That's useful when you forget your goggles but what if you're thinking "and?". You were shipwrecked in a previous life; you hate the wretched sea and all it's impending dangers and glooms. Fear not. Turn round. That's the town the centre. That's Swakopmund. And you're all of 60 seconds away. Go grab a flat white. Breathe in. You have a terra firma mind.
So you're in Swakopmund. A coastal city in Namibia. The sandy beaches face the Atlantic Ocean. You can get a room with a sea view at the Hotel Pension A La Mer. There's lots to do: restaurants, museums, the historic jetty... and it's all an easy walkabout. The nearest airport is Walvis Bay Airport, which is 36km from the hotel.
You can take your sundowner at the hotel. The sky deck stares straight at the beach. You can see the jetty as well as historical buildings in the city.
There are 46 en-suite bedrooms and breakfast is included. 15 standard, 27 luxury and 4 executive rooms. Some are in the original house which was built in 1906.
All rooms have under floor heating and tea & coffee facilities.
Standard rooms - extra large double bed, private bathroom, a seating area and a patio/veranda. TV available on request.
Luxury rooms - bigger and have a sea view, a private bathroom, a seating area, TV and balcony. Interconnected rooms are available.
Executive Luxury room - even bigger, 30m squared with an extra large double bed, private bathroom, seating area and patio/veranda. It also has a sea view and TV. Interconnected rooms are available.
Swakopmund is large town or (tiny city) so there's shopping, an aquarium and museums to visit. There's an historic house, Hohenzollernhaus, which is good if you want to see German architecture. And the Martin Luther Steam Locomotive monument is just outside the city.
There's a lot to see and do at the coast. And the hotel will help you book trips in and around Swakopmund.
You can go fishing, visit a township, or go quad biking in the dunes. There's loads to do for adrenaline junkies. And heading to the Namib Desert is always a good idea.
A more unusual tour is The Little Five Tour. It's all about the flora and fauna which puts up and with this harsh, hostile environment. And flourishes. It's all about the little desert adapted animals. Not the big ones. We're talking snakes, spiders, chameleons, geckos, lizards and beetles. You can learn more about Namibian reptiles at the Snake Park in Swakopmund.
If you want to go to sea you could try a dolphin cruise. Go on a catamaran and dine on oysters and Champagne which is rather grand.
Want desert and sea? Greedy. Ok. The Boat & Sandwich Harbour Combo begins in Walvis Bay and you will have a morning boat cruise followed by a drive through the dunes to Sandwich Harbour.
Or get the view from above. Take a scenic flight over the highest dunes in the world.
Too frenetic? Want something calmer? Want to float through the air in a nice big basket? It's hot air ballooning for you. Splendid, splendid.
"We loved our experience with NTS"
We loved Namibia and its unique landscapes and kind people. It was certainly an adventure and a privilege to get to spend time there.
"We can't wait to return"
I can't thank you enough for helping to put together this trip. It exceeded all our expectations and we fell in love with your country.
"We had a wonderful time in Namibia"
All in all we had a wonderful time and appreciate the effort made to ensure all aspects of our tour ran smoothly with prompt email support where needed.
"What a wonderful journey we had in beautiful and friendly Namibia!"
Namibia has stolen our travel-heart and you can consider us as new ambassadors of this spectacular country.
