Activities in Namibia
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Fish River Hiking Trail
The five-day hike from Hobas to Ai-Ais is Namibia's most popular long-distance walk - and with good reason. The magical 85km route, which follows the sandy riverbed past a series of ephemeral pools (in March and April the river actually does flow), begins at Hikers' Viewpoint, and ends at the hot spring resort of Ai-Ais.
Due to flash flooding and heat in the summer months, the route is open only from 1 May to 30 September. Groups of three to 40 people may begin the hike every day of the season, though you will have to book in advance as the trail is extremely popular.
Reservations can be made at the Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) office in Windhoek Officials sometimes…
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Desert Explorers Adventure Centre
After aspiring for years to become a dry version of Victoria Falls, Swakopmund is one of the top destinations in Southern Africa for extreme sports enthusiasts. Although filling your days with adrenaline-soaked activities is certainly not cheap, there are few places in the world where you can climb up, race down and soar over towering sand dunes.
Your one-stop booking agent for just about every breathtaking activity you'd like to pursue is the Desert Explorers Adventure Centre . Here you can organise sandboarding, ecologically sensitive quadbiking, tandem skydiving, dolphin cruising, deep-sea fishing, hot-air ballooning, dune parasailing, descending on the flying-fox…
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Löwenfish Hiking Trail
From April to October there's also this wonderful five-day, 85km hike. This hike takes in the Löwen Canyon and several days along Fish River Canyon, interrupted by several ascents to the plateau and descents down scenic cliffs. Camp sites (with no facilities) are situated at water sources along the way and the last night you can stay at the Koelkrans Camp with cooking facilities and hot showers. On the last day, hikers climb out of the canyon for the last time and follow a scenic route back to the lodge. Stages of the trip may be done as one- to four-day hikes. Note that prebooking is essential.
To reach the guest farm, head west from Keetmanshoop and turn south on the…
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Hofmeyer Walk
The Hofmeyer Walk walking track through Klein Windhoek Valley starts from either Sinclair or Uhland St, and heads south through the bushland to finish at the point where Orban St becomes Anderson St.
The walk takes about an hour at a leisurely pace, and affords panoramic views over the city and a close-up look at the unique aloes that characterise the hillside vegetation. These cactuslike plants are at their best in winter, when their bright red flowers attract tiny sunbirds, mousebirds and bulbuls. Be advised however that hikers are frequently robbed along this route, so don't go alone, and avoid carrying valuables.
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Crystal Digging
A rewarding activity is to dig for the lovely crystals of calcium sulphate and gypsum known as sand roses, which develop when moisture seeps into the sand and causes it to crystallise into flowery shapes. The Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) office issues digging permits, which are valid for a two-hour dig and up to three sand roses or a total weight of 1.5kg.
Diggers must be accompanied by an MET official, and have to use their hands or other light tools to extract the sand roses (hard tools would damage other buried specimens).
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Gourmet Tours
The friendly Gourmet Tours offers 3½-hour city tours, visiting most of the main central sites, passing through Katutura, and winding up for coffee at Heinitzburg Castle. They also offer a variety of half-day trips to sights around Windhoek and Central Namibia including Daan Viljoen Game Park. Note that they do not have a central booking office, so you can either call them or book through your accommodation.
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Canyon Adventures Guest Farm
This friendly place, near Fish River Canyon, is situated on a ranch cradled in the confluence of the Löwen and Fish River Canyons amid some of the most amazing geology imaginable - don't just take our word for it! Highlights include the 4WD trip (around US$10) into the canyon to swim in the river pools, a 'garnet crawl', and seeing the bizarre petroglyphs in the rippled black dolerite.
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Charly's Desert Tours
Most of Swakopmund's day-touring companies charge around the following for standard tours: sundowner on the dunes, Cape Cross seal colony ,Rössing Mine gem tours,Welwitschia Drive ,Walvis Bay Lagoon and the Namib Desert. The most popular operators include Charly's Desert Tours .
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Ghost Town Tours
This company operates day trips to Elizabeth Bay, deep in the Sperrgebiet, and a full day taking in Kolmanskop, Elizabeth Bay and the Lüderitz Peninsula. These trips require a minimum of four people and permits must be issued at least a week in advance.
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Pleasure Flights
Pleasure Flights offers 'flightseeing' tours over the colourful salt works, Sandwich Harbour, Welwitschia Drive, the Brandberg, the dunes, the Skeleton Coast and beyond. Prices vary according to the length of the flight and the number of passengers onboard.
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Coastway Tours Lüderitz
Runs day tours to the 55m Bogenfels sea arch, Maerchental Valley and the ghost town of Pomona in the Sperrgebiet. This tour requires at least four participants and must be booked at least one week in advance.
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Atlantic Adventure Tours
Weather permitting, this company sails daily with the schooner Sedina past the Cape fur seal sanctuary at Diaz Point and the penguin colony on Halifax Island.
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