CRUISING AROUND …
Back to the present. When you do feel like taking a leisurely drive, two short and easy routes have become firm favourites. The 30 km drive southwards to Walvis Bay between desert dunes and icy sea is always awe-inspiring no matter how many times you have done it. It combines pleasantly with a stop for lunch at the small Walvis Bay waterfront behind the yacht club and a drive out past the lagoon to the salt works where flamingos gather in their hundreds in the drier times of the year. Return inland behind the range of dunes, marked by the popular Dune 7.
The next is a drive to the moon landscape and Goanikontes, via the C28 to the Namib Naukluft Park, on the outskirts of the town. Goanikontes, a small oasis in the desert, is the original farm that supplied the town with fresh vegetables more than a century ago. This easy drive, suitable for all vehicles, offers superb desert scenery with a chance to enter the earthy moonscape as you dip down into the valley to reach Goanikontes, breaking the trip for a bite to eat.
An extra weekend special: if you happen to find yourself in town on Saturday morning, the Shalom Farm along the Swakop River is a great place for a cup of coffee and a snack, and to purchase fresh Swakop greens, including asparagus that thrives on the salty underground water.
SPOILT FOR CHOICE
And, what about activities? Swakop is the adventure hub of Namibia after all! Keep day 3 free. The choice is endless and if you have always dreamt of paragliding, this is your opportunity. Top of my list: paddling among the seals in the Walvis Bay lagoon, a boat trip, a living desert tour and a day trip to Sandwich Harbour.
Make supper reservations before you head out. If time and weather allow, leave space at the end of the day. Stroll along the jetty to where the waves roll in and where you have the best view of the sun setting into the sea, often accompanied by a flock of flamingos flying elegantly past.
This is Swakop at its best and time well spent, before you continue exploring the extraordinary country of Namibia.