Safaris and Tours

Touring Namibia
Photographic Safaris/Tours have become very popular over the years and a combination of hunting and touring is a possibility to consider when visiting Namibia. We at Keerweder Safaris have found that our clients welcomed the custom-made tours; therefore the development of the touring section of our business. We have already taken the non-hunting partners on tour while the hunters do what they love to do… to hunt.

Namibia boasts, amongst others, beautiful landscapes, a sunny climate, people diverse in culture and abundant wildlife. These attributes are admired and appreciated by its own people and visitors to our land of contrasts. With a population density of 1.7 people/km² (of the lowest in the world), the indescribable feeling of solitude attracts many a visitor to open spaces free of any sign of human life.

At Keerweder Safaris we found that there are factors that make visitors to our country hesitant to embark on their own travels – factors such as the distances between towns, the fact that Namibians drive on the left hand side of the road and that gravel roads make up a large part of the country. For this reason we at Keerweder Safaris are available to organize tailor-made tours around the country. We cater for the individual clients’ needs and assisted by a guide (normally ourselves) will take your group on the tour of your choice.

For quick glances on what Namibia has to offer please put your seatbelt on, sit back, relax and enjoy the virtual trip…

Due to Namibia’s southwestern position on the African continent, the overall absence of moisture makes for an arid country.

Namibia’s capital Windhoek boasts old German architecture that could convey a European feel whilst street vendors soon remind you that the location is indeed somewhere in Africa. Windhoek serves as a pleasant stopover for a day or two.

From Windhoek the southerly road takes us to the arid landscapes and widely spaced towns towards the Kalahari Desert. The Kalahari Desert is in actual fact a fossil desert as it receives more rain than a true desert such as the Namib Desert does.

The region is well known for:
The volcanic crater of Brukkaros: Rising to 650m and with a classic volcano shape Brukkaros towers over the surrounding flat plains The Quiver tree Forest: These dense stand of tree-aloes make for beautiful photographs and there are few places where so many are seen together. Its name stems from the supposed use by Bushmen to make quivers for their arrows.

Fish River Canyon:
One of Africa’s least visited wonders is the almost 550m at its deepest and 27 km wide Fish River Canyon is probably second in size only to Arizona’s Grand Canyon. Capturing the depths of the canyon on camera is a true magic moment.

Trapped between two deserts, the Namib in the west and the Kalahari in the east Namibia’s arid southern regions are fascinating. A dramatic drive passing amazing landscapes takes us further south to Lüderitz. The town is bursting with character but usually sleepy and laid back. Least known is this area to tourists but are now being rediscovered. Perhaps the world’s only desert dwelling horses are thriving in this area.

Excursions from Lüderitz:
Lüderitz Peninsula: surrounded by a sea on three sides yet a desert within. Most interesting parts of the Peninsula is the Second Lagoon with visiting flamingos, Griffith Bay with views the town across the misty sea, Diaz Point commemorating Bartholomew Diaz, the first European explorer to enter the bay, Halifax Island with its large penguin colony, the rocky bay of Essy, Eberlanz Höhle, a cave into rock with a visitor’s book inside the cave, a sandy beach Kleiner Fjord containing a lot of kelp and the wide dark sand beach of Gross Bucht Agate Beach; An unusual beach area sprinkled with the occurrence of agate depending on the winds and the swell.

The ghost town of Kolmanskop was abandoned almost 40 years ago. Dunes now gradually bury the buildings that were left deserted and now give a fascinating insight into the area’s great diamond boom. To the South of Lüderitz lays the restricted diamond area, the Sperrgebied (the trip needs a special permit and must be booked well in advance).

The small town of Maltahöhe is too far from the desert to be a major tourist centre but 72 km southwest stands the sandstone fortress of Duwisib Castle amidst the Namibian bush.

Going roughly from south to northern Namibia we enter one of the oldest deserts on earth. The Namib Desert consists of sand dunes, not bare and lifeless as one would think, river valleys that are linear oases, flat plains of rock and stone and mountains of granite or limestone. As one of the largest national parks in Africa with Coverage of almost 50 000km² the Namib Naukluft National Park it is fascinating.

The following areas are areas that are very close together so let us spend some time in the stillness and beauty of the desert:
NamibRand: One of the largest private reserves in Africa with a spectacular area of desert and a wide variety of different landscapes.
Sesriem area and Sossusvlei: This area is probably the part of the Namib Desert that photographers love to visit the most. This is one of the most picturesque areas and definitely the spot where postcard pictures can be taken. The highest sand dunes in the world are found here The Naukluft and Solitaire area: Equally beautiful is this area that often has the diversity of dunes on one side and mountains on the other.

On route to the Coast
Swakopmund is Namibia’s favoured holiday resort with its German heritage and tourist friendly atmosphere it is a sought after resort. Swakopmund offers a lot of activities attracting adventurous visitors. Free fall parachuting, fishing (deep sea and on shore), dune-bike riding, sand-boarding, boat excursions and lots more are some of the activities that makes sure that this delightful town will not bore you. 30 km from Swakopmund is Walvis Bay. This town has developed a lot recently both industrial and commercial and has the only deepwater harbour between Lüderitz and Namibia’s neighbouring country Angola making it a vital point. This area is a haven for birdwatchers including the famous flamingos and pelicans in and around the Walvis Bay lagoon.

Places to visit
Apart from all the activities in the dunes and in the air the coastal towns has a lot of excursions like:
Dune 7: One of the highest dunes in the area The Welwitchia drive has numbered beacons with points of interest. Part of this drive is the spectacular “moon landscape” or moon valley – a rolling area of rocky desert formed by the valleys around the course of the Swakop River.
The Swakop river delta: Great for birding Excursions into the desert – for a great experience see www.kuisebonline.com Cape Cross: This is one of the easiest seal colonies to reach. It is the colony of the Cape fur seal usually numbering 200 000 – 340 000 animals.

Venturing to the long coast north of Swakopmund it is easy to see how it earned its name as the Coast of Skulls or Skeleton Coast. Strong currents forced many ships to the shifting underwater sandbanks causing many shipwrecks and hard times for sailors if they survived. The climate here is harsh and the area quite remote but nevertheless a spellbinding trip (Fly-in Safaris would be the preferred choice for visiting the Skeleton coast due to the distances one need to travel but also as part of the endeavor to be environmentally friendly to this area).

The Kaokoveld
Satisfied that our guests breathe deep breaths of fresh coastal air we now progress to one of Africa’s last wildernesses. It is Namibia’s lowest populated area but home to the famous desert elephants. Kaokoveld is split into two areas called Damaraland (in the south) and Kaokoland (in the north). Damaraland is split into a northern and a southern part again due to the vast difference in the landscapes. Southern Damaraland has attractions like the cluster of mountains of the Spitzkoppe Brandberg with the famous “white lady” rock painting and a wealth of other Bushmen artifacts and rock paintings.

Twyfelfontein
Attractions at Twyfelfontein is Vingerklip or rock finger – remains of ancient lava flow now largely eroded Twyfelfontein Rock Art: Amongst rock art sites, Twyfelfontein is unusual in having both engravings and paintings.
Organ Pipes: A small gorge consisting of dolerite columns in an unusual formation.
The Burnt Mountain: When viewed in early morning or late afternoon the mountainside glows as if on fire The Petrified Forest: Some trees are partially buried while others lay completely exposed Various rock-formations

Northern Damaraland has huge concession areas and attracts tourists to its population of game and scenery.

Kaokoveld is the land of the Himba, traditional pastoral people that rely on their cattle for livelihood. They are a minority group comprising of less than one percent of the population.

Epupa falls is also one of its highlights.
Here at Epupa the river widens to show off a few small islands. The river makes a lot of noise and some spray that is remarkable in such an arid region

Waiting in anticipation as we make our routes through Namibia, surely the Great White Place called Etosha is where you are bound to take endless photographs. Etosha National Park is a game park pan of silvery white sand that invites you to explore at its numerous waterholes. Etosha has three rest camps that have recently been upgraded to luxurious accommodation facilities (and are mostly fully booked during high season so bookings are essential).

Waterberg Plateau Park
Proclaimed as a reserve in 1972 this plateau has since become a sanctuary for several rare animals including Eland and White Rhino. It is also well known for its long guided walking safari. With more than 200 bird species on record including the black eagle and Cape Vulture the park is diverse and will leave you in awe.

The Kavango and Caprivi strip
Generally very lush as it has more generous rainfall, it supports a large population and a surprising amount of wildlife.

The Popa Falls: The river drops 2.5m over a rocky section to create rapids in the Okavango river.

The Caprivi strip links Namibia to Zimbabwe and Zambia but this strategic corridor of land seems somehow detached from the rest of the country and in many ways this part is more like the countries that surround it than like the rest of Namibia. Activities include tiger fishing, boat cruises and seeing some of Namibia’s prolific big game especially hippos, crocodile and elephant. From here the famous Victoria Falls is also accessible.

This explanation of Namibia was briefly touching upon the main attractions and could give you an idea of what is available. We are able to guide and assist in planning a trip according to your needs to make your holiday unique and one to cherish forever. You’ll find that the trouble with Africa is that it captures one in such a way that you’ll always want to return and discover new secrets.