Local Foreigner team members Kelly Brennan, Alex Erdman Ely, Meg Nolan, Brianna DeRose, and Camilla Catlin in Deadvlei, Namibia

This fall, five members of the Local Foreigner team made the trek to one of the places that appears on every travel advisor’s bucket list - Namibia. Sometimes called “The Land God Made in Anger,” it’s built on superlatives - home to the world’s oldest desert, the tallest sand dune, and the largest population of cheetahs you’ll find anywhere.

Namibia is a destination that captures the imagination because of its vastness and desolation - this is one of the least populated places on earth, with a density average of about three people per kilometer (though more than half the country’s population lives in cities, so it feels even emptier than that.) It’s a haven for photographers, hikers, and landscape enthusiasts, who are drawn to the otherworldly expanses of sand and rugged Skeleton Coast. Stargazers will be in heaven here, as will artists, meditators, and adventure junkies (there’s no better place to ride a quad.) And while you’re not here for the game viewing, which is much sparser than in other sub-Saharan African countries, it is a fascinating add-on to a game-rich safari destination like South Africa or neighboring Botswana.

It takes commitment to visit Namibia, but the Local Foreigner team is nothing if not committed - read on for the highlights from their adventures at the end of the earth.

The adventure began at Omaanda, a tranquil retreat nestled in the Zannier Reserve, just outside Windhoek, where the thatched-roof lodges offer sweeping views of the surrounding plains dotted with acacia trees. “We absolutely LOVED Omaanda! It is such a great first or last stop on any Namibia itinerary,” Camilla Catlin says, “Because it’s close to the airport, but is so special and authentic - it’s not at all like an ‘airport hotel.’ The food & service were excellent, maybe the best of our entire trip, and the rooms were beautiful.”

Omaanda sits on a 22,000 acre private reserve, and there is the opportunity for game viewing here, with the team spotting rhino and lion on their way in from the airport, as though they were a welcoming committee. The main gathering space on property is around the dramatic infinity pool, which reflects the endless sunsets above as the days draw to a close; think skies ablaze with golds and reds, which also act as the perfect backdrop for a candlelit dinner overlooking endless expanse of savanna.

From the calm plains of Omaanda, the journey led to the iconic &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, in the heart of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The Namib Desert is home to the enormous red dunes that grace all the postcard images of Namibia, and the lodge’s striking architecture, with its stone walls and expansive glass windows, is built to maximize the otherworldly views in the most luxurious way. “&Beyond Sossusvlei is the most luxurious lodge in Namibia. The setting is dramatic and desolate, and this ‘lodge’ is a true 5 star hotel in the Namib Desert. This is the closest thing you'll find to an African Amangiri,” Kelly Brennan raves.

With its salt pans and the skeletal remains of camel thorn trees, Sossusvlei is a photographer's paradise. The mysterious fairy circles, circular patches of grass spaced evenly across the desert, add an eerie touch. When it rains (which is incredibly rare, considering Namibia is in the middle of a seven-year drought), the pans transform into a vibrant oasis, attracting thousands of waterbirds and bursting with wildflowers. “This is what people are thinking of when they picture Namibia - the red dunes, the petrified trees. If you make one stop in Namibia, this is it,“ Kelly continues.

Desert adventures abound here - visitors can climb the iconic Big Daddy and Big Mama dunes, visit the thousand-year old forest of Deadvlei, or explore the dunes by foot and quad bike on the Desert Spirit Experience. ATV rides and helicopter tours offer breathtaking perspectives of the dunes, with possible extended excursions to the coast, and &Beyond is the only property in the area with a helipad.

But even with all the action outside, the &Beyond in-room details did not go unnoticed. “There is a ROBUST minibar setup in each room, complete with a freezer stocked with fruit ice and pints of homemade ice cream…a first for all of us,” Kelly says.

The next leg of the journey took the group to the stark beauty of Damaraland and Desert Rhino Camp, a rustic tented camp set in a dramatic desert landscape surrounded by rocky mountains and wide plains. Damaraland’s dramatic, barren landscape is home to desert-adapted wildlife, including elephants, rhinos, lions, and zebras, and key attractions include a 280-million-year-old petrified forest, the ancient rock art at Twyfelfontein, and the Brandberg Mountain, Namibia's highest peak, which is adorned with thousands of prehistoric paintings.

“The unique offering here is being able to track rhinos on foot, as Wilderness Safaris works in conjunction with Save the Rhino Trust,” says Brianna DeRose. The camp’s unique focus on desert-adapted rhinos meant the team was able to join expert guides in tracking these incredible creatures, and the vast, rocky plains and dry riverbeds were a reminder of the resilience of life in such an extreme climate. Evenings were spent around the campfire, under a sky dotted with stars, listening to the distant calls of jackals.

From the harsh desert, the next adventure was to one of Namibia's most remote and extraordinary landscapes: the Skeleton Coast. Their first stop was Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, in remote Kaokoveld. The fully solar-powered camp offers game drives along riverbeds teeming with desert-adapted wildlife, and the camp's research center provides further insights, making it a great stop for a true desert wonk. The rugged Skeleton Coast, with shipwrecks and seal colonies, is accessible by a day trip drive or flight. “This is a great place for naturalists who are hoping to see desert adapted lions or brown hyenas - they’re elusive, but sometimes the thrill of the hunt is the best part,” says Meg Nolan.

Continuing their westward trip toward the Skeleton Coast, the team arrived next at the famed Shipwreck Lodge, the photos of which are always showing up lists of the world’s most remote and dramatic hotels. Rooms are modeled after a shipwreck and featured rusted steel, driftwood, and weathered textures that made them feel like part of the coastline itself.

The Skeleton Coast, with its harsh seas and barren shoreline, is one of the most remote and arid places on Earth. The name “Skeleton Coast” originates from whale and seal bones, remnants of the whaling industry, and hundreds of shipwrecks. Stretching from Swakopmund to the Kunene River, it has long been a feared, desolate frontier, and the sounds of the Atlantic crashing against the shore, mixed with the eerie quiet of the desert, add to the surreal atmosphere. For Meg, a visit to the Skeleton Coast was the realization of a 25-year-old dream. “This is one of those ‘ends of the earth’ places where, once you arrive, you can’t quite believe you’re finally there.”

“The dunes near Shipwreck Lodge are incredible - one of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen,” says Camilla. “We did a lot of ATVing while we were in Namibia, and this was the coolest version.”

For the final stop, their journey took a dramatic turn, heading north to the lush Kunene River to Serra Cafema Camp. Tucked into the trees along the Kunene River, Serra Cafema is one of southern Africa’s most remote camps, and the eight elevated chalets, crafted from wood, canvas, and thatch, blend seamlessly with the environment, snaking on platforms along the banks of the Kunene River.

The river forms Namibia’s northern border with Angola, flowing from Angola’s lush highlands through one of Earth’s driest regions, before reaching the Atlantic. Vital to the nomadic Himba people, the river offers birdwatching, river rafting, and cultural encounters. The main attraction is the stunning Epupa Falls, a series of waterfalls up to 37 meters high and spanning a mile wide.

After more than a week during which the only people they encountered were lodge staff members and guides, Serra Cafema provided the perfect opportunity for the team to learn about the culture of the Himba people, whose nomadic lifestyle in the region has remained largely unchanged for centuries. They spent an afternoon with the local tribe, dancing and laughing. And one afternoon, they were surprised with an international sundowners stop, hopping across the river to the contrasting green banks of Angola for a gin and tonic. “Serra Cafema was the true highlight of the trip - we were able to connect with the Himba tribe in an authentic and substantial way that was unlike anything I have ever experienced traveling,” Alex Erdman Ely says. “The Kunene Valley is lush and green, which was such a nice change in scenery from the desertscapes which you see in most of the country.”

Namibia is a rarified travel destination - it sits with places like Antarctica, Bhutan, and Easter Island on the bingo card or bucket list of the serious adventurer. “Namibia is lots of flying, lots of driving, not a lot of game. It’s all about the beautiful landscapes, the people, and being in nature,” Alex says. “We didn’t fly over a single town or village - it’s so vast that it almost became a running joke. Namibia is so special because of the lack of tourists. It is one of my top 10 destinations, and I would love to go back, especially to Serra Cafema or Sossusvlei at some point with my children.”

Local Foreigner in Namibia