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3 Stars - 3 Opinions
Kristall Galerie
Museum
Gruner Kranz
Informal traders
Following an 8-day trek, I have one free afternoon and possibly one free evening in Swakopmund, Namibia. What should I be doing in that time to take away a feel for the area and not just sore feet from all the walking.
Cheers
Gill
Hi!
The best way to spend an afternoon in Swakopmund is to take a little airplane and see the Skeleton Coast from the air. If you go northwards, you will see the seal colony, the shipwrecks, the endless desert and the beaches and if you return via Damaraland you could even see some giraffes and desert elephants from the plane.
Another option is to take a trip to Cape Cross seal colony, but U might have that included in your tour already.
If you are fond of outdoor sports, there are "quads" for rent. It's a nice experience to ride quads around the desert... a lot of fun!
If you are more in the relaxed mood, have a beer in one of the many beer houses and have a look at the antique shops, you will feel you are back in Germany (but in the middle of Africa!). There are many antique from the german colonial past of Namibia there...
Enjoy it!
Joaquin
Since you won't have much time, I would recommend just exploring the town. There is a small but good aquarium right on the oceanfront. A must-do is the Karakulia carpet factory, which is not in the "touristy" part of town, but any taxi can take you there. Peter's Antiques is worth a visit just to see how backward the Namibian Germans are (you can by Third Reich memorabilia there, even "Mein Kampf"). If you stay for dinner, I highly recommend The Tug, which has the best ocean view in town. Its sister restaurant, the Raft in Walvis Bay, is perhaps the best restaurant in all of Namibia, which isn't saying much, but the location has a lot to do with it. Cheers! -Rob
Hi
If you are more of the sporty type you can do some dune boarding. It is great fun but a bit exhausted. You can book it at the adventure shop at Swakop. The dune boarding is only half a day.
Just to comment on Rasta_Robs issues on the backward german community... if you consider people backward just because they sell certain historical items in a shop you seem pretty narrow minded to me! I am not a friend of the third reich or of any right wingers but history is a part of mankind and if we close our eyes on what happened we'll end up making the same mistakes again... I am astounded that you would make such a comment after travelling and seeing so many parts of the world.
Now back to Swakopmund: make sure you catch a trip into the Namib! Dune 7 near Walfish Bay is worth a climb :-) That is if you're not too tired from the previous escapades...
On the other hand visit the Museum at the Mole (down by the beach) and see some of the historical exhibits. The aquarium is also worth a visit!
There are a few good restaurants, ask some local for his pick and you shouldn't go wrong... I haven't been home in over 2 years so I guess things have moved on... but I remember the Western Saloon to be good for game.
Have fun
Chris
The Kristal Gallerie, also a must see! Even if you don't like gems and rocks. It is amazing.
A place in Swakopmund visited by many local fishermen or/and people loving a beautiful sunrise or sundown. In previous time a boarding place for fisherboats
Next to the beach there is a remarkable "Arnold Shad" promenade, decorated by many palmtrees and local flora.
Swakopmund is located between the wild Atlantic ocean and the world's most ancient desert, the Namib. So, it is an ideal location for exploring both the desert and the coast.
With its temperate climate, Swakopmund is indeed the tourist mecca of Namibia. In fact, especially during school holidays and during the busy tourism season is recommended to reserve before to go, even if Swakopmund offers a large spectrum of accomodations, from 5 stars hotels to convenient rest camps.
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