Situated in Central Namibia, the cosmopolitan city of Windhoek serves as the capital of the country. It is home to an international airport and a plethora of restaurants, shops, entertainment venues and accommodation options. The city is clean, safe and well organised, with a colonial legacy that is reflected in its many German eateries and shops, and the widespread use of the German language. Windhoek has an interesting mix of historical architecture and modern buildings, many of which are worth a look, including the Alte Feste an old fort, the 1896 Christuskirche Christ Church, and the more contemporary Supreme Court.
Set on the edge of the Swartrand escarpment and serving as a popular stopover for visitors travelling to Sossusvlei and the Duwisib Castle, the village of Maltahohe was established when the District Commissioner of 1899 decided that an outpost further west of the vast, Central Namibian district was required. Maltahohe is home to the oldest hotel in the country, equipped with its original bar and serves as an excellent base from which to explore the scenic surrounding area including a local farm 35 kilometres north of the town that has an 800-hectare shallow pan that, after flooding, is carpeted by a blanket of colourful lilies for about a week before they are devoured by elephant-nosed beetles. Visitors can also look forward to viewing the imposing Dutch Reformed Church in the heart of the village, watching a concert by the local Ama Buruxa choir group, and enjoy a hearty traditional meal. Maltahohe is the perfect spot to take a breather from the road and stock up on supplies before heading off again.
The Namib Desert is the world’s oldest desert, and although it stretches along the entire length of Namibia’s coastline into southern Angola and even the northern Cape Province of South Africa, the Namib commonly refers to the vast sea of sand extending from Luderitz to Swakopmund. This vast expanse of breathtakingly beautiful sandy desert features remarkably varied scenery including, the massive red dunes of the world-renowned Sossusvlei, the moonscapes of the Namib-Naukluft Park, the stark beauty of the Atlantic Coast and a diversity of fauna and flora. This windswept, arid, ancient landscape is teeming with desert-adapted wildlife such as endemic chameleons, brown hyenas, gemsbok, jackals and seals along the coastline and a variety plantlife including the famous welwitschia plant, a unique living fossil. Other highlights of the Namib include: Fish River Canyon, Kolmanskop ghost town, Luderitz, Cape Cross seal colony and the Skeleton Coast.
Set along Namibia's spectacularly scenic coast, the seaside town of Swakopmund is known for its wide-open avenues, colonial architecture, and its surrounding otherworldly desert terrain. Founded in 1892 as the main harbour for German South-West Africa, Swakopmund is often described as being more German than Germany. Now a seaside resort town, Swakopmund is the capital of the Skeleton Coast tourism area and has plenty to keep visitors happy. The quirky mix of German and Namibian influences, adventure options, laid-back atmosphere and cool sea breeze make it a very popular Namibian destination. Visitors can look forward to a number of exciting activities including: quad biking, horse riding, paragliding, fishing, sightseeing and fascinating desert tours.
Conveniently located only a few hour’s drive from Namibia’s capital city of Windhoek, the Erongo Mountain Range stretches across the plains between the towns of Omaruru and Karibib, and is home to a remarkably rich natural heritage. This expanse of rugged wilderness serves as one of Namibia’s most popular tourist drawcards, attracting visitors with its spectacularly scenic landscapes, magnificent caves and rock painting sites, and its impressive array of wildlife species. These include, among others: rhino, elephant, cheetah, leopard, giraffe, wildebeest, impala, blesbok, waterbuck, kudu, warthog, mountain zebra, oryx, eland, springbok and over 200 species of bird. Visitors can look forward to enjoying a variety of adventurous activities such as hiking, rock climbing, games drives, horse riding safaris and mountain biking.
This vast desert landscape is known as one of the most beautiful regions in Namibia. Huge, untamed and ruggedly beautiful, Damaraland is an exceptionally scenic landscape featuring open plains, ancient valleys and spectacular rock formations. The major attractions are the sacred Spitzkoppe, the Brandberg, Twyfelfontein, Vingerklip and the otherworldly Petrified Forest. Visitors can take in the dramatic vistas, catch a glimpse of the rare desert-adapted elephant, and enjoy spectacular stargazing in crystal-clear night skies from one of the many safari camps dotting Damaraland. Other popular activities include: guided drives, nature walks and visiting the local communities. Don’t miss the opportunity to view Damaraland's world-famous ancient rock art.
Situated in north-western Namibia, the Etosha National Park offers a premier game viewing experience. The park’s diverse vegetation ranges from dense bush to open plains attracting a variety of wildlife. Located in the heart of the park is the Etosha Pan - a shallow depression that covers an area of 5000 square kilometres. Dry and shimmering for most of the year, the pans fill up with water after seasonal rains, making it the perfect habitat for wildlife. In the dry season, the wildlife is attracted to the perennial springs and waterholes that makes for excellent game viewing. Visitors can look forward to excellent game viewing including a variety of large mammals such as lion, elephant, leopard, rhino, zebra, giraffe, a diversity of birdlife such as flamingos and pelicans.
Located in north-western Namibia, Etosha East is a protected sanctuary in the eastern part of the world-renowned Etosha National Park, known as one of the most accessible game reserves in Southern Africa. Etosha East boasts vast open plains scattered with semi-arid savannah grasslands dotted with many watering holes. The impressive 5000-square-kilometre Etosha saltpan makes up a large area of the eastern side of the park and is visible even from space. This remote area teems with abundant wildlife such as lion, elephant, black rhino and giraffe, as well as a variety of birdlife featuring flamingos, ostriches, eagles, hornbills, and owls.
Situated in north central Namibia and named for the springs that emanate from its foothills, the Waterberg Plateau National Park is a fascinating geological site featuring compressed sandstone crags, 200 million-year-old dinosaur footprints, and petrified sand dunes. The area’s natural water sources make it far more fertile than its environs, and the park is blessed with a plethora of plant and animal species, including leopards, rhinoceros, vultures, cheetahs, bush babies, ferns and fig trees. Visitors can enjoy a wide selection of activities including: learning about the local Herero culture on an informative village tour, tracking rhino on a guided safari, exploring the Waterberg's 50-kilometre-long and 16-kilometre-wide sandstone plateau, dubbed 'table mountain', and catching a glimpse of the rare and endangered sable and roan antelope.
