Exploring Namibia's Southern Region
The south of Namibia is dry – a land of wide-open spaces and solitude, bordered in the west by the Atlantic Ocean as well as the spectacular Namib Naukluft Park.
This area is worth one entire trip on its own, as it offers so many unique attractions and phenomena, ranging from ghost towns to historical buildings, quiver tree forests and canyons, not to forget the highest dunes in the world.
The town of Luderitz was built amongst rocky outcrops on the southern Namibian coast and owes its existence to the discovery of diamonds in 1908.
It has become a sought-after tourist attraction and holiday resort with its German colonial buildings, the mining ghost towns of Kolmanskop, Elizabeth Bay and Pomona, which seemed to have survived time and the elements.
The Sossusvlei clay pan, which was formed when shifting sand dunes of the Namib smothered the course of the Tsauchab River, is one of the main attractions of the southern region.
The dunes are at their most breathtaking in the early morning and their formations and colour variations are a scenic haven for photographers.
The rugged Naukluft mountains are home to many Hartmann’s mountain zebra, as well as klipspringer, gemsbok, ostrich, springbok and kudu. This area offers various hiking trails, either on foot or by 4×4.
Sesriem is a 30 m deep canyon or gorge of about 1 km in length which lies at the entrance to Sossusvlei. Its rock pools fill up with water after good rains and serve as wonderful, refreshing dip pools for hikers.
The spectacular Fish River Canyon is one of the largest canyons in the world, reaching a depth of about 550 m.
The adjoining Ai-Ais National Park and Richtersveld National Park on the South African side have been designated a transfrontier conservation area, separated by the Orange River which forms the natural boundary between the two countries.
Around Keetmanshoop a forest of quiver trees has pride of place and just north of Mariental the Hardap Dam, which is Namibia’s largest dam, offers a resort and water sports such as water skiing, body boarding and the like.
Places of Interest in the Southern Region:
Fish River Canyon
The longest river in Namibia, the Fish, flows for more than 800 kilometres from its source in the Naukluft Mountains to its confluence with the Orange River, 110 kilometres east of the Atlantic Ocean.
Over millennia it has carved one of the world’s greatest canyons, a 550-metre-deep chasm that twists for 160 kilometres through eroded cliffs of ancient sandstone, shale and lava deposited almost two billion years ago.
Quiver trees and euphorbia species dot the arid desert plain through which the canyon flows. Except in extremely dry years, there is always water in some of the pools, due to the intermittent flow of the river.
They contain small- and largemouth yellowfish, sharptooth catfish, tilapia and common carp, and sometimes water leguan.
Klipspringer, rock hyrax, ground squirrel and baboon inhabit the cliffs and niches of the canyon walls, while tracks at the waterholes bear witness to the leopard and mountain zebra that also frequent the area. Many birds are found here, including the olive thrush, Cape robin and African black duck.
Centrepiece of the Fish River Canyon is an 85-kilometre nature trail regarded as one of Southern Africa’s major hiking challenges. In terms of difficulty, the trail is compared to the daunting Otter Trail in South Africa and ranks among the Big Five hiking trails in the Southern African region.
Hemmed in by sheer canyon walls towering above the meandering river, the trail takes four to five days to hike, starting at the northernmost viewpoint close to the Hobas campsite.
Chain handholds are provided to descend to the canyon floor. At the bottom is an enormous pool where hikers can cool off before continuing further, determining their own pace and choosing where they want to set up camp. Along the way, they can enjoy rugged scenery, peace, solitude and total wilderness.
The trail ends at the Ai-Ais Hot Springs Resort, where hikers can relax in the soothing thermal waters of the hot-water spring. The hike can be undertaken only from 15 April to 15 September, due to high summer temperatures and the danger of flash floods during the rainy season.
Quiver Tree Forest
Few iconic images beat the quiver tree or kokerboom, Aloe dichotoma, its stylised shape giving it a prehistoric appearance, especially when etched against the deep colours of a Namibian sunset.
Situated on the farm Gariganus, 23 kilometres northeast of Keetmanshoop, the Quiver Tree Forest is a worthwhile de-tour, especially for keen photographers. Here several hundred of these curious trees can be seen growing as a dense stand amongst the rocky outcrops that are so characteristic of the southern parts of Namibia.
The stand was declared a national monument and fenced for tourist viewing some fifty years ago.
Reaching heights of up to seven metres, the quiver tree is one of four Namibian aloes that are classified as trees. One of these, the bastard quiver tree, Aloe piIIansi, is sometimes confused with the kokerboom, the difference being that A. piIlansi has a taller trunk with fewer, more erect branches and a sparse crown, and has a much more limited distribution, being confined to the areas just north and south of the Orange River.
The quiver tree, on the other hand, grows fairly commonly along Namibia’s western escarpment from the Orange River northwards into Kaokoland.
In June and July, quiver trees are covered in bright yellow flowers, attracting large numbers of birds and arid insects to their copious nectar. Baboons tear the flowers apart to get at the sweet substance, often stripping a tree of its blossoms soon after they have appeared.
One of the quiver tree’s most attractive features is its bark, which is smooth, often with a pearly grey or golden sheen, sometimes flak-ing and cracked into diamond shapes, frequently folding like melting wax.
The Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, Simon van der Stel, recorded this fascinating and distinctive tree in 1685 where it grew in the northern Cape. He noticed that Bushmen fashioned quivers for their arrows from the soft branches, and it was this custom that gave rise to the tree’s common name.
Garub and the Desert Horses
Mankind has always loved and admired horses and been intrigued by the mystique of the desert. The combination is undeniably tantalising, stimulating curiosity and inspiring the imagination.
For almost 100 years the renowned desert horses of the Namib have been roaming free between Luderitz and Aus, centring around Garub, a water point that lies about 100 kilometres east of Luderitz and is maintained by the nature conservation authorities.
In times of extended drought, supplementary feed has been put out at Garub to save them from starvation. It is here that the desert horses can be observed and photographed as they come to drink.
The origin of the horses remains a mystery fuelled by speculation and myth. One theory is that a ship carrying thoroughbred horses from Europe to Australia ran aground near the mouth of the Orange River and that the strongest animals reached the shore and found their way to the Garub Plain.
Another is that the horses are direct descendants of 15,000 military mounts brought from Germany in 1 904 to the then-German South West Africa.
Yet another is that they are descended from some 6,000 horses belonging to South African soldiers who camped at the borehole at Garub in 1915. There is also speculation about the so-called Kubub stud bred at the Kubub Station under the management of Luderitz mayor Emil Kreplin, who supplied workhorses for racing and mining purposes.
It is thought that the Kubub horses added to the evolvement of the desert horses of the Garub plains.
The most popular, romantic and oft-quoted theory is that they are descendants of the horse stud belonging to the eccentric German nobleman, Baron Hansheinrich von Wolf, who built a European-style castle among rolling red hills 72 kilometres south-west of Maltahohe for his American bride, Jayta.
The story goes that when Von Wolf was killed in action in 1916, the Baroness, crazed with grief, released the 300 horses into the desert. They are believed to have roamed the veld around Duwisib Castle until 1950 when some wandered 150 kilometres south-west to the waterhole at Garub and became the ancestors of the herd that exists today.
International and local equine experts attribute the survival of the horses in this harsh, alien environment to unique adaptations in their physiology and behaviour patterns.
Hopefully, these extraordinarily resilient animals will be around for many years to come to grace the beautiful stretch of landscape between Lüderitz and Aus.
Farm Sandhof and the Lilie Spectacle
About 35 kilometres north of Maltahohe on the farm, Sandhof is an enormous salt pan extending over an area of a thousand hectares.
The pan is normally bone dry and few people would think of visiting it other than to drive across it at speed to see how fast their vehicles can go.
However, once every four or five years when there are good rains in the surroundings, usually in January or February, the pan becomes inundated, if the water reaches a depth of 15 centimetres, it transforms miraculously into a vast field of lilies emerging from a sheet of sparkling water tinged red by the underlying sand.
In next to no time shoots break through the surface of the shallow water and burst into a vivid display of pink and white for as far as the eye can see.
This ephemeral blaze is but short-lived, because as quickly as the flowers take shape they wither and thousands of elephant beetles appear as if from nowhere, devouring the lot within days.
To see the fleeting spectacle, visitors flock to Sandhof from different parts of the country and even South Africa. They usually converge on the small town of Maltahohe, which has a country hotel and a small number of guesthouses. The last time the lilies appeared was after the copious rains of 2006.
Sossusvlei
Second only to the Etosha National Park, Sossusvlei is one of Namibia’s top tourism draw cards. The attraction is its monumental dunes with their magnificent colours, ranging from ivory, yellow-gold and ochre to rose, maroon and deep brick-red, paling and deepening as the day progresses, making the area a visual feast for artists and photographers.
Sossusvlei is a feature of the Tsauchab River, which rises towards the north in the Naukluft Mountains. The Tsauchab River formerly emptied itself into the sea but gradually became blocked by mountainous dunes of windblown sand, to form the spectacular end vlei as we know it today.
The road to Sossusvlei, which starts at Sesriem, is flanked by exotic pink, orange and maroon dunes, with the purple and blue Tsaris Mountains receding at the back and wide expanses of waving, yellow grass dotted with the occasional ostrich, springbok or gemsbok stretching ahead.
Four kilometres before reaching Sossusvlei, the road —which up to this point can be traversed by two-wheel drive vehicles — disappears into thick sand.
The remaining distance of just over 300 metres can be completed by a four-wheel-drive vehicle or on foot. The latter is recommended, as it gives a good idea of the extent, scale and grandeur of the surroundings.
It takes exceptionally heavy rains in its catchment area for the Tsauchab River to bring down sufficient floodwaters to Penetrate the dune area and fill the vlei. When it has water, the vlei is an impressive sight, attracting flamingos and other aquatic birds and giving new life to the vegetation of the area.
Other than the imposing camel-thorn trees, Acacia erioloba, of which the older specimens are estimated to be at least 500 years old, there is a wide occurrence of brackbush and the sprawling narra plant.
According to pollen research done at the vlei, there was a much wider spectrum of plant species in former times than there is today, which implies that it was once a high-rainfall area sustaining a wide spectrum of fauna.
Nowadays mainly springbok and gemsbok frequent the Sossus environs, evident from the occasional spoor and chewed narra fruit. The magnificent dunes surrounding the vlei, measuring from their base up to 350 metres high, are reputed to be the highest in the world.
They are in effect monumental pile-ups of sand that have formed at the end of longitudinal dune ridges, bordering the erosional trough of the Tsauchab River. The vlei lies at an altitude of about 570 metres above sea level, the crests of some of the dunes exceeding altitudes of 960 metres.
Because of their multi-crested shape, Sossusvlei’s dunes are referred to as star dunes, a formation that can best be seen from the air. The four or five sinuous crests, which meet at the highest point, are the result of multi-directional winds that play the sand back and forth.
At times exceptionally strong winds blow at the vlei, causing the dunes to ‘smoke’, forming convoluting blankets of sand that swirl sinuously upwards on the windward side, and then break over the crest.
A striking feature of the area is the white deflationary clay-floor pans that occur among the dunes, starkly set off by the flamboyant red mountains of sand surrounding them.
They are in effect monumental pile-ups of sand that have formed at the end of longitudinal dune ridges, bordering the erosional trough of the Tsauchab River. The vlei lies at an altitude of about 570 metres above sea level, the crests of some of the dunes exceeding altitudes of 960 metres.
Because of their multi-crested shape, Sossusvlei’s dunes are referred to as star dunes, a formation that can best be seen from the air. The four or five sinuous crests, which meet at the highest point, are the result of multi-directional winds that play the sand back and forth.
At times exceptionally strong winds blow at the vlei, causing the dunes to ‘smoke’, forming convoluting blankets of sand that swirl sinuously upwards on the windward side, and then break over the crest.
A striking feature of the area is the white deflationary clay-floor pans that occur among the dunes, starkly set off by the flamboyant red mountains of sand surrounding them.
Sesriem Canyon
About four kilometres from the Sesriem entry to Sossusvlei, the meandering Tsauchab River disappears into a narrow gorge, the Sesriem Canyon, eroded over centuries by flood-waters deep into the layers of schist and gravel deposited there millions of years ago.
The gorge is up to 30 metres deep, varies in width from one to two and a half metres at the top, widening towards the bottom, and is approximately one and a half kilometres in length, becoming shallower and wider as it approaches the dunes.
After good rains, the deep pool at the narrow section of the gorge fills up. Sesriem derives its name from the days when the early settlers, to scoop water, lowered a bucket into the ravine by six ox-riems (thongs) tied together.
Several different tree species grow in the canyon, of which the laurel fig, Ficus ilicina, is one of the more conspicuous ones. The permanent pools are inhabited by several fish species, primarily barbel. A track leads into the canyon from where the conglomerate layers are visible.
A campsite managed by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism is situated close by under huge camel-thorn trees, and close by there are several lodges in the surroundings from where visits to Sossusvlei are undertaken via the entrance at Sesriem. Fuel and refreshments are sold at this point.
Sperrgebiet
Set aside as a ‘Forbidden Area a hundred years ago by the German government following the discovery of the first diamond by the railway worker Zacharias Lewala at Kolmanskop in 1908, the Sperrgebiet National Park is set to become yet another gem in Namibia’s portfolio of parks. Once it is proclaimed it will do much to holster the economy of southern Namibia, particularly in the towns of Rosh Pinah and Lüderitz.
Known internationally as the source of exclusive diamonds, the Sperrgebiet covers some 26,000 square kilometres of dunes and mountains that shelter numerous biodiversity gems.
To date, the research conducted in this area has recorded 776 plant species, including 234 that are unique to the area. In addition amphibians and reptiles and relatively large populations of gemsbok, springbok and brown hyaena.
A limited form of tourism is currently practised in the Sperrgebiet. A day tour undertaken from Lüderitz to view Bogenfels, the 55-metre rock arch that juts into the Atlantic Ocean, also stops at the old ghost town at Elizabeth Bay, the seal colony at Atlas Bay, the ghost town of Pomona and the legendary Märchental (fairy valley) where early prospectors collected diamonds by moonlight.
Tour operators have been given concessions by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to conduct a limited number of tours per year along the stretch of coastline from Sylvia Hill northwards to Sandwich Harbour in the Namib-Naukluft Park.
Points of interest on the itinerary are Saddle Hill, Koichab Pan, Sylvia Hill, Conception Bay, the wreck of the Eduard Bohlen, the diamond settlements Grillenberger, Charlottental and Holsazia, Fischersbrunn and Sandwich Harbour.
Participants drive in their vehicles and are accompanied throughout the trip by a nature conservator from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. There are no facilities along the route, so the group has to be a hundred percent self-sufficient in terms of fuel, food supplies and camping equipment.
Kolmanskop
Few places in Namibia captivate the imagination more than the crumbling scattering of buildings that can be seen from the road 10 kilometres inland from Lüderitz, all the more so because the former diamond-mining settlement is gradually becoming engulfed by the ever-shifting sands of the Namib Desert.
At one time the focal point of the diamond industry in Namibia, it was deserted in 1956 following the discovery of richer diamond fields further south and the establishment of Oranjemund as the central hub of the diamond-mining industry.
Kolmanskop is the best-known of several former diamond settlements— Elizabeth Bay, Pomona, Bogenfels and Charlottental — that today lie abandoned and disintegrating in the restless sands of the Sperrgebiet, the remote area set aside for mining and prospecting in German colonial times.
The name Kolmanskop can be traced back to a transport driver named Johnny Coleman. At the turn of the century, Coleman was a citizen of Aus, a tiny settlement situated 125 kilometres inland from Lüderitz.
Before the railway was built, he transported goods from Keetmanshoop to Lüderitz by ox wagon. During a fierce sandstorm, he was forced to abandon his ox wagon on the small incline on the main road from where Kolmanskop can be seen.
It stood there for a while, giving rise to the name Colemanshuegel, which subsequently became Kolmanskop.
The origin of Kolmanskop lies in the momentous discovery of the first diamond in April 1908 by the railway worker Zacharias Lewala amongst the sand he was shovelling away from the railway line near Kolmanskop.
His employer, railway supervisor August Stauch, had instructed him to look for sparkling stories, and when Lewala showed him the ‘pretty stone’, Stauch was convinced that it was a diamond.
Once this was confirmed, the news of the discovery spread like wildfire, causing a frenetic diamond rush that caused adventurers and fortune hunters to converge en masse on the newly discovered diamond fields.
Lüderitz emptied virtually overnight and hopeful diamond hunters descended in droves on Kolmanskop, some on horseback and camels, others in horse carts and ox wagons, some even on foot.
In some areas, diamonds lay scattered in the open on the desert surface. Historical photographs show miners crawling across the sand on their hands and knees collecting diamonds.
Kolmanskop soon became a bustling little centre, featuring a bakery, butchery, a soda and lemonade plant, a furniture factory, a public playground and swimming pool, a fully equipped gymnasium with skittle alley and a well-equipped hospital that featured the first X-ray museum in Southern Africa.
It also developed into a lively hub of German culture, offering entertainment and recreation for the affluent mining officials, who lived in large, elegantly designed houses. Sunday afternoon strolls through the town were described as follows: “Fashionably attired in well-cut outfits, the better halves of the diamond kings walked through the deep sand, their left hands, mostly in cotton gloves, holding their longs trains very stiffly, while their right hands held their feathered and flowered hats in place against the pressure of the wind.”
The town reached the pinnacle of its development in the twenties when it accommodated about 350 German colonialists and 800 Owambo contract workers. But when richer diamond fields were found further south and operations moved to Oranjemund, the decline of Kolmanskop was rapid.
Soon the wind was whispering through the deserted streets, broken windows and open doors, as crumbling structures and disintegrating mining machinery gradually succumbed to the encroaching desert sands, to become one of Namibia’s most intriguing relics from the past.
In 1980 the crumbling town was opened for tourist viewing when the mining company CDM (today’s Namdeb) restored several of the buildings and established a museum.
Garas Park
Garas Park is situated 21 kilometres north of Keetmans-hoop on the Bl, just a little off the beaten track, but very well signposted.
It is a serene, timeless space filled with Quiver trees and aloes, ancient rock formations and man-made sculptures. Next time you are in the area, do yourself a favour and stop.
Have a cup of tea and a toasted cheese sandwich. The owner, Marian, has run the camp for over 21 years and there are lots of stories to be told. It is a perfect camping stopover with clean ablution facilities and unusual shower systems.
This area offers the most stunning sunsets and awe-inspiring, star-lit skies that make you want to stay up all night long. Needless to say, this is a haven for photographers.
Garas Park will recharge your batteries and take you back to our humble beginnings when all we needed was a basic roof over our heads and a daily meal. Next time you want to camp in the south of Namibia, consider Garas Park — a historical “must-see” with a quirky twist.
Lüderitz – Place out of Time
Few other towns in Namibia convey the same sense of being in a time warp than the quaint harbour town of Lüderitz on the southern Namibian coast.
With its undeniable old-world charm and fast-developing tourism infrastructure, it has become a sought-after holiday resort.
Typified by the German colonial architectural style, the buildings with their gables, winding stairwells, bay and bow windows, turrets and verandas cling to the rugged black rocks facing the deep-blue Atlantic waters where fishing boats ply their trade.
Two of the most striking buildings are Goerkehaus built in 1909 on the slopes of the Diamond Mountain, and the Felsenkirche close by, consecrated in 1912.
Others are the old Station Building (1914), the old Post Office (1908), the Turnhalle (1912-1913) and the Lüderitz Museum, which houses the Eberlanz collection.
The Lüderitz Peninsula has numerous beaches, bays and lagoons, including the popular Agate Beach and Grosse-Bucht frequented by bathers.
A replica of the stone cross or Padrão planted by Bartolomeu Dias in the bay of Angra Pequena (Little Bay) can be seen at Dias Point, and on Shark Island, a plaque commemorates the German merchant, Adolf Luderitz, after whom the town was named.
The remains of an old Norwegian whaling station can be seen at Sturmvogelbucht.
There is plenty of interest for bird-watchers and nature lovers in the Lüderitz surroundings. The shallow lagoon is frequented by flamingos, cormorants and seagulls, and while sailing in the bay, seals and dolphins can be seen playing in the water.
The colourful Bushman’s candle and unusual species of dwarf succulents grow in the area, including lithops.
A relatively recent development in the harbour town at Harbour Square below Hafen Street is the Lüderitz Waterfront, its windows shaped like bull’s-eyes, steel girders and ropes and triangular sun sails creating a seaside and harbour atmosphere.
On the other side of Hafen Street is Market Square, a complex of shops, offices and flats in the same style. The Lüderitz Yacht Club has its headquarters at the Lüderitz Waterfront.
So much to do and so much to Discover
At first, Lüderitz seems quiet and forlorn, but beneath this appeal of a sleeping beauty lies an offering of the most unusual adventure activities to experience.
The Luderitz Speed Challenge
Every year around spring, kite- and windsurfers from around the globe flock to Lüderitz to compete in the Lüderitz Speed Challenge.
This international, extreme kite and windsurfing event takes place on a purpose-built canal and has put Lüderitz on the map with thus far 64 national and 11 new world records having been recorded.
Because of the good strong winds blowing all year round, speed junkies can kite- and windsurf on Lüderitz’s second lagoon to their heart’s content. More information on the Speed Challenge can be found on www.luderitz-speed.com
Lüderitz Crayfish Festival
Lüderitz is well-known for its delicious lobster, locally known as crayfish. Every year in May, Lüderitz hosts the Crayfish Festival which is held at the picturesque Waterfront. Visitors from all over flock to the harbour to taste this delightful delicacy and to watch master chefs battle it out while the local military band entertains the crowd sporting their white uniforms and shining brass instruments. It is a day of sunshine, laughter, good food and friendly locals who showcase their tasty treats, arts and crafts.
Kolmanskop Ghost Town Tour
About 70-odd years ago, the mining town of Kolmanskop, was once one of the wealthiest towns in Namibia. Its facilities included a hospital with an x-ray room, a gymnasium hall, a bowling alley, a casino and ballroom, a tram and an ice-cream factory.
When the diamond supply ran out, the town became deserted and has today become engulfed by wandering sand dunes, giving this beautiful old dame an enchanted feel and offering brilliant photographic angles.
The Desert Horses
Only about 100 km east of Lüderitz, the Garub waterhole has become home to a herd of feral desert horses that roam freely. The size of the wild herd fluctuates between 100-300 horses, depending on rainfall conditions. The origin of these desert beauties has not been established as there are many theories.
Koichab Dunes 4X4 Desert Tour
This out-of-the-ordinary desert experience is a 4×4 round trip of 280 km — either drive your vehicle or ride with Namib Offroad Excursions.
The route takes you into the spectacular Koichab dune territory which is a 4×4 dune driving challenge for real off-road enthusiasts. The Koichab Dunes have been classified as one of the top 34 biodiversity sites in the world.
Sperrgebiet/Tsau/Khaeb National Park
This park covers 26,000 km2 of semi-desert and sports the famous 59-metre-tall Bogenfels (rock arch), the ghost towns of Elizabeth Bay and Pomona, the Rotor Kamm meteorite crater (the 4th largest of its kind worldwide) and Märchental, or Fairytale Valley, where diamonds could once be scooped up in handfuls, gleaming in the moonlight.
Oyster Farm Tour
The best-tasting oysters hail from Lüderitz. Visit the local oyster factory to gain insight into how these delicacies are bred, grown and marketed. Crown your day with a tasting of fresh oysters at the on-site Shearwater Oyster Bar.
Lüderitz Peninsula Tour
This scenic 4×4 tour takes you to all sights and places of interest in the immediate surroundings of Lüderitz. First, you will traverse semi-desert, arid landscapes with beautiful endemic plants, rock pools and interesting rock formations to discover.
Then you’ll come upon the lighthouse, an abandoned whaling station, the Eberlanz Cave and then finally you will reach the wild and wonderful Atlantic coastline.
Make it a half or full-day tour — there is so much else to discover: see the famous Dias Cross (1488) and watch the Cape fur seals lazing in the sun, spot some African penguins on Halifax Island and if you’re in luck you will also see the odd school of Heaviside dolphins accompanying fishing boats or surfing the waves.
You’re in luck you will also see the odd school of Heaviside dolphins accompanying fishing boats or surfing the waves.
Zeepard Catamaran Tours
For those who prefer to travel on water, the 2-hour catamaran cruise is the way to go. Take a trip to Halifax island, past Diaz Point and observe the abundance of marine life in their hundreds: Cape Fur seals, pelicans and seagulls, dolphins, Southern Right and Humpback whales. Make it a sundowner trip or go deep-sea fishing — all can be arranged to suit your needs. www.zeepaardboattours@gmail.com
Luderitz Heritage Route
You don’t have to go far to explore the history of this magical town. Visit the 95 national heritage structures and Art Nouveau buildings that have more than 100 years of stories to tell. Maps are readily available at the Lüderitz Nest Hotel and Luderitz Tours and Safaris in town.
Lüderitz To Walvis Bay Tour
The ultimate 4×4 desert adventure! A guided but self-drive 3-6 day camping trip through dune landscapes, abandoned diamond mining sites, wildlife conservancies, majestically wild seas and infinite beaches will keep you spellbound and in awe of the grandeur of the Namib desert.
Luderitz Nest Hotel
The award-winning four-star resort has a private tidal beach, a walk-on jetty and a sheltered swimming pool. End your day with a sundowner at the Crayfish Bar, overlooking the bay with undoubtedly the best panoramic views in town.
Stay over for a few more days to explore this sleeping beauty with so much adventure to offer.
