Swakopmund

Crisp and pure the sea air found its way through the open window as we approached Swakopmund after what proved to be an eventful journey from Windhoek. Janet and Brian delighted us with their truly excited astonishment towards the country they so yearned to visit. Yet, we were only at the beginning of a holiday they would remember and treasure for a lifetime (now, was that wishful thinking or what?), as it was only the previous day our e-pals from England arrived at Hosea Kutako Airport, 40km outside Windhoek. You can imagine just how thrilled we all were to meet at last! Why would we be so daft taking our friends to Swakopmund while they only arrived from a ...

Swakopmund is as close as Namibia gets to a recognisable holiday resort. It lies between the desert and the sea, to the extent that there are sand dunes close by behind it. Despite being very small (drive ten minutes in any direction but the sea, and you're out of town), this is one of the few places in the country where you will encounter lots of tourists. Most of the tours we saw while in the UK, and most of the tourists we met in the country, had Swakopmund on their itinerary. It is a good spot to cool down after the heat and dust of the desert, even if the wilderness is almost certainly what has attracted you to the country. Many locals talk of how cold ...