http://RealAdventures.com/vacations/184916_articles-namibia-other.htm Check out some of the recently updated travel & vacation listings on RealAdventures. Be inspired, go explore! en-us Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:25:59 GMT Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:25:59 GMT http://RealAdventures.com http://RealAdventures.com/vacations/184916_articles-namibia-other.htm 100 100 http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1023958_The-Caprivi-Strip http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1023958_The-Caprivi-Strip Articles Namibia Mon, 19 Jul 2004 00:07:00 the northeastern panhandle between Botswana, Angola and Zambia. -
the northeastern panhandle between Botswana, Angola and Zambia.


The Caprivi Strip is a long panhandle enclosed by permanent water and stretching eastwards from the Kavango River to and along the Zambezi ending at the border junction of Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
This lush savannah area is bounded by the Kwando, Linyanti and Chobe River system on the southern border with Botswana and with the Zambezi River forming part of its northern boundary with Zambia.

Wildlife in the Caprivi has not yet recovered from years of poaching and the destructive bushwar of the 70's and 80's but its superb conservation areas may in the future rival Etosha. Almost 70% of the bird species found in Namibia have been recorded in the Caprivi.

As the best of the Caprivi habitat is captured in the area shared with Botswana, it's usually more productive to look at the Selinda Reserve as a safari option.

bMahango Game Reserve/b
Enriched by the Kavango River, this is a small reserve with an ecologically diverse combination of grassland, woodland, floodplain, riverine forests and reed beds supporting over 60 mammal and nearly 350 bird species. This is an excellent reserve for elephants during the dry season. This is the only Namibian Park in which visitors are allowed to walk unaccompanied by a guide or scout.

bWest Caprivi Game Park/b
Similar in habitats to Mahango, this reserve covers most of the "strip" from the Kavango to Kwando Rivers and is transversed by the infamous "Golden Highway" (a gravel and sand road responsible for many bogged down vehicles during the rainy season). Heavily poached out in the past, this area shows signs of recovery.

bMudumu National Park/b
Flanking the Kwando River and benefiting much by the wetlands of the KwandoMashiLinyantiChobe river system Mudumu is an excellent birding area and is also well known for its fishing. Waterloving mammals including the Cape clawless otter are abundant.

bMamili National Park/b
Proclaimed in 1989, this almost inaccessible wetland is particularly well known for its birdlife. Mamili is only suitable for the hardiest guests and should only be tackled between September and April in 4x4 convoy fashion. This is a good area for lechwe, sitatunga, puku and spottednecked otters. Probably the best way to experience this habitat is on the Botswana side in the Selinda Reserve.

font face="arial" size="1" color="336699"Provided By a href="showlink.htm?1020138+0001"The Zambezi Safari And Travel Co. Ltd./a
/font
Details & Reservations: The Caprivi Strip
RealAdventures | Namibia Articles

]]> http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1023946_Namibia-s-Safari-Spots http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1023946_Namibia-s-Safari-Spots Articles Namibia Wed, 05 Nov 2003 00:11:00 Namibia boasts 20 National Parks and protected areas, with a population under 2 million. -
Namibia boasts 20 National Parks and protected areas, with a population under 2 million.


Popular Safari Destinations
Safari Seasons
Getting Around

Overview
Named after the oldest desert in the world that extends almost the entire length of its South Atlantic coastline, Namibia boasts 20 National Parks and protected areas, with a small population (under 2 million). The country has dramatic and sparsely inhabited wilderness areas with truly spectacular mountain and desert landscapes. The stark emptiness and desolation of the Namibian expanses are captivating.

The country is well endowed with wildlife, but doesn't compete with its regional neighbors in terms of game concentrations and variety (Namibia has the world's highest concentration of wild cheetah). The adaptation to its arid and harsh habitats by animal and plant species is fascinating. Namibia's birdlife is renowned with nearly 70% of southern Africa's 887 bird species having been recorded.

The regions of prime "safariinterest" include the Etosha National Park, NamibNaukluft Park, the Skeleton Coast, Kaokoveld (described as "Africa's last great wilderness") and the Caprivi Strip.
Namibia has an infant tourism industry and is best tackled on a mobile safari basis. Namibia has a first class road network which facilitates excellent selfdrive safari prospects for the more intrepid. Namibia holds a unique set of rewards for adventurous spirits.


Popular Safari Destinations

Etosha National Park
Namibia's premier wildlife reserve, the size of Switzerland, a semiarid savannah grassland and thorn scrub expanse surrounding a calcrete pan. This is Etosha Pan, "the place of dry water" that is transformed for a brief period each rainy season only to turn into a sea of mirages during its notoriously dry winter months.

The Namib Desert
Dwarfed by comparison with Africa's giant Sahara, the Namib is believed to be the world's oldest arid region and belongs to the few percent of the earth's land surface that is classified as "hyperarid". This fascinating region includes the Skeleton Coast and Kaokoveld in the north, rock and gravel plains of the central Namib and the mighty sand dune seas of the south.

The NamibNaukluft Park
Located in the central Namib, it is one of the world's largest national parks and encompasses 4 main conservation areas including the diverse habitats of the gravel plains of the Namib Desert Park, the massive dunefields of Sossusvlei, the secluded wetland of Sandwich Harbour and the higher plateau of the Naukluft Park.

The Skeleton Coast
Has appropriately acquired its sinister reputation as a graveyard for unwary mariners over the centuries. This remote and ecologically sensitive wilderness in the north is still largely offlimits today.

The Kaokoveld
One of Namibia's least accessible regions holds some of Africa's most famous examples of rock art in the granitic landmarks of Damaraland. The northern wilderness area is a harsh mountainous desert supporting the endangered Kaokoveld elephants amongst other uniquely adapted species.

The Caprivi Strip
The northeastern panhandle between Botswana, Angola and Zambia. One of the more eccentric legacies of 19th Century colonial accords now a small conservation area struggling to recover from the ravages of poachers and the Namibian bush war of the 70's and 80's.


Safari Seasons
Namibia's seasons can be broken into three main periods
1. A cool dry season from May to October when days are cool, clear and sunny and night time temperatures often drop down to near freezing. The end of the dry season warms up dramatically and can become very uncomfortable in the Kaokoveld and Etosha. The Caprivi area is affected by floodwaters from the north between May and August as they flow into the larger Okavango water system.

2. The "little rains" from October to December are characterised by a period of high temperatures and sporadic rains.

3. January to April is the main rainy season, midsummer can be extremely hot and violent thunderstorms accompanied by flash floods particularly in the north are not unusual (take particular heed of local warnings about weather conditions in remote areas).

The best game viewing is generally between May and October with the birdwatching season being best from November to March throughout Namibia.


Getting Around
By Air
Windhoek International Airport is Namibia's primary international hub with regular and reliable links between Johannesburg and Cape Town, weekly schedules connect Frankfurt and London. Secondary air links connect Harare, Lusaka, Maun and Gabarone.

Eros Airport just south of Windhoek is the main hub for all domestic and charter connections. Namibia has reasonably well serviced air strips throughout the country.

By road
The roads within Namibia are first class by African standards with nearly 4500km of good tarred roads and an extensive network of gravel roads. Namibia is second only to South Africa in terms of its road connectivity in the sub region and is therefore ideally suited for selfdrive and mobile safaris.

Sedans can cope with the roads connecting all of the major centers but there are certain areas that demand 4x4 vehicles and even then only in convoy. Local advice must be sought for certain wet season excursions in the Kaokoveld (January to April), portions of the Caprivi are impassable when the river systems are flooding from April to August.

Provided By The Zambezi Safari And Travel Co. Ltd.


Details & Reservations: Namibia's Safari Spots
RealAdventures | Namibia Articles

]]> http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1023947_Etosha-National-Park http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1023947_Etosha-National-Park Articles Namibia Wed, 05 Nov 2003 00:11:00 One of the world's preeminent wildlife areas, present day Etosha National Park covers approximately 23175 square kilometres of land. -
One of the world's preeminent wildlife areas, present day Etosha National Park covers approximately 23175 square kilometres of land.


One of the world's preeminent wildlife areas, at the turn of the century the governor of then German South West Africa proclaimed an area of nearly 100,000 square kilometres as a game reserve until modern times, the largest reserve on earth. Present day Etosha National Park was pared down due to political considerations in the 1960's and is now a modest but still very impressive 23,175 square kilometres in extent.

A vast area on Namibia's central plateau, a haven for 93 mammal species and 340 bird species, the park's focal point is the Etosha Pan a flat saline desert, 130 km long by 50km at its widest in the eastern sector of the park.

The Pan itself is believed to have originated over 12 million years ago as a shallow lake fed by the Kunene River. Subsequent climatic and tectonic changes have since lowered the water level so that the pan only holds water for a brief period each year it teems with flamingos and pelicans in the summer. The saline and mineral residues together with moisture from perennial springs attract an immense number and variety of game and birds from mid March into November just before the new wet season starts.
Etosha is known for its endemic species of impala, the black faced variety and is said to have the tallest elephants in Africa, measuring up to 4m at the shoulder. The park is also well recognised as being one of the last wild sanctuaries of the endangered black rhino.

Despite the massive size of Etosha, only the southern edge of the pan is accessible to casual visitors. There are three rest camps within the park at Okaukuejo, Halali and Namutoni. An extensive network of roads link the campsites with over 30 water holes in the central and eastern region ideal places to sit and wait it out for game.

Etosha's drawback is that the only accommodations within the park are the three large rest camps that become especially crowded during regional school holidays. (Entry is by permit only reservations should be made well in advance)

Particular points of interest include

• Andoni(the northern most waterhole) excellent birds
  
• Namutoni the former imperial German fort, a good view from the ramparts and
  tower
  
• Klein Namutoni waterhole the best place to see blackfaced impala
  
• Fischer'sPan (near Namutoni) excellent birds, good for springbok and wildebeest
  
• Bloubokdraai road good for Damara dikdik (Africa's smallest antelope)
  
• Chudob waterhole (near Namutoni) especially good for eland and giraffe
  
• Batia(between Halali and Namutoni near Springbokfontein) elephant,blue wildebeest and springbok
  
• Halali well shaded camp site in an area of dolomite outcrops
  
• The Charitsaub, Salvadora/Sueda waterhole cluster (between Halali and Okaukuejo) excellent for plains game
  
• Oliphantsbad (near Okaukuejo) excellent for elephant
  
• Okaukuejo (&quotthe place of the women&quot) site of the Etosha Research Station, a good place for black rhino under the floodlights at night, has a good view from the water tower across to the Ondundozonananandana Mountains
  
• The Haunted Forest (near Okaukuejo) a forest of legendary moringa trees (Moringa ovalifolia)
  
• Ongava Game Reserve private reserve at Andersson gate on the southern boundary, night drives, game walks and the presence of white rhino are particularly good
  

Provided By The Zambezi Safari And Travel Co. Ltd.


Details & Reservations: Etosha National Park
RealAdventures | Namibia Articles

]]> http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1023948_The-Namib-Desert http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1023948_The-Namib-Desert Articles Namibia Wed, 05 Nov 2003 00:11:00 The Namib Desert stretches almost 2,000km from the Orange River on the southern border with South Africa. -
The Namib Desert stretches almost 2,000km from the Orange River on the southern border with South Africa.


The Namib Desert, stretching almost 2,000km from the Orange River on the southern border with South Africa up north beyond the Kunene River into Angola is an inhospitable region characterized by searing heat during the day and bitter cold at night.

For the most part it's bonedry with life being nurtured to a large extent by windborne nutrients from the interior and moisture from the rolling fog which forms when dry heat rising from the desert sands meets with the air from the cold South Atlantic's Benguela Current.

This is not conventional "safari country" it does however contain an intriguing diversity of flora and fauna which has over some 80 million years adapted to the apparently barren habitats of the Namib. The entire area harbors ancient archaeological sites providing evidence of the huntergatherers who have inhabited the region for as much as 750 thousand years.

The areas of particular interest are the NamibNaukluft Park located in the central Namib and the Skeleton Coast along the northern coastline.

Provided By The Zambezi Safari And Travel Co. Ltd.


Details & Reservations: The Namib Desert
RealAdventures | Namibia Articles

]]> http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1023951_Namib-Naukluft-Park http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1023951_Namib-Naukluft-Park Articles Namibia Wed, 05 Nov 2003 00:11:00 One of the world's largest national parks, NamibNaukluft Park encompasses encompasses 4 main conservation areas. -
One of the world's largest national parks, NamibNaukluft Park encompasses encompasses 4 main conservation areas.


The NamibNaukluft Park, located in the central Namib, is a massive desert and semidesert region that includes the diverse habitats of the Namib Desert Park, the Naukluft (until recently the Naukluft Mountain Zebra Park), the dunefields of Sossusvlei and the bird lagoon at Sandwich Harbour.

Probably one of the most remarkable areas is Sossusvlei which provides the best access to part of the 300km by 150km dune expanse stretching from the Khoichab River in the south to the Kuiseb River in the north. Sossusvlei itself is a huge ephemeral pan amid red sand dunes that tower as much as 300 metres above the underlying strata. Aside from the bewitching scenery and geological fascinations held in store at Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon, the area is ideal for observing some of the dune life for which the Namib is so well known. Early morning traces in the sand will often tell a tale or two about the nocturnal activities of the desert's highly adapted insects, spiders, scorpions and reptiles. Two camps, Wolwedans Dunes Lodge and Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp, situated on private property just outside of Sesriem offer the best opportunity for privacy and a degree of exclusivity whilst exploring the area.

Sandwich Harbour, a lagoon located 50km south of Walvis Bay is a deserted wetland flanked by dunes and provides an ideal environment for an extraordinary proliferation of birds. The area is restricted to daytime visits only and should be included in any selfdrive itinerary.

The Namib Desert Park, characterised by broad gravel plains, some linear dunes and granite kopjes (inselbergs) has a reasonable network of gravel roads between the Kuiseb Canyon and the Swakop River. This part of the desert is the best place to see the ancient and extraordinary Welwitschia mirabalis plants described by Darwin as "the platypus of the plant kingdom". The area also contains some remarkable lichen fields. It was in the Kuiseb Canyon that geologists Henno Martin and Hermann Korn hid for 3 years during World War II.

The Naukluft Park is a mountainous region dominated by the Naukluft Massif that rises from the gravel desert plain to a high plateau incised by steep gorges. This is a wellknown refuge of the Hartmann's mountain zebra and offers excellent walking trails.

Provided By The Zambezi Safari And Travel Co. Ltd.


Details & Reservations: NamibNaukluft Park
RealAdventures | Namibia Articles

]]> http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1023955_The-Skeleton-Coast-Park-and-Wilderness http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1023955_The-Skeleton-Coast-Park-and-Wilderness Articles Namibia Wed, 05 Nov 2003 00:11:00 "Skeleton Coast", an evocative name for Namibia's bleak and savagely inhospitable northern seaboard. -
"Skeleton Coast", an evocative name for Namibia's bleak and savagely inhospitable northern seaboard.


"Skeleton Coast", an evocative name for Namibia's bleak and savagely inhospitable northern seaboard a maritime graveyard for unwary ships over the centuries whose surviving sailors only came ashore to die in the pitiless wastes of the Namib Desert.

This area properly includes the National West Coast Recreation Area north of Swakopmund and the Skeleton Coast Park from the Ugab River north to the Kunene.

The National West Coast Recreation Area is a frequent haunt of regional fishermen providing excellent angling. Cape Cross Seal Reserve north of Henties Bay is Namibia's best known breeding colony of Cape fur seals. The Ugab River Hiking Trail is a 3day hike across the coastal plain into the jagged mountains and canyons of the interior.

The Skeleton Coast Park comprises two main areas

The southern region of the park between Ugabmund and Terrace Bay marks the southernmost habitat for large animals along the Namib Desert coast. Very strict measures to preserve the ecology of the Park are in force and entry permits for casual visitors are only available for day trips.

The northern Skeleton Coast Wilderness between the Hoanib (Mowe Bay) and Kunene Rivers makes up nearly 70% of the Park. This truly desolate region provides the only realistic chance of seeing desert elephant, rhino, giraffe and lion but is strictly offlimits to independent travellers and land access is only via flyin safari operated by the official concessionaire.

Provided By The Zambezi Safari And Travel Co. Ltd.


Details & Reservations: The Skeleton Coast Park and Wilderness
RealAdventures | Namibia Articles

]]> http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1023957_The-Kaokoveld http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1023957_The-Kaokoveld Articles Namibia Wed, 05 Nov 2003 00:11:00 one of Namibia's least accessible regions holds some of Africa's most famous examples of rock art in the landmarks of Damaraland. -
one of Namibia's least accessible regions holds some of Africa's most famous examples of rock art in the landmarks of Damaraland.


Damaraland and Kaokoland are jointly known as the Kaokoveld for the most part now falling into the politically defined Kunene region. This is one of the least accessible parts of Namibia and offers an insight into some of Namibia's most unusual natural features and fascinating cultures.

Damaraland
Named after the Damara people who make up most of the local population, is the hilly transitional zone between the arid Skeleton Coast and Namibia's scrubby central plateau it holds the main repositories of Namibia's best known prehistoric rock paintings and engravings.

• Twyfelfontein ("doubtful spring") has one of the most extensive galleries of rock art in Africa providing a unique window to a past culture and civilization with over 2000 documented engravings. Unlike most prehistoric art sites in southern Africa, most of the Twyfelfontein works aren't paintings but rather engravings, or petroglyphs which have been imprinted by chipping through the hard patina covering the sandstone, dolomite or basaltic lava.
  
• The Brandberg ("fire mountain", "mountain of the Gods", "forsaken mountain") named for the effect created by the rising and setting sun on its faces, is a massive inselberg that dominates the surrounding rock and gravel plains. Maack's Shelter in the Tsisab ("leopard") Ravine contains the famous "White Lady" painting which has evoked a myriad hypotheses as to its origin and meaning. The figure is estimated to be over 4000 years old.
  
• The summit of the Brandberg, Konigstein, is Namibia's highest peak at 2579m. Conquered in 1918, it provides a formidable goal for mountaineers with horrendous daytime temperatures, bitterly cold nights and a serious scarcity of water.
  
• The Messum Crater is a secluded volcanic feature in the Gobobose Mountains west of Brandberg one of the best areas in Namibia for seeing lichen fields.
  
• Spitzkoppe ("pointed hill) a remnant of an ancient volcano is one of Namibia's most recognisable landmarks, nicknamed the Matterhorn of Africa an area which is rich in semiprecious stones.
  
• The Petrified Forest in the Awahuab Valley west of Khorixas contains an exceptional accumulation of fossilized trees estimated at over 200 million years old. An isolated colony of Welwitschia mirabalis amongst these relics creates an exotic botanical contrast by bringing together these "living fossils" with the dead.
  

Kaokoveld proper
Originally referred to as the Kaokoland district, the remote northwestern corner of Namibia is rugged, harsh, untamed and practically devoid of commercial tourist developments.

This hinterland, reached by the Herero during the early southward Bantu migrations about 450 years ago and the Dorstlandtrekkers over 120 years ago is still sparsely inhabited by man. The Himba (or Ovahimba) tribe are Herero descendants who continue their seminomadic existence in this primitive wilderness today.

The Kaokoveld remains a wild sanctuary for small but wideranging populations of the renowned desert elephant, rhino, giraffe and lion. Roads are horrendous and basic infrastructure is virtually nonexistent this is prime safari territory!

Provided By The Zambezi Safari And Travel Co. Ltd.


Details & Reservations: The Kaokoveld
RealAdventures | Namibia Articles

]]>