Namibia's two main coastal towns lie barely 30km from one another, and yet are very different indeed. They have remarkably different histories, and very different in feel. Swakopmund generally makes a more interesting place to stay, with a much better choice of restaurants, hotels and guest houses, whilst Walvis Bay is the springboard for several super desert trips and some Many of the better small hotels and lodges of Most of our

Swakopmund

Swakopmund is a small, quaintly Germanic town, surrounded by the desert and the ocean. It may be Namibia's main seaside 'resort', but it isn't really commercial by Western standards. We regard it as a fun stop for a few days, with plenty of good hotels, great seafood, many historic buildings and a relaxed atmosphere. Among the shops you'll find a fascinating museum of crystals and Africa's best source of African artefacts and antique books.

There's a wide range of places to stay in Swakopmund, which vary greatly in standard. None are very expensive, but a handful of our favourites would include the personal welcome offered at Sam's Giardino, the classic old Hansa Hotel, the equally traditional Eberwein Hotel, the tiny cottages at Brigadoon and, further out of town, the Beach Lodge and the original, new Stiltz.

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Walvis Bay

Walvis Bay is a very different to Swakopmund, even though it's barely 30km to the south. It's a very different history: technically it even remained part of South Africa well after the rest of Namibia became independent in 1990.

If you want to stay in Walvis Bay, then our best tip, The Lagoon Lodge, a very convenient place for keen bird-watchers.
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Activities

In and around both these small towns there's a wide range of things to do, including dune-boarding, birdwatching, fishing, scenic flights and even sky-diving. Two superb trips are worthy of specific mention:

Sandwich Harbour is a major bird sanctuary about 45km south of Walvis Bay, and we organise first-class day-trips which explore this area of the coast and the northern coastal corner of the Namib-Naukluft Desert; they're brilliant, expert-led trips.

Meanwhile the sheltered Walvis Bay Lagoon is the venue for some beautiful and often very gentle kayaking trips. They're a real pleasure: a superb introduction for those who are new to paddling, whilst seals, birdlife and occasional dolphins and whales all add to a superb trip for all.

<< Click on the menu, above left, for more details of the trips mentioned above.


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