Car Hire Namibia - Mini guide to Namibia

Situated on Africa’s southwestern coast, this former German colony is mostly desert yet offers some fascinating attractions. Since its independence from South Africa in 1991, its tourism industry has steadily increased, offering good facilities, safety and warm hospitality.

Almost all visitors to Namibia arrive in the capital, Windhoek. It’s an unhurried and curious town that can safely be explored on foot, and is characterized by a number of neo-Gothic German colonial buildings. Visitors can peek into the country’s strange history at the whitewashed Alte Feste, an old fort that's now a museum.

Swakopmund is the real urban attraction of Namibia, a bizarre and isolated seaside town with a distinctive German atmosphere. Old colonial buildings contain konditerei shops selling fleisch salad and bratwurst. From the pleasant, uncrowded, beach to the sweeping sand dunes behind the small town, it’s a mere 15-minute walk, and the town enjoys both abundant sun and cool sea breezes.

Swakopmund is also a good base for driving north to witness the loneliness of the Skeleton coast, with its windswept beaches and numerous wrecks, while inland you can truly experience the desert landscape among the rolling dunes of Soussasvlei.

Etosha National Park is one of Africa’s best wildlife areas and attracts most of Namibia’s visitors. They come to witness the beauty of elephant, zebra, giraffe and more, freely roaming on the savannah plains in the North of the country. The Etosha Pan is the center of activity, and several private game lodges are located in this area. Distances through the desert are large and many choose to fly from Windhoek to the town of Tsumeb.

Lüderitz is a curious Bavarian-like relic, located on the southern coast. It’s hardly changed since the Germans gave up the territory after WWI. Many also come to appreciate the desolate coastline and its abundant colonies of seals and flocks of flamingoes.

Another attraction in the south is the remarkable Fish River Canyon, second only to the Grand Canyon in size. There is camping and lodging facilities at Hobas, where you have access to some excellent viewpoints and hiking trails.

Most of the country’s interior is harsh desert, including the great Kalahari to the east, one-time home of the almost-extinct nomadic San Bushmen. In the northeastern corner of the country however are the lush floodplains of the Caprivi Strip. Fishing and game viewing are particularly good here, though it is quite remote and difficult to reach.

Visitors to Namibia invariably have to arrive via Johannesburg, though there are also limited services to Cape Town, Harare and Gaberone. Taxis and buses run regularly to Windhoek from the airport (10kms).