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Saturday, July 24, 2010Rumit's African Journey June-July 2010: PART 5 -- NAMIBIA
by Rumit Mehta, Founder of Immersion JourneysShare this article:
June 29-July 3: NamibiaNamibia is an absolutely unrealized and underexposed country, located north of South Africa with a long Atlantic coastline. Being here can be best described as the "Serengeti meeting the Grand Canyon." By that, I mean less about the wildlife, but more about the sweeping vistas of plains, desert, dunes, and strikingly blue skies. Namibia was a former German colony. The influence can still be seen and heard in the strict order of things, architecture and language. Controlled by South Africa for many years until 1990, Namibia's main income comes from diamond mining and tourism. The country is very popular among Europeans, but Americans have begun to take notice- especially those who have seen wildlife, and are seeking more wilderness and solitude.
Our trip started in Windhoek, the capital, a sleepy city of 20,000. The whole of Namibia has approximately 2 million inhabitants. Rush hour means sitting in traffic for a TOTAL of 10 minutes! From there, we boarded a small plane to the sweeping Namib desert- a truly spectacular sight. The Namib Rand Reserve is a privately run conservancy covering 172,000 hectares. It is a brainchild of a businessman who bought up sheep farms, tore down the fences, and began to re-introduce the indigenous wildlife that used to stroll this area. One can find xCheetahs, Oryx (magificient long-horned animals similar to Eland), and Baboons. But most of all, the Namib is known for the mighty red sand dunes and endless valleys, spotted with an occasional acacia tree. Wolwedans, a beautiful 10 chalet-tented lodge, is where we stayed. Completely eco-friendly, it blends into the surrounding vista.
You can spend time driving around with your guide admiring the pristine and harsh environment.
Next stop was Swakopmund, a coastal city best known for its summer crowds and beer. Because of its German and Dutch influence, the town is painted in those flags since both of the countries’ soccer teams are still in contention at the FIFA World Cup during our visit.. Swako, as it is known by the locals, was founded by the Germans and an attempt was made to build a port to compete with Walwis Bay, just 30 kms away that had been taken over by the British. It is a small town and very walkable, a complete contrast from the desert. However, 30 kms away is Walwis Bay, Namibia's main harbor. The road between Swako and Walwis (the Trans-Kalahari) is a special experience. Depending on which direction you are driving, you will see the waves from the Atlantic Ocean crashing into the yellow and red dunes of the desert.
After four weeks, four countries, 16 hotels (i.e 16 different beds, bathrooms and receptions) and countless miles logged, every trip must come to an end. It was a spectacular and enlightening experience for not only our clients but for me as well.
I must speak highly ofthe color and vibrancy of this region of the continent. The ready smiles, immaculate African hospitality and humble people will warm anyone's heart. You may think I am biase because I grew up in Africa, but I assure you that my observations are all genuine.
With the soccer World Cup in neighboring South Africa, the harmony of "vuvuzelas" (those ubiquitous plastic trumpets) could be heard in the remote part of Botswana, within the sand dunes of Namibia or Lusaka city. It was heartening to see how Africa came together to support the World Cup, irrespective of which team people rooted for. From my perspective, experiencing the World Cup far from the stadiums, I too witnessed an African renaissance in the making.
But let's not forget the amazing wild life, spectacular sunsets, long stretches of highways in complete solitude. If you want to "mend your soul", Africa is the place to visit. It is therapeutic and one visit takes care of things!
About the author: Rumit Mehta is the founder of Immersion Journeys, an award winning specialty boutique tour company, focusing on customized leisure, adventure and academic tours to Africa and South Asia. He is also a guest blogger for Africa.com.
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