Fish River Canyon

It comes as something of a shock when you arrive at the lip of the canyon: a flat arid plateau suddenly drops half a vertical kilometre into 160 twisting kilometres of canyon - a kaleidescope of purples, greys and pinks, formed over hundreds of millions of years.

The Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world (after the USA's Grand Canyon in Arizona). It is absolutely magnificent; breathtaking in its immensity, it often renders the most voluble tour bus into stunned silence. Somewhat off the beaten track, it's worth visiting if you are in the southern half of Namibia - combine it with a stay at Ai-Ais hot springs where a resort has grown up around the hot pools, or as a detour when self-driving to Windhoek or the dunes of Sossusvlei.

The canyon has, of course, been formed by the erosive power of the Fish River, remnants of which appear as distant emerald pools on the floor of the canyon. After rains it looks like a straggling stream trying to muster up enough energy to be called a river. It is here that hikers pit themselves against the elements on one of Southern Africa's most famous hiking trails.

The Fish River trail covers a distance of 86km in the base of the canyon, over 5 days, with absolutely no facilities whatsoever. You carry everything with you and find whatever water you can in semi-permanent pools. The light at the end of the tunnel is that your destination is the Ai-Ais hot springs where a well-deserved dunking in therapeutic hot water awaits you.

Bear in mind that you must book the trail well in advance: closed during the hot dry season, it's only open from April to September, and you need a certificate of fitness before being allowed to begin the walk.

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