery. Quadbiking, sandboarding, and otherwise exploring the surrounding dunes is a highlight of your stay here. HOANIB SKELETON COAST Hoanib is home to 8 luxury tented suites and is totally solar powered. It is an excellent spot to explore the Skeleton Coast and encounter a wide variety of desert-adapted wildlife, including elephants, lions, hyenas, giraffe, cheetah and more. ONDULI RIDGE - DAMARALAND Named after the resident giraffe of the area, Onduli Ridge is tucked away in a granite outcrop and features excellent views of Namibia's tallest mountain. The camp, which opened in Dec. 2020, is home to six open-air suites, each with king-size beds that can be rolled out for a night under the stars. DAMARALAND CAMP Home to 10 elevated thatched rooms, each with a large deck. From Damaraland Camp, visitors can participate in rhino tracking on a drive with Save the Rhino as they monitor and track the desert-adapted black rhino. HUAB UNDER CANVAS - DAMARALAND With eight elevated en-suite tents designed for exclusive use, Huab Under Canvas offers one of the smallest environmental footprints of any camp in Namibia. This remote outpost is an excellent place for sleeping under the stars, exploring ancient rock art, tracking desert-adapted elephants and black rhinos, and more. STRAND HOTEL SWAKOPMUND The Strand Hotel, built in 2015, had the Atlantic Ocean on three sides, meaning many of its rooms offer uninterrupted sea views. It is a large property, with 125 rooms and four restaurants. SONOP - NAMIB-NAUKLUFT NATIONAL PARK Opened in July 2019, Sonop is home to 10 tented suites constructed on top of granite boulders and surrounded by 13,800 private acres. Wake up with a desert yoga experience, explore the desert by foot, electric bike, or horseback, or take a night walk under the innumerable stars. LITTLE KULALA CAMP - NAMIB-NAUKLUFT NATIONAL PARK Totally solar-powered, the recently refurbished Little Kulala is home to 11 climate-controlled suites, each with its own plunge pool. A roll-out bed on the suite's rooftop is the perfect spot for an afternoon nap or starry sleep-out. And with a private entrance to Namib-Naukluft, the dunes of Sossusvlei and the panoramas of Dead Vlei are at your fingertips. CAMP SOSSUS - NAMIB-NAUKLUFT NATIONAL PARK Just six tented guest rooms make up Camp Sossus, which offers a true immersion into the privacy, intimacy and exhilaration of the surrounding desert. Days can be spent visiting the Sossusvlei dunes and the Great Namib Sand Sea, mountain biking, and taking nature drives and nature walks. Star beds make it possible to sleep under a blanket of stars above your tent. WOLWEDANS DUNE LODGE - NAMIBRAND At Dune Lodge, six tents are situated on wooden platforms with generous decks, all arranged on the edge of a 25-meter-high dune. Activities include scenic drives, sundowners in the desert, a village tour, a star safari, a Bushman walk, and e-biking through the desert. &BEYOND SOSSUSVLEI DESERT LODGE - NAMIBRAND Sossusvlei Desert Lodge offers the ultimate in desert luxury, with its 10 spacious chalets constructed of stone and glass. A resident astronomer and on-site observatory make this an excellent stop for travelers interested in the night sky. And even for just casual observers, a stargazing skylight above the bed makes stargazing simple.  OMAANDA - WINDHOEK This stunning luxury boutique lodge is home to 10 thatch and clay huts and perhaps one of the continent's best spas. Activities include conservation drives, private savannah watch, meerkat encounter, and rhino, elephant, or carnivore tracking. It is the ideal place to relax and restore at the end of a long journey. OLIVE EXCLUSIVE - WINDHOEK Located just minutes from the center of Windhoek, the Olive Exclusive is another great place to relax and recuperate, either after a long flight or after a long journey through Namibia. This boutique hotel offers just seven custom-designed, contemporary suites, each with a lounge area and private dining room. Premier Suites offer views over the olive grove and valley plus a private plunge pool.