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Population: 1.7 million
Area: 824 000 square km
Language: The official language is English and all documents, notices and directional signs are in this language. German and Afrikaans are also used throughout the country and there are also African dialects, which fall into two main groups: Bantu and Khoisan
Electricity: 250 Volts
Currency: Namibia Dollar
Holidays: January 1, March 21, March 29, March 31, May 1, May 4, May 9, May 25, August 26, October 7, December 10, December 25, December 26
Times: Daylight saving puts Namibia one hour behind South Africa in winter, from the first Sunday in April to the first Sunday in September. Summer is from the first summer in September to the first Sunday in April.
NB: There is no daylight saving time in the North-Eastern & Caprivi Regions.
GMT/UTC plus one hour
Climate: Namibia is a sunny country. Rainfalls can be expected as heavy thunderstorms exclusively in the summermonths. Daytime temperatures rarely sink below 20 degrees Celsius. However, desert nightfrosts can occur. The summer months are very hot and temperatures often rise above 40 degrees Celsius. |
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The Republic of Namibia is located in south-western Africa. The border to South Africa is marked by the Orange River in the south. The northern national boundary to Angola runs mainly along the Kunene, Kavango and Zambezi rivers. The border to Botswana in the east runs along the 20th and 21st degrees longitude through the Kalahari Desert. In the west, the Atlantic Ocean creates a rugged coastline.
The extensive sand dunes of the Namib Desert bare of any vegetation and up to 300 kilometres wide, stretch along the whole length of the coast. To the east of this coastal desert belt, a mountain range strongly fissured and with sparse plantlife, rises up to 2000 metres and more. Further east, the mountain ranges gradually lower into a vast plateau. Here, the landscape is characterised by endless 'thornvelds' and open bushland.
Namibia with its scenic beauty, the rich wildlife, its interesting history and the friendly people has developed into an attractive travel destination..
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 Windhoek Swakopmund Etosha National Park
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| Windhoek |
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Windhoek, capital of Namibia, is 1650m above sea level, nearly as high as Johannesburg. It is an attractive city with a Continental flavour and a semi-desert climate of hot, dry days and refreshing cool nights. The shopping is first class and customers can browse and shop in the air-conditioned comfort of extensive malls. Covered pedestrian streets also serve to keep out the sun.
There’s an interesting mixture of architecture in Independence Avenue, ranging from lofty modern buildings to colonial German, English and Dutch. The population is equally mixed and one can see indigenous tribal people in national dress sipping their coffee in pavement cafés and doing their shopping and banking alongside Europeans in business suits.
The air of relaxation is enhanced by the Zoo Park in the centre of the tow, with its shady trees and flowers. At any hour of the day people are enjoying every ethnic and national dish at many superb restaurants lining the streets. Many feature game on the same menu as German sausage, pizza and continental pastries.
Windhoek has two airports, both upgraded recently. Hosea Kutako serves the intercontinental traffic and Eros caters for the local and regional flights.
Well known annual events include the Oktoberfest, complete with “oompah band” and the Windhoek Carnival, known as WIKA, held in autumn.
Windhoek is a delightful city and must be seen by any visitor to Namibia.
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| Swakopmund |
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This is where fashionable Namibians come to escape the summer heat on their own Riviera. The beautiful promenade, shaded by date palms, has colourful flowerbeds and green lawns – a sight for sore eyes after a long desert drive.
Swakopmund resembles a Bavarian village, right down to the shops, restaurants and hotels. Some of the German colonial buildings are now National Monuments and many have been converted to other uses. There’s a lighthouse (1903) and a Old Iron Jetty (1911) very popular with anglers.
Namibia’s most popular coastal resort, it’s in the National West Coast Tourist Recreation Area with accommodation for all budgets - superb hotels and friendly guesthouses within walking distance of the town.
Among the attractions offered during peak season are gymkhanas, horse races, sailing, car races, sports and beer fests. The beaches and surfing are excellent and the jewellery shops outstanding.
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| Etosha National Park |
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Established in 1907, this was the largest game reserve in the world until the 1960’s when, for political expedience, it was reduced by three quarters, but is still one of the biggest in Africa. The size of a small country, its landscapes range from dense bush to open plains, populated by the Big Five, eland, giraffe and even ostrich and many other species.
The Etosha Pan is an enormous shallow area around 5000km. For most of the year it is a silvery-white shimmer of baked mud with perennial springs along the edge. These are rich in mineral salts and attract a variety of birds and animals. However, in a rainy year the whole pan fills with water, leading to spectacular bird watching and game viewing.
This is the ultimate game viewing experience! |
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