Discover The Unspoilt Beauty Of The Cape Namibia
Route
by garyterra The Cape to Namibia route
offers travellers a huge variety of landscapes and experiences and is a highly
enjoyable way to traverse this region.
Why not take a South Africa and Namibia self-drive safari and take your
time to explore Cape Town, the Cape Winelands and Stellenbosch before heading
northwards through the beautiful area of Namaqualand and into Namibia. From here you can explore the Fish River
Canyon. Luderitz, Namib Naukluft Park, Sossusvlei and Sesriem. If time allows you can head towards the
coast and Swakopmund before continuing northwards to the magnificent Etosha
National Park, finally ending your trip with a night or two in Windhoek to
unwind.
Planning your next self-drive trip to Africa?
Why not go for the newly established Cape Namibia Route. The route combines the
Western and Northern Cape region to the south of Namibia making it an ideal
point to point holiday vacation exploring two countries.
Cape Town is the ideal starting point for your holiday as the
international airport provides access to all the major travel routes from
America, Asia, Europe and the rest of Africa. Cape Town, also known as the
'mother city' offers a plethora of activities ranging from hiking up Table
Mountain to joining a helicopter flight to Cape Point from the V&A
Waterfront. Spending your first few days in Cape Town you can explore the West
Coast and the Cape Winelands. Accommodation ranges from good quality
Guesthouses to up market Boutique Hotels - the selection is endless.
Making your way slowly north towards Namibia you stop in
Springbok, the heart of the Namaqualand. When in season (July - September) this
area turns into the most spectacular flower wonderland. Various small National
Parks offer visitors unique views of this arid landscape. A small detour will bring you east to the
Orange River and the Augrabies Falls. The two major border posts into Namibia
are at Vioolsdrift/ Noordoewer when coming from the town of Springbok and
Nakop/ Ariamsvlei when having gone the detour via Upington.
The border crossing is fairly quick and after just another 2 hours drive
you arrive at the second largest canyon in the world - namely the Fish River
Canyon. By staying at one of the lodges in the immediate vicinity or spending
the night in the nearby town of Keetmanshoop a visit to the Fish River Canyon
and Hobas viewpoint makes for a nice day excursion.
Driving west one can visit the small harbor town of Luderitz with its old
German colonial architecture. The long drive can be broken up by an overnight
or short lunch break in the settlement of Aus which is also home to the wild
Horses of the Namib Desert. At Garub there is a permanent waterhole for these
desert dwellers and you are likely to see the feral horses.
The Ghost town of Kolmanskop is only 20 km east of Luderitz and well worth
a visit back in time. The town was built in the 1920 's during the diamond rush and was abandoned
when bigger and better diamonds were found further along the coast. The area is
still abandoned and the desert has encroached over the entire town, giving an
eerie feeling and real meaning to the word "ghost."
Heading north to the central Namib Naukluft Park you will find the red
sand dunes of Sossusvlei and the Sesriem Canyon. See the Tsauchab River
disappear into these massive giants of the Namib Desert. The sediment brought
down by the ephemeral river forms the pan that is known as Sossusvlei. Having
experienced the many highlights this tourist route has to offer, a 4 to 5 hour
drive will take you to Windhoek and an afternoon flight back to Cape Town or
straight on to Europe.
You could of course drive this
route in opposite direction or add on to your travel and explore northern
Namibia or the rest of South Africa, the choices are endless! For your next
holiday why not set a bit more time aside and enjoy the best of two countries,
South Africa and Namibia.
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