Swakopmund

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Swakopmund, known as Swakop in Namibia is the country's biggest coastal town and a mecca for Namibians on holiday. The city's German origins are quite pronounced in beautiful old German Colonial buildings throughout the city, making an even starker contrast for this town sitting at the edge of the Namib Desert.

	swakopmund Travel Guide : 1 Get in 1.1 By car 1.2 By plane 1.3 By train 2 Get around 3 Do 4 Buy 5 Sleep 6 Get out

Get in

By car

The best way to get to Swakopmund is by road from Windhoek. The B2 is the main road from Windhoek, and takes 4-5 hours by car. Minibusses operate from Windhoek almost every 2-3 hours, ask the taxi drivers where the busses leave. For about 60N$ you can have a ride in quite overloaded minibusses, take about 4-6 hours. Pay immedeatly and try to get yourself a seat next to the driver (much more space).

By plane

A number of flights are offered by Air Namibia (http://www.airnamibia.com.na). Flights to Cape Town in South Africa are also available.

By train

The train service to Windhoek will take up to 21 and a half hours.

Get around

As with other Namibian cities, there is no public transit in Swakopmund. But the city is small enough to get around easily on foot. All the major attractions and facilities are downtown. Itīs hard to get a taxi in city centre, but once you get one it takes you wherever you want for the same rate as the Windhoek Taxis. A trip to Walvis Bay shouldnīt be more than 40N$.

Do

• Sandboarding You can ski the dunes just like you're snowboarding, or ride the board on your belly. Extremely high speeds.
• Quad-biking This is an excellent way to see the Namib desert close up. Several tour companies offer lessons and guided tours on four-wheel motorbikes through the desert surrounding the city. Breathtaking views of the dunes and the Atlantic Ocean.
• Skydiving Learn to jump from concerned, compassionate professionals in one of the cheapest, best skydiving schools on earth.
• Educate Yourself Swakopmund has one of the best libraries in Africa.
• Party Swakop has an unusual number of skilled rock musicians and an impromptu "Open Mike Night" can usually be organized at one of the local nightspots. Travelling musicians take note!

Buy

There are several nice shops in Swakop selling souvenirs and art. There is also a very good craft market near the lighthouse, which has a lot of items which are difficult to find elsewhere in Namibia.

Sleep

• Desert Sky Backpackers Lodge, 35 Lazaret St. (at the corner of Breit St.), 264 64 402339. Five minute walk from downtown and the beach; clean, friendly owner; Internet access; and camping area. $N40 camping, $N50/person for a dorm, $N140 for a double room. http://www.swakop.com/dsb/
• Alternative Space, 167 Lazaret St. At the edge of town. The hostel is a unique facility, decorated throughout with Namibian art. $N175 double room, $N225 triple room.
• Swakopmund Hotel & Entertainment Centre (http://safarinow.com/go/SwakopmundHotel/?a=10986), 4 star luxury hotel, built in and around the impeccably restored old station building. Includes casino, pool and restaurant. From $N940 per Room, incl. breakfast

Get out

• Swakopmund is a good starting point for trips up the Skeleton Coast. A good day-trip would be south from Swakop to Walvis Bay, Namibia's port town. The road to Walvis Bay provides good views of the Namib dunes meeting the Atlantic.

• 120 km north of Swakopmund lies Cape Cross, where every October to December about 100,000 of the Cape Fur Seals breed. The sight and the noise (and also the smell...) is absolutely breathtaking! The name Cape Cross comes from a stone cross erected 1486 by the Portuguese Diego Cáo. Entry fee to the nature reserve is 10 N$. Accommodation at the Cape Cross Lodge (http://www.capecross.org/index.htm)
• For hobby botanists a half day trip to the south east will take you to the legendary Welwitschia mirabilis plants. In a place where there is no rain for decades the only water source this plant uses is humidity. Welwitschia can become over 1000 years old and only live in this part of the Namib desert, 40 to 120 km away from the coast. Take the welwitschia drive that starts 50 km east of Swakopmund. Be careful not to walk too close to the plants (roots easily destroyed) or even take plants with you, the species is highly endangered!!!

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