To visit Namibia is one of Lonely Planet's "Top 10 things to do in 2012"

Good news for the Namibian tourism industry. To visit Namibia's protected coastline is among Lonely Planet's "Top 10 things to do in 2012"!

3. Visit Namibia’s protected coast
Namibia is a special country, blessed with an abundance of easy-to-spot wildlife, beautiful desert scenery and vast, wide open spaces. This year you can visit the epic Namibian coastline in the knowledge that the entire Atlantic shore is now part of one of the world’s largest protected areas, encompassing four parks: the Sperregebiet National Park, Namib Naukluft Park, newly created Dorob National Park and the infamous Skeleton Coast protected area. Many areas, especially in the south, can be explored independently – though ideally with your own wheels – but getting into serious Skeleton Coast wilderness requires a charter flight and deep pockets.

The other 9 of Lonely Planet's "Top 10 things to do in 2012" are:

1. Honour Scott’s Polar Centenary (United Kingdom/Antartica)
2. Follow Napoleon across Russia (Moscow)
3. Visit Namibia’s protected coast (Namib-Skeleton Coast National Park)
4. Go football crazy in Poland and Ukraine (Euro 2012)
5. Chase Australia’s Top End eclipse (Australia)
6. Meet the Maid of Orleans on her 600th birthday (Joan of Arc)
7. Discover a new Middle East (Middle East)
8. Explore Maribor’s Old Town (Slovenia)
9. Play arcade classics at the Smithsonian (Washington DC)
10. Check out Korea’s Expo (Yeosu)

For all your travel inspiration and tips for the coming year from Lonely Planet’s experts, get Best in Travel 2012 now!

Frans Lanting: Jewel of Namibia (video, 25min)

If you got about 25min of time, join famous wildlife photographer and National Geographic photographer-in-residence Frans Lanting and his wife Christine Eckstrom on a wild desert journey through Namibia, watch their incredible photos of country's landscapes and wildlife and listen to their facts and stories about the south west African country of Namibia. Kudos to Christine Eckstrom and Frans Lanting!

 Namibia protects its entire coastline as one National Park >>

Namibia launched ambitious conservation initiative >>

Namibia protects its entire coastline as one National Park

With the declaration of the Dorob National Park on 01 Dec 2010, Namibia became the first continental country to have its entire coastline (with the exception of town lands) protected as a conservation area. The Namib-Skeleton Coast National Park stretches from the mouth of the Kunene River in the north to the mouth of the Orange River in the south, along the total length of the Namibian coastline of 1570 km. The National Park is the 8th largest protected area in the world, the 6th largest terrestrial protected area, and the largest park in Africa, covering an area of 107,540 km².
The park comprises four main terrestrial management areas:

• Sperrgebiet National Park
• Namib-Naukluft Park
• Skeleton Coast Park
• Dorob National Park

The name Dorob National Park derives from the word "Doro-!Hub", meaning "Dry Land". According to oral history this was the name the area between Lüderitz and Walvis Bay and up to the Kunene River during the 16th century.


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INFO - the areas around & to the north of Swakopmund now require permits to visit. If you intend to stop and explore the environment along the C34 coastal road, a permit is required. These are inexpensive and can be obtained easily in the coastal towns. If you intend just to drive the C34 without stopping, no permit is required.