Bordering on South Africa, Namibia’s southern region has a lot to offer in terms of wild desert landscapes and outdoors activities, from canoeing on the Orange River through the other-worldly desert scenery of the |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park to the jaw-dropping majesty of the Fish River Canyon, Africa’s largest canyon.

Southern Namibia may not be a prime safari destination but what it lacks in famous wildlife it makes up for in sublime desert scenery: sandy plains dotted with quiver trees, jagged granite mountains, and imposing rock formations. The standout highlight of southern Namibia is the Fish River Canyon, but the rest of the |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park is also full of desert wonders, including the richest diversity of succulent flora in the world. On the coast, Lüderitz is an intriguing colonial town, while nearby Kolmanskop, a ghost town, is one of Namibia’s most photographed places and lies on the edge of the Sperrgebiet National Park, Namibia’s newest national park. Most of the park, a diamond mining area that was closed to the public for a century, remains inaccessible, but travellers can now visit on guided expeditions to explore a rich succulent biome, a huge rock arch and two mysterious ghost towns. At Namibia’s border with South Africa, the Orange River meanders its way through wild desert landscapes. Taking a paddle down the river in canoe for a few hours or a few days is the perfect way of taking in this southern beauty at a slow pace. Further north, the NamibRand Nature Reserve is a vast concession on the edge of the Namib-Naukluft National Park where you see desert wildlife such as oryx and springbok against a backdrop of apricot-coloured dunes and silvery plains.