Namibia Holiday Safari Destinations 04 january 200728 November 2007
This section of the site aims to provide information about different holiday tourist destinations in Namibia. We aim to expand this section regularly to cover more locations.
Most Popular tourist travel destinations include:
1.Etosha National Park
2.Swakopmund and Walvis Bay
3.Cape Cross Seal Colony
4.Twyfelfontein
5.Okahandja Town
6.Sesriem and Sossusvlei
7.Namib Naukluft National Park
Namib Naukluft National Park Namibia 04 january 200728 November 2007
The Namib Naukluft park in the west of Namibia covers around 50,000 square kilometres and protects the Namib desert - one of the oldest deserts in the world.
While the main attraction of the Etosha national park is the wildlife it is home to, the main attraction of the Namib Naukluft national park is the beautiful scenery. The landscape varies considerably within the park, from the towering sand dunes around Sossusvlei and Sesriem, to gravel plains, and the “moon landscape” hills and valleys.
Visiting the park requires a permit, available from MET offices.
In the northern part of the park is Welwitschia drive, a route through parts of the park which takes several hours to go round. Unlike Etosha, you are free to stop and get out of your vehicle as you go round the park.
The moon landscape is an area you will pass through as you drive along Welwitschia drive. Sometimes referred to as the moonscape, it is an area whose landscape was formed by the valleys of the swakop river
The “moon landscape” area of the Namib Naukluft national park
The Welwitschia drive route takes its name from the Welwitschia mirabilis plant, and at one of the recommended stopping points you can see one of the largest known examples of this plant, which is estimated to be over 1500 years old.
A welwitschia mirabilis
The Welwitschia mirabilis is a plant that is highly adapted to life in the harsh conditions of the Namib desert. It looks at a first glance to be a mass of leaves emanating from a short stump, but in actuality the plant only has two leaves which are extremely long and form a tangled mass. They have deep roots as well as shallow ones and the root structure is designed to extract any available water from the soil. It is believed that the leaves help condense the fog that occurs in the desert to help gain more moisture.
The Welwitschia plants are dioeceous - i.e. there are separate male and female plants. The female plants can be identified by the pin-cone like seed carriers.
Sesriem and Sossusvlei Sand Dunes Namibia Attractions 04 january 200728 November 2007
The enormous sand dunes around Sossusvlei are one of the images of Namibia that are widely used, and its easy to see why. The dunes are enormous, and are a spectacular sight, particularly in the early morning when you can sit and watch the dunes change colour and the shadows move as the sun rises.
Travelling to Sossusvlei involves visiting the MET (Ministry of Environment and Tourism) office at Sesriem to obtain an entry permit. Sesriem is the entry to this part of the Namib-Naukluft national park, and there is a petrol station here as well as the MET office. The road from there to Sossusvlei has in recent years been upgraded to a tar road which takes you to within a short distance of the dunes. The road ends at a car park which has trees for shade, toilet facilities, and is the furthest you can go in a 2WD vehicle - beyond this point is strictly for 4WD vehicles, but you can walk from the carpark to the dunes and the pans - the nearest pan is only around 500 metres beyond the car park, but walking to the furthest pan (Sossusvlei itself) can take around an hour, so if you do decide to walk in, take some water with you.
Near to Sesriem itself is Sesriem canyon - a narrow canyon carved in the Sandstone by the Tsauchob river and for much of the year the canyon contains pools of water. Visitors can walk down into the canyon.
Okahandja Town Safaris Namibia 04 january 200728 November 2007
Okahandja is a small town located around 70Km north of Windhoek, and is where drivers either continue on the B1 north towards Otjiwarongo and Etosha, or turn off towards Karibib and Swakopmund. Most drivers simply drive through Okahandja without stopping, but they miss out on an excellent shopping opportunity.
Okahandja is home to an excellent wood market where craftsmen sell handmade souvenirs. These are largely hand carved wooden animals which vary in size from tiny to enormous, but the items on sale here are not just restricted to wood. Ostrich eggs are drained, cleaned and then painted or engraved with detailed pictures. Bones from animals are sometimes carved polished and painted to produce items such as bottle openers or ornaments.
The shell filling station as you approach Okahandja from the south has a good shop, and if you don’t already have a supply of cold drinks then this is a good place to stop and buy some.
Twyfelfontein Rocks Namibia 04 january 200727 November 2007
Twyfelfontein is located in the Damaraland region, west of Khorixas and the rocks here are home to one of Africa’s greatest concentrations of rock art. Twyfelfontein is unusual in that it has both rock paintings, and rock engravings. Most of the engravings and paintings are of animals and the spoor (footprints) they leave. Some of the engravings are believed to date back to the stone age.
Once you reach Twyfelfontein you will have to pay an entry fee and hire a local guide to take you round the rocks. It is advisable to wear good footwear (ideally boots) as there is a lot of clambering up rocky paths which could cause a twisted ankle if you slip in inadequate footwear. The guides can be very variable in their knowledge - some good some bad.
Visitors are asked not to climb on the rocks as this will damage the engravings and paintings - sadly some ignorant tourists ignore these rules and clamber on the rock art to take photos or to pose for them.
Swakopmund and Walvis Bay Namibia 04 january 200727 November 2007
Swakopmund is a resort town on the Namibian coast, and has a lot of old-style German buildings. Swakopmund is where many Namibians go for a break, and as such there are plenty of leisure activities in the area.
An area of dunes near the town has been set aside for leisure use, and horse riding and quad biking trips are run here as well as Sand boarding, where participants slide down the high sand dunes on boards at speeds of up to 80km/hr.
For those wishing to take things a little more sedately, Swakopmund has plenty of shops and places to eat and drink.
Swakopmund has plenty of choice in terms of accommodation. Two of the best known hotels are the Hansa hotel and the Swakopmund hotel.
The Swakopmund Hotel is built in what was the old railway station, and has a good restaurant (its buffets are well worth a visit), a swimming pool, and has a casino attached.
The Hansa is a very good hotel with large comfortable rooms with televisions and an excellent restaurant
Walvis Bay
Walvis bay is Namibia’s only deep water port, and after Namibia gained independence, it remained part of South Africa until 1994 when it was finally handed over to Namibia.
Waterholes in Etosha Safari Park Namibia 04 january 200727 November 2007
There are a lot of waterholes in Etosha national park Namibia are accessible by the public roads, and there is normally a reasonable sized area where you can park and watch the activity at the waterhole. It is worth being patient sometimes as waterholes that are deserted when you arrive can fill up with wildlife at any time.
It is worth enquiring at the camp offices which waterholes are dry as not all the waterholes are in use all year round - some may have dried up naturally and others may be undergoing maintenance work.
Some of the waterholes are natural, some are natural waterholes that have been expanded by man, and some are man-made.
This is not intended to be a full list of the waterholes, rather it is a suggestion of some of the waterholes that might be worth visiting or avoiding.
Andoni
This waterhole is a long drive North from Namutoni and is a fair distance from any of the other waterholes. The waterhole is clearly visible from the car parking area and is in a large shallow bowl. I have sighted lion here, but the distance to this waterhole make it one to avoid unless you’ve had no luck elsewhere.
Chudop
This waterhole is around 6km from Namutoni, and is another waterhole with a Spotted Hyena den close to it, and game sightings can be excellent here.
Dik-Dik drive
Not actually a waterhole, this is a 6km drive in a circular route near the Klein Namutoni waterhole. This is a good place to see the Damara Dik-Dik - the smallest antelope species found in the park. These are often found near the road under large bushes. Dik-Dik drive is also a good place for sightings of black faced impala and zebra and giraffe sightings are also common here.
Etosha
Not actually a waterhole, this is a lookout on the edge of the pan. There is also a short drive out on to the pan which is open when the pan is suitably dry, so you can drive approx 20 metres out onto the pan on a short road marked by ropes. When you drive on to the pan like this you get an idea of how vast it is - the pan extends a far as the eye can see and is totally empty and barren.
Halali
This waterhole has en my experience proved to be the best one for sightings of Black Rhino, and sightings of elephant are also good here. If staying at Halali camp it is well worth spending as much time as possible in the evening at the waterhole to maximise chances of spotting Rhino. During the day there is a steady flow of wildlife coming in to drink.
Helio
This waterhole is dry and is usually deserted - one to avoid.
Khoinachas
This waterhole is fairly close to Namutoni and is within the home range of the Hyenas living at Chudop, so Spotted Hyena can sometimes be seen here drinking or scavenging on a kill.
Klein Namutoni
This waterhole is just 3-4 minutes drive from Namutoni camp, and as such it is very popular with tourists shortly before sunset as they can continue watching wildlife as long as possible. This waterhole is well used by wildlife including Giraffe, Zebra, Springbok and more. There is also a Spotted Hyena den nearby so Spotted Hyena sightings are possible, particularly around dawn.
Namutoni
The rest-camp’s waterhole can be active during the day with Springbok, Oryx and Warthog, but the view is restricted by the large mass of reeds in the centre. Of the three rest camp waterholes, this is the least busy.
Nebrownii
This waterhole is about 9 Km East of Okaukuejo, just off the main East-West road through the park. The waterhole is adjacent to a flat plain and also has some scrub nearby. Game sightings can be good here, particularly during the dry season.
Oryx wait close to the Nebrownii waterhole in Etosha
Okaukuejo
By far the busiest of the camp waterholes, this is a good place for sightings of elephant in the evening, and during the day the waterhole can be crowded with springbok, kudu, oryx, zebra and other wildlife
Springbok crowd the waterhole at Okaukeujo Elephant and other wildlife at Okaukuejo waterhole A Rhino visits the okaukuejo waterhole at night
Okondeka
This waterhole is located North of Okaukuejo and is on the very edge of the Etosha Pan. A pride of lions is resident in the area and can sometimes be spotted. The view across the vast empty waste of the Etosha Pan is spectacular
A lion walks near the Okondeka waterhole with the Etosha Pan in the background
Ombika
This waterhole is located near the Anderssons Gate entrance to the park, and is worth visiting as you enter or leave the park, but it can be frustrating to see wildlife arrive then vanish out of sight - the waterhole is in a large dip, and as animals go down to drink they can sometimes move out of sight
Namutoni Rest Camp Etosha Park Namibia 04 january 200727 November 2007
The main feature of the camp at Namutoni is an old German fort which dates back to 1906. This now contains some of the accommodation for tourists and the forts tower is used by many guests to view the sunset. The majority of the accommodation is bungalows nearby.
The restaurant at Namutoni differs from those in the other camps as its lunch menu is not a buffet - instead it offers an a la carte menu including some delicious choices - the Kingclip (a type of fish) is excellent and serves as a welcome change from the usual meat based diet.
The waterhole attracts some wildlife including Springbok and Oryx, but very little in comparison with the waterholes at the other two camps. Some wildlife does roam the camp - Banded Mongooses are common, and Ground Squirrels, Warthogs and Jackal can also be seen on occasion within the camp.
Stamps can be purchased at Namutoni, but the post tends to be far slower for items posted here than for items posted at Okaukuejo.
The fort at namutoni rest camp in Etosha
Halali Rest Camp Etosha Park Namibia 04 january 200727 November 2007
The camp at Halali has a waterhole that is located a few minutes walk from most of the accommodation. This means there is less background noise to disturb wildlife, but does mean that a torch is essential to find your way back to the accommodation. The viewing area at the waterhole is raised, so people look down at the waterhole. There are a couple fo benches, but most people sit on the rocks, so it can get cold when seated for long periods. The waterhole can get quite busy at night, with plenty of rhino sightings, as well as hyena, elephants and other wildlife.
The camp is unfortunately not very close to any of the other waterholes in the park. This means that if you are staying the night at Halali, you need to leave whichever waterhole you are at well before sunset to ensure you are back at the camp before the gates are locked.
Okaukuejo Rest Camp Etosha park Namibia 04 january 200727 November 2007
Okaukuejo is the oldest and largest of the rest camps, and is the main administrative centre for Etosha as well as housing the Ecological Institute which carries out nature and conservation research .
Like all the camps, Okaukuejo contains accommodation, facilities for camping, a restaurant, bar, petrol station and shop. Okaukuejo also has a post office where you can purchase stamps and post letters and cards.
The restaurant operates a buffet service and normally has a choice of two or three meats available including one game meat (e.g. springbok, kudu, ostrich). In the evening it is often a good idea to dine early and then head down to the waterhole to watch the animals come and drink.
The camps waterhole is separated from the camp by a wall and low fence to prevent wildlife entering the camp without obstructing the view for tourists. The waterhole is floodlit at night and is normally busy during the day time as well as night. It is quite common to see elephants at the waterhole as well as Zebra, Springbok, Oryx and others. Rhino can also be seen here. The waterhole is very close to some of the rondavels where tourists stay. Whilst this can be convenient, it can be a problem if noisy groups are staying in one of them as the noise can disturb the wildlife. This problem seems to be worst at weekends. While there is some lighting throughout the camp, it is advisable to carry a torch when going to the waterhole at night to help find your way back to your accommodation.
The tower in the camp, located near the entrance, and the restaurant is a good place to view the sunset from, and provides a good view during the day time as well.