NAMIBIA

Bordering the Atlantic on southwest Africa’s shores, Namibia is named for its sprawling ancient desert, the Khoekhoe word Namib meaning vast place. Renowned for its wild, arresting landscapes, it is a large yet sparsely populated destination of shifting sands, rolling savannahs, untamed coastlines and spectacular night skies.

Many travellers start in capital city Windhoek, where German colonial landmarks include 19th-century fortress Alte Feste. The famous Sossusvlei salt and clay pan is surrounded by Namibia’s soaring red dunes, which are among the tallest on earth, with some measuring more than 300 metres (1,000 feet) high and 32 kilometres (20 miles) long. Venture to Damaraland to discover the shipwrecks and seal colonies of the Skeleton Coast a short drive away, before heading inland to marvel at the eerie Petrified Forest, thought to be 280 million years old. There is also an abundance of fauna to delight wildlife lovers, from the oryx and hyenas roaming the Namib desert to the famous Big Five dwelling in Etosha National Park.