The coastal town of Swakopmund is known for its beautiful art deco architecture. Namibia was a German colony and the town’s architecture has a Germanic influence. It has a laidback vibe with cafes bars serving cuisine influenced by Namibian and Bavarian flavours, as well as tasty local beer. The town is also the departure point for many adventures in the surrounding desert and adventure sports. Dune sandboarding, 4×4 dune trails and skydiving are popular.
Drips to see the flora and fauna of the Namib Desert also depart from here. Guests search for small critters such as the Palmetto gecko or the golden mole. Another popular activity is a day trip to the Welwitschia Plains. This is a region where a very special plant called a Welwitschia is commonly found. These plants are some of the oldest plants on the planet individual plants could be thousands of years old. Each plant only ever produces two leaves, which are very tough and leathery and they just continue to grow. They thrive in this harsh environment, only getting moisture from fog which rolls in off the Atlantic Ocean.
Game drives allow guests to explore further afield and see the regions large herds of buffalo as well as the predators that follow in their wake. These include prides of lions, elusive leopards and even the endangered African Wild Dogs also called painted hunting dogs. Most of the accommodation is along the riverfront in Kasane on the edge of the park. There are several upmarket lodges tucked away in the park, such as Chobe Game Lodge and the andBeyond properties.
If guests want a water-based safari, the Zambezi Queen Houseboat is a wonderfully luxurious experience. To get to the Zambezi Queen and some of the lodges on the other side of the river, guests will need their passports as they will enter Namibia. In fact, on some river cruises, guests can go to a point in the river which is no man’s land where the four countries meet. It is common for some guests to fly into Livingstone in Zambia, transit through Namibia or Zimbabwe and end up in Botswana in less than an hour.