Lunar-like desert landscapes are part of Namibia’s allure. Despite the low rainfall, the country boasts about 200 endemic plants. Picture: EUGENE YIGA
Lunar-like desert landscapes are part of Namibia’s allure. Despite the low rainfall, the country boasts about 200 endemic plants. Picture: EUGENE YIGA

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WELCOME to the middle of nowhere," says Erwin Jeschke as he puts my suitcase into the back of his van. "So much emptiness here."

I was thinking the same thing earlier. The first time was when my early-morning flight approached for landing at Windhoek International Airport. I could barely see the runway, surrounded as it was with all that barren land. Then it happened again as the next plane touched down after a half-hour trip to Walvis Bay. I could have sworn we were about to land on the beach.

"Only 2% of our surface area has roads and habitation," Jeschke explains as we drive the 30km from Walvis Bay to Swakopmund.

Perhaps this is why Namibia, with just more than 2-million citizens spread over almost 825,000km², has the second-lowest population density in the world.

And yet, even though 85% of Namibia’s roads are untarred, there is development everywhere I look. "We call them Smartie houses because of the colourful roofs," says Erwin as he points out the ongoing construction of government-subsidised homes.

Even in urban areas, there is much open space and room to grow. The extensive property development on Swakopmund’s Long Beach leaves gaps between the luxury homes. Never mind that it’s hard to build at sea level and on shifting sand; I suspect that any other country would squeeze the profit from every inch of such prime land.

But, as Lonely Planet pointed out when picking Namibia as its second-best destination for 2015, things are different here. Almost half the country’s area enjoys protection through state, community conservancy, or private efforts.

Namibia is also the world’s first country to have its entire coastline under protection through a network of national parks.

Namibia is one of few countries in the world (and the first in Africa) that tackles habitat conservation and protection of natural resources in its constitution. They place such value on wildlife that poaching has decreased considerably and several animal populations — including giraffes, lions, and black rhinos — are on the rise.

"We believe in protecting our country," Erwin says as we enter the Dorob National Park. "That’s why we drive the same routes when we do these tours. It’s how we minimise impact on the land. Many areas are also restricted because if you drive over certain terrain, your tracks will be there for a hundred years."

Even though much of the area seems fragile and in need of protection, the rocky granite Moon Valley, 30km east of Swakopmund, strikes me as tough enough to defend itself. "This place is 500-million years old," Erwin explains.

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HE DESCRIBES the shifting tectonic plates, magma spewing through the cracks, and erosion from floating glaciers at the end of an ice age.

The sight of these canyons within canyons makes me feel as if we’re on another planet. "Now you know where they made all the lunar films," he laughs. "And where Neil Armstrong landed."

But more fascinating than the colourful rocks — white dolomite, black dolerite, green copper, rose quartz — is the variety of plants. The country has about 200 endemic plant species and more than 100 species of lichen, an algae-fungi hybrid that "dies" every day to protect itself. "The Namib is just as dry as the Sahara," Erwin says. "But look at all the life around us."

He explains that two-thirds of the mornings experience fog, which can reach as far as 140km inland for more than six months of the year and is the reason there are more than a thousand shipwrecks along the Skeleton Coast. "We only get about 20mm of rain a year," he says. "So this mist rain is how most plants get their water."

Erwin shows me plants that can keep you alive for a few days if you squeeze out the water they hold, and those that Bushmen use to poison their arrowheads.

I hope I’m never here on my own and have to remember which is which.

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BUT one of the most fascinating things we see is the Welwitschia mirabilis.

"It’s a living fossil plant," Erwin says as we take a closer look. "Some of them have been carbon-dated and are over a thousand years old," he says.

Near the end of our three-hour drive, we reach the Goanikontes Oasis Rest Camp. It is our first sighting of other people all afternoon. The area is popular for hiking and horse-riding, although this isn’t allowed in summer because the temperature is too high.

"It’s a pressure-cooker effect, like the Fish River Canyon," he says.

"All the heat goes in and there’s no cold air to get it out. But many people still come to the area for camping in the valley.

"I like to bring the "stadslaapers" (city slickers — literally "city sleepers") so that they can see what stars really look like."

My first question, given that Namibia has the world’s largest free-roaming cheetah population, is about safety.

All we saw was an ostrich running near the car, but aren’t there wild animals around?

"I’ve seen baboons and hyenas," Erwin says.

"And I’ve seen cheetah tracks, but never a cheetah itself. But most animals will leave you alone if you pack your food away.

"For example, jackals are mostly just looking for bones.

"And they’re so quiet that you’ll end up sleeping through the night anyway," he says.

Risks aside, the idea of camping out here is appealing. No lights. No cars. Just open sky and millions of stars.

Perhaps a little bit of nothing is everything you need.

• The Swakopmund Hotel and Entertainment Centre, one of two dozen Legacy Group Hotels across Africa, sponsored Yiga’s trip (with return flights from Cape Town to Walvis Bay courtesy of Air Namibia). To book an airport transfer or Swakopmund and Walvis Bay tours with cars and guides for hire, call +264 81 289 6737 or e-mail [email protected]