The Best Pictures from Namibia

Windhoek

Windhoek is the relatively small, cozy, but still modern capital of Namibia and has some worthwhile sights. With 461,000 inhabitants, Windhoek has only a tenth of the population of other African big cities such as Cape Town or Nairobi and otherwise doesn’t look like a major African city. Among the must-see attractions that you should visit are:

• the Christ Church,
• the Independence Memorial Museum. From the terrace of the bar in the same building, you have a great view of the city. You can take a break in the adjacent park.
• The Alte Feste and the equestrian monument,
• the Parliament of Namibia and the Parliament Gardens,
• Windhoek Train Station and
• the Katutura Township, which you should definitely explore as part of a guided tour and under no circumstances on your own.

It is also worth taking a stroll through the Post Street Mall, Windhoek’s lively pedestrian zone, where you will also pass the beautiful clock tower. You will also see street art pictures, one of which contains the message “Nothing is impossible”.

We also visited Penduka Village on the banks of Goreangab Dam. Disadvantaged women from the Katutura Township and the neighboring villages are trained here. By purchasing the handicrafts they make, you support this project. You can also order lunch in the associated café and take it with you. The proceeds from this sale will also benefit Penduka.

Fish River Canyon

The Fish River Canyon has a length of 160 kilometers, making it the largest canyon in Africa and the second-largest canyon in the world after the famous Grand Canyon. The shape of this natural wonder is also reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. To see as much of the Fish River Canyon as possible, you can do a multi-day hike through the canyon. But since we didn’t have that much time, we only did a long walk along the rim of the crater.

Swakopmund

Nestled between sand dunes and the Atlantic, Swakopmund has unmistakably German influences. Among the most important sights and activities of this coastal city are

• Swakopmund Museum,
• the old Swakopmund Jetty,
• the Swakopmund Lighthouse,
• the Swakopmund Mole,
• the Hohenzollernhaus,
• the Woermannhaus,
• Hotel Prinzessin Ruprecht,
• the Kristall Galerie,
• the Old District Court (Altes Amtsgericht),
• Swakopmund Railway Station
• and a guided tour of Mondesa Township.

Adventure-seekers and those hungry for action will get their money’s worth with sandboarding, quad biking or skydiving. I also overcame my fear and I did skydiving in Swakopmund.

Walvis Bay – Flamingo Lagoon

You should definitely combine a stay in Swakopmund with a visit to the Flamingo Lagoon in Walvis Bay. About 50,000 flamingos come there every year to find food, covering distances of between 10,000 and 15,000 kilometers. Although you can see flamingos in Walvis Bay all year round, the best time to see them is between December and March.

Etosha National Park

The famous Etosha National Park is almost 23,000 square kilometers in size and is characterized by its diverse wildlife and the Etosha Salt Pan of the same name. More than 100 species of mammals and over 100 species of reptiles, more than 400 species of birds, 16 species of amphibians, and one species of fish are at home there. At more than 40 water holes you can observe different animal species around the clock. In the park, you can book various half-day and full-day safaris.

We stayed two nights in Etosha National Park and did a full-day guided safari through the park in a safari vehicle. We were also able to observe different animals at several water holes. During our stay, we were lucky to see numerous elephants, giraffes, lions, a rhino, several zebras, numerous antelopes of different antelope species, ground squirrels, various bird species, and other animals.

Sossusvlei and the Sesriem Canyon

The famous salt-clay pan Sossusvlei and the clay pan Deadvlei with the dead trees are located in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, which is part of the Namib Desert. They frame the tallest sand dunes in the world, more than 300 meters high. The most famous is the imposing Dune 45 with a height of 170 meters. But the highest dune in the national park is Big Daddy with a height of 325 meters. The entire landscape is a real natural wonder.

You can make a very worthwhile hike through the nearby Sesriem Canyon of the Tsauchab River. The canyon is 30 meters deep and only a few, sometimes only two meters wide. In the canyon, you will see scattered trees and in some places, depending on the season, shallow water in the partially dried-out river bed.

Orange River

The lower reaches of the Orange River form the border between South Africa and Namibia and, at 2,160 kilometers, it is the second longest river in southern Africa after the Zambezi River. It originates in Lesotho in the Drakensberg Mountains and is called Senqu there. From there it flows through South Africa and Namibia. At Oranjemund it flows into the Atlantic and forms the Ramsar Conservation Area there. After crossing the border from South Africa to Namibia, it is worth spending the night in a riverside lodge. There you can relax after a long travel day and watch a beautiful sunset.

These are my best pictures from Namibia. Have you ever been to Namibia or would you like to travel there? If you’ve been there, where did you like it best? I would be happy if you leave me a comment.

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