Traveling through Southern Africa gives you the opportunity to witness amazing fauna, explore diverse terrain in the national parks, and interact with centuries-old tribal communities. Travel writer and photographer Vicki Garside recently spent six weeks traveling through Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia. This are just a few highlights of her epic trip.
You can see more of Vicki’s adventures on her website and Instagram. 
Known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya (the smoke that thunders), the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe are considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The place is also Africa’s adventure capital, with the falls providing the backdrop for bungee jumping, white water rafting, and helicopter flights.
There are more than a hundred mammal species, including the endangered black rhino, in Etosha National Park. Watering holes are a perfect place to spot a wide variety of animals, like these giraffes.
One of the most recognizable sights in Namibia, Dune 45 is so called because it sits 45 km from the Sesriem Gate on the road to Sossusvlei. Every morning you’ll find sunrise seekers racing to climb this 85-meter tall sand dune to get a glimpse of the colors of the desert at dawn.
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The Himba are an indigenous tribe from the north of Namibia. Women wear very few clothes and protect their skin from the sun with a mixture of butter, fat and red ochre.
The sunsets in Africa are something to behold, especially with the sun setting behind the acacia trees in the Okavango Delta.
The farmers in Namibia have a problem with wild cheetahs killing their livestock. As the government prevents the relocation of the cheetahs to neighboring countries and National Parks, the immediate response is to kill them once captured. Cheetah farms have been established to house these animals. Some are domesticated and others live a semi-wild existence in large compounds. This baby was part of a family of four –mum, dad and a twin sister– but he was the biggest poser!
The Fish River Canyon, in Namibia, is the second largest gorge in the continent and one of the country’s most impressive sights. The Fish River Canyon Trail is one of the most popular hiking routes in Africa, especially with ultra-marathoners.
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The bright red color of the soil is a characteristic of the Namib Desert, in Namibia. The landscape acquires different tones depending on the light conditions and the time of the day.
According to our guide, this little fellow was around seven months old. Lion cubs are just one of the many animals you can spot in the Hwange National Park, in Zimbabwe.
Spitzkoppe, in Namibia, is nothing less than a natural wonder. These collection of bald granite peaks are more than 120 million years old! And they make for one of the most incredible campsites.
These hippos in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, look so cute from the distance. But did you know they have one of the most powerful jaws on the planet? Locals say that they can chomp a crocodile in half in a single bite!
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The view from our Overland Truck as we drove into a sandstorm. Africa is incredibly dry and dusty even without the sand getting involved. Despite having all the windows closed, the inside of the truck and everyone in it ended up covered in fine layer of dust and sand. There was definitely a rush to get a hot shower before the water ran out that day!
Another sunset in Botswana – I miss African sunsets so much!