Travel

Namibia [1] is in Southern Africa. bordering South Africa. Botswana. Angola. Zambia and the Atlantic Ocean. Formerly a colony of Germany. Namibia was administered by South Africa under a League of Nations mandate after WWI, and annexed as a province of South Africa after WWII. The South-West African People's Organization (SWAPO) launched a guerrilla war for independence in 1966, but did not gain independence until 1990.

• Windhoek -- Namibia's capital and largest city.

• Keetmanshoop -- Small town on the rail lines and highway, jumping off point for treks in the Fish River Canyon Park .
• Luderitz -- Colonial-era German coastal town.
• Ondangwa and Oshakati -- Twin towns in the heart of Owamboland, northern Namibia.
• Outjo -- Gateway to the Etosha National Park, Koakoveld and Damaraland.
• Swakopmund -- Coastal town, a mecca for Namibians on holiday.
• Tsumeb -- Mining town east of Etosha.
• Tsumkwe -- rural desert town surrounded by San (Bushmen) villages.
• Walvis Bay -- Desert sports.
• Warmquelle

• Brandberg Mountains -- The highest mountain in Namibia at 2 573 m.
• Etosha National Park
• Kolmanskop -- A ghost town just outside Luderitz .
• Waterberg Plateau Park -- Another good place to watch wildlife.
• Sossusvlei -- The most popular entry point for people wanting to visit the Namib desert.
• Skeleton Coast -- The northern coastal part of the Namib desert, named for the dozens of ships that were beached in the thick fog that is frequent where the desert meets the Atlantic.
• Spitzkoppe -- the Matterhorn of Namibia.
• Fish River Canyon Park --The second largest canyon in the world.
• Opuwo -- capital of Kunene Region and an ideal starting point for stocking up before venturing further into Kaokoland and the rest of NW Kunene.
• Kaokoland - home to the Himba tribe, desert elephants, desert lions, Epupa Waterfalls and many more attractions in this north-western corner of Namibia.

Inhabited from the dawn of time by the San, also known as the "Bushmen", invaded by the Bantu, colonized by the Germans (who called it "South West Africa") and taken over by South Africa after WWI, Namibia is in many ways quite similar to South Africa. Since it was ruled under the apartheid system, Namibia also has many of the problems resulting from that system.

It is important to be aware that race is a common part of Namibian discourse. Namibians will refer to the race of others more frequently than travellers from places where race is typically not an issue. Because of apartheid, race is an issue in many spheres of life, so it comes up a lot. In spite of this, the various races do get along well in Namibia, and it is fairly uncommon to find racial tensions flaring. Apartheid was never implemented as strictly in Namibia as in South Africa, so racial tensions are generally lower.

Namibia is similar to South Africa, and if you're used to travelling in one country, travelling in the other country is quite easy. There are some subtle differences. For example, in South Africa a non-white person may choose to speak English rather than Afrikaans (as a political choice) whereas among Namibia's mixed-race population (who call themselves 'colored' in Namibia and South Africa) Afrikaans is a proud part of their culture, and many people still speak German. Overlooking these differences isn't going to cause offence, but they're handy to know.

The public holidays in Namibia are:

• January 1. New Years' Day edit
• March 21. Independence Day edit
• Easter weekend. ("Good Friday", "Easter Saturday", "Easter Sunday" and "Easter Monday"): a four day long weekend in March or April set according to the Western Christian dates. edit
• May 1. Workers Day edit
• May 4. Cassinga Day edit
• May 25. Africa Day edit
• August 26. Hereros peoples' Day edit
• December 10. Human Rights Day edit
• December 25. Christmas Day edit
• December 26. Day of Goodwill (Family Day) edit

Tourists may enter Namibia for up to 90 days.

Visitors not from the above countries need to apply for a visa from the Namibian consulate in their country of origin or the Ministry of Home Affairs. Private Bag 13200, Windhoek. ? +264 61 292-2111 ( fax. +264 61 223-817 ). edit .

If you require a visa to enter Namibia, you might be able to apply for one at a British embassy, high commission or consulate in the country where you legally reside if there is no Namibian diplomatic post. For example, the British embassies/consulates in Al Khobar[2]. Jeddah[3] and Riyadh[4] accept Namibian visa applications (this list is not exhaustive). British diplomatic posts charge ?50 to process a Namibian visa application and an extra ?70 if the authorities in Namibia require the visa application to be referred to them. The authorities in Namibia can also decide to charge an additional fee if they correspond with you directly.

All visitors require a passport valid for at least 6 months after date of entry into Namibia.

You need a return or onward AIR ticket when you fly to Namibia; if you don't have one the airline will not take you there (Air Berlin will inform you about this at check in time!). Saying you will take the bus to South Africa will not do.

They will not let you in if you don't have an address where you are going, so be sure to have one.

Always verify the dates stamped into your passport, because there have been cases where corrupt officers stamp wrong dates to fine people for overstaying when they leave, and these fines are huge.

Hosea Kutako International Airport, located 45 minutes east of Windhoek. is the main entry point for air traffic. Air Namibia [5] operates flights from Frankfurt. Cape Town. Johannesburg. Victoria Falls and Maun to the international airport. Flights between the smaller Eros Airport and Cape Town are also available. South African Airways [6] and no-frills Kulula [7] operate flights from South Africa. too. See Discount airlines in Africa for more options.