Exploring the Namib Desert in a converted 1950's British army ambulance

Swakopmund is a coastal city on the west coast, established by German colonists in 1892. It gets its name from the Swakop River that flows 290 miles from central to Namibia to the coast. Considered the launch pad for exploration of the Skeleton Coast and Namib Desert, it was here that we hoped to come across Namibia’s ‘little 5’; the Namaqua Chameleon, Sidewinder Snake, Shovel-Snouted Lizard, Cartwheeling Spider and Palmato Gecko. Guided by a local expert, Tommy of ‘Living Desert Tours’, we were lucky to come across four of these amazing animals, only missing out on the lizard. Frankly to the untrained eye this seemed an amazing achievement in what appeared to be a desolate landscape!