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Swakopmund

Why Go?

Swakopmund Holiday

In a country full of surprises – desert elephants, giant sand dunes and lunar landscapes – the town of Swakopmund doesn’t disappoint. Bavarian church spires – a legacy of its colonial past – poke out of a coastal fog; pelicans flap between street lampposts. Visit Swakopmund in October – you’ll hear the sound of a traditional German ‘Oompah band’ at the local beer fest.

Lying on the Atlantic coast halfway between the dunes of Sossusvlei and the wildlife of Etosha National Park, Swakopmund is the ideal stopover for travellers. There’s everything you need to refresh and resupply: quality accommodation, well-stocked supermarkets, Wi-Fi and ATMs are all available. The atmosphere is safe and friendly, coffee shops and delis abound and if you’re a German speaker, you’ll find a lot to talk about!

Drawing on its popularity, this friendly seaside town offers much more than a place to stay for a night, especially for nature lovers. It’s a great opportunity to compare Swakopmund’s desert and ocean animals with the big game of Etosha and Damaraland. Desert tours introduce you to the mysteries of the Namib, your guides pointing out wildlife and prehistoric plants; ocean tours showcase Swakopmund’s marine life; bird watching trips deliver both sea birds and desert specialists.

And for thrill-seekers, a Swakopmund holiday is perfect. Expect a wide range of white-knuckle adventures – quad-biking, sky-diving, ballooning and sand-boarding. Scenic flights are also recommended, the best way to appreciate the scale of this elemental landscape.

Talk to us about including Swakopmund on your holiday itinerary; it breaks up the journey between Namibia’s southern destinations – Sossusvlei and Namib-Naukluft Park – with the country’s northern ones – Etosha, Damaraland, the Skeleton Coast and the Kaokoveld. For families on a self-drive holiday it is an opportunity to let the children run on the beach or slide down a sand dune. Browse our recommended itineraries or simply contact us for a tailor-made holiday.

Swakopmund on the map

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What To Do

Activities to Look Forward to

1. Explore the Desert

Whether it’s by 4X4, quad bike or camel back, tours from Swakopmund go into the Namib Desert. Thrill seekers can ride giant sand dunes; botanists will want to see the living fossils, the giant Welwitschia mirabilis plants.

2. Ride the Atlantic

Boat trips give you the chance to spot marine life; your guide will be on the lookout for dolphins, seals, pelicans and ocean birds. Spring months see the arrival of migrating whales.

3. Have an Adventure

Home to one of the widest ranges of adventure activities in Southern Africa, Swakopmund is a place for sky-divers, 4X4 drivers and ocean anglers. Ask us about the right adventure for you.

4. Go Sky High

Swakopmund marks where the dunes of the Namib Desert crash into a foaming, turbulent Atlantic. This clash of the elements is best seen from above – try a scenic flight by light plane or hot-air balloon.

5. Bring the Binoculars

Nature lovers will be happy to hear that nearby Walvis Bay is one of Namibia’s birding hotspots; tours take in coastal wetlands as well as unique desert habitats – highly recommended for keen bird watchers.

6. Visit the Skeleton Coast

Namibia’s shipwreck-strewn coast begins just north of Swakopmund, opening with the Cape Cross seal colony, a dramatic, heaving mass of tens of thousands of Cape Fur Seals with jackals lurking on the edges.

7. Enjoy a Bit of Bavaria

Swakopmund’s German heritage can be enjoyed all year round but there’s not much that can beat the experience of Swakopmund’s October beer fest, mirroring its Bavarian counterpart with as much enthusiasm.

8. See the Lunar Landscape

Best seen at sunrise or sunset, the extraordinarily shaped Lunar Landscape lies out in the desert. A highly eroded set of cracked hills and ravines, these evocative ‘badlands’ make for wonderful photography.

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Reviews

Professional, patient, efficient and responsive. Met all our travel needs and requirements spot on

Communication was excellent – I asked A LOT of questions and did a ton of research myself and Walter was extremely patient with me and very responsive. he was straight forward and extremely professional. Tour itself was excellent – an incredible experience and one never to be forgotten. Everything was spot on.

Neena
Safari Online were extremely efficient and absolutely charming to work with.

Our 28-day itinerary took us to South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. A magnificent and unforgettable adventure. Everything ran smoothly and efficiently from the flights, transfers, rides, connections, etc. Absolutely wonderful! Can’t thank them enough!

Ann and Mario (Canada)
An incredibly well organised tour with no hassles whatsoever.

Safari Online understood our needs and was able to present us with sensible options to choose from. It was evident that this tour operator has knowledgable and experienced agents who can arrange a seemless tour. We were provided with a professional online itinary which was comprehensive and easy to use, knew exactely what to expect, and encountered no stumble blocks along the way.

Gwen (AU)
It was a safari of a lifetime and exceeded all of our expectations!

Our mom grew up in Central and South Africa so we had visited the continent many times. My sister and I wanted to take our teens and husbands to Africa to experience the magic. We had a limited budget but big and specific expectations and by some miracle Walter was able to manage both.

Heather (USA)
Safari Online made our fantastic family holiday dream come true!!

Safari Online have been nothing but professional and incredible from the time we made our first enquiry to the last day of our stunning holiday. Nothing was too much trouble for Walter. We are now starting to plan our next family Safari for 2019. Guess who we will be booking with??? Safari Online we hope you are ready!!!!!

Penni (AU)
Walter has always been an excellent communicator and has supported us fully

We have been to Africa for 24 of the last 27 years so know a bit about what is involved. Walter has arranged the details for the last couple of years, and has done a superb job. He is always quick to respond and comes up with answers immediately……..no evasive tactics, always head-on!

Roger (UK)
Professional, quick and top of the edge service!!!

From the very first contact we’re very happy about the respond time and quality of information from safari-online.com. Based on the received first tailor-made quote, which is a weblink with all the details about the flights, photos of the lodges etc. we knew that this is “our” partner for this trip. Our expectations were excelled!!!

Lukas (Germany)
Very helpful good suggestions for holiday ideas always available for questions good organising

Excellent service and they supplied good suggestions for our holiday they also organised all internal flights and arranged check in for us so we had no worries while on holiday. We have had a most memorable holiday staying at wonderful places thanks to Sabrina and Safari Online. Would recommend Safari Online to organise your holiday.

Lorraine (UK)
Best trip I have ever been on. Highly recommend.

Would highly recommend. Safari online asked questions when booking and were efficient and knew exactly what we were looking for in terms of accommodation and animals were wanted to see. Gave advice on a few little extras with no pressure, which we did and am very grateful which make trip even more exciting. Would definitely recommend booking with them.

Karina was absolutely instrumental to our safari success.

Our experience with Safari Online was excellent. After becoming very frustrated trying to search for a safari destination on our own, we turned to Karina for help and she was a lifesaver.  We had an amazing safari adventure at the lodge–the experience of a lifetime–and are so grateful for her help. We literally couldn’t have done it without her!

Chris (USA)