FOCUS Namibia

Well rested and after a hearty breakfast on the lodge terrace, we set off on our photography excursion. An initial briefing provides a thorough introduction and test drive with our vehicles, covering driving techniques and GPS navigation, so that we can navigate safely on Namibia’s (left-hand) roads and gravel tracks.

The journey continues through the western foothills of the Kalahari, past the green oasis of Stampriet, where artesian wells enable vegetable cultivation and where the Auob River turns eastwards. Here begins an interesting journey up and down the orange-red dune belts. Finally, travelling over gentle hills and vast open spaces, we arrive in the characteristic landscape around Keetmanshoop. The ‘Giant’s Playground’ – a collection of wondrously piled-up boulders – and the famous Quiver tree forest with its tree-sized aloes are our destinations for today. Both the Giant’s Playground and the Quiver Tree Forest are photographic highlights. The programme here includes not only the sunset and ‘available light’ (twilight) photography, but above all the chance to capture the breathtaking starry sky with the unique silhouettes of the quiver trees – guaranteed to produce truly exceptional images...

We leave the Fish River Canyon and head west towards Aus. We are treated to a wide variety of scenery, including diverse desert landscapes, canyons and mountain ranges. Today’s destination offers a wealth of natural and scenic subjects, as well as a fantastically clear night sky. The expansive grounds of ‘Klein Aus Vista’, with their diverse mountain and rock formations, offer unique opportunities to capture this epic landscape. We’ll have the chance to visit areas that are off-limits to other guests.

The anticipation of the first glow in the sky, long before the golden light of the rising sun, drives true photographers out of bed early. We start the day feeling as though we’ve woken up in the Wild West. Today’s route takes us northwards; we drive through the marvellous play of colours across the seemingly endless expanse of the Namib Desert and its mountain ranges on the outskirts of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Our destination is the incredibly high sand dunes of the world’s oldest desert. Our next desert lodge awaits us near Sesriem Canyon.

After breakfast, we set off towards ‘civilisation’, fill up with petrol in Solitaire and cross the Gaub River, pass the Tropic of Capricorn, descend into the Kuiseb Canyon and follow the rough gravel track for 150 km through the desolate silence of the northern Namib-Naukluft National Park, which stretches all the way to the roaring Atlantic Ocean. The vast landscape, which is only seemingly lifeless, constantly surprises us with sightings of oryx, springbok, ostriches and mountain zebras. Just off the coast, high belts of dunes rise up once more and the air becomes noticeably fresher. In Swakopmund, our guesthouse awaits us close to the beach. During our first sightseeing tour of the town, we can practise our street photography...

From Swakopmund, the route takes us northwards along the Atlantic coast through Dorob National Park on a good road, offering a lasting impression of Namibia’s coastal landscapes along the ‘Skeleton Coast’ – whose apparent hostility to life, from a human perspective, may belie the unique, sensitive habitat it provides for many rare plants, small animals and breeding birds. Heading inland, we make our way to the magnificent Spitzkoppe, which rises up from the flat semi-desert landscape. It is Namibia’s ‘Matterhorn’. The easiest tracks allow us to drive through the bizarre, imposing and extremely photogenic granite formations… and right in the middle of it all lies our next accommodation. From there, we can capture the spectacular scenery in the very best light and photograph the starry sky.

Today, the route takes us along picturesque gravel roads through the Erongo region to the small town of Omaruru. Our destination is the mighty Etjo Table Mountain, visible from afar, near which our next lodge is situated. A place that seamlessly combines wilderness, history and African tranquillity. A safari in the vast private game reserve is sure to be one of the most memorable experiences of our tour. A good telephoto lens really comes into its own here, allowing you to capture stunning photos of Namibian big game.