Connecting African Culture Through the Seas
The Amazing Journey of Bill Pinkney Imagine leaving your life and the familiar touch of soil beneath your feet to sail across treacherous seas around the globe with only a …
Known as the adventure-travel capital of Namibia, Swakopmund is sandwiched between the desert and the Atlantic Ocean and is the starting point for many high-adrenaline activities. It’s a small city with a well-planned, walkable downtown laid out in a grid pattern. To the east and south of downtown the desert takes over quickly, while to the north the city devolves into windy residential streets. You’ll find many adventure activities in the area, including skydiving, dune bashing, desert tours, boat trips and Skeleton Coast trips can all be arranged with tour outfitters who have offices in town.
Germany’s colonial influence on the country is particularly obvious in Swakopmund, where many of the architectural elements are straight out of Europe. Streets and stores have German names and owners, and there is no shortage of sauerkraut and weissebier at the local restaurants.
Travelers will enjoy the cities multicultural influences. Most people in the city speak either German, English or Afrikaans, while those of native African descent speak tribal languages. Whites and blacks mix with ease, though most of the blue collar jobs fall to blacks and it’s uncommon to see local blacks socializing with white tourists or residents at evening watering holes.
Swakopmund is also a city that is heavily geared towards tourism. Signs advertising quad bike trips can be seen on the sides of public garbage cans, and numerous storefronts hawk tours of every kind. And it’s almost impossible to throw a stick without hitting a souvenir shop. It is a beautiful city, and inexpensive to boot, but if you want to see how a normal Namibian lives you should expand your reach into the countryside.
As for accommodation, Swakopmund doesn’t have many big western chain hotels you might find in other African cities. However, you will find a series of boutique hotels and guest houses, but it might take some legwork to research the ideal lodging for your needs.
SAFETY: Streets within the downtown area are safe and quiet, and most women feel comfortable walking around on their own at night. Standard precautions when visiting a developing country hold true here: keep your wallet and mobile phone hidden when you are out in public, don’t wear flashy clothes or jewelry, and use common sense.
The Amazing Journey of Bill Pinkney Imagine leaving your life and the familiar touch of soil beneath your feet to sail across treacherous seas around the globe with only a …
Swakopmund’s proximity to both the vast Namib Desert and the Atlantic Ocean makes it the perfect starting point for both land and sea-based adventure activities. In fact, much of Swakop’s …