An epic family road trip across Namibia

This African nation is perfect for exploring and adventure but also family-friendly

The towering dunes of Sossusvlei
The towering dunes of Sossusvlei: sand 'as soft as powdered milk'
(Image credit: © Marco Bottigelli via Getty Images)

The landscapes of Namibia are "monumental" in scale. You can drive across the country's wilderness areas for hours without passing another vehicle, and yet, in recent years, "incredible" lodges have opened in some of its most remote corners. My husband and I chose a road trip around Namibia as our first "long-haul family trip", said Gemma Bowes in The Times

It proved to be just the sort of "big adventure" we'd been hoping for. On a ten-day loop from the capital city, Windhoek, we covered about a thousand miles, and only once found ourselves driving after dark (something to avoid as animals often lie on the "sun-warmed" roads at night). At Dead Valley Lodge, we watched the towering dunes of Sossusvlei change colour at sunrise – "crimson, straw and dried apricot" – and the children ran barefoot across them, "leaping and sliding" in sand "as soft as powdered milk". 

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up