Along the south-western coast of Africa lies the harsh paradise of Namibia. With beautiful and uncrowded beaches that stretch far and wide,
Namibia boasts rich cultural assets, captivating scenic beauty and an abundance of wildlife.
Most of Namibia, being huge, empty and hot can be described as the 'real' Africa - an untamed wilderness. Despite the arid nature,
the country is home to a surprising diversity of big game animals.
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Communication
Mobile telephone coverage is limited to urban areas.
The Namibian Dollar (NAD, N$) is divided into 100 cents.
The international dialling code for Namibia is +264.
Namibia is divided into 13 administrative regions:
Namibia is a fairly safe country to travel around independently. However, if you plan on doing any serious back road exploration, you need
to be properly equipped for any eventuality – at least two vehicles in convoy and sufficient provisions should there be a breakdown.
Swakopmund and Walvis Bay fall under this region named after Erongo Mountain, a well known landmark in Namibia and in this area.
Swakopmund
With palm-lined streets, seaside promenades and fine accommodation, Swakopmund is Namibia's most popular holiday destination.
It offers a perfect blend of German, African and Afrikaans culture with a pleasant summer climate and glorious beaches.
KUSKA (Kuste Karneval)
Swakopmund celebrates its annual coastal carnival at the end of August. Festivities include street parades, all-night parties, food stalls
serving up local delights and lots of drinking. There are many activities for children, insuring that the entire family can enjoy the party.
Spitzkoppe
Near Swakopmund and also known as the 'Matterthorn of Africa', Spitzkoppe is a 100 million year old granite mountain. It is one of
the most photographed sites of Namibia, particularly during sunrise and sunset when the brown and grey granite turns a stunning saffron
and ochre colour. Part of the Erongo Mountains, Spitzkoppe was created by the collapse of a giant volcano, creating many interesting and
bizarre rock formations. Animals found in the reserve include springbok, gemsbok, eland, Burchell's zebra and the occasional camel.
Also found in the area are the yellow butter trees and poison tree, which leaks an extremely dangerous white juice that the Bushmen use
to poison their arrows.
Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay is well-suited for the outdoor lifestyle with all types of marine sports available.
Click
here for accommodation in Walvis Bay
Cape Cross Seal Reserve
This reserve, on the Atlantic coast, is the largest breeding area of the Cape Fur Seal, the largest of the world's nine species of fur seals.
The males (bulls) arrive at the colony in October and will fiercely defend their marked territories. The pregnant females (cows) arrive in
November and will give birth to a single baby.
Witnessing the spectacle of such an enormous number of these creatures in their natural habitat is certainly worth the day trip from
Henties Bay or Swakopmund.
Karas Region
This is the southernmost region of Namibia. The region is a predominantly small stock farming area, consisting mostly of animals such as
sheep or goats. Towns in the area include the harbour town of Lüderitz, the diamond areas along the coast, both on and off shore, with
Oranjemund as the main centre, and small-scale industries in Keetmanshoop.
Helmeringhausen is a town located in southern Namibia in the Karas Region. Helmeringhausen was founded as a farm by a member
of the Schutztruppe, the colonial armed force of Imperial Germany.
Click here for accommodation in Helmeringhausen.
Lüderitz
Initially it was diamonds that drew adventurers to this area. Trapped between the desert and the sea, its character changes with
the daily tides and intermittent fog. Spotless beaches allow one to watch seals and penguins in their natural habitat.
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The nearby ghost town of Kolmanskop, a long-deserted town of colonial-era, is infamous for its sand-swept houses.
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Fish River Canyon
The Fish River Canyon comprises wind-carved depressions, inclines and rock formations moulded from the inland plateau.
The Canyon is dramatic in its simplicity, with valleys and gullies slicing through its 2000 million year old geological foundations.
The Canyon is the second largest of its kind in the world next to the Grand Canyon in North America.
The Caprivi Strip is surely one of the oddest geographical places in the world - where four countries, Botswana, Zambia,
Zimbabwe and Namibia meet.
Compared to the rest of Namibia, this region is relatively underdeveloped. This may be due to the mountainous inaccessible
geography and the dryness that significantly hinders agriculture.The region's name comes from the Kunene River which forms the
northern border with Angola.
Twyfelfontein
In 2007, UNESCO approved Twyfelfontein as Namibia's first World Heritage Site. Twyfelfontein has one of the largest concentrations
of rock engravings in Africa. The site forms a coherent, extensive and high-quality record of ritual practices relating to hunter-gatherer
communities in this part of southern Africa over at least 2,000 years.
Hardap stretches the entire width of Namibia, from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to Namibia's eastern national border.
This is a sparsely inhabited region and has a higher rainfall than most other parts of Namibia.
The Khomas region contains the capital city of Namibia, Windhoek and is one of only three regions to have neither shoreline nor a foreign border.
Windhoek
The capital of Namibia, Windhoek merges the old colonial German times with modern era. Windhoek is a mixture of the various
cultures and represents the diversity of the country's history.
Click
here for
travel and tour options in Windhoek.
WIKA (Windhoek Karneval)
This is undoubtedly the most important cultural event in the capital. Celebrations begin with Prinzenball on the first Friday and
see people go on to enjoy the Büttenabende (performances of music and sketches), Maskenball (the masked ball) and the Kehraus,
which marks the end of the carnival. Festivities also include a ladies' night, a youth carnival and a children’s carnival.
Oktoberfest
This worldwide festival is held in Windhoek and sees crowds of people attending, all looking for fun and games. Despite being
on a much smaller scale to the one in Munich, it is still one of the most important events of the year.
The northern and western parts of the region are the most densely populated of this essentially subsistence agricultural region.
The main settlements in the region straddle the good paved road from the Angolan border to Ondangua, where it joins the
Oshakati-Tsumeb trunk road. The eastern part of the region possesses good grazing land, but the shortage of water and
poor communications render it uninhabitable.
Omaheke lies on the eastern border of Namibia. The name Omaheke is the Herero word for sandveld. A large part of this region is
known as the Sandveld. Gobabis is the main centre of this area and also its main business area. Most of the communal farmers in this
area are cattle breeders. Hunting, including trophy hunting, is one of the major sources of income for the region. This takes place mainly
in the winter months, from June to August.
The North Eastern part of the region is still very much a wilderness and beautiful wild Kalahari scenes can be seen by people
willing to travel tedious roads and spend nights in the open.
The Mopani Tree is the dominant species in this region. The northern part of this region is far more densely populated than
the south. This is predominantly an agricultural region where crops from maize to watermelon to bananas are grown.
The southern portion of Oshana is an extensive savannah plain stretching as far as the Etosha Pan.
Oshana is one of only three regions without either a coastline or a foreign border.
The northern part of the region is agricultural, whereas the main economic activities in the southern part are cattle rearing
and copper mining.
An outstanding landmark within this region is the Waterberg Plateau Park - The plateau is largely inaccessible so in the early
1970s several of Namibia's endangered species were translocated there to protect them from predators and poaching to extinction.
Towns in this region include Grootfontein and Okahandja - well known for cattle farming.
Maharero Day (Heroes’ Day)
This is one of Namibia's most colourful and spectacular annual events. It is held in celebration of the Red Flag Herero and takes
place in Okahandaja. Military processions are accompanied by poems which are chanted in remembrance of former war heroes.
Women dress in traditional costume and can be heard chanting throughout the processions.
The Skeleton Coast
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The Skeleton Coast Park is one of the least visited and most inhospitable places on earth. The aptly named coast is famed for the numerous ghostly shipwrecks located on its remote and inaccessible shores. The Park encompasses a dramatic landscape of sand dunes, canyons and mountain ranges. The dense fog and cold sea breeze meeting the extreme heat of the Namib Desert cause the temperatures to vary widely. A surprising number of plants and animals thrive in these harsh conditions. |
Namib Desert
The Namib Desert is the oldest desert on earth and the fourth largest conservation area in the world. It is a barren land
boasting the highest sand dunes in the world. From the summit of these dunes it is possible to witness countless birds and animals.
In the rainy season there are a number of water birds and in the dry season oryx, springbok and ostriches can be found.
The Atlantic mist keeps many species alive in this unforgiving terrain.
A night spent camping here will allow one to see more stars than ever thought possible.
Outjo
visitors on their way to the Etosha Park can stay here over night.
Click here for how to Travel and Tour around Outjo.
Etosha National Park
The Etosha National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. Consisting of saline desert, savannah and woodlands, its definitive
feature is the Etosha Pan, a vast, shallow depression. For the greater part of the year the pan is a bleak expanse of white, cracked mud which,
on most days, shimmers with mirages. Seeing vast herds of game against this eerie backdrop makes the Etosha game-viewing experience unique.
Several rare and endangered species can be found such as rhino, cheetah and black-faced impala. Etosha's elephants are the largest in
Africa. The tallest can measure up to 4m. Blue wildebeest, zebra, hyena, lions, cheetah, leopard, giraffe, antelope species and about 340 bird
species are also found in the area.
The area has about 30 springs and waterholes that provide excellent game viewing and photographic opportunities.
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