Pretoria
Pretoria itself was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius, a leader of the Voortrekkers, who named it after his father Andries Pretorius. The elder Pretorius had become a national hero of the Voortrekkers after his victory over the Zulus in the famous Battle of Blood River. It became the capital of the South African Republic (ZAR) soon afterwards. Pretoria is one of South Africa's leading academic cities, and it is home to both the largest residential university in the country (the University of Pretoria) and the largest distance education university (the University of South Africa, more commonly known by its initials, UNISA). The South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is also located in this city.
Kimberley (South Africa)
The center of the 19th-century diamond rush that made millionaires of Cecil John Rhodes and Barney Barnato, Kimberley, South Africa, is most famous today for its Big Hole. The Hole ranks as one of the world's three largest man-made excavations, having produced more than 14.5 million carats of diamonds in its working life.
Allow at least two hours to see the Big Hole and the adjacent Mine Museum, with its examples of rough and finished diamonds and original mining-town buildings (the museum displays a rock that even Liz Taylor would envy: a 616-carat uncut diamond).
If time permits, visit the McGregor Museum for its excellent natural-history exhibits and San artifacts. Kimberley lies 505 mi/815 km northeast of Cape Town.
Upington
Fish River Canyon
This breathtaking park in southern Namibia near the border with South Africa boasts a 100-mi-/160-km-long canyon (17 mi/27 km across at its widest point) reminiscent of the Grand Canyon in the U.S. Most budget travelers stay at the Al-Ais resort (pleasant hot springs), which is closed October-March because of the heat, but there are also many private midrange and upscale lodges in the area.
Camping is available in nearby Hobas, and there are accommodations in Keetmanshoop, a two-hour drive north. A four-day hiking trail is open May-August for groups of at least three people, but trips must be booked in advance. You can experience the splendid view over the canyon any time of year, but walking to the base is explicitly forbidden unless you are signed up for the full hike. Spend two nights to be sure of a full day's look at the park. 360 mi/580 km south of Windhoek.
Windhoek
Windhoek, Namibia's capital, is located centrally in Namibia with a Bavarian atmosphere. Being in the highlands of Namibia at an elevation of 1660 meters, the city enjoys clean air and healthy climate. The city contains a diverse group of people from various African and European nations.
Sossusvlei
The red sand dunes by which Sossusvlei is distinguished by sits in the largest conservation area in Africa. Sossusvlei which translates to "dead-end marsh" geographically prevents the Tsauchab River to flow to the Atlantic Ocean. This basin although dry, has a wide variety of plants and animals that have adapted themselves to survive the harshest desert conditions. Visitors every year witness this spectacular phenomenon and photographers divulge the desert beauty of Namibia.
Etosha National Park
Located about 250 mi/400 km north of Windhoek, Etosha Park is Namibia's best-known tourist attraction and one of the most interesting game reserves in the world because of its unusual terrain. Etosha is a combination of dried lake (salt pan) in the north and grasslands, dense brush and open plains in the south.
Etosha means “great white place,” so named because 25% of the country is covered by a huge salt basin that was an inland lake 12 million years ago.
The sun glints off the 6,500-sq-mi/16,835-sq-km salt pan—a dry, flat, shallow, silvery-white depression—providing an eerie backdrop for wild animals moving through the shimmering haze. Dust in the air adds to the mystery: Everything is slightly indistinct, and since mirages are common, we occasionally found ourselves questioning what we'd really seen. It's widely regarded to be a photographer's paradise, especially during the dry winter months, when wildlife congregates around the artificial waterholes that line the pan, allowing for excellent close-up sightings.
Etosha is home to around 100 large mammal species, among them the elephant, giraffe, zebra, leopard, cheetah, lion, kudu, spotted hyena and black-backed jackal. It is the only reserve where you are likely to see the range-restricted black-faced impala (distinguished from the normal impala by the black blaze on its face) and is also an important stronghold for black rhino.
A checklist of 340 bird species found in Etosha includes local specialties such as white-tailed shrike, and an impressive selection of raptors and ground birds such as bustards.
The prime watering holes are on the southern side of the park, but they're only full after the rainy season (December-March). The Kuvelai River, which feeds Etosha, either floods or dries up completely, vanishing into the sand.
The park is open year-round, but the best time to visit, for both climate and the best photos, is August and September. There are three camping/self-catering rest camps with facilities inside the park (Halali, Namutoni and Okaukuejo) and several private lodges just outside. Okaukuejo has a floodlit water hole for nocturnal viewing.
Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay is the principal port for Namibia. Its harbor, protected by Pelican Point peninsula, provides one of the few safe deep-water anchorages on the Atlantic coast of south-western Africa. It is also a magical spot for birdlovers and a gateway to Namibia's hauntingly beautiful lunar-like desert landscapes. Visit Namibia's pretty seaside resort of Swakopmund, whose elegant turn-of-the-century German buildings belong more to Bavaria than Africa! Easily reached is famous Cape Cross Seal Reserve, home of up to 100,000 Cape fur seals - and the grandeur of the Namib-Naukluft Park, whose sand dunes rising to over 1,000 ft are the world's highest.
Excursions
Marine Cruise
Depart from the Walvis Bay Yacht Club and cruise into the beautiful and sheltered bay area, home to a shipwreck, lighthouse, oyster platforms, different bird species, seals and an abundance of marine life to mention a few.
The Catamaran will move along the oyster platforms where your guide will share more information about Walvis Bay’s own cultivated oysters, delicacies which you will later get to taste. The journey proceeds to the ever-growing Pelican Point for a closer look at the lighthouse and resident seal colony. The old supply railway spoors can still be seen from the years when the lighthouse was occupied by the coast guards.
Moving around the point, a variety of marine life may be
encountered, these include Benguela Dolphins, Dusky
Dolphins, Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins, Mola Mola (Sunfish) and Leatherback Turtles. Enjoy the array of sights and sounds whilst relaxing in the saloon, on the trampolines or on the deck with a glass of sparkling wine, local oysters and delicious snacks and drinks.
Pretoria itself was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius, a leader of the Voortrekkers, who named it after his father Andries Pretorius. The elder Pretorius had become a national hero of the Voortrekkers after his victory over the Zulus in the famous Battle of Blood River. It became the capital of the South African Republic (ZAR) soon afterwards. Pretoria is one of South Africa's leading academic cities, and it is home to both the largest residential university in the country (the University of Pretoria) and the largest distance education university (the University of South Africa, more commonly known by its initials, UNISA). The South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is also located in this city.
The center of the 19th-century diamond rush that made millionaires of Cecil John Rhodes and Barney Barnato, Kimberley, South Africa, is most famous today for its Big Hole. The Hole ranks as one of the world's three largest man-made excavations, having produced more than 14.5 million carats of diamonds in its working life.
Allow at least two hours to see the Big Hole and the adjacent Mine Museum, with its examples of rough and finished diamonds and original mining-town buildings (the museum displays a rock that even Liz Taylor would envy: a 616-carat uncut diamond).
If time permits, visit the McGregor Museum for its excellent natural-history exhibits and San artifacts. Kimberley lies 505 mi/815 km northeast of Cape Town.
This breathtaking park in southern Namibia near the border with South Africa boasts a 100-mi-/160-km-long canyon (17 mi/27 km across at its widest point) reminiscent of the Grand Canyon in the U.S. Most budget travelers stay at the Al-Ais resort (pleasant hot springs), which is closed October-March because of the heat, but there are also many private midrange and upscale lodges in the area.
Camping is available in nearby Hobas, and there are accommodations in Keetmanshoop, a two-hour drive north. A four-day hiking trail is open May-August for groups of at least three people, but trips must be booked in advance. You can experience the splendid view over the canyon any time of year, but walking to the base is explicitly forbidden unless you are signed up for the full hike. Spend two nights to be sure of a full day's look at the park. 360 mi/580 km south of Windhoek.
Windhoek, Namibia's capital, is located centrally in Namibia with a Bavarian atmosphere. Being in the highlands of Namibia at an elevation of 1660 meters, the city enjoys clean air and healthy climate. The city contains a diverse group of people from various African and European nations.
The red sand dunes by which Sossusvlei is distinguished by sits in the largest conservation area in Africa. Sossusvlei which translates to "dead-end marsh" geographically prevents the Tsauchab River to flow to the Atlantic Ocean. This basin although dry, has a wide variety of plants and animals that have adapted themselves to survive the harshest desert conditions. Visitors every year witness this spectacular phenomenon and photographers divulge the desert beauty of Namibia.
Located about 250 mi/400 km north of Windhoek, Etosha Park is Namibia's best-known tourist attraction and one of the most interesting game reserves in the world because of its unusual terrain. Etosha is a combination of dried lake (salt pan) in the north and grasslands, dense brush and open plains in the south.
Etosha means “great white place,” so named because 25% of the country is covered by a huge salt basin that was an inland lake 12 million years ago.
The sun glints off the 6,500-sq-mi/16,835-sq-km salt pan—a dry, flat, shallow, silvery-white depression—providing an eerie backdrop for wild animals moving through the shimmering haze. Dust in the air adds to the mystery: Everything is slightly indistinct, and since mirages are common, we occasionally found ourselves questioning what we'd really seen. It's widely regarded to be a photographer's paradise, especially during the dry winter months, when wildlife congregates around the artificial waterholes that line the pan, allowing for excellent close-up sightings.
Etosha is home to around 100 large mammal species, among them the elephant, giraffe, zebra, leopard, cheetah, lion, kudu, spotted hyena and black-backed jackal. It is the only reserve where you are likely to see the range-restricted black-faced impala (distinguished from the normal impala by the black blaze on its face) and is also an important stronghold for black rhino.
A checklist of 340 bird species found in Etosha includes local specialties such as white-tailed shrike, and an impressive selection of raptors and ground birds such as bustards.
The prime watering holes are on the southern side of the park, but they're only full after the rainy season (December-March). The Kuvelai River, which feeds Etosha, either floods or dries up completely, vanishing into the sand.
The park is open year-round, but the best time to visit, for both climate and the best photos, is August and September. There are three camping/self-catering rest camps with facilities inside the park (Halali, Namutoni and Okaukuejo) and several private lodges just outside. Okaukuejo has a floodlit water hole for nocturnal viewing.
Walvis Bay is the principal port for Namibia. Its harbor, protected by Pelican Point peninsula, provides one of the few safe deep-water anchorages on the Atlantic coast of south-western Africa. It is also a magical spot for birdlovers and a gateway to Namibia's hauntingly beautiful lunar-like desert landscapes. Visit Namibia's pretty seaside resort of Swakopmund, whose elegant turn-of-the-century German buildings belong more to Bavaria than Africa! Easily reached is famous Cape Cross Seal Reserve, home of up to 100,000 Cape fur seals - and the grandeur of the Namib-Naukluft Park, whose sand dunes rising to over 1,000 ft are the world's highest.
Excursions
Marine Cruise
Depart from the Walvis Bay Yacht Club and cruise into the beautiful and sheltered bay area, home to a shipwreck, lighthouse, oyster platforms, different bird species, seals and an abundance of marine life to mention a few.
The Catamaran will move along the oyster platforms where your guide will share more information about Walvis Bay’s own cultivated oysters, delicacies which you will later get to taste. The journey proceeds to the ever-growing Pelican Point for a closer look at the lighthouse and resident seal colony. The old supply railway spoors can still be seen from the years when the lighthouse was occupied by the coast guards.
Moving around the point, a variety of marine life may be
encountered, these include Benguela Dolphins, Dusky
Dolphins, Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins, Mola Mola (Sunfish) and Leatherback Turtles. Enjoy the array of sights and sounds whilst relaxing in the saloon, on the trampolines or on the deck with a glass of sparkling wine, local oysters and delicious snacks and drinks.