Trip to Namibia

In our quest to see as much of Africa as possible 

we took a trip to the country of Namibia.  The entire country is pretty much covered in sand and the water at the beaches are mostly cold year round so I was not sure what we would do with two small kids but thankfully we had plenty of activities to enjoy.  

Customs line, not the most formal but it worked

Shipping containing turned into a car rental office

After a 2 hour flight from Johannesburg we landed in Walvis Bay which appeared to be in the middle of no where.  Even the customs line and car rental place looked to be pop up offices and not official.

  From Walvis Bay we drove 30 minutes to our destination for the next 4 days, Swakopmund.  A small town of about 45,000 people that was settled by the Germans so it has a unique European flair. 

Having never been to Germany I don't know how authentic it is, but the buildings and food were different from what we experience in South Africa or even Walvis Bay for that matter.

We settled into our apartment then walked to the beach which was right out front.  Adalyn did not care that the water was cool, she went right in and so did Grant.  

We walked around the town, eating delicious seafood and stopping in the German bakeries for some pretzels, both amazing!

On our first morning we went on a 3 hour scenic flight to discover as much of Namibia as possible.  This country is big and difficult to get around with all the sand, so I knew if we wanted to see all the sights we needed to do it by air.  

Boarding our 6 seater plane, armed with tons of toys and snacks to entertain the kids just incase they got bored with the view, we started down the dirt runway.  I was quite nervous but the flight was smooth and the views breathtaking.  

We were able to get unbelievably close to the Brandberg mountains, Spitzkoppe, the Rossing Mine, Damaraland Table Top Mountains and of course the Skeleton Coast to see the shipwrecks, the salt mines, thousands of seals and flamingos and a nice view of Swakopmund at the end.  

One of a few mines we flew over

Damaraland Table Top Mountains

Spitzkoppe

Was once a volcano and now a crater

Seal Colony

This ship wrecked here only 3 years ago

Swakopmund

One of three tiny little wheels we landed on

I was quite impressed with how the kids did, Grant seemed to enjoy the view more than Adalyn but we survived and no one had to go the bathroom thankfully.  That afternoon we spent more time at the beach and at midnight we were awoken by the fireworks for New Years.

For our second day in Namibia, we took a catamaran cruise out of Walvis Bay that lasted 3.5 hours.  We were the only non-Germans on board, quite surprised to see just how many German tourists flock to this part of the world.  Shortly after we ventured out of the harbor a friendly seal jumped on board.  

He would allow you to pet him and was not afraid of humans at all, or course he was being fed fish so I am sure that helped.  A handful of pelicans circled the boat in flight with a few hoping on looking for food.  

The captain was very knowledgeable about the area and we were provided a fresh oyster lunch which only Mark enjoyed (the kids and I did not care for the slimy texture). 

Hard to believe these huge oil rigs actually move

We stopped by a seal colony which smelled like a pig farm and they sounded like sheep. 

 It was a fun day and a great way to see another part of the country.

The same seal that jumped on board would follow in our wake and
eventually caught back up to the boat and jumped on. 

For our final day in the sand oasis of Namibia we decided to take the trek up one of the dunes.  

Close by there was a dune reaching 430 feet tall and walking up the crescent side, not the face, took us 10 minutes with stops as it's quite steep and evidentially we are out of shape.  There is no way we could have made it up the face of it.  Adalyn did excellent walking the entire time, Grant hitched a ride on Mark's shoulders and once at the top the view was marvelous.  

Sand as far as you can see, though we never saw any grass during our entire trip so this was to be expected. 

There was a small slope at the top so the kids enjoyed sliding down then climbing back up.

  Sadly people had been up there for New Years and left their trash lying around.  We climbed the dune in the morning so thankfully it was not too hot, but then again Swakopmund was a good 20 degrees F colder than where we live in Pretoria. 

view from the top, the cars look quite small

 Mark was up for some adventure so he went sand boarding with a company.  

Using a pliable piece of wood he started at the top on his stomach and went face first about 20mph down the dune 6 times.  

Before heading to an authentic German Brauhaus for dinner we walked along the beach to the jetty then strolled around town and hit up a kid's play place.  

In such a small tourist town that was packed with people on holiday we were able to find several fun activities and experience a different culture.  Everyone tried to speak to us in German which is different from the Afrikaans we get in South Africa.  Before taking our flight back home we stopped by a local restaurant for lunch.  Even their menu mentioned Angelina Jolie as she and husband Brad Pitt hid out in Swakopmund before the birth of their daughter, Shiloh.  At first it seems like such a strange town for A-list celebrities to live in but it is a quaint town with nice people, good food and beautiful scenery so why not.   

   

Only two airlines fly in/out of Walvis Bay.