4 Day Tour in Namibia

NT42: Etosha Wildlife Experience

Swakopmund At first sight you cannot be blamed for thinking that Swakopmund looks like a small Bavarian village nestling between the desert and the sea. Once inside the perception changes a little. There is a somewhat continental atmosphere being exuded by the Art Nouveau buildings dating back to the turn of the century. Eleven of these buildings are official National Monuments. Swakopmund was founded in 1892 during the period of German colonial rule and served as the territory's main harbour for many years. This foggy desert coast town has bizarre weather and its main appeal for holidaymakers lies in its beach frontage and abundance of colonial architecture. One can also visit the Swakopmund Museum, the Swakopmund aquarium or go dune riding between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. Buildings of interest in Swakopmund: Woerman House: Built in 1905 for the Damara and Namaqua Trading Company and sold in 1909 to Woermann & Brock and today houses the Swakopmund Arts Association and the Public Library. Die Alte Kaserne (Old Barracks): This was built in 1905 by the German colonial government to house the German Engineer Regiment and is currently a youth hostel. The Kaserliches Bezerksgericht (Magistrate's Court): This building now serves as a summer residence for the President of Namibia and was built in 1901. Cape Cross Seal Reserve The Cape fur seal or Arctocephalus Pusillus is the largest of the nine fur seal species. The Cape Fur Seal's muzzle is pointed with long whiskers and is more aquatic than terrestrial. It feeds on fish, octopus and crayfish at sea. The biggest and probably the best known of the seal colonies of Cape Fur Seals along the Namibian and South African coast is the Cape Cross Seal Reserve found just north of Swakopmund. During the breeding season - around November/December - one can see as many as 200 000 seals here. Walvis Bay Walvis Bay serves as the main harbour in Namibia and have many scenic attractions for example the Walvis Bay Lagoon which is home to many bird species. At certain times of the year one can see literally thousands of flamingoes feeding here. The lagoon is also regarded as the most important wetland for coastal birds in the whole of Southern Africa and in 1998 it was found that it is a feeding station for over 200 000 birds. Another important landmark in Walvis Bay is the famous Dune 7 which is the highest dune in the area. Namib-Naukluft Park This is one of the most versatile conservation areas in Namibia and also one the country's major tourist destinations. This is Namibia's largest national park - a total of 23 000 square kilometres and includes a wide variety of ecosystems, geological and topographical features including granite mountains, canyons and estuarine lagoons. The Park is a vast wilderness of approximately 50 000 square kilometres with key features such as Sossusvlei, Sesriem, the Welwitschia Trail, Sandwich Harbour, the Naukluft Mountains and Kuiseb Canyon. Because this area has been managed as a wilderness area, one cannot find any permanent rest camps here. Animals that can be found here on the desert plains are springbok, ostrich, Hartmann's mountain Zebra, Gemsbok (Oryx), baboon and klipspringer. One can also find African wild cat and leopard in the Kuiseb Canyon, but of the predators most often seen is the black-backed jackal. Larger predators include the spotted and brown hyena. But to really enjoy what the Namib desert offers - one has to look to the smaller creatures that can be found here. One can find here two very interesting creatures namely the fog-basking beatle (Onymacris unguicularis) and shovel-snouted lizard (Aporosaura anchietae). Places of interest in and around Swakopmund and Walvis Bay: Sandwich Harbour: Well known for its good birding and has gained international importance as a wetland area. Welwitschia Trail: Lying east of Swakopmund this interesting trail offers a close look at the famous and bizarre Welwitschia Mirabilis plant. Moon Landscape: A valley in the Namib-Naukluft Park which reminds one of a moon landscape. This was formed by many overlays of earth deposited some 450 million years ago. Sossusvlei: This stunningly beautiful desert landscape with its high dunes is a must to visit. Sossusvlei is one of the main tourist attractions in Namibia and probably one of the most photographed. The monumentally high dunes - the highest estimated at 325 metres, varies in colour from pale apricot to orange to deep red. Damaraland The Damaraland is situated between Karibib and Khorixas and is characterised by fascinating and unique geological, archealogical and biological features. The following places of interest can be found in Damaraland: The Brandeberg: This famous mountains can be literally translated into English as 'Burnt Mountains' and has the highest peak in Namibia. One of the most famous of all rock paintings can also be found in these mountains namely the White Lady of the Brandeberg. The white figure, which isn't necessarily a lady, stands about 40 cm high, carying what appears to be a bow and arrow. The painting takes its name from a 1948 article by Abbe Breuil. He speculated on Egyptian or Cretan origins for the work, but this fanciful idea has now been discounted. The White Lady dates back approximately 16 000 years. Petrified Forest: This open veld is scattered with giant tree trunks (up to 30 metres in length with a circumference of six metres) which were deposited here during a cataclysmic event (like a flood) and then turned into stone millions of years ago. Growing among the fossils are various drought-resistant plants including welwitschias. Twyfelfontein: A large number of bushman paintings can be found here by San artists and is one of the richest collections in Africa. Some works date back thousands of years, with some right back to the early Stone Age. Others were engraved as early as the 19th century and are probably the work of San hunters. Many depict animals no longer found this far south, such as rhinos, giraffes and lions. Caprivi The Caprivi strip is a network of rivers and has a relatively high summer rainfall which creates flood plains and riverine forests. This, an eccentric extension of Namibia, separates Angola and Zambia from Botswana. Two of Africa's great rivers, the Zambezi and the Okavango flows through the Caprivi strip. The Caprivi Game Park is wedged between Angola and Botswana and was proclaimed in 1968. One can expect the following animals here elephant, roan antelope, kudu and 339 bird species. At Popa Falls near Bagani, the Okavango River plunges down a series of cascades, but only in the rainy season are they anything to get excited about Etosha National Park This famous park has a combination of saline desert, savanna and woodland and is one of the largest parks in Africa. The western side of the park is characterised mainly by scrubby savanna. Etosha is well known for the Etosha salt pan which is approximately 5 000 square kilometres large. It is an eerie, quiet and lifeless landscape of mirages. Around the edge of the pan, however, are perennial springs which draw large concentrations of birds and other animals during the dry winter months. After exceptionally rainy periods, the pan fills with up to a metre of water and enormous numbers of waterfowl come to feed and breed here. Animals that can be found in the park includes such endangered species like black rhino and the black-faced impala, as well as elephants, blue wildebeest, mountain and plains zebra, spotted hyena, lion, cheetah, leopard, giraffe, kudu, gemsbok (oryx) and the small endemic Damara dik-dik. One can find a wide variety of birds in the park including Pale Chanting Goshawk, Greater and Lesser Flamingo and Lappetfaced vultures.