Namibia's top draw is Etosha National Park, rated as one of Africa's finest game sanctuaries. The birding experience in country is truly superior. On a Namibia safari, range of activities you can indulge in unsurpassable physical environment is truly impressive. Ballooning over desert, skydiving over land and sea, paragliding, whitewater rafting and sand skiing along coastal dunes are good activities for starters. More fun games to pick from include abseiling - that most spectacular of rock sports, coastal and fresh water angling, desert camel riding, scuba diving, 4x4 desert runs, hiking and mountaineering.

Namibia has four distinct geographical regions. In north is Etosha Pan, a great area for wildlife and heart of Etosha National Park. The slender Caprivi Strip is nested between Zambia and Botswana and is a wet area of woodland blessed with a few rivers. Along coast is Namib Desert, which at age of 80 million years old, is said to be world's oldest desert. At coast, icy cold Atlantic meets blazing African desert, resulting in dense fogs. The well-watered central plateau runs north to south, and carries rugged mountains, magnificent canyons, rocky outcrops and expansive plains.

Namibia, one and half times size of France, is very sparsely inhabited and carries only 1.8 million souls. The people are as unique as land they live on. The most intriguing are San, otherwise known as Bushmen. These most hardy of people have a highly advanced knowledge of their environment. It is a marvelous thing how well they are adapted to their difficult habitat. Just pause and think that these are only people in world who live with no permanent access to water. In Kalahari Desert, one of their domiciles, surface water is not to be found. Tubers, melons, and other water bearing plants as well as underground sip wells supply their water requirements.

In Namibia today, Bushmen number about 50,000. Historians estimate that they have lived, mostly as hunters and gatherers, for at least 25,000 years in these parts of world. Bushmen speak in a peculiar click language and are very gifted in arts of storytelling, mimicry, and dance. Namibia's other people, who are indigenous to continent, are mostly of Bantu origin. They are thought to have arrived from western Africa from about 2,400 years ago. The African groups include Owambo, Kavango, Caprivians, Herero, Himba, Damara, Nama and Tswana.

The Africans aside, other groups comprise about 15% of population and have played an important role in emergence of modern nation. White Namibians amount to about 120,00 and are mainly of German and Afrikaner heritage. Germans arrived in significant numbers after 1884 when Bismarck declared country a German Protectorate. Afrikaners, white farmers of Dutch origin, moved north from their Cape settlements, especially after Dutch Cape Colony was ceded to British in 1806. This strongly independent people, whose ancestors had lived in Cape from 1652 resented British control.

Two other distinct groups complete spectrum of Namibia's people - Basters and Coloureds. Coloured in Namibia and southern Africa refers to people of mixed racial heritage, black- white for example. They have a separate identity and culture. This makes sense considering that Namibia was run by South Africa after First World War. Even in pre-Apartheid South Africa, racial classification was a fine art. The Afrikaans-speaking Basters, descended from Hottentot women and Dutch settlers of Cape. Alienated from both white and black communities, they trekked northwards, finally founding their own town Rehoboth, in 1871. Baster is actually derived from "bastard", but it is not derogatory, and Basters are indeed proud of it.

Namibia's barren and unwelcoming coastlines served as a natural deterrent to ambitions of European explorers. That was until 1884 when German merchant Adolf Luderitz established a permanent settlement between Namib Desert and Atlantic seaboard that afterwards took his name. Bismarck subsequently declared territory covered by Namibia a German colony and named it Südwestafrika or South West Africa. As German settlers moved into interior, conflict was inevitable with inheritors of land.

The German occupation was a particularly unhappy experience for Herero. The Herero resented German's harsh and racist rule and effect of encroachment on their lands on their livelihood and way of life. On first day of year 1904, Herero led by Chief Samuel Maharero, rose suddenly and unexpectedly in arms against their colonial overlords. The Nama joined insurrection and authorities did not regain control even after six months of trying. Over 100 German settlers and soldiers died in uprising. Historians now consider events that followed to constitute first genocide of twentieth century.

This is now history - a testament to dignity and endurance of this people. The transformation of country in period since normalcy returned is nothing short of astounding. And it shows in faces of people you meet. That graceful beauties of Uganda have not received recognition they deserve in international beauty pageants is for me incontrovertible proof that most of these events are really fixed.

Winston Churchill was so besotted by country that he gave it name that has endured: "Pearl of Africa". His observations about Uganda remain true today: "The scenery is different, vegetation is different, climate is different, and, most of all, people are different from anything elsewhere ...in whole range of Africa".

Travelers to Uganda are drawn by its stunning landscape - green rolling hills, snowcapped mountains, rainforests, majestic rivers and massive lakes. There are also a number of outstanding national parks for your safari encounter with wildlife for which Africa is renowned. Unfortunately, I have to advise you to skip Kidepo Valley -a well-resourced park in north, as it is not considered safe. The country's edge as a worthwhile destination is further enhanced by its endowments for white water rafting and sport fishing. Tour operators have on offer a variety of Uganda safari and tour packages.

It is in Uganda that you find highest number of primate species anywhere in world. Opportunities for tracking rare mountain gorillas and chimpanzees are unrivalled elsewhere. The primate conservation efforts country has followed are bearing fruit. A survey carried out by Wildlife Conservation Society and Jane Goodall Institute in collaboration with Uganda government, revealed that there were 4,950 chimpanzees in country in 2003. Previously, scientists guess for this number was between 3000 and 4000, but nobody knew for sure. The chimp is our closet living relative, sharing 98% of our genes and much of our behaviour. Uganda is best country in world to view chimpanzees in their natural habitat.

The best place to see rare mountain gorilla is at 331 sq. km Bwindi National Park. This park was formerly known as Impenetrable Forest with good reason. The trees are thick and forest thicker with dense undergrowth, creepers, bamboos and parasitic plants such as mistletoe and orchids. This environment is habitat for mountain gorilla's, chimpanzee, and 8 other species of primate. Not less than half world's population of an estimated 600 mountain gorillas have sanctuary here, making Bwindi base for an important scientific conservation program.

Gorilla tracking is limited to small groups and licenses are issued to ensure minimum disruption to routine of animals. Tracking gorillas is an arduous task and you should be prepared for up to 8 hours of hiking. Good physical condition is a must. You are advised to make arrangements 4-12 months prior to date of your visit. Bwindi is essentially a rain forest and it is necessary to bring along a raincoat, walking boots and gloves.

In addition to its star gorillas, Bwindi is host to bush pig, giant forest hog and over 300 species of birds including rare forest birds. Others who have found a home in this ecosystem include many types of bats and rodents, 14 species of snakes, 27 species of frogs and toads, 6 chameleon types, 14 lizards, skinks and geckos and 200 species of butterfly. Bwindi is to west of country and is 560 km from Kampala.

Though not as famous for safari as neighboring Kenya and Tanzania, Uganda still has some pretty good game sanctuaries. The 3,840 sq. km Murchison Falls National Park is largest and most spectacular of them. Aside from game, it is renowned for its scenic beauty. Rolling savannah, tall grasslands and thick bush woodlands make up park. But you are advised not to miss out magnificent waterfalls after which park is named. The waterfall is formed where Nile tapers from 50 metres to rush through a 7-metre gorge, falling 45 metres in a breath-taking leap. This phenomenon is said to be most powerful natural flow of water anywhere on Earth.