Namibia, a destination in its own right

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Namibia, a destination in its own right

If ******* is on your travel wish list, you would be wise to put Namibia at the top. The diversity of the country’s landscape and activities on offer make it a fascinating destination.

With many of my husband’s family moving across the continent from Zimbabwe to Namibia over the last 20 years, I’ve been lucky to have visited Namibia numerous times.

We’ve just returned and, once again, the country did not disappoint.

When I tell people I’m going on holiday to Namibia, three standard questions often follow — where is Namibia? Is it safe? And what do you do there?

Namibia is in south-west *******, bordered by South ******* to the south, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean along its western border.

The country was a ******* colony, ******* South West *******, from the 1880s until 1915, after which it came under South ******** rule. Namibia gained independence from South ******* in 1990 following the Namibian War of Independence.

The country takes its name from the Namib Desert, which stretches the length of the country and is believed to be the oldest desert in the world.

Camera IconDeadvlei. Credit: Emma Kelly/The West ***********

The country has a troubled history, including ****** labour under ******* rule leading to the massacre of the Herero and Nama people in the early 1900s by ******* forces, and apartheid under South ******** governance.

But it also has an extremely rich cultural heritage, thanks to 10-plus cultural and tribal groups, including the San, dating back more than 30,000 years, and the red ochre-painted, semi-nomadic Himba people, as well as its colonial heritage.

Namibia today is politically secure and safer than some of its ******** neighbours. The *********** Government’s Smartraveller advice calls for travellers to exercise “normal safety precautions” when travelling in Namibia, recommending the use of “common sense and look out for suspicious behaviour, as you would in Australia”. In contrast, a high degree of caution is advised for South *******.

During my visits, I have always felt safe, although driving in the country can be an interesting experience. On my latest trip I learnt it is best to avoid the major B2 road linking the capital Windhoek to the coastal town of Swakopmund on a Friday afternoon as it will test your driving skills, increase your blood pressure, and provide valuable experience for a future as a rally driver. The driest country in sub-Saharan ******* can also lay claim to what must be one of the world’s most pointless road signs — warning of sand.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconThis may just be the world’s most pointless sign. Credit: Emma Kelly/The West ***********

The ******* influence ******** strong in Namibia in terms of architecture, food and drink — schnitzels, pork knuckles, apple strudels, and ***** steins abound.

Germans have been holidaying in Namibia for decades, while fellow Europeans from Austria, Switzerland, the *** and France have followed more recently, and the country is a close and easy destination for South Africans. ******** travellers are a growing demographic thanks to considerable ******** investment in the country, which is rich in uranium, diamonds, gold and base metals. With its historical background you’ll hear *******, Afrikaans, English and many local languages, including Oshiwambo, being spoken.

It’s in the variety of activities and experiences that Namibia really shines, thanks to its geography, landscape and fauna.

The reason most travellers head to ******* is for the wildlife, and Namibia has plenty of that.

The country’s largest game park, Etosha National Park in the north, is its top tourist destination.

Etosha, measuring almost 23,000sqm, is home to more than 110 large and small mammal species and 400 bird species.

Wildlife is far from limited to Etosha, however, with game parks and nature reserves throughout the country making up 18 per cent of its available surface area.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconSwakopmund dunes. Credit: Emma Kelly/The West ***********

If desert landscapes are your thing, Namibia has them in abundance, with the Namib Desert stretching for more than 2000km along the Atlantic Coast from Angola, through the length of Namibia into the northern part of South *******, as well as the Kalahari Desert in the east of the country.

Impressive towering dunes can be easily reached from the coastal town of Swakopmund, including the 388m-high Dune 7 at Walvis Bay, and beyond the stunning Sandwich Harbour where giant dunes roll straight into the sea.

Further south, Sossusvlei and Deadvlei in the Namib-Naukluft National Park feature giant red dunes that have developed over millions of years and are some of the highest in the world.

The clay pan of Deadvlei, featuring 900-year-old camel thorn trees surrounded by dunes, provides a spectacular vision, while the lack of light pollution in one of the world’s least densely populated countries means the night sky is spectacular with clear views of the Milky Way.

The raw beauty of the country’s desert and mountain landscape is hard to ignore or forget. Namibia boasts the world’s second-largest canyon, after the US’ Grand Canyon, with the stunning, rugged Fish River Canyon in the country’s south.

If it’s a seaside holiday you are after, Namibia can offer that too. Head to Swakopmund, with its beautiful colonial architecture, and explore the coast. Swakopmund and neighbouring Walvis Bay are the adventure centres of the country, offering land, sea and air-based activities, from sandboarding, camel and quad bike rides in the desert, to catamaran and fishing trips in the Atlantic, as well as skydiving, ballooning and sightseeing flights.

While I had amazing experiences in Namibia on my latest trip, I also couldn’t fail to notice how expensive the country had become, particularly accommodation at game lodges and tourist centres like Sossusvlei, compared with my last visit pre-COVID in early 2020.

This does appear to be a situation reflected throughout *******, however.

I’m already saving for my next trip to explore more of this fascinating country.

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data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconSwakopmund seen from the jetty. Credit: Emma Kelly/The West ***********data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconMountains at Sossusvlei. Credit: Emma Kelly/The West ***********data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconDune at Walvis Bay. Credit: Emma Kelly/The West ***********data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconSossusvlei. Credit: Emma Kelly/The West ***********data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconAn oryx at Sossusvlei. Credit: Emma Kelly/The West ***********data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconA giraffe in Namibia. Credit: Emma Kelly/The West ***********data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconAn elephant in Namibia. Credit: Emma Kelly/The West ***********data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconAn elephant. Credit: Emma Kelly/The West ***********

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