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Home>Namibia>What to see | 
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| Namibia: What to see | |||
| Swakopmund | |||
>see photographs Overview Swakopmund is Namibia's second largest city and is a city where old and new have been expertly combined resulting in a charming romantic atmosphere. Approaching through the vast Namib Desert the spectacular German architecture of many of the buildings appears hidden by the fog against the backdrop of the icy Atlantic Ocean. The country's top holiday resort, Swakopmund is becoming known as the centre for adventure travel in Namibia. The locals have an exciting mix of backgrounds, and there is no shortage of nightlife ranging such as: drama, music, cultural events, casinos, restaurants, and bars. As with Windhoek, it is wonderful to see such a clean city, due to the pride of its citizens. Attractions History and Landmarks: Some sites and buildings worth seeing in Swakopmund are: the Marine memorial; rather humorously the Swakopmund Jail which resembles a Bavarian villa and often mistaken by visitors as a hotel!; Woermann House which gives panoramic views of the desert and sea; the Railway Station building has been transformed into a luxury 75 room hotel with cinema, bar, casino and restaurant; the Swakopmund Lighthouse and the harbour breakwater known as The Mole. Activities: Not far out of town an area of massive sand dunes have been set aside for fun activities such as: sand boarding, skiing, quad biking, camel rides and off road driving. Other activities one can participate in are surfing, fishing off the beach, lazing on the beach, and taking guided boat trips in search of seals and dolphins. The Skeleton Coast is to the north, and the Namib Naukluft National Park lies to the south. Swakopmund is an excellent base to explore the surrounding areas from. The Swakopmund Aquarium has giant transparent tanks and walkthrough tunnel and fish species to see include shark, kabeljou, steenbras and galjoen. Tours of the local brewery and Rossing Uranium Mine are also options. Only 30 km south of Swakopmund is Walvis Bay, where one can go on a dolphin tour or go a little further to the incredible wetland for birds known as Sandwich Harbour. When to go Again being on the coast Swakopmund experiences excellent weather all year round, even cooled in the summer months by the Benguela current, winds and frequent fogs. When considering exactly when to visit one should also take into account the Namibian and South African school holidays since Swakopmund is a popular place. SA school holidays mainly cover months of December, January, early April and July so these are good months to avoid. Accommodation Several excellent options are on offer including the Swakopmund Hotel and the Hansa Hotel. How to get there By road From Windhoek one can either go north on the B1 and then head west at Okahandja onto the B2 through Karibib and Usakos; OR take the C20 west which will become the C28 - this is a minor route in comparison to the afore described. Swakopmund is 67 km from Henties Bay, 731 km from Luderitz, and 840 km from Keetmanshoop. By air There are regular flights from and to Windhoek, Oranjemund and Luderitz. |
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