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Here, where a festive atmosphere pervades the whole year around, one can use the dunes as if they are a personal roller-coaster. Seated on an ATV, automatic all-terrain four-wheeled motorbikes, one can make use of the dunes, that have been specifically set aside for recreational purposes.
| On these slopes you can perfect your sand boarding manoeuvres or try out sand skiing. A slow paced ride on top of one of the domesticated desert animals - the camel - will give you a heightened sense of the surrounding beauty. The boom of the surf is an ever present reminder of the Atlantic Ocean beyond the desert. |
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In the depths of the icy seas, dolphins frolick. We can arrange dolphin cruises to watch these warm-blooded creatures and afterwards dine on oysters and champagne. The Cape Cross Seal Colony, a two hour drive away, allows opportunities to observe these honking, beady-eyed animals at close quarters in their natural habitat.
Anglers will enjoy dipping their rods into the sea at many favoured spots along the coast. The commercial fishing town of Walvis Bay is one of the recommended places where fishing yields a plentiful catch. Tidal currents are favourable for numerous species of fish. The architectural charm of Swakopmund is one of its drawcards. Bavarian spires and fortress - like turrets mark the Germanic heritage of the colonial settlers. The Swakopmund Hotel and Entertainment Centre is built in and around the old station building.
The town is an eclectic mixture of Bohemian and Bavarian. It is a cultural melting pot where Herero women in Victorian dress rub shoulders with hard-bitten miners, khaki clad safari operators and salty fishermen. From a Swakopmund base, such as the dramatically positioned Beach Lodge, it is possible to enjoy many desert excursions including the strange 'Moon Landscape' - ideal at sunset.
For botanists there is the lure of the flora of the lichen fields along the coast, home to more than 100 species of this life form which researchers believe may yield a host of yet undiscovered medical cures. On the plains one can find the Welwitchia mirabilis, described as a living fossil. The oldest living specimen has been dated at 2 000 years old.
DEX 2 - Desert Express Train Journey
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merchants.