Here's Where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Honeymooning
The buzz says Prince Harry and soon-to-be Duchess Meghan will honeymoon in Namibia. It's no wonder they decided to go there for their first trip as man and wife. The southwestern African nation is filled with dramatic landscapes, wildlife and is so remote the paparazzi can’t find them. Here’s a peek at what they'll see.
By:
Leanne Potts
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Hoanib Valley Camp
Rumor has it the couple will stay at the brand-new Hoanib Valley Camp, a romantic place where you can have your safari and pricey wine, too. It's glamping at its finest. Guests stay in luxe tents with private verandas where you can look out over the desert landscape. There are only six rooms, so it's like a bed-and-breakfast with wild animals.
Glamping for Royals
Here's the interior of one of those tents. Its simple aesthetic goes with the desert terrain. The furniture was made by local carpenters and carvers and decorated with baskets woven by locals as well. There's Wi-Fi, so Meghan and Harry can see how their wedding blew up the Internet when they're not out on day trips looking at rhinos, elephants and giraffes.
Desert Elephants
The Hoanib Valley is one of the last refuges for desert-adapted elephants. The area's remoteness has protected them from poachers and development. How remote is Namibia? It has a population density of six people per square mile, so Harry and Meghan will have privacy if they go elephant watching or do anything else in the country.
Hoanib River
Yes, that's a river, but it's dry season so there's no water in it. Elephants come to the river bed and dig deep holes to reach the groundwater below the surface. During the rainy season, the river attracts giraffes, rhinos, lions and elephants who come for a drink. Meghan and Harry will be there during the cool season, so it's the best time of the year for wildlife watching.
Khowarib Gorge
The Hoanib River runs through a magnificent gorge in northwest Namibia, and its riverside forests and wetlands are an oasis that winds through the surrounding desert. That water attracts a slew of wildlife, so visitors can see antelope, rhinos, giraffes and lions. The wetlands are home to more than 200 species of birds, so if Harry and Meghan want to see Monteiro's hornbills or black eagles, this is the place.
Sossusvlei
There's more to Namibia than Hoanib. If Meghan and Harry want to see more of the country, they could go to the sand dunes of Sossusvlei, one of Namibia's most iconic landscapes. The largest of the dunes is a quarter of a mile high. There are a surprising number of animals for a desert: zebras, ostriches and even lions. The royals would be hitting the dunes in the cool season when the high temps average 68 degrees, good weather for hiking.
Namibian Savanna
Grassy savannas cover 60 percent of Namibia, and wildlife ranging from antelope to zebras call the semi-arid landscape home. Like much of Namibia, it's so remote you have to charter a bush plane to get to some of the safari camps. Fun fact: Namibia is part of the British Commonwealth, so it makes sense for a British royal to vacation there. Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, visited nearly 30 years ago.
Etosha National Park
An endangered black rhino grazes in Etosha National Park, a game reserve in northwestern Namibia. It's a sure bet watching wildlife will be on Harry and Meghan's itinerary, because Harry is president of African Parks, a non-profit organization that helps national parks struggling with mismanagement and lack of funding. A handsome ginger prince who protects animals. Are you swooning yet?
Skeleton Coast
If the desert gets old, Meghan and Harry could head to the coast. Yes, Namibia has beaches. And surfers. Really. The sands of the Skeleton Coast are littered with hundreds of shipwrecks and seal bones, which is how it got that forbidding name. The only way to get there is by bush plane, so it's one of the most pristine beaches in the world. Fun fact: Portuguese sailors called the area the Gates of Hell, because the land is so rugged. Don't worry, there are resorts in the area that are heavenly, including this one that's shaped like a shipwreck.
