Fish River Canyon, Namibia

The Fish River Canyon is situated in the far south of Namibia, almost on the border with South Africa and is part of the Ai-Ais conservation area. Ai-Ais is the name of the lower rest camp, near some hot springs at the bottom of the canyon and means 'very hot' in the local Nama language.

The Fish River Canyon is huge, approximately 160 km long, 500 m deep in places and 27 km across at it's widest, it is the largest canyon system in Africa and the second largest in the world after the Grand Canyon in Colorado - and is certainly one of Africa's least-visited wonders.

A 25 km road along the eastern edge of the canyon leads to a series of rest sites with splendid views of this powerful natural phenomenon.

In early times the Fish River Canyon was a haven for the local inhabitants of Namibia. The area is extremely arid with virtually no rainfall and the river provided food and water for human and animals alike.