Explore Swakopmund’s colonial past during this orientation tour that includes a visit to the Walvis Bay Lagoon. Journey along the scenic coast to the mouth of the Swakop River and find Swakopmund, an enchanting seaside resort that resembles a Bavarian village. You’ll see the town’s colonial past reflected in the early 19th-century art nouveau architecture found on many appealing buildings that have been declared national monuments. Discover the neo-Baroque German Evangelical Lutheran Church and the elegant historic Railway Station, which is now the Swakopmund Hotel’s reception area. After passing the town’s historic jetty. Explore the Swakompund Musuem and Kristall Gallery, which displays crystals weighing up to 14 tons, and appreciate free time at the Brauhaus Gallery, a town center shopping arcade.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Uncover early 19th-century art nouveau architecture in Swakopmund, a seaside resort town that evokes a Bavarian village.
• See the lovely neo-Baroque German Evangelical Lutheran Church and the ornate former Railway Station.
• View the town’s beloved jetty and the Karakulia Weavers, where sheep wool is made into rugs and wall hangings.
• Study crystals up to 14 tons at the Kristall Gallery and browse the shops in the Brauhaus Gallery.
• Observe the Walvis Bay Lagoon and tidal flood plains, recognized internationally for its environmental importance.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.

Applaud the splendid natural beauty of Southern Africa's western coast during this dolphin and seal cruise on the Walvis Bay Lagoon. Short transfer to the Walvis Bay Marina and board an open-air boat for a three-hour cruise in the renowned Walvis Bay Lagoon, declared a Wetland of International Importance as it is one of the most significant ecological sites along Southern Africa’s western coast. You’ll learn that the lagoon is well-known for its native bird species and vast array of intra-African and Palaearctic migrants, and find the water is usually very calm yet teeming with avian and marine life. Continue on to Pelican Point, a sand spit separating Walvis Bay from the Atlantic Ocean, where you’ll likely encounter a large Cape fur seal colony, and watch for schools of heavyside and bottlenose dolphins that often swim alongside the boat. Keep a sharp lookout for white-chinned petrels, Wilson’s storm petrels, cape gannets, pelicans and cormorants. During your cruise, you’ll savor a delicious repast of fresh oysters, sparkling wine, soft drinks and a selection of savory finger snacks, a perfect accompaniment to your outdoor adventure.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Embark an open-air boat for an in-depth exploration of the famed Walvis Bay Lagoon.
• Survey the lagoon’s protected wetland, known for its plethora of avian species and marine life.
• Spy a large colony of Cape fur seals at sandy Pelican Point.
• Thrill to schools of heavyside and bottlenose dolphins trailing beside your boat.
• Search for white-chinned petrels, Wilson’s storm petrels or cape gannets amid a flurry of countless pelicans and cormorants.
• Relish a tasty meal of fresh oysters, open-faced sandwiches, soft drinks and sparkling wine as you cruise.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Experience the treasures of the Namib Desert during this memorable off-road expedition that includes a stop at the renowned Walvis Bay Lagoon. Board your off-road vehicle for a drive to the Namib-Naukluft National Park, which encompasses the Naukluft Mountain Range and part of the Namib, one of the world’s oldest deserts and site of the world’s highest and most vividly colored sand dunes. As you explore the unique plant life and terrain of this arid region, you’ll discover Moon Landscape, a vastly eroded valley that is reminiscent of the lunar surface due to the wind’s effect on the rock formations and sand. You’ll proceed to the Welwitschia Valley, where thousands of bizarre welwitschia plants are scattered about. After stopping to view these distinctive specimens as well as a variety of interesting lichens, you’ll continue to a scenic location for a refreshment of juice and savory snacks.

HIGHLIGHTS
• See the rugged mountains, shifting dunes and vibrant colors of beguiling Namib-Naukluft National Park.
• Gaze in awe at a lunar-like topography carved out by the wind at Moon Landscape.
• Study the uniquely unattractive welwitschia plant, found only in the Namib Desert.
• Appreciate a relaxing stop for savory snacks and orange juice.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Discover the unique denizens of the world's oldest desert during this off-road adventure in the Namib Desert. Settle in for a vista-filled drive in an off-road vehicle to the eerily beautiful Namib Desert. Upon arrival, you’ll be led by an expert guide through seemingly lifeless landscapes in search of indigenous species and learn how they adapt to the inhospitable environment. Perhaps see creatures like the sidewinding adder, the Palmetto gecko, the sand-diving lizard, the Namaqua chameleon and various other diminutive beetles, lizards and geckos that live and survive in the torrid desert conditions. Enjoy refreshing orange juice and savory snacks. During your return along a scenic coastal road, contemplate the nearly ineffable beauty of the bewitching Namib and its resilient tenants.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Board an off-road vehicle for an exhilarating outing into the breathtaking Namib Desert.
• Search the barren landscape for indigenous species that have adapted to the challenging environment.
• Stay alert for glimpses of the Palmetto gecko, sand-diving lizards or Namaqua chameleons.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Thrill to sightings of a profusion of bird species during this tour to the rich feeding grounds of the Walvis Bay Lagoon and salt mine. Journey to the ecologically indispensable Walvis Bay Lagoon, declared a Wetland of International Importance, and begin your quest to identify the wide variety of shore birds and waders who congregate there, including sandpipers, plovers, pelicans and herons, depending upon the season. You’ll enter the sedimentation pans of the expansive Walvis Bay Salt Holdings, the largest producer of solar sea salt in sub-Saharan Africa and enjoy a close-up view of the many resident birds, perhaps even seeing phalaropes, grebes and terns, including the rare Damara tern. Travel farther along the beach to Pelican Point and discover a large Cape fur seal colony, along with osprey and exotic African black oystercatchers.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Catalogue sightings of numerous waders and shore birds at the nutrient-rich Walvis Bay Lagoon.
• See a plethora of avian species, such as sandpipers, plovers, herons and pelicans.
• Visit the Walvis Bay Salt mine to look for phalaropes, grebes and terns.
• Spy osprey and African black oystercatchers at Pelican Point, home to a Cape fur seal colony.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.

Delve into the daily bustle of Swakopmund on a visit to a working-class residential district during this rewarding tour. Travel a coastal road to Mondesa Township, which was established in the early 1950s to provide housing for Owambo, Damara and Herero people working in the city of Swakopmund. You’ll find that this district, just a brief distance from Swakopmund’s center, reveals a radically different world from the tourist center, providing you with an invaluable opportunity for personal growth by interacting with the friendly families who reside there. Observe the inhabitants’ daily life during an approximately three-hour customized tour that engages you in the resident’s everyday activities, and learn some of the region’s history to assist you in bridging the cultural gap and achieving increased understanding. In addition to benefitting from your immersion into a much different way of life, you’ll feel gratified that a portion of your visitor’s fee is contributed to a community fund that honors and supports the district’s citizens.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Visit Mondesa Township, a culturally diverse district of Swakopmund built to house the city’s workers.
• Meet the resident families, a priceless opportunity to grasp a culture likely entirely different from your own.
• Further your knowledge of the township’s history to better understand life in Mondesa.
• Appreciate that a portion of your fee supports Mondesa’s citizens.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Marvel at a vast national park that is distinguished by massive sand dunes and otherworldly terrain during a tour of a remarkable desert environment. Continuing on, you’ll enter the Namib-Naukluft National Park, which includes part of the Namib Desert and is the country’s largest nature preserve, and notice its striking rusty-hued sand dunes, whose colors vary due to the iron in the sand oxidizing to a darker shade as the dunes age. In spite of the seemingly harsh conditions, find flora and fauna thriving here, such as the raggedy welwitschia, which resembles wilted lettuce and produces only two leaves in its up to 500-year lifetime. You’ll journey to Moon Landscape, a vastly eroded valley that is reminiscent of the lunar surface. Discover that even though the environment appears to be barren, it supports a complex ecosystem of lichens and shrubs subsisting on the occasional moisture provided by sea fog that rolls in from as far as 20 miles away. You’ll wonder at nature’s incredible adaptability during this fascinating excursion.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Experience the Namib-Naukluft National Park, a striking natural preserve that includes part of the Namib Desert.
• Discern the age of a sand dune from the depth of its rust color, due to oxidation through the years.
• Wonder at the hardiness of the flora and fauna that thrive in the arid desert conditions.
• Examine the unappealing welwitschia plant, which resembles wilted lettuce and lives up to five centuries.
• Contemplate a lunar-like topography carved out by the wind at Moon Landscape.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.

OVERVIEW

Explore the Sandwich Harbour area in a 4x4 vehicle that can negotiate vastly different, otherwise inaccessible terrains. As an introduction to the natural wonders, you will first stop at Walvis Lagoon, which attracts a remarkable variety of seabirds and thousands of pink flamingoes. The species that you see will depend on the season, as many of the birds are migratory. You will then travel south through Namib-Naukluft Park, a hauntingly beautiful arid landscape with towering sand dunes. A natural tidal lagoon rims the coast, whose sparse vegetation stabilizes the dunes, which would otherwise shift dramatically. If the tides and ocean swells permit, you will drive to the lagoon along the beach. If not, you will travel entirely across the surrounding dunes, some of which rise more than 200 feet above sea level. Either way, you can expect to see a massive number of water birds, including cormorants, terns and waders.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ride in a 4x4 vehicle through protected natural areas that would be inaccessible otherwise.
• View a staggeringly high number of seabirds, including flamingoes in season.
• Drive along the beach that rims remote Sandwich Harbour or across the surrounding sand dunes.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Cruise across Walvis Bay in a catamaran for a kayaking adventure from Pelican Point and return in a 4x4 vehicle that’s ideal for negotiating the salt pans and sand dunes. While cruising, you will enjoy spectacular views of Walvis Bay and the surrounding natural areas. As you will notice even before disembarking, long slender Pelican Point is a haven for wildlife. Thousands of Cape fur seals frolic in the sea and along the coast, bottlenose and Heaviside’s dolphins often breach the water’s surface and seabirds are seemingly everywhere, especially pelicans, cormorants and petrels. Chances are, you will be treated to an even closer look at the bountiful marine life and wildlife while kayaking through the typically calm waters. A different sort of adventure awaits once you hop in the 4x4 vehicle and race off across the salt pans, along Donkey Bay. The views along the way will be absolutely magnificent.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a scenic cruise aboard a catamaran across Walvis Bay to Pelican Point.
• Kayak off Pelican Point, a thin finger of land that enormous numbers of seals and seabirds inhabit.
• Look for bottlenose and Heaviside’s dolphins, often swimming right next to your kayak.
• Ride across the surrounding salt pans, along the coast back to Walvis Bay.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.