Highlights of Namibia

by Jonathan Andrews, 1 May 2006

Often overlooked as a holiday destination, there's far more to Namibia than dung-beetles, deserts and diamonds. It's a land of contrasts and Namibia is as culturally diverse as it is ecologically.

Namibia's landscapes are varied, flanked on the Atlantic coastline by an 80 million year old desert and to the east by the Kalahari, the central highland plateau has gravelly plains and isolated "island" mountains.

Elephant, rhino and oryx (gemsbok) roam Damaraland and Kaokoland on the edges of the parched Namib Desert, while the waterways in the north-east are a haven for birdlife.

Bushmen, Himba & Herero

The people of Namibia are as varied as the landscape. Bushmen still wander in the Kalahari. The nomadic cattle-herding Himba carry out their existence in Kaokoland much as they did a century ago. The women cover their skin and hair in red ochre and fat as part of their beauty regimen and to protect themselves from the harsh sun.

Women of the Herero tribe can be seen wearing their distinctive brightly coloured traditional attire, adapted from the Victorian fashions of the Rhenish missionaries. Their large dresses are bolstered by numerous petticoats and their elaborately folded headdresses are a wonder.

Namibia was first colonised by England, then Germany and finally South Africa, only gaining its independence in 1990. As in much of Africa, these colonial influences have left a mark in Namibia. Namibia has mixed the traditional with the contemporary and emerged as a nation that is uniquely colourful and authentically African.

Very low population density and some of the largest national parks in Africa mean that you really have room to appreciate the immensity of Namibia.

Windhoek

The capital city, Windhoek, is situated among the rolling hills and tufty grasses of Namibia's central highlands.

It's one of the more relaxed capitals in Africa. There are less than 300 000 people living in Windhoek, and with most of its suburbs tucked out of sight in the surrounding hills, the population seems even smaller. Tree-lined avenues and pedestrianised streets form a major part of the central business district.

Namibia's German-colonial heritage is not only obvious in some of Windhoek's neo-gothic architecture, but also on the menus at cafes and local eateries, which serve German delicacies as well as local cuisine. These relaxed locales are an excellent vantage point from which to watch the different people mingle on the streets.

Dramatic Drops & Stark Splendour

In the south, the Fish River Canyon cuts a staggering 160km gash into the interior plateau. The canyon is the second largest in the world and its barren beauty makes it arguably Namibia's most astonishing geographical feature.

A long time ago, torrents of water incised the ravine into the landscape over millennia. Today, the Fish River flows sporadically in the summer months. For most of the year, it's a chain of pea-green pools along the rocky floor of the gorge.

At a width of up to 27km, with sheer cliffs plummeting over half a kilometre to the ravine below, you'll see panoramic vistas that are unmatched for their natural splendour.

There are viewing points along both sides of the canyon that are accessible by road, which give exceptional vantage points over this dramatic landscape. It's best to visit in the early morning or twilight when pale pastel pink and purple shades soften the rocky landscape.

Landing in Hot Water

At the lower end of the Fish River Canyon is Ai-Ais, meaning "scalding water" in the Nama language. It's an oasis in the rocky landscape, and a popular tourist spot.

Water from the natural hot springs is piped into indoor and outdoor swimming pools and jacuzzis. The water is thought to have healing properties providing therapeutic relief from ailments such as arthritis, rheumatism and nervous disorders.

Diamonds in the Dust

The harbour town of Luderitz, tucked away along the Diamond Coast in southern Namibia, is an idiosyncratic place. It was founded as a trading post in 1883 by Adolf Luderitz, a tobacco merchant from Bremen, and was the first German settlement in Namibia.

The town experienced a boom in the early 1900s when diamonds were discovered in the area. Apparently, at one time diamonds were so plentiful in the surrounding areas that they could just be picked up off the ground.

Nowadays, with the hype of the diamond rush gone, Luderitz is a quaint tourist town. Isolated between an inhospitable desert dotted with ghost towns, a restricted diamond area, and the Atlantic, Luderitz still has buckets of old-world charm.

Grand old diamond-palaces straddle hilltops, a tribute to the affluence of another era. Many of the town's buildings replicate old Bavaria and are constructed in the art nouveau architectural style of the turn of the century.

The newly developed waterfront complex incorporates shops, restaurants and business premises, as well as a working harbour. Luderitz is the centre of the Namibian rock lobster industry, so if you enjoy fresh seafood, you can't do better than Luderitz.

To the east of Luderitz is the ghost town of Kolmanskop. This previously bustling town is a spooky reminder of days gone by. Abandoned by its last inhabitants in the 1950s when alluvial deposits were discovered at Oranjemund, the imposing old buildings are slowly being buried under the shifting sands of the Namib Desert.

An Estuary & Escarpment

Namib means "vast" in the Nama language, and at an enormous 50 000 square kilometres, the Namib-Naukluft Park is one of the largest ecological reserves in the world.

It contains the wetlands of Sandwich Harbour, the Naukluft mountain range, gravelly plains, canyons and the bright orange dunes of Sossusvlei.

Sandwich Harbour is one of the most important wetlands on the west coast of Africa. The mudflats and estuary are home to nearly a quarter of a million birds including flamingos, pelicans and cormorants.

The Naukluft mountain range rises out of the gravel plains to the east. The craggy mountains form part of the jagged escarpment that runs from Angola into South Africa. The orange, deeply eroded mountains are popular with hikers and there are a number of day hikes as well as a gruelling 120km 8-day round trip.

Red Sand & Clay Pans

The clay pans at Sossusvlei are probably one of the most popular tourist spots in Namibia. The area is famous for its brightly coloured dunes. The ochre colour is a sign of the desert's age. Iron in the sand oxidises (literally rusts) over time, rendering the vivid red-orange colours.

These sand dunes are the highest in the world, some measuring over 300m high. The transient shapes and sharp peaks seem to change colour in the light, and this kaleidoscopic display is most dramatic at sunrise.

The most impressive pan is Dead Vlei. A vast dent of dry, compacted clay dotted with the ghostly figures of ancient camelthorn trees, preserved by the heat and dry air. The distinct colours and textures here make it a photographic hotspot.

A Ghostly Graveyard

The Skeleton Coast gets its rather ominous name from its reputation with early explorers. It's one of the most inhospitable coastlines in Africa, and its sandy shores are littered with rusting shipwrecks.

Yet it's not only the area's ghostly status as a ship graveyard that make this place feel so eerie; the coastline is often shrouded by a thick mist and it's one of the most sparsely inhabited places on the planet.

The main attraction to the area is its seemingly infinite size, its stark splendour and the marvellous adaptations of the fauna and flora that live in such a forbidding environment. It's totally untouched.

The Skeleton Coast Park covers an area of 1,6 million hectares. The northern part of the park is a restricted wilderness area, due in part to its inaccessibility, but also to preserve the fragile ecology of the area. The only way into this area is by chartered fly-in safari.

The southern area is more easily accessible. The coastline is a fisherman's paradise. Anglers descend on the shores in the early morning fog, casting their lines for galjoen, kob and kabeljou.

The Great White Place

Etosha, meaning "great white place" in the Nama language, was transformed into a game reserve in 1907 by the German governor at the time. Although it has diminished in size from the original 100 000 square kilometres to about a quarter of that, it's still one of the foremost wildlife havens in Africa.

Central to the park is the 5 000 square kilometre shimmering white pan. It's often dry, but during the rainy season it becomes a shallow inland lake, attracting thousands of birds.

The mopane and savannah woodlands of the park offer excellent game viewing, especially during the dry winters when the vegetation is thinner and the animals congregate around floodlit waterholes to drink.

A Way to the East

The Caprivi Region is largely unexplored by tourists. The strip, called the "Caprivi Zipfel" in German, was previously held by the German colonials to grant them access to the Zambezi River on the eastern end, accounting for its rather unnatural "panhandle" shape.

The Kavango River forms the border with Angola for nearly 400km on the northern edge, and nearly three quarters of the population who live in Caprivi reside in this region.

The prolific birdlife in the area is the most obvious attraction, but visitors can also expect to see larger game, such as elephants, buffalo, cheetah, lion, and various antelope species on the western end. The eastern side has been described as Namibia's answer to Botswana's Okavango Delta.

During the civil war in Angola, the region was plagued by bandits. Although there haven't been any reports of such activity for some time now, it's advisable to travel during the daylight hours.

Sunbathing for the Soul

Namibia is an inspiring place. The adaptations of the people, plants and animals to their often harsh surroundings are remarkable. A unique culture, breathtaking landscapes and exquisite silences provide a form of escapist travel that is a welcome change from the frantic pace of modern life.

Because large parts of the country are so remote and untouched, you'll often feel like you're the first person to discover these magical places and you'll have plenty of room to explore.

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