Introducing Southern Namibia
If you’re beginning a regional odyssey in South Africa, one of the best ways to approach Namibia is from South Africa's vast Northern Cape, crossing the border into the infinite, desert-rich south of the country. Once in Namibia, the landscape, noticeably starker than its southern neighbour, is tinged with a lunar feel from the scattered rocky debris, and is marked from the irrepressible movement of the oldest sand dunes on the planet.
Although the tourist trail in Namibia firmly swings north towards Etosha National Park, the deserts of Southern Namibia sparkle beneath the sun – quite literally – as they’re filled with millions of carats of diamonds.
The port of Lüderitz has long been a traveller’s favourite. A surreal colonial relic that has largely disregarded the 21st century, Lüderitz clings fiercely to its European roots, with traditional German architecture set against a backdrop of fiery sand dunes and deep blue seas.
Your first sight of Fish River Canyon will, more than any place in Namibia, leave you with feelings of awe and grandeur – it is Mother Earth at its very finest. One of the largest canyons in the world, it’s also one of the most spectacular sights in the whole of Africa.
Activities in Southern Namibia
Lüderitz
Before travelling to Lüderitz, pause for a moment to study the country map, and you’ll realise the fact that the town is sandwiched between the barren Namib Desert and the windswept South Atlantic coast.
Fish River Canyon National Park
Nowhere else in Africa will you find anything quite like Fish River Canyon.
Southern Namibia destination guides
Gondwana Cañon Park
Founded in 1996, the 100,000-hectare Gondwana Cañon Park was created by amalgamating several former sheep farms and removing the fences to restore the wilderness country immediately northeast of |Ai- |Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park.
Hotels in Southern Namibia
Budget Hotels & Hostels in Southern Namibia
Guesthouses and B&Bs in Southern Namibia
Noordoewer
Noordoewer sits astride the Orange River, which has its headwaters in the Drakensberg Mountains of Natal (South Africa) and forms much of the boundary between Namibia and South Africa.
Duwisib Castle
A curious neo-baroque structure located about 70km south of Maltahöhe smack dab in the middle of the barren desert, this European castle is smaller than some grandiose descriptions suggest and really worth a stop only if you’re passing by.
Shopping in Southern Namibia