One of the world's greatest wildlife-viewing venues, Etosha National Park is the Namibian destination for many travellers. The western part of the park is characterised by scrubby savannah but further east, the scrub gives way to mixed woodland. The lifeblood of Etosha is the Etosha Pan - an immense, flat, saline desert that only occasionally holds water. During winter months, perennial springs around its edges draw large concentrations of birds, elephants, giraffes, lions, zebras and a few cheetahs and leopards. The animals of Etosha also include such protected species as the black-faced impala and black rhino. After exceptionally rainy periods, the pan fills with up to a metre (3ft) of water and enormous numbers of flamingoes and pelicans arrive to feed and breed. You'll have the best chance of seeing the animals gather around the water holes between May and September.Although Etosha may be visited on a day trip, it's impossible to see much of the park in fewer than three days. Most visitors opt for at least a couple of nights at one of three rest camps (Namutoni, Halali and Okaukuejo), which are spaced about 70km (43mi) apart and have excellent facilities. Etosha is over 500km (310mi) north-west of Windhoek. The town of Tsumeb has the nearest commercial airport. It's also possible to take a bus or train to Tsumeb from Windhoek, but thereafter, travellers headed for Etosha must join a tour or hire a car as there's no public transport into the park.

There's nowhere else in Africa like Fish River Canyon. The Fish River has been gouging this gorge for thousands of years and the result couldn't be improved upon. Although it's huge - 160km (99mi) long and 27km (17mi) wide - size alone cannot explain the appeal of the canyon. The views from this place are incredible. The main information/tourist centre for the canyon is at Hobas, at the northern end of the park. The area around the Hobas Information Centre has picnic sites, camp grounds and walking trails, and access to some of the best viewpoints in the canyon.From Hobas, you can walk the five-day Fish River Hiking Trail to Ai-Ais, at the other end of the canyon. The 85km (53mi) walk follows the sandy bed of the river (if you come in May or June, the river should have water in it). The route is only open from May to June, and you should book in advance if you want to do the walk. You'll have to carry your own sleeping bag, food and water, but you shouldn't need a tent because it rarely rains. If this all seems a bit much, there are day walks at the northern end of the canyon.At the southern end of the canyon, Ai-Ais is a pleasant hot-spring oasis. The springs, which are piped into swimming pools and jacuzzis, apparently relieve rheumatism and nervous disorders. Ai-Ais has camping sites, bungalows and caravans. There's no public transport to either end of the canyon, but plenty of holiday-makers go here so you should be able to hitch.

Lüderitz is a surreal colonial relic - a Bavarian village huddling on the barren, windswept coast of the Namib Desert, scarcely touched by the 20th century. It's everything you'd expect of a small German town, from delicatessens and coffee shops to Lutheran churches. The coastline is home to penguins and seals; the desolate beaches support flocks of flamingoes and ostriches. Lüderitz is also the northern anchor of the diamond-rich Sperrgebiet (forbidden area), and its prosperity shows.The prominent Evangelical Lutheran church, Felsenkirche, dominates the town from high on Diamond Hill, and features some exquisite stained-glass windows. The Lüderitz Museum contains displays on the town's natural history, local indigenous people and the diamond-mining industry. Sailing trips to the local Cape fur seal sanctuary leave the harbour jetty daily, weather permitting.Lüderitz is a long way from anywhere. Flights go between Lüderitz and Windhoek several times a week. Keetmanshoop, the nearest sizeable town to Lüderitz, is 425km (264mi) south-east of Windhoek. Although the train no longer trundles its way between Lüderitz and Keetmanshoop (300km/186mi to the east), Trans-Namib railways operates a passenger bus on this route.

Namibia's Central Highlands are dominated by its small, Germanic capital, Windhoek. Set at the geographical heart of Namibia, it serves as the nerve centre of the country's business and commercial operations and boasts Namibia's international airport. Situated among low hills at an elevation of 1660m (5444ft), Windhoek enjoys a refreshing highland climate with considerable temperature variations and a lot of rain. The wetness results in lush gardens and spectacular flower beds. Windhoek has only 160,000 people, but Namibia's ethnic mix is reflected throughout the city's streets.The city centre is characterised by a mix of German colonial structures and pastel-coloured modern buildings. Dominating the skyline is Christuskirche, the neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau-designed German Lutheran church. Other striking buildings include the parliament building, Tintenpalast; the whitewashed Alte Feste, an old fort that's now a museum; and the Cape Dutch-style railway station, which dates back to 1912.Windhoek is great for meandering around on foot, and the hour-long Hofmeyer Walk takes in the nearby bushland of the Klein Windhoek Valley and provides a panoramic view of the city. In the centre of the Post Street pedestrian mall is a display of 33 meteorites from the Gibeon meteor shower, which deposited 21 tonnes (24 US tons) of extraterrestrial boulders on the area of Gibeon in southern Namibia in 1837.