Currently in Guadeloupe    

Namibia is a spectacular country for those who love nature and open spaces. From the Namib Desert to the Etosha National Park as well as the Fish River Canyon, the landscapes seem giant and pure, and the many carvings etched onto the rocks thousands of years ago across the country add a cultural element to the mix.

What’s more, you can find many wild animals in the natural parks, but not just there! This proves that the environment can be protected even in the heart of society – or, taken even further, used as a tool of social and economic development.

(For greater viewing comfort, double-click on the gallery to open it in full screen mode)

Twyfelfontein engraved rocks

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Carved in Rock…The Ruins of Twyfelfontein

Engravings in the rocks of Twyfelfontein









The discovery of bones and tools dating from the Stone Age
indicates a very ancient human presence in this region of the world
In any case, the oldest traces of African rock art are found in Namibia, some dating from 26000 B.C.

At the Twyfelfontein archeological site, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
you can find roughly 2500 carvings which were probably created during shamanic rites
by hunter-gatherer peoples around 6000 years ago.









The discovery of bones and tools dating from the Stone Age
indicates a very ancient human presence in this region of the world
In any case, the oldest traces of African rock art are found in Namibia, some dating from 26000 B.C.

At the Twyfelfontein archeological site, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
you can find roughly 2500 carvings which were probably created during shamanic rites
by hunter-gatherer peoples around 6000 years ago.

Petroglyphs - Twyfelfontein

Sand house in Kolmanskop ghost village

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The Sands of Time at Kolmanskop

Sand house in the Kolmanskop ghost village







Even though the region has been home to the San peoples
and other ethnic groups from central Africa for thousands of years,
Namibia slowly began to attract European attention and became a German colony in 1884.

However, following its defeat in the First World War,
Germany had to give up the area, which was then governed by South Africa…
up until the moment when Namibia finally gained its independence, 70 years later!

The abandoned village of Kolmanskop, built in 1908,
is a testimony to the exploitation of diamond mines by the Germans during this period.
Even though it once consisted of elegant mansions for mining barons, a hospital,
and even a casino and a theater, today all that remains of this village
that sprung up from the desert are grand buildings filled with sand.







Even though the region has been home to the San peoples
and other ethnic groups from central Africa for thousands of years,
Namibia slowly began to attract European attention and became a German colony in 1884.

However, following its defeat in the First World War,
Germany had to give up the area, which was then governed by South Africa…
up until the moment when Namibia finally gained its independence, 70 years later!

The abandoned village of Kolmanskop, built in 1908,
is a testimony to the exploitation of diamond mines by the Germans during this period.
Even though it once consisted of elegant mansions for mining barons, a hospital,
and even a casino and a theater, today all that remains of this village
that sprung up from the desert are grand buildings filled with sand.

Ghost Town of Kolmanskop

Gravel road in the Damaraland

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Namibian Enormity

Gravel road in the Namibian landscape








A young country at only 30 years old, Namibia,
located between Angola, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa
gained its independence in 1990.

With only a bit more than two inhabitants per kilometer squared,
Namibia has the second lowest population density in the world after Mongolia.
Along its gravel roads, you can discover new virgin landscapes, ever more beautiful and vast,
occasionally spotted with indigenous plants and wild animals.








A young country at only 30 years old, Namibia,
located between Angola, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa
gained its independence in 1990.

With only a bit more than two inhabitants per kilometer squared,
Namibia has the second lowest population density in the world after Mongolia.
Along its gravel roads, you can discover new virgin landscapes, ever more beautiful and vast,
occasionally spotted with indigenous plants and wild animals.

Kunene Region

Great Fish River Canyon Overview

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Great Fish River Canyon

Panorama of the Great Fish River Canyon





With its impressive size (160 km long, 27 km wide, and 550 meters deep),
the Fish River Canyon is the titleholder for the second largest canyon in the world!
More precisely, it is two canyons, one placed inside the other.
As the Fish River used to be much more powerful than it is now,
it was able to help the second canyon grow larger and larger.

Even if the extremely dry and desert-like environment found today
around these canyons seems to be void of life,
the zone is part of a nature reserve that covers over 6000 km2
between Namibia and South Africa and makes up one of
the most biologically diverse arid zones in the world.





With its impressive size (160 km long, 27 km wide, and 550 meters deep),
the Fish River Canyon is the titleholder for the second largest canyon in the world!
More precisely, it is two canyons, one placed inside the other.
As the Fish River used to be much more powerful than it is now,
it was able to help the second canyon grow larger and larger.

Even if the extremely dry and desert-like environment found today
around these canyons seems to be void of life,
the zone is part of a nature reserve that covers over 6000 km2
between Namibia and South Africa and makes up one of
the most biologically diverse arid zones in the world.

Clement opposite the Great Fish River Canyon.

Overview of Namibia's national tree, the Quiver Tree




De début juin à fin juillet, la présence des dauphins communs est particulièrement attendue
le long du littoral de la Wild Coast, par les passionnés de vie sous-marine.

Car ce sont les acteurs clés pour l'observation d'un phénomène incroyable: le sardine run!

Ce sont en effet des milliards de sardines qui migrent en banc vers le nord,
le long de la côte Est d'Afrique du Sud,
entraînant avec eux une grande variété de prédateurs!

Des centaines, parfois même des milliers de dauphins communs, grâce à leurs techniques de chasse élaborées,
rassemblent alors les sardines en bancs compacts coincés sous la surface de l'eau.

Dans une véritable frénésie alimentaire, de multiples variétés de requins, de dauphins
et d'oiseaux océaniques se regroupent autour de ce festin, lorsqu'il ne s'agit pas également des baleines de Bryde.

L'occasion rêvée pour observer un phénomène naturel rare et époustouflant...
et approcher de nombreuses espèces de requins sans avoir à les attirer par de la nourriture.

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Kokerboom, the National Tree

The traditional Namibian tree, the Quiver Tree












Native to Namibia and South Africa,
this very common tree is known for its longevity
and its resistance to dry conditions.
It is also called “Kokerboom”, “the quiver tree” in English,
as its bark is used by the San to create arrow quivers.











Native to Namibia and South Africa,
this very common tree
is known for its longevity
and its resistance to dry conditions.
It is also called “Kokerboom”,
“the quiver tree” in English,
as its bark is used by the San
to create arrow quivers.

Aloe dichotoma

Overview of Dead Vlei's dead trees

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Dead Vlei, a Marsh in the Desert

Dead Vlei et ses arbres morts





A burst of color in the middle of the Namib Desert, “Dead Vlei”,
the “Dead Marsh” in a mix of English and Afrikaans, has created a surreal landscape.
Under scorching heat and surrounded by deafening silence, the black trees,
burned by the sun and preserved by the dryness for roughly 900 years,
stand out from the white clay ground left behind after the marsh dried up.
All this sprawls out underneath the presence of the dunes,
which are among some of the highest in the world.





A burst of color in the middle of the Namib Desert, “Dead Vlei”,
the “Dead Marsh” in a mix of English and Afrikaans, has created a surreal landscape.
Under scorching heat and surrounded by deafening silence, the black trees,
burned by the sun and preserved by the dryness for roughly 900 years,
stand out from the white clay ground left behind after the marsh dried up.
All this sprawls out underneath the presence of the dunes,
which are among some of the highest in the world.

Namib-Naukluft National Park

Red sand dune in Sossusvlei

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The Red Dunes of Sossusvlei

Red sand dune of Sossusvlei









Constantly shaped by the wind, red dunes rise up for several hundred meters,
framing the horizon of Sossusvlei.

This stretch of salt and clay comes from the Tsachab River which tries in vain
to carve a path through the Namib Desert towards the nearby ocean during exceptionally strong rains.

Climbing up them is particularly taxing but gives a view of the immense size of the desert,
stuck between the earth and the sea.









Constantly shaped by the wind, red dunes rise up for several hundred meters,
framing the horizon of Sossusvlei.

This stretch of salt and clay comes from the Tsachab River
which tries in vain to carve a path through the Namib Desert
towards the nearby ocean during exceptionally strong rains.

Climbing up them is particularly taxing but gives a view of
the immense size of the desert,
stuck between the earth and the sea.

Namib-Naukluft National Park

Overview of a gemsbok in Namibia

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The Oryx, a Namibian Symbol

Oryx in Etosha








Thanks to its elegance and its exceptional capacity to live in semi-arid regions
such as the Namib, the Oryx is considered the national animal of Namibia.

Unlike many other mammals of its size, it can resist intense heats
by optimizing its water consumption and by reducing its water loss.

As such, if water becomes scarce, it can make up for its daily needs through juicy fruits or vegetables.
It can also adapt its behavior, relaxing in the shade during the day and feeding itself when the weather is cooler.

What’s most impressive, however, is its capacity to let its body temperature
climb several degrees during extreme heat to avoid water loss through sweat.







Thanks to its elegance and its exceptional capacity to live in semi-arid regions
such as the Namib, the Oryx is considered the national animal of Namibia.

Unlike many other mammals of its size, it can resist intense heats
by optimizing its water consumption and by reducing its water loss.

As such, if water becomes scarce, it can make up for its daily needs
through juicy fruits or vegetables. It can also adapt its behavior, relaxing
in the shade during the day and feeding itself when the weather is cooler.

What’s most impressive, however, is its capacity to let its body temperature
climb several degrees during extreme heat to avoid water loss through sweat.

Oryx (or Gemsbok) – Etosha National Park

Fight between two impalas in Etosha National Park

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Impala Duel at Etosha

Impala fight in Etosha National Park








With a milder climate than in the Namib Desert,
Etosha National Park is itself home to many animals, among which the impala is the most frequently seen.

As only one dominant male leads the herd, which can range from 15 to sometimes 100 individuals,
the young males gather among themselves and train to fight in the hope of one day climbing to that position.

As potential prey for many predators including lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas,
impalas are able to defend themselves by jumping several meters high
and reaching speeds of up to 90 km/h over short distances.
They also have glands that release odors when chased that can confuse their hunters.








With a milder climate than in the Namib Desert,
Etosha National Park is itself home to many animals, among which the impala is the most frequently seen.

As only one dominant male leads the herd, which can range from 15 to sometimes 100 individuals,
the young males gather among themselves and train to fight in the hope of one day climbing to that position.

As potential prey for many predators including lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas,
impalas are able to defend themselves by jumping several meters high
and reaching speeds of up to 90 km/h over short distances.
They also have glands that release odors when chased that can confuse their hunters.

Impala males charging each other – Etosha National Park

Dozens of zebras at Okaukuejo's waterhole

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Zebras at the Okaukuejo Watehole

Dozens of zebras at Okaukuejo's waterhole





In arid countries, watering holes are the perfect occasion to see large concentrations of animals
and observe their behavior around this vital life source.

Even when everything seems calm, you never know what you’ll see appear in the distance:
a horde of elephants, rhinoceroses, antelopes, giraffes, or even hundreds of zebras.





In arid countries, watering holes are the perfect occasion to see large concentrations of animals
and observe their behavior around this vital life source.

Even when everything seems calm, you never know what you’ll see appear in the distance:
a horde of elephants, rhinoceroses, antelopes, giraffes, or even hundreds of zebras.

Group of zebras – Okaukuejo, Etosha.

Small zebra crossing the path

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Need for Space

A baby zebra crossing the road









After a few hours, a young zebra is already able to stand up, suckle, walk, and even gallop next to its mother.
It is weaned at around 6-7 months and hits puberty at around 2 years old, at which point it changes herds.
Members of a family, which includes a male, a few females, and their babies up to that age,
are very attached to each other and generally stay together during their entire lives.

The relationships between parents and babies, the importance in choice of partner in adulthood
and the need to live on open plains makes it a species that is well protected on
nature reserves but doesn’t support captivity well.







After a few hours, a young zebra is already able to stand up,
suckle, walk, and even gallop next to its mother.
It is weaned at around 6-7 months and hits puberty
at around 2 years old, at which point it changes herds.
Members of a family, which includes a male,
a few females, and their babies up to that age,
are very attached to each other
and generally stay together during their entire lives.

The relationships between parents and babies,
the importance in choice of partner in adulthood
and the need to live on open plains
makes it a species that is well protected on
nature reserves but doesn’t support captivity well.

Zebra – Etosha National Park

Giraffes in Etosha National Park

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A World Without Enclosures

Giraffes in Etosha National Park








Despite the immense size of Etosha National Park,
by far the largest nature reserve in Namibia,
one of the country’s major challenges is above all maintaining open spaces
in the rest of the country to let animals living outside of the parks move about freely.

Just like the southern part of the country, large private enclosures restrict natural habitats,
disturbing animal migration and compromising their survival in the wild.

While national parks are very rich economically and environmentally,
species preservation in the very heart of society is a crucially important solution
for conservation in this country.








Despite the immense size of Etosha National Park,
by far the largest nature reserve in Namibia,
one of the country’s major challenges is above all maintaining open spaces
in the rest of the country to let animals living outside of the parks move about freely.

Just like the southern part of the country, large private enclosures restrict natural habitats,
disturbing animal migration and compromising their survival in the wild.

While national parks are very rich economically and environmentally,
species preservation in the very heart of society is a crucially important solution
for conservation in this country.

Giraffes – Etosha National Park

Desert elephants in the Kunene region

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Free Elephants – an Opportunity?

Desert elephants in the Kunene region



With 22,000 individuals listed on its land in 2015,
Namibia is one of the rare countries to protect populations of free elephants
both within and outside of its nature reserves.

These desert elephants, incredibly adapted to the heat
and scarce supply of water and food in the area,
are at the same time a source of conflict with the local population.

To make cohabitation possible, various projects are in place
to minimalize the problems and transform this situation into an opportunity
for the social development of the country.

Beyond the healthy environment, the presence of wild animals
also creates tourist interest, which in turn creates jobs.

Through a complex system of “conservancy”,
Namibia gives its population the possibility to benefit directly
from its natural resources, which definitely creates the desire to protect wildlife!

The creation of this virtuous circle is complex but represents a powerful tool
for creating social, economic, and environmental balance in the country!



With 22,000 individuals listed on its land in 2015,
Namibia is one of the rare countries to protect populations of free elephants
both within and outside of its nature reserves.

These desert elephants, incredibly adapted to the heat
and scarce supply of water and food in the area,
are at the same time a source of conflict with the local population.

To make cohabitation possible, various projects are in place
to minimalize the problems and transform this situation into an opportunity
for the social development of the country.

Beyond the healthy environment, the presence of wild animals
also creates tourist interest, which in turn creates jobs.

Through a complex system of “conservancy”,
Namibia gives its population the possibility to benefit directly
from its natural resources, which definitely creates the desire to protect wildlife!

The creation of this virtuous circle is complex but represents a powerful tool
for creating social, economic, and environmental balance in the country!

Desert Elephants – Kunene Region

The discovery of bones and tools dating from the Stone Age indicates a very ancient human presence in this region of the world. In any case, the oldest traces of African rock art are found in Namibia, some dating from 26000 B.C.

At the Twyfelfontein archeological site, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you can find roughly 2500 carvings which were probably created during shamanic rites by hunter-gatherer peoples around 6000 years ago.

Gravures dans les roches de Twyfelfontein
Petroglyphs - Twyfelfontein

Even though the region has been home to the San peoples and other ethnic groups from central Africa for thousands of years, Namibia slowly began to attract European attention and became a German colony in 1884.

However, following its defeat in the First World War, Germany had to give up the area, which was then governed by South Africa… up until the moment when Namibia finally gained its independence, 70 years later!

The abandoned village of Kolmanskop, built in 1908, is a testimony to the exploitation of diamond mines by the Germans during this period. Even though it once consisted of elegant mansions for mining barons, a hospital, and even a casino and a theater, today all that remains of this village that sprung up from the desert are grand buildings filled with sand.

Sand house in the Kolmanskop ghost village
Ghost Town of Kolmanskop

A young country at only 30 years old, Namibia, located between Angola, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa gained its independence in 1990.

With only a bit more than two inhabitants per kilometer squared, Namibia has the second lowest population density in the world after Mongolia. Along its gravel roads, you can discover new virgin landscapes, ever more beautiful and vast, occasionally spotted with indigenous plants and wild animals.

Gravel road in the Namibian landscape
Kunene Region

With its impressive size (160 km long, 27 km wide, and 550 meters deep), the Fish River Canyon is the titleholder for the second largest canyon in the world!

More precisely, it is two canyons, one placed inside the other. As the Fish River used to be much more powerful than it is now, it was able to help the second canyon grow larger and larger.

Even if the extremely dry and desert-like environment found today around these canyons seems to be void of life, the zone is part of a nature reserve that covers over 6000 km2 between Namibia and South Africa and makes up one of the most biologically diverse arid zones in the world.

Panorama du Great Fish River Canyon
Clement opposite the Great Fish River Canyon

Native to Namibia and South Africa, this very common tree is known for its longevity and its resistance to dry conditions. It is also called “Kokerboom”, “the quiver tree” in English, as its bark is used by the San to create arrow quivers.

The traditional Namibian tree, the Quiver Tree
Aloe dichotoma

A burst of color in the middle of the Namib Desert, “Dead Vlei”, the “Dead Marsh” in a mix of English and Afrikaans, has created a surreal landscape. Under scorching heat and surrounded by deafening silence, the black trees, burned by the sun and preserved by the dryness for roughly 900 years, stand out from the white clay ground left behind after the marsh dried up. All this sprawls out underneath the presence of the dunes, which are among some of the highest in the world.

Dead Vlei et ses arbres morts
Namib-Naukluft National Park

Constantly shaped by the wind, red dunes rise up for several hundred meters, framing the horizon of Sossusvlei.

This stretch of salt and clay comes from the Tsachab River which tries in vain to carve a path through the Namib Desert towards the nearby ocean during exceptionally strong rains.

Climbing up them is particularly taxing but gives a view of the immense size of the desert, stuck between the earth and the sea.

Red sand dune of Sossusvlei
Namib-Naukluft National Park

Thanks to its elegance and its exceptional capacity to live in semi-arid regions such as the Namib, the Oryx is considered the national animal of Namibia

Unlike many other mammals of its size, it can resist intense heats by optimizing its water consumption and by reducing its water loss.

As such, if water becomes scarce, it can make up for its daily needs through juicy fruits or vegetables. It can also adapt its behavior, relaxing in the shade during the day and feeding itself when the weather is cooler.

What’s most impressive, however, is its capacity to let its body temperature climb several degrees during extreme heat to avoid water loss through sweat.

Oryx in Etosha
Oryx (or Gemsbok)
Etosha National Park

With a milder climate than in the Namib Desert, Etosha National Park is itself home to many animals, among which the impala is the most frequently seen.

As only one dominant male leads the herd, which can range from 15 to sometimes 100 individuals, the young males gather among themselves and train to fight in the hope of one day climbing to that position.

As potential prey for many predators including lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas, impalas are able to defend themselves by jumping several meters high and reaching speeds of up to 90 km/h over short distances. They also have glands that release odors when chased that can confuse their hunters.

Impala fight in Etosha National Park
Impala males charging each other
Etosha National Park

In arid countries, watering holes are the perfect occasion to see large concentrations of animals and observe their behavior around this vital life source.

Even when everything seems calm, you never know what you’ll see appear in the distance: a horde of elephants, rhinoceroses, antelopes, giraffes, or even hundreds of zebras.

Dozens of zebras at Okaukuejo's waterhole
Group of zebras – Okaukuejo, Etosha.

After a few hours, a young zebra is already able to stand up, suckle, walk, and even gallop next to its mother. It is weaned at around 6-7 months and hits puberty at around 2 years old, at which point it changes herds. Members of a family, which includes a male, a few females, and their babies up to that age, are very attached to each other and generally stay together during their entire lives.

The relationships between parents and babies, the importance in choice of partner in adulthood and the need to live on open plains makes it a species that is well protected on nature reserves but doesn’t support captivity well.

A baby zebra crossing the road
Zebra – Etosha National Park

Despite the immense size of Etosha National Park, by far the largest nature reserve in Namibia, one of the country’s major challenges is above all maintaining open spaces in the rest of the country to let animals living outside of the parks move about freely.

Just like the southern part of the country, large private enclosures restrict natural habitats, disturbing animal migration and compromising their survival in the wild.

While national parks are very rich economically and environmentally, species preservation in the very heart of society is a crucially important solution for conservation in this country.

Giraffes in Etosha National Park
Giraffes – Etosha National Park

With 22,000 individuals listed on its land in 2015, Namibia is one of the rare countries to protect populations of free elephants both within and outside of its nature reserves.

These desert elephants, incredibly adapted to the heat and scarce supply of water and food in the area, are at the same time a source of conflict with the local population.

To make cohabitation possible, various projects are in place to minimalize the problems and transform this situation into an opportunity for the social development of the country.

Beyond the healthy environment , the presence of wild animals also creates tourist interest, which in turn creates jobs.

Through a complex system of “conservancy”, Namibia gives its population the possibility to benefit directly from its natural resources, which definitely creates the desire to protect wildlife!

The creation of this virtuous circle is complex but represents a powerful tool for creating social, economic, and environmental balance in the country!

Desert elephants in the Kunene region
Desert Elephants – Kunene Region

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