Born and raised in US of Indian heritage, Pritika Swarup started modeling at the age of 17. Having the opportunity to work with best-in-class brand and talents, this opportunity have helped her shaped her view of the industry.

This immersion has also became the catalyst to launching her India-inspired beauty and wellness brand, Prakti.

Here, Pritika exclusively shares snaps from her most recent adventure in Namibia including a sneak peek at an upcoming fashion campaign against breathtaking dunescapes and her beauty travel essentials.

Scroll through the gallery to view her camera roll:

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Pritika Swarup’s Namibia Travel Diary

Taken on my way to Namibia, South Africa, to shoot ESCADA’s FW24 campaign! Prakti's MahaMask is a major skin savior for all my travels and was a must on this 17-hour flight. I use it as an overnight mask and let it absorb into my skin to lock in hydration. I also love using it as a nourishing hand cream. We just launched MahaMask moisture treatment at Goop!

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Pritika Swarup’s Namibia Travel Diary

We stayed at the Otjiwa Safari Lodge for the first few nights, and it was so beautiful. The lodge is surrounded by nature, with lush greenery and wildlife. It felt so serene and peaceful to be immersed in nature. When we first entered the reserve, we saw giraffes, antelopes, and many other types of animals.

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Pritika Swarup’s Namibia Travel Diary

Before we started shooting, we went Rhino tracking one morning. We had to get up super early and drive deep into the reserve. We followed them to three different locations, where we quietly walked through the brush to get an up close view.

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Pritika Swarup’s Namibia Travel Diary

During our safari, we observed a herd of giraffes. The experience was truly surreal - witnessing these majestic creatures in motion (looked like slow motion) was breathtaking. I felt immensely grateful to be in the presence of such magnificent beings.

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Pritika Swarup’s Namibia Travel Diary

We had a couple of travel days in between shoot days since it took 4-5 hours to travel to each location. On our travel days we stopped at different lookout points and landmarks. This was between Walvis Bay and Sossusvei. Namibia is such a diverse place, you get to see many kinds of terrain.

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Pritika Swarup’s Namibia Travel Diary

This was at Dead Valley Lodge in Sossusvlei where I focused on preparing for our shoot - fittings, team meetings, skincare and meditation. During meditation, I used one of Prakti’s meditation scarfs created by local craftswomen in Lucknow, India who are a part of Prakti’s Suman Saroj Initiative, a social responsibility program that provides sustainable income opportunities for women to be able to use their skills to become financially independent.

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Pritika Swarup’s Namibia Travel Diary

This was taken on our first shoot day. The landscape was breathtaking and the vastness of the desert felt almost otherworldly. This location, where scenes from 'Dune' were filmed, added to the sense of grandeur. I woke up at 3:00 am, so we could arrive on location by 5:00 am to start shooting as soon as the sun came up. Once the heat of the day set in, we had to break.

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Pritika Swarup’s Namibia Travel Diary

We arrived to our next lodge around sunset and had a team dinner. Afterwards, I had some downtime to explore and gaze at the stars. It was nice to take in this beautiful moment of being in the desert.

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Pritika Swarup’s Namibia Travel Diary

Second shoot day in Deadvlei - as it was the ESCADA FW24 campaign, there were a lot of layers and coats. Not ideal for the desert heat, but it was so worth it! The bright, bold looks sharply contrasted with the neutral beauty of the desert. This location is hands down the most beautiful spot I've ever shot at—it's seriously amazing.

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Pritika Swarup’s Namibia Travel Diary

This was taken behind the scenes. Shooting on location is always a thrilling experience, but it also comes with its challenges. From the scorching sun to the swirling sand and relentless winds, controlling the elements is simply impossible. Yet, it's these challenges that make the experience so rewarding. As a model, I love pushing my limits and testing myself. It's moments like these that remind me why I love what I do.

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Pritika Swarup’s Namibia Travel Diary

Getting to see all the dunes was unforgettable. Sossusvlei has some of the highest sand dunes in the entire world. It took us an hour to walk up this dune here to Dead Valley.

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Pritika Swarup’s Namibia Travel Diary

The ESCADA team and I celebrated once the shoot wrapped! Working with them felt like working with family. They were so collaborative and supportive - I felt so grateful to experience these incredible moments with them.

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Images: Supplied