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Fish River Canyon
One of the natural wonders of Africa
is the Fish River Canyon. The 161 km long, 27 km wide ravine with a maximum
depth of 550 m is surrounded by high, forbidding cliffs. The awesome grandeur
of the canyon is surpassed only by the Grand Canyon in the USA. A road
running for 25 km along the eastern edge of the canyon leads to a series
of viewing sites with splendid views of this immensely powerful natural
phenomenon. The Ai-Ais hot springs resort offers accommodation and caravan
camp sites and is because of the immense summer heat and the danger
of flooding closed from the end of October to the second Friday in March.
The Hobas camp is opened all year around and is situated on the road to
the canyon and its spectacular viewpoints. |
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Lüderitz
The harbour town of Lüderitz,
set between the Namib desert dunes and the wild Atlantic seaboard, was
founded by the Bremen tobacco merchant, Adolf Lüderitz
in 1884. It was the first German settlement in then Südwestafrika.
The town has a fine collection of graceful buildings dating from the German
era. Set against the background of black rock and the sparkling blue
waters of the bay, this architectural heritage gives Lüderitz its
special charm. Exploring the coast around the bay is rewarding, with
its unspoilt beaches, caves, lagoons and reefs. There are boat trips around
the bay and to a nearby seal colony, bird life is abundant. The old ghost
town of Kolmanskop a few kilometres south-east of Lüderitz dates back
from the days of the diamond rush, and can be visited on weekdays. |
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Keetmanshoop
The town of Keetmanshoop is major
road, rail and air link and has a number of interesting old buildings dated
back from German colonial times. Interesting tourist destinations in this
region are: The Kokerboom (Quiver Tree) Forest, which is situated on the
private farm Gariganus, 14 km north of Keetmanshoop, but open to the public.
The unusual geological formation Brukkaros, an extinct volcano which has
a crater of almost 2 000 m in diameter, on the main route from Windhoek
to Keetmanshoop. Pride of the south is Duwisib Castle on the edge
of the Namib, some 70 km to the south west of Maltahöhe. Built
in 1908 by the eccentric Baron von Wolff and his American heiress wife. |
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Namib and Namib Naukluft Park
The Namib-Naukluft Park, covering
over 49 768 km2 is not only the largest nature conservation area
in Namibia, but is rated as the fourth largest in the world, as well as
being the most unusual. Landscapes range from an impressive mountain
massif to desert plains and high dunes, from deep gorges to an estuarine
lagoon. Namib area. For the connoisseur of scenery, atmosphere and
the unusual, there is nothing quite like the Namib. It has an essence
of timelessness, and depending on the time of the day there is a shift
of moods, aplay of light and shadow, giving desert landscapes entirely
new tints and textures. Naukluft area. Situated north west of Maltahöhe
on the road to the coastal town of Swakopmund, this area includes the mountainous
escarpment as well as the edge of the Namib desert. It is a sanctuary
for mountain zebra and other species of game. Sesriem area. West
of the Naukluft Mountains, the Tsauchab River disappears dramatically down
a steep gorge in the plain. Sossusvlei area. This is a dune wonderland,
with towering dunes up to 300 m high surrounding a huge, dried-up pan.
Dunes extend as far as the eye can see and their rich tints vary from pale
apricot to vivid reds and oranges. Sandwich area. Near Sandwich Harbour,
42 km south of the port of Walvis Bay, this large, reed-lined marine lagoon
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home to many coastal and freshwater birds and only accessibly by four weel
vehicles. |
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Swakopmund, Walvis Bay
& National West Coast Tourist Recreation Area
Walvis Bay is Namibia’s major port,
the centre of the country’s fishing industry and a rapidly developing tourist
destination. The Walvis Bay wetlands are internationally renowned for large
concentrations of waders, flamingos and shore birds. The coastal dunes
offer a variety of adventure activities such as sandboarding and quadbiking.
Swakopmund is Namibia's prime seaside resort is characterised by well preserved
German colonial building and is a place of singular charm. It resembles
a small Bavarian village nestling between the desert and the sea and is
the home of one of the finest breweries in Namibia. Typical German cakes
and confectionery can be enjoyed in the town’s cafés and German
is still widely spoken. The Swakopmund Museum captures the colourful past
and also highlights the desert flora and fauna, as well as the marine life,
of the area. There is sheltered bathing at Palm Beach and excellent rock
and surf fishing along the stretch of beach which extends northwards. This
area, a 200 km by 25 km strip along the beach from Swakopmund to the Ugab
River is known as the National West Coast Tourist Recreation Area. Henties
Bay, a resort village named after Major Hentie van der Merwe who started
recreational fishing there in 1929, still attracts keen fishermen from
far and wide. The Cape Cross Seal Reserve is situated north of Henties
Bay. Here a prodigious number of Cape Fur Seals flourish in the cold waters
of the Benguela Current. This area is of historical significance as the
Portuguese navigator Diogo Cao set foot on the coast of southwestern Africa
in 1468. |
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Brandberg
The Brandberg, a majestic mountain
range, looms mysteriously from the surrounding flat Semi-desert, and dominates
the landscape of this region. Its highest principal peak, the Konigstein
( 2 573 m ) is the highest peak in the country. Over 40 000
prehistoric rock paintings have been found in the caves and ravines of
this mountain massif, but none more famous than the "White Lady" of the
Brandberg. This enigmatic figure appears on a wall of paintings in
Maack’s Cave, in the Tsisab Gorge, which was named for the surveyor who
discovered it in 1917. In order to reach this particular cave
there is a walk along the main ravine which takes about one hour.
The route is well marked. |
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Damaraland
Damaraland with the rugged beauty
of its landscape is a region of rolling plains and distant mountain ranges.
Unusual geological features, a wealth of rock paintings and engravings,
and populations of desert-adapted elephant and black rhino combine to form
the unique attraction of Damaraland. Of interest to tourist in this region
is the Petrified Forest which is situated beyond Khorixas. Here some antediluvian
flood deposited giant tree trunks, some up to 30m long. The age of this
fossil trunks is estimated to be 200 million years. A short drive south-west
of the Petrified Forest is Twyfelfontein which is unequalled for its abundance
of rock engravings set in a U-shape valley of unusual reddish sandstone
formations and terraces. South-west of Twyfelfontein is the Doros Crater,
a site of interesting fossil remains. South of Tweyfelfontain is the desolate
landscape of the Burnt Mountain, its shale and basalt vividly coloured
as if burnt in an inferno. Another geological curiosity nearby are the
perpendicular slabs of basalt known as the Organ Pipes. Between Khorixas
and Outjo, is the geological oddity known as the Vingerklip. This
relic of prehistoric erosion stands impressive 35 m high into the blue
sky. |
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Kaokoveld & Skeleton Coast
The arid but scenic Kaokoveld lies
in the northwest of Namibia and consists of sandy plains, rugged mountains
and rock-strewn hillsides, bounded in the north by the Kunene River. It
is the home of the nomadic Himba and herds of desert elephants migrate
along river valleys that are also inhabited by giraffe, while herds of
gemsbok and springbok roam the plains. Bounded by the cold Atlantic Ocean
in the west, the Skeleton Coast has aptly been described as the world’s
largest shipping graveyard. It is an isolated stretch of coast dominated
by sand dunes, gravel plains, salt pans and hills. It’s main attractions
are its solitude and excellent angling opportunities. Both areas are only
accessible for off-road vehicles. |
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Etosha National Park
The Etosha National Park is one
of the major sanctuaries for wildlife in Africa and was proclaimed a game
reserve by German Governor von Lindequist in 1907. The heart of the park
is the Etosha Pan, meaning “place of dry water”, an extensive, flat depression
of about 5 000 km². This great, white expanse is a place of shimmering
mirages, and seeing large herds of game in this setting makes Etosha an
unique experience in Africa. There are 144 mammal species in the park,
which covers 22 270 km². This includes elephant, giraffe, blue wildebeest
and black rhino. Among the predators are lion, cheetah, leopard and several
species of wild cat. Hyena and jackal are the scavengers. There are various
species of antelope ranging from the majestic eland to the smallest antelope,
the shy little Damara dik-dik. A highlight of the park is the flood-lit
waterhole at Okaukuejo where elephant and other game come at night to drink.
Namutoni has a Beau Geste charm and the historic fortress was once the
northernmost German outpost and is now a national monument. |
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Tsumeb & Grootfontein
The area between Tsumeb and Grootfontein
can be visited en route to Etosha. The Hoba Meteorite which was discovered
in the 1920's can be viewed some 19 kilometres from Grootfontein.
As the largest known meteorite in the world, it has an approximate mass
of 54 000 kg and it is estimated that it fell to earth some 80 000 years
ago. The mining town of Tsumeb, where 184 different minerals have been
extracted, ten of these occurring nowhere else in the world, charms with
many trees along its roads and an interesting Town & Mining Museum.
24 km northwest of Tsumeb is Lake Otjikoto which is 76 m deep and one of
the few freshwater lakes in Namibia. It contains several species of fish
including two rare, mouth-breeding species. |
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Caprivi
Wedged between Angola and Botswana,
the 32km wide Caprivi Game Park extends for about 180 km from the Okavango
River in the west to the Kwando River in the East. There is a number of
large and small game but no facilities for the traveller. The major town
in the Caprivi is Katima Mulilo which is described as the Gateway to the
world renown Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe as well
to the Chobe Game Reserve in Botswana. The Eastern Caprivi offers a variety
of accommodation and is the home of a number of small but incredible game
reserves which all need four-wheel drive vehicles to be explored. Impalila
Island, in the far northeast, is aptly described as “The One Island in
Africa Where Four Countries Meet”. |
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Windhoek
Situated in Namibia’s central highlands,
Windhoek, the capital, is an attractive city surrounded by clusters of
hills and the impressive Auas and Eros Mountains. Windhoek is an ideal
centre from which to explore the surrounding country side and its height
above sea level is1 650 m. The city is considerably enhanced by stately
historic buildings in the German architectural style of the turn of the
19th century. Imposing modern buildings echo the historical forms, shapes
and colours of this architectural heritage. Old buildings which lend a
singular charm to the city include the historic seat of government which
is known as the Tintenpalast, meaning Place of Ink, and the Christuskirche
with its graceful spire. The white-walled Alte Feste, which was once a
fort and now a museum, reflects the history of the century. Like in other
spheres of life in Namibia, the German influence is also apparent in local
foods, offering a wide selection of German delicacies. The local beer is
brewed according to the traditional German “Reinheitsgebot” (purity laws),
using only natural ingredients. |
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Holiday & Tour info to Namibia for travellers such as Hotels, Accommodation, Lodging, Guesthouse, Car hire. Visit Nambia best places Windhoek, Swakopmund, Kalahari & Namib Desert, Etosha, Sossusvlei. Tons of activities such as camping, Trekking, wildlife hunting safari on Kruger Park, Balloon ride
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