Namibia is three times the size of the United Kingdom, but is home to just 2 million people. In some ways, travellers booking flights to Namibia will feel like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden - it's a land teeming with wildlife and natural wonders and there are few people to share it with.
Located on Africa's Atlantic coast, Namibia has a chequered past. It was German South West Africa between 1884 and 1915, a devastating time for the Herero, Nama and Damara tribes, and was then taken over by South Africa until Namibia declared independence in 1990.
Today, the German influence is visible in Windhoek, the capital, with its layout of "strasses", beer gardens and colonial-era architecture.
Northern Namibia is home to the Etosha National Park. A game reserve since 1907, there are 114 species of mammal, 340 types of bird, 110 types of reptile and 16 amphibian species.
To the south lies the Namib Desert, a harsh but beautiful landscape of red sand dunes. The desert stretches 1,600km along the Skeleton Coast, the sinister-sounding site of many shipwrecks, some of which are now being found inland as the sand reclaims land from the sea.
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Namibia is hot; very hot. This desert country can see temperatures of 40 C in the summer. It’s a bit cooler on the coast.
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Peak season:
Namibia gets an average of 300 days of sunshine each year, and is a mostly year-round destination.
Winter runs from May to September, and temperatures are about 18-25 degrees during the day. At night, below-zero temperatures and frost is common. This is the time to search for cheap flights to Namibia for game viewing.
Off Season:
The summer months – and rainy season – are October to April. Temperatures range between 20 and 34 degrees and nights are cool. In the extreme north and south, temperatures can climb past 40 degrees. However, the summer months are the best time of year to go birding.
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Air Namibia offers domestic Namibia flights from Eros Airport in Windhoek to destinations including Ondangwa, Walvis Bay, Luderitz and Oranjemund.
Several trains run to Namibia from South Africa including the Shongololo Express, Bushveld Train Safaris and the Rovos Rail, which operate scheduled itineraries. The Desert Express which offers overnight trips between Windhoek and Swakopmund, and Omugulu Gwombashe Star offers luxury trips from Windhoek to Oshivelo in Northern Namibia.
Intercape Mainliner operates bus services between bigger towns in Namibia and from Windhoek to Victoria Falls, Livingstone and Chobe National Park. It also connects with Johannesburg, Cape Town and other towns and cities in South Africa.
Renting a car is also an option for travellers. There are car-rental companies at Windhoek Airport. Drive on the left.
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- Namibia was formerly German South West Africa and it is thanks to its erstwhile masters that Herero women owe their colourful – and Victorian-style – national dress. German missionaries, offended by the Herero women’s nakedness introduced the dress with petticoats, high necklines and leg o’mutton sleeves.
- Etosha National Park is one of Africa's biggest game reserves, covering 22,270 square km (14,000 square miles). Visit between May and September for the best game viewing. There are several buck species, rhino, elephant, giraffe, lions, leopard and cheetah. It has three rest camps: Namutoni, Halali and Okaukuejo.
- Check out Daan Viljoen Game Park, about 25km (15 miles) west of Windhoek. The game park is highland savanna and has kudu, red hartebeest, springbok, klipspringer, steenbok, eland and Oryx antelopes, baboons, blue wildebeests and giraffes. There are more than 200 bird species in the park including helmeted guinea fowl, red billed francolin, yellow billed hornbill, rock runner.
- In the middle of the Namib Deser is the Sossusvlei, an enormous clay pan circled by massive sand dunes. Some of the sand dunes are 300 metres (about 1,000 feet) high. One of the most spectacular ways to view the terrain is by hot-air balloon.
- Swakopmund is a launch pad for trips to the desert and to the Skeleton Coast. Namibia’s holiday town was founded in 1892 and boasts the Europa Hof, an Alpine ski chalet.
- Duwisib Castle was built in 1909 by Baron von Wolf, a former German captain, for his American wife. The huge sandstone fortress rises out of the desert with turrets, tower and a courtyard. The castle is not the only lasting memory of the German captain. There is a theory that the wild horses of the Namib are descendants of Baron von Wolf's stud.
- Namibia has a German-language newspaper - Allgemeine Zeitung.
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Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport(WDH) is 45km (28 miles) east of Windhoek.
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Travellers need a passport valid six months after their intended departure date to enter the country. Visas are required, but as long as your trip is for tourism purposes and lasts less than 90 days, you can get your visa upon arrival at the airport. All other visits require a visa ahead of time.
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