Top Ten Southern Africa Classic Adventures

Arguably the toughest trek in southern Africa (you must produce a recent medical certificate to even get a booking), the Fish River Canyon lies in Namibia's far south and is one of the world's largest. You'll hike for six days along its rugged floor; open from May to September only (the rest of the year is just too hot), the trail follows some 86 kilometers of the canyon, which in some places is up to three kilometers wide. Along the river—which swings between bone dry and a boiling torrent depending on the rains, or lack of them—trees, geese, and ducks are scattered, creating a strange sight in this otherwise parched landscape. Baboons shout at you from the heights, and klipspringers (small, cliff-dwelling antelope) skitter away as you round the rocky bends. Be ready to carry in all your food and water, and to sleep in the open.