Walvis Bay, Namibia

Its name in Afrikaans means "Whale Bay," but those days are long gone. Today its dramatic setting is inseparable from any impression of this deep-water port on Namibia's desolate, but beautiful "Skeleton Coast." Here the undulating dunes of the Namib Desert meet the sea, and its lagoon is spangled with white pelicans, pink flamingos and other seabirds. Up the coast road is Dune Seven, the highest along Namibia's coast, and a great place to take off your shoes and feel some sand between your toes after your Atlantic crossing.