21 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Namibia - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Namibia

Kolmanskop Ghost Town

The remains of diamond fever taken over by the desert.

Eduard Bohlen Shipwreck

Far from the shore, this sandy victim of the Skeleton Coast looks like it was plopped in the middle of the desert.

Namib Sand Sea

A desert that rolls right up to the ocean, where it's so dry animals live off the fog.

Sossusvlei, Namibia

Dead Vlei

This "dead marsh" sits among the largest sand dunes in the world, a forest frozen in time.

Fairy Circles of Southern Africa

Unexplained bald patches in the landscape grow and recede over time, as though they are somehow alive.

Shipwreck Lodge

Ten shipwreck-shaped chalets lie along the sand dunes on Namibia’s Skeleton Coast.

Hoba Meteorite

The largest known meteorite on Earth was too big to move.

Welwitschia

Bizarre living fossil only grows in a small chunk of the Namib Desert.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Namibia

Walvis Bay, Namibia

The Raft

Hitch a boat ride to dine on stilts while watching wildlife.

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Stories About Namibia

Researchers found that transporting the animal upside down was easier on the creature than moving it on its side.

Why Rhinos Fly Upside Down Over Namibia

Researchers determined that the pachyderms fare just fine when they sail suspended from a helicopter.

by Ashley Stimpson

February 9, 2021

During wet periods, a thin sheen of water coats the salty expanse of the Etosha Pan.

The Transformation of Namibia's Etosha Pan, From Parched to Soaked

Satellite images track the shift from dry to wet at a vast, prehistoric lake bed in southern Africa.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

January 22, 2020

The train station, long since abandoned.

The Most Isolated War Grave of the British Commonwealth Is in the Namibian Desert

In 1915, South African forces fought Germans for control of territory in southern Africa.

by Sarah Laskow

October 23, 2018

The desert landscape is varied—and often foggy.

The Secret World Inside Tiny Fog Droplets

From the Namib Desert to Maine, fog is teeming with life.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

August 30, 2018

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