Today I get to show off my favorite images from Namibia and I couldn’t be more excited!

I originally intend to visit this country later on in my travels but am told that “Namibia in October is a suicide mission” because of the heat, so I revise my plans. I contact Acacia Africa — who I thoroughly enjoyed traveling with in Kenya and Uganda — and they very kindly offer to host me on a 12-day Namibia Cape Desert Safari tour leaving in TWO days. I book a ticket from Johannesburg to Windhoek (Namibia’s capital city) and fly the next morning.

And guess what? Riaan and Juliana, my guides from the Kenya / Uganda trip, are also leading this tour! I knew they were headed south towards Cape Town around this juncture because I ran into Riaan at a campground in Botswana a few weeks earlier (talk about a small world) and I am thrilled to reunite with them in Namibia.

This is our group of campers — a fine-looking and friendly bunch!

I’m happy to hop back on Tana (Acacia names its trucks after African rivers), as it’s a spacious and cozy overland vehicle. There’s even a little library in the back where I go through four books in under two weeks.

After two quick nights in a Joburg hostel prior to this tour, it’s back to camping for me. Below, Rachel and Jeremy race to see who can hang this tent the fastest (I should mention that they are putting up my tent without me lifting a finger, so I think I won this game).

And our introduction night… where we take turns telling the group about ourselves and then do a mystery shot (which is 96% alcohol and burns the whole way down). It’s a fun ice-breaker evening.

Our first stop on the trip is Etosha National Park a few hours north of Windhoek. We’re here for two nights and do several game drives in our overland truck.

On the first afternoon we come across this elephant who has fully bathed himself in mud at a watering hole.

And we spot this rhino in close proximity:

A male and female lion sip from this water hole as other animals look on, respecting their status as king and queen of the wild.

Sunset is a major event each night. We gather in a lookout tower as the sun goes down…

… and then move to the most popular water hole in the park.

Benches and bleachers form a semi-circle around this water hole where guests can enjoy the wildlife show 24/7; there’s even a flood light to illuminate the area in the wee hours. It’s not unusual to swing by in the middle of the night on the way to the loo just to scope out the creatures congregating here.

On the first night, we witness multiple herds of elephants tussle for their turn at the water hole.

Giraffes wait in the distance, nervous to approach until the other animals have dissipated.

I return around 10pm to find a whole crowd of creatures gathered — a bachelor elephant, three rhinos, four giraffes, and a handful of oryx sip water in companionable silence.

After bidding adieu to Etosha, our group moves on to the Cheetah Farm. There’s a pool with a giant tree looming over it, just begging for a group photo. So we oblige.

Later that afternoon it’s cheetah time…

Hello there, little one! We make the rounds to feed them…

… and then we get to PLAY with them!! A few are deemed safe for human interaction and they lick our hands as we pet them. They truly are big cats. Here’s Julia from Brazil posing with one:

And I attempt a cheetah selfie… the best kind of selfie.

Some nighttime shots from camp. As usual, Juliana’s food is a perk of the tour. She whips up the tastiest dishes over a campfire.

Our next stop is perhaps my favorite part of the whole itinerary — we camp at the base of these giant rocks in Spitzkoppe and the landscape is jaw-dropping.

Here’s the view from the drop toilet… this place is breathtaking from every angle.

And there are baby meerkats! Jess poses with one:

We’re in a celebratory mood this evening because Riaan and Juliana have declared tonight African Christmas.

Julia makes a popular Brazilian drink with help from Janine, Jessica, and Carly to share with the group.

After dinner, we take turns opening gifts under the ‘Christmas tree’ — a bush draped with a string of lights, rigged by Riaan. Earlier that day we all purchased $2 gifts at souvenir shops and then wrapped them with natural elements (leaves, twigs, reeds, etc.). Maurice is appointed Father Christmas and dons an appropriately red top and smothers his beard in shaving cream to appear more Santa-esque. This is a super fun night.

And then we ditch the tents and camp out under the stars. It’s nearly a full moon so we don’t need flashlights to walk around.

The next day we drive a short distance to Swakopmund, the Namibian city where Angelina Jolie gave birth to daughter Shiloh several years ago, far away from the paparazzi. It’s got a distinctive German feel due to its colonial roots and could practically pass as a European village if it weren’t for the giant sand dunes within view of the city. A few of us spend the afternoon on a quad bike tour to see the dunes up close. It’s my first time on a quad bike and it’s SO MUCH FUN. Also a little scary as we crest the dunes and then drop down the other side like it’s a roller coaster ride.

Lisa shows off her mad photo jumping skills as the dunes stretch out behind her.

These dunes are endless… it’s mesmerizing to stare at the shadows and light on the horizon, trying to discern where the dunes end and the sky begins.

Since Swakopmund is right on the ocean we enjoy seafood meals.

While some of us are off quad biking, the rest of the group goes sky diving! We watch everyone’s videos in the hostel bar before heading out to dinner.

After two delightful days in Swakopmund, we head to our next stop. En route we pass the Tropic of Capricorn… and all of us are like, “What’s that again?” Turns out it’s the southernmost point where the sun passes directly overhead.

Sossusvlei is our next destination, and it’s perhaps the most photographed site in Namibia. It’s home to dozens of protected sand dunes and this dead lake:

We walk down for a closer look. It’s enormous.

The next morning we get up well before sunrise to pack up the tents and drive to Dune 45. We climb to the top just as the sun peeks out to say good morning.

I took this shot after we’d climbed back down — it shows off the path that snakes along the spine of the dune.

The highlights keep coming — we stop at Fish River Canyon the following day, which is a double canyon, or a canyon inside of another canyon. Check out the depth of this place:

There are hot springs nearby and we detour for an afternoon of swimming and relaxation.

And we make homemade pizzas for dinner that night. Our guides are the best.

There’s only two nights left and both of them are spectacular. We stay on the Namibian side of the Orange River at one of the prettiest campgrounds I’ve ever encountered:

I experiment with some night photography after dark:

The following day we cross into South Africa and stay at Cedeberg, a winery and campground. They do a wine tasting for $7… we’re all in.

Since this is our last night on tour, we celebrate a successful trip with many drinks, a fog machine, lots of dancing, and a human pyramid.

We wake up the next morning to this view:

And then we drive to Cape Town where our tour officially concludes.

I’m ready to call Namibia my favorite country in Africa (so far). What an incredible journey with outstanding guides and tour mates! I am SO glad this trip worked out at the last minute. These are lifetime memories.

Many thanks to Acacia Africa for discounting my 12-day Namibia Cape Desert Safari trip in exchange for blogging and photography services. Opinions are my own.