10 Most Beautiful National Parks in Namibia

Often overlooked in comparison to Kenya and South Africa, Namibia is one of the stunning destination in Africa that will surely stun and inspire any visitor. With breathtaking landscapes, beautiful desolate desert scenery and abundance of wildlife, Namibia is a land of natural beauty elaborated in this 10 Most Beautiful National Parks in Namibia blog.

From trekking through Canyons to driving through the national parks and gazing out over the Namib Desert, you will be enthralled.

Here are the 10 Most Beautiful National Parks in Namibia.

Mangetti National Park

For a small park like Mangetti National Park, there is so much to do, formerly dedicated to breeding rare and endangered species. It was transformed into a national park in the hope that it would attract tourists to the area.

Mangetti National Park is located in northern Namibia, in the eastern Kalahari woodlands about 100 km south west of Rundu, the park was established in 2008 with a size of 420 km2 (160 sq mi).

The park hosts an amazing array of animals including Sable antelope, African wild dog, leopard, hyaena, blue wildebeest, gemsbok, kudu, duiker, steenbok, caracal, African wild cat. Occasional elephant and African wild dog. Lapped-faced Vulture, Bateleur, Tawny Eagle, Meyer’s Parrot, Striped Kingfisher. It is certainly worth stepping off the beaten path and delving into Mangetti’s pristine and beautifully wild landscapes.

Khaudum National Park

Nestled away in the North – East of Namibia, Khaudum National Park lies in the middle of the northern Kalahari and is one of the wildest corners of the country. This relatively small national park is seldom visited by tourists, its small remote location is perfect for travelers seeking a tranquil and peaceful trip into the wild.

The untamed and unspoiled, Khaudum National Park mainly consists of dry acacia forests and savannah with a couple of live – giving risers that dry up outside the rainy season.

As the park is unfenced, the animals are free to follow their natural migratory routes and so come and go between the park and neighboring Botswana. With large herds of elephants, giraffes, lions and more. You are certain to have a great experience wildlife viewing with the pristine nature all around you and just the animals.

Dorob National Park

Dorob National Park “dry land” is a protected area in Erongo, along the central Namibian Coast, which is 1,600 kilometers in area. The park was gazetted as a national park under the Nature Conservation Ordinance No.4 of 197.

The park extends from the Kuiseb Delta (South of Walvis Bay), north to the Uganda River and west from the Atlantic Ocean to what was before the National West Coast Tourist Recreation Area.

Although the dunes do make for some awesome exploring the park has much more to offer with ancient San Rock paintings and abundant fishing spots, over 270 different bird species attracting bird watchers who watch them flitter between the dunes and above the waves of the ocean.

Bwabwata National Park

Bwabwata National Park is a quite a unique national park situated in the northeastern Caprivi Strip of Namibia, the park is known as “a people’s park” as it supports both large wildlife numbers and a population of about 5,500 people.

This unique and special arrangement benefits both the local people and wildlife of the area equally, with conservation and rural community development both coming out as winners from sharing this spectacular area.

With low – lying sand dunes, woodlands and floodplains, there are a number of ecosystems within the park that are home to a diverse range of animals. The park is located at a migratory crossroads between Angola and Botswana, the national park consequently has a varying number of animals that pass through it depending on the time of the year.

Animals like elephants, buffaloes and zebras populate the grasslands and crocodiles and hippopotamus congregate around the rivers and floodplains. Viewing these animals in the natural habitat is always a delight.

Nkasa Rupara National Park

Formerly Mamili National Park and also known as Nkasa Lupala, Nkasa Rupara National Park offers the a true wilderness experience, visitors to the park must come well-prepared as the lack of facilities together with its desolate and difficult terrain makes it tough to navigate. For those who do venture here, however, the national park is well worth the visit and they will be amply rewarded in terms of all the amazing sights there are to see.

Nakasa Rupara is the largest wetland in the country, Nkasa Rupara really comes alive during the rainy season when the Kwando River floors and bursts its banks. During this period, lush vegetation abounds and a multitude of animals descend on the area.

The park is made up of arid channels that suddenly bloom into life amid a series of lagoons and small islands, the wetlands certainly make for a memorable journey of discovery. Huge flocks of birds fly by overhead as large numbers of buffaloes wade through and wallow in the water.

Mudumu National Park

Mudumu National Park is one of the five national parks in the Caprivi Region of north-eastern Namibia. The main draw of the park is its pristine environment that flourishes when the rains come.

Mudumu National Park is located on the Kwando River floodplains, it is drier than Nkasa Rupara and consequently easier to navigate.

With abundant wildlife and home to a number of large predators such as lions and leopards, the park makes for some delightfully wild exploring. Large herds of elephants roam the park and, with over 430 bird species inhabiting the area.

In Mudumu National Park, there is always something new to see.

In the recent years, giraffes and antelope have been reintroduced to the park which only adds to the wealth of animals on display.

Skeleton Coast National Park

The Skeleton Coast is situated on Namibia’s remote western coastline, named after the many ships that sank here over the past few centuries. The rusted remains of wrecked ships are often surrounded by swirling mists and make for moody and dramatic visuals.

Husks of rusting shipwrecks line the coast and make for an eerie yet strangely picturesque scene, broken on the coastal sands and partially submerged by the encroaching sand dunes. These ships are the main attraction of the park. The unforgiving climate of the cold and dangerous Atlantic coupled with coastal fogs and devilish currents all made the Namibian Coast a treacherous stretch of water to navigate.

The Skeleton Coast is home to the flourishing Cape Cross Colony – one of the largest breeding colonies of Cape fur seals.

Although visitors to Skeleton Coast are attracted to the park due to its name and the unforgettable rusting shipwrecks, Skeleton Coast actually has a lot more to offer. The mountain ranges and gaping canyons make for breathtaking trekking and with elephants, rhinos and lions in the park.

You are sure to be entertained when visiting this unique national park.

Tsau //Khaeb National Park

Proclaimed in 2008, this 22,000 square kilometers park protects natural features mainly sandy shores along the coast in the south and rocky headlands and inlets in the north.

Tsau //Khaeb National Park has some of the most pristine, wild and untouched landscape. The stunning landscapes consists of sandy plains, gigantic rocky arches and mountain ranges making it a lovely park to explore.

The park also comprises of fossil and archaeological sites to Africa’s most important shipwreck discovery. The park impressively accounts for 25% of the entire amount of Namibia’s flora.

In Tsau //Khaeb National Park discovers are never far away, lookout for encounters of orxy, Springbok and seals.

Namib-Naukluft National Park

Located in the western part of Namibia and within the Namibia Desert, Namib-Naukluft National Park is one of the few National Parks in the country that experiences the Desert like conditions.

The park was originally created by the Germans to form a buffer against encroaching British interests, Namib-Naukluft National Park has expanded over the years to become the largest conservation area in Namibia. The park protects some of the stunning sights in Namibia within its boundaries, it also has ancient archaeological sites dating back over 200,000 years, abundant wildlife and spectacular landscapes.

The towering sand dunes at Sossusvlei which are the most famous sight in the whole of Namibia are found in this park, under the perfectly blue sky, beautiful red sand dunes from a stunning backdrop to the withered and burnt black trees that emerge from the white sands down below. The mosaic of contrasting colors is indefinably remarkable and a must-see in the country.

The Sesriem Canyon located deep within the Naufluft Mountain in the national park is a fantastic to experience, just like at Skeleton Coast National Park there are a number of shipwrecks are dotted along the coast. The shipwrecks are a testament to the brutal and unforgiving power of the ocean just off the shore, somehow mirroring the ocean in terms of its harsh environment, the arid and dry desert that is now home to some abandoned towns that make for interesting exploring.

Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park is the most popular tourist attraction in Namibia and is considered to be the best national park in Namibia, the park is home to a wide range of wildlife life and the vast and unique vegetation.

The park was opened in 1907 during the German Colonial times and from the time it was open, Etosha has always been known as the best place for all visitors who want to see the Big Five. During the dry season, the park can become extremely dry due to the presence of the salt pan.

With an impressive array of wildlife in park, visitors can catch a glimpse of the rare and endangered black rhino as well as common white rhino. Other animals you will see include springbok, blue wildebeests, warthog, eland, black rhino giraffes, greater kudu, hyena, jackal, warthog and bat eared foxes. Special sightings in Etosha National Park are the rare sights of the aardwolf, cheetah, honey badger, roan antelope, silver fox and African wildcat.

At night, animals flock to the Okaukueho waterhole and this makes for mesmerizing and unforgettable viewing. Lions and elephants normally emerged into the illuminated area around the pool to quench their thirst on the freshwater.

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