Cape Cross Seal Colony - Half Day:
Depart from your hotel in the morning. Your first stop is at the Salt
works where spectacular flocks of flamingoes and other waders feed in the
nutrient rich waters of the pans. Traveling north you pass through fields
of various species of lichen, and ancient plant form.
After a short visit to the angling town of Henties Bay you arrive at
Cape Cross where Europeans first set foot on Namibian soil more than 500
years ago. A dolerite replica cross marks the exact spot where Diego Cao,
the Portuguese navigator, planted his cross in 1846.
Cape
Cross is also home to a colony of 80,000 Cape
fur Seals and you spend some time watching the
antics of the young pups and the mock fights of
the bulls before heading back to Swakopmund.
Namib Naukluft
Park and the Welwitschia Plains - Half Day:
Clients will be collected at 09h00 at the respective accommodation establishment and after the introduction we head east on the main
road in the direction of Windhoek.
Our first stop is at the "Martin Luther" a steam tractor
shipped from Halberstadt, Germany in 1896 to replace the ox-wagons
transporting goods from the coast to the interior. Locals named it after
the protestant reformer who once said "Here I stand. May God help me,
I cannot do otherwise." A tale of sweat, tears and frustration
unfold as we discuss the history of this famous landmark. Shortly after turning onto the gravel road we cross the Swakop River.
The Namas who inhabited the area before the first European settlers
arrived, called the river "Tsoaxoub", a reference to the muddy
appearance of the river when, in flood, it
carries vast amounts of sand to the sea. Soon after entering the Namib Naukluft Park we turn onto the
Welwitschia Drive, which is regarded as one of the best ways of discovering
the jealously guarded treasures of the Namib and its gravel plains. On
this drive we will examine different species of lichen as well as some of
the more common species of plants, enjoy a magnificent view of the
"Moon Landscape" with its multitude of eroded valleys, stop at a
World War 1 camp site, take a closer look at the geology of the area and
visit an abandoned iron ore mine. We will visit the farm "Goanikontes"
which provided fresh produce to the town of Swakopmund after its
establishment in 1892. The farm is situated on the banks of the Swakop
River and with its tall eucalyptus and palm trees it creates an oasis on
the middle of the desert. The
Welwitschia, probably the strangest plant
ever discovered, occur in a narrow strip approximately 1000 km long and
l00 km wide stretching northwards from the Kuiseb River to Namibia in
Angola. We will discuss the origins of the plants, the differences between
the male and female plants, the leaf structure and their surprising
ability to defy the forces of both the desert and age. We will also share
thoughts on how pollination takes place and we can also identify the cunningly
disguised predatory insects.
Oyster
Sundowner Experience:
Depart from you Hotel in the late afternoon to experience a spectacular
Namib sunset over the cold Atlantic ocean. While driving over and in
between the dunes of the Namib desert your get first hand experience of
some of the sites and sounds of the desert. Your drive takes you through
the Swakopmund River bed over some smaller and higher dunes, past the
Horses Graveyard to finish high up on the Sundowner dune. Enjoy some fresh
Namibian oysters together with Sparkling wine and Orange juice while we
savor the beauty of the ocean and the Namib desert.
Swakopmund and
Surroundings Tour:
Clients will be collected at 09:00 at the respective accommodation
establishments and after the introductions we head into town.
We will
visit some of the older buildings which were built at the turn of the
century in the Art Nouveau (Jugendstil ) architectural style so
popular at the time. It is because of this that this delightfully beautiful town is often
described as a slice of Germany on the edge of a desert. Some of the
buildings which we will visit will be the German Evangelical Lutheran
church and parsonage, the St. Antonius Hospital, the Kaiserliches
Bezirkgericht and Woermann House.
We will also pay a visit to the well known jetty
built in 1904 in order to make the discharging
of cargo from ships anchored about half a mile
off the coast less hazardous and more efficient.
We visit a dealer in semi-precious stones where
we can view all the gemstones mined in Namibia
both in the natural form and in the polished
form.
We pay a visit to the newly opened Aquarium
which is the first of its kind in Africa. The
main tank is huge and has a all glass
walk-through tunnel. The main theme
depicted is a typical west coast reef and
related flora. Here we can view the fishes
and other organisms found in the waters off our
coast and learn more about the intricacy of life
beneath the waves. An interesting feature
at the Aquarium is the touch pools where we can
physically pick up and handle the contents of
the pools. We then pay a visit to Karakulia, a carpet weavery
where they produce the most stunning carpets and
wall-hangings from the wool of the Karakul
sheep. We will be taken on a guided tour
of the different processes which the wool goes
through between arrival as a raw product and
ultimately re-appearing as a beautiful
carpet. Our last stop is at the "Martin Luther" a steam tractor
shipped from Halberstadt, Germany in 1896 to replace the ox-wagons
transporting goods from the Protestant reformer who once said "Here I
stand May God help me, I cannot do otherwise" A tale of sweat, tears
and frustration unfold as we discuss the history of this famous landmark.
Walvis Bay and
Surroundings Tours:
Clients will be collected at 0900 at the respective
accommodation establishments and after the
introductions we head for Walvis Bay.
Upon arrival in Walvis Bay the clients will be briefed on the history
of the harbour town and then we will visit the fishing harbour and the dry
docks for a brief overview of the Namibian
fishing industry and its influence on the
economy.
We then proceed to the Walvis Bay Wetland and Nature Reserve, an area
of approximately 40 square km, which include the lagoon and the tidal
flood plains, etc. This is one of the 10 richest coastal wetlands in Africa
and it is here where approximately 250 000 birds come to feed every year
during the dry season, prior to their migration to the interior to breed
on pans created by the summer rains. It is considered to be one of the two
best locations in Africa to see flocks of Greater and Lesser Flamingoes
and there is always a possibility that one will spot the elusive Damara
Tern.
We visit the Salt works, covering an area of 3000 ha, where
approximately 500 000 tons of salt are produced annually for export to
South Africa where it is used in the chemical industry.
Depending on availability we can taste some fresh oysters at the oyster
farming project adjacent to the Salt-works. During our visit to the
Wetland and the Salt-works we will discuss the problems and solutions
regarding conservation and the environment.
After climbing a solitary dune which offer the energetic a superb view
of the Salt -works and the town, we return to town for a visit to the
small museum and the civic center where exquisite samples of woodcarving
by the people from the Kavango region can be seen.
Driving back to Swakopmund we enjoy the view of the brown dune belt on
the right and the ever restless ocean
on the left.
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