Skeleton Coast, Namibia

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Namibia, as they say is the land of contrasts, and having had first hand experience of this beautiful country, I can agree full heartedly. I visited Namibia in February 2006 with a group of fellow tourism associates, on a mission to learn about the 'Land of Contrasts'.

• Sarah Renshaw
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Running some 300 miles along the ocean the mysterious, misty Skeleton Coast Desert is one of the world’s great natural wonders. Like most deserts, there are not many mammals about but the icy Benguela Current has blessed the shore with a wealth of marine life. The cold Atlantic Ocean current is full of fish and that means plenty of sea birds and seals. The combination of cool moist air drawn in over baking sand and gravel produces dense mists to which some species of vegetation have uniquely adapted. The strong pounding surf has wrecked over 100 vessels along this coast and the wrecks make for some very interesting and eerie sights. Marking the gateway to this spectacular area lies the natural harbour of Walvis Bay and its adjacent settlement. Here Dutch, German and British colonialists have left their mark and now it is a convenient base to pick up a 4x4 vehicle and head north to explore. But this is not a trip to be taken lightly. If the Skeleton Coast is not dry as a bone it’s a torrent of flash floods.

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