The Fish River Canyon, in southern Namibia. Ai-Ais is a little oasis with natural hot springs in the Fish River Canyon. It is also the starting point for a lot of hiking trails into the Canyon. These photos were taken in the eighties some time.
It is the largest Canyon in Africa, and the second largest in the world next to the Grand canyon, in the USA.
It is 160km in length and 27 km wide, with some parts being about 550 metres in depth.

This photo never aged very well, but I have put it up to show the landscape that one drives for miles and miles. Roads may have improved but I don't think the landscape has changed much since

This is taken from one of the view points of the Canyon

The Ai-Ais outside pool area as it was then. I am sure it has changed to some degree by now, but again this shows the only plant life we had seen in miles.

Amazing shots, Dawn. Don't imagine much would have changed since the photos were taken, except, possibly, for the Ai-Ais resort complex. Though it does look fairly new in your photo so it may not have changed all that much. Would have to keep it looking as sympathetic to the surrounding environment as possible, I would suppose.

Never knew Namibia had such a canyon & it does look so much like the Grand Canyon, too. Imagine flying over it!!! That would be great!!

Have only seen Namibia's sand dunes in docos. Many thanks for posting these pics. They are wonderful to see.

Fish River Canyon

Yes the Dunes, I also have only ever seen them on documentaries on deserts etc. If one has a 4x4 (air conditioned) and is adventurous could be a good holiday, if one was interested in the beauty a desert has to offer.

I also don't know too much about Namibia, except what friends have told me, as I have a few friends that have 4x4'd into these terrains. Ai-Ais is very south of the country and not deep desert yet, if what I am saying makes sense. I never appreciated the magnitude of the canyon when I first saw it, probably because I really had no facts on it at the time. I was so busy battling the dryness in my nose too, by the time we reached the resort my lips had cracked already from the dryheat. We travelled there in less than a day, can't remember exactly the time span but it wasn't longer than a day. We had the misfortune of our electric window seizing in the down position on some part of the journey because of the dust. These things tend to stick in your mind.

Yes flying over it is a much nicer thought.

Above is quite a good link to more info if anyone maybe interested

My days of roughing it are well & truly over, Dawn. Though come to think of it, I don't think I have ever had any real desire to rough it.

Living in Australia I can fully understand the concept of being in desert but not quite the really, real desert. We have many places that would fit that description. Ouch, cracked lips. That would have hurt!!! :(

Thanks for the link, Dawn. It was good to learn about the area & there was a link from there to one about Ai-Ais, too, which was, also, very informative about the oasis. Amazing places. Must confess, though, that just reading about the hiking trails wore me out.

Hiking trails Joy ..... I wholeheartedly agree my limit is in a 20 minute round trip ....stroll in the shade these days.

Walking around the supermarket pretty much does it for me, these days.