Namibia Safari Packages & Vacations
Namibia is considered as one of the most beautiful names in the world. It is mysterious and lyric, a perfect description of this southern African country. The paradox of this name is that it's actually derived from the desert that makes up much of the surface of the country. Although deserts have an exotic beauty, their climatic extremes and inhospitable environment are a cruel reality. Even if most of Namibia is desert, this country offers great African safari packages & wildlife park vacations.
The capital city is Windhoek (which means "windy corner"), a very well developed and modern city. Many capital cities in Africa are pretty dirty and badly maintained, with roads full of holes, but in Windhoek the things are changed with 180 degrees!
At the end of the 19th century Germany has colonized Namibia, giving it the name of Southwest Africa. In the southern part of the country, close to the border with South Africa, the strategic port Walvis Bay remained under British control. At the end of the First World War, as effect of defeating Germany, South Africa administered the country legally until the Second World War, when the apartheid government unilaterally annexed the territory, but without international recognition. Namibia gained fully independence in 1990.
The architecture of the capital city is impressive - there are a few very modern buildings, many occupied by South African companies and banks. The German influence is still strong and a number of buildings and churches reflect the German style. The capital city is the one of the main vacation spots of the country and many vacation packages include visits in Windhoek. Also, there are many tourists who choose to spend there more days and even longer vacations to enjoy better all attractions from there.
Namibia Desert & Skeleton Coast
The coastal town Swakopmund is the second largest city in Namibia. Most safari packages to Namibia include this city it its itinerary because tourists can travel from there through the Namib Desert. This is considered the oldest desert in the world, with an estimated age of 80 million years! The annual rainfall average is 10 millimeters (0,25 inches), so there's virtually no vegetation! The sands are endless - a vast golden "ocean" stretching in all directions, beyond the horizon... The contrast between the golden sand and the azure sky is magnificent. The overwhelming power of nature is incredible there and vacationers feel how small and insignificant can be the human life...
World's largest sand dune is located in the Namib Desert. It is known as Dune Number Seven and has a height of almost 390 meters (1,256 feet). Dune Number Seven is part of a range of sand dunes located into a region called Sossusvlei. Around these dunes is a very poor vegetation, still a couple of local settlements have sprung up in the area. Vacationers can visit the dunes taking different tours, but they should not expect to find there great hotels and many facilities in the region...
Swakopmund appears from desert like a mirage and has a so "classic" charm that it seems to be a piece of Europe transferred in Africa! The German influence is very evident there and is not limited only to architecture. The German language is widely spoken in Swakopmund and the restaurants are full of delicious Bavarian dishes and beer! People who live there are a mix of fishermen, safari operators, and miners, many of them being descendants of the German settlers or belonging to African peoples. There are many wildlife park tours and safari packages to Namibia that include this town in its itinerary.
On the beaches from nearby vacationers can enjoy shark fishing, but the shore is very inhospitable because there are more stones and rocks than sand. Also, the wind blows hard from the Atlantic Ocean and usually is icy cold! This part of Namibia is also called The Skeleton Coast and this nickname is several hundred years old, from the age when Portuguese seafarer and spice traders belonging to the "Dutch East India Company" sailed around the Cape to India. Many ships got broken along the cruel shores of the Skeleton Coast, victims of the huge waves of Atlantic Ocean, submerged rocks, and foggy weather. Several shipwrecks have been found even a few hundreds meters inland, dropped there by the strong waves and winds!
Wildlife in Desert
Hardap Dam is also located in the desert region of Namibia. The bird life around the dam is very varied. The climate is typical for a desert region - daytime temperatures reach 45 Celsius degrees (113 Fahrenheit degrees), while in the night is freezing! Although in the region lies a desert there's a wide variety of wildlife, including ostriches, zebras, warthog, kudu, and springbok. There can be seen sometimes also a small population of black rhinoceros!
Namibia has been called "The Land God Made In Anger", a reference to its unique and often brutal geography. However, the friendliness of the people is opposite to the landscape! Nowadays Namibia is a well known destination on the tourist market because it offers really great African safari packages & wildlife park vacations.
Map of Namibia Safari Wildlife Parks
Note: click the red markers on the map for the links to safari packages & tours to Namibia.
Disclaimer: location of the wildlife parks on the map is approximate.
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