Namibia can tend to be overlooked when compared to neighboring South Africa and to Kenya. However, this African country is well worth a visit in itself, especially for its national parks. The natural beauty and amazing scenery soon attract new fans to this land for the wildlife and more. Let’s take a brief visit to five of the most beautiful national parks in Namibia.

1. Etosha National Park, Namibia

One of the most popular national parks, Etosha offers an amazing range of wildlife, including the occasional rare and endangered black rhino, together with the more common white rhino. In the evenings, the wildlife heads to the Okaukuejo waterhole. Meanwhile, this is the best place to be, as the lions and elephants come from the surrounding areas to the lit-up pool to enjoy a drink or a splash around in the water.

The name Okaukuejo in the local language means “Great White Place” and was originally part of a huge lake that dried up long ago. Now, due to its saline nature, the Etosha Pan is a striking dusty white color, made even more spectacular with the impala, zebra, elephant and lions making their way through.

2. Skeleton Coast National Park

The Skeleton Coast National Park is a desolate place, and one of the last wild frontiers. However, all this makes for some truly spectacular scenery, with a difference. All along the coast, rusting shipwrecks loom, tempting divers to explore. In fact, these tend to be the main attraction here, as they lie in the water with sand dunes gradually taking over.

Meanwhile, among the mountainous landscape and stark canyons, this is an exciting place to trek. Meanwhile, keep an eye out for passing rhinos, lions and elephants.

3. Dorob National Park, Namibia

While the desert might look daunting, the spectacular landscapes here more than makeup for this. Meanwhile, even though it can be fun to play on the dunes, this national park has a lot more to offer, including ancient San rock paintings. In fact, you might even come across some not-so-ancient San people along the way. Moreover, the coastline offers some great fishing and diving spots. Meanwhile, birders can get a glimpse of more than 270 bird species, ranging from sea birds to inland birds, flying over the dunes.

4. Bwabwata National Park

Bwabwata is one of the more unique national parks in Namibia because it has more than 5,000 residents living within the park. Meanwhile, the people’s needs are taken care of, as well as protecting and preserving the abundant wildlife.

The park features several ecosystems, including woodlands, floodplains and low-lying sand dunes, attracting a diverse range of wildlife. In fact, as Bwabwata lies at a migratory crossroads between Angola and Botswana, the park features a varying number of animals and species depending on the time of year. Here, buffalo, elephants and zebra live in the grasslands, while hippos and crocodiles live around the floodplains and rivers.

Find out more about the amazing national parks of Namibia and the resorts available by visiting the official website.