Namibia is named after its famous Namib Desert, quite possibly dating back 80 million years making it the world’s oldest. There is a surreal feeling about the place, with dunes that tower up to 300 metres shifting with the winds, and salt flats that shimmer in the sun. Where the desert meets the coastline, a thick fog can roll off the ocean, the result a graveyard of shipwrecks on the so-called Skeleton Coast.

Namibia uses the dollar (N$), with South African rand also accepted as legal tender. Credit cards are widely accepted, but it is useful to have some cash on you for smaller purchases, withdrawable at city ATMs.

Namibia is generally dry and pleasant, with some rain between December and March. Temperatures can range a lot between highs of 31°C in summer and lows of 6°C in winter, with the desert reaching near freezing at night.

Visitors usually fly into Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek, with flights from around Africa, as well as a few from Europe. The most common way to explore from there is by 4x4.

Windhoek is a great place to start and end your adventure. Spacious and green, with mountains in the background, life is pleasant and laidback here, and most attractions are within walking distance of the main hotels.

From Windhoek, it is a scenic five-hour drive to Sossusvlei, gateway to the Namib Desert, although we recommend planning for longer so you can stop and take photos along the way.

Namibia’s other attractions include Etosha National Park, where you can get up close with desert lions, elephants and the rare Hartmann's mountain zebra on safari, and Fish River Canyon, one of the largest canyons in the world and a favourite of ultramarathoners because of its remote beauty.

Namibian food is exotic, with prime cuts of ostrich, antelope and crocodile on the grill. Because of its long coastline, you will also find fresh oysters and lobster on the menu. Traditional dishes include mahangu and potjiekos stews. All are liberally drizzled with spice.

If there is one Namibian celebration you should travel to see, it’s the Oshituthi Shomagongo Festival in the north, coinciding with the annual harvest of the marula fruit and traditional production of omagongo wine. Because of its communal, ritualistic nature – the men carve wooden goblets to drink from, the women baskets to gather the fruit and clay pots to ferment the wine – it has been inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. While waiting for the wine to ferment, young and old gather to sing songs and share stories, it all culminating with a colourful feast of food and wine.

Minor Hotels’ Avani Windhoek Hotel & Casino is the ideal base to explore Namibia from. Surrounded by historic landmarks, shops and a craft market, you can explore the best of the capital easily on foot, then return to fabulous views of the city from the rooftop bar.