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Namibia ~ Central Highlands

Windhoek

Windhoek, meaning ‘windy corner’, is Namibia’s capital and the usual point of arrival and departure into the country. In a pleasant and convenient position in the centre of the country, surrounded by the Auas and Eros mountains, Windhoek has a growing population but still relatively small at around 300,000 people. The architecture is German and South African-inspired, with a well-organised lay out. It offers a mixture of the modern and traditional, with sophisticated international fashion boutiques, traditional African clothing and gemstone shops, pavement markets selling wood carvings, jewellery and other arts and crafts.

There are several 19th and 20th century German historical buildings of interest such as the Alte Feste, railway station, Tintinpalast, the Turnhalle and Gathemann House. Other places of interest include the National Botanical Garden, National Theatre of Namibia, Meteorite Fountain and the Warehouse Theatre.

As well as the usual steak houses, pubs and coffee bars, Windhoek’s has a wide range of à la carte menu restaurants serving a variety of international cuisine. Namibian beers can be sampled at various beer gardens

Windhoek has a range of lovely accommodation choices. Our favourites include the Galton House, The Elegant Farmstead, Olive Grove and The Olive Exclusive Boutique Hotel.

Gamsberg

Rising 500m above the Khomas Hochland, the 2347masl Gamsberg Mountain is a table-top mountain with a distinctive quartzite sandstone summit situated 120 south-west of Windhoek, with views towards the Namib-Naukluft Mountains to the south. The area is renowned for the dramatic Gamsberg Pass and its exceptionally clear skies and lack of light pollution which makes for fantastic star-gazing opportunities. There are plenty of walking and hiking trails (arduous) through beautiful scenery, nature drives and sund-downer drives available. The Gamsberg is also a place to simply relax and enjoy the splendid isolation and star-studded African night.

Daan Viljoen Game Park

Located around 20km from Windhoek in the Khomas Hochland mountains, the Daan Viljoen Game Park makes for a worthwhile day trip. There is a nature drive but also walking trails that wind through highland savannah for a chance to spot diverse game such as mountain zebra, eland, springbok wildebeest, gemsbok, kudu, red hartebeest, impala, steenbok and klipspringer as well as baboons and dassies (rock hyrax). The area is renowned for its birding, with around 200 species and several endemics to this area. Some birds of Daan Viljoen include the Damara rockjumber (or rockrunner), Montiero’s hornbill, Rüppel’s parrot and white-tailed shrike.

There is simple bungalow accommodation and a basic campsite at Daan Viljoen, based around a reservoir, but you may also visit from more comfortable accommodation options in Windhoek.

Okonjima & AfriCat Foundation

Conveniently around half way between Windhoek and Etosha, lies the 22,000 hectare Okonjima Private Game Reserve. Okonjima and the AfriCat Foundation charity work together to conserve Namibia’s large carnivores through a rehabilitation programme, mostly focusing on leopard and cheetah. Various pressures on the big cat population include persecution by farmers, the pet trade and capture of wild cats for tourist entertainment which are subsequently unwanted when they become troublesome or expensive. The AfriCat Foundation assists in relocating and rehabilitating these carnivores and has been able to release over 85% back to the wild – a great achievement. AfriCat understands the importance of research, habitat conservation and education, and works closely with farmers and local populations to increase understanding and reduce human-animal conflict.

The accommodation options at Okonjima from camp sites to luxury villas provide the opportunity for visitors to witness the work of the AfriCat Foundation, to enjoy game drives in Okonjima’s Private Reserve with fantastic photographic opportunities of the cats, other predators such as African wild dog and hyena and general game.
 

WATERBERG PLATEAU PARK

The beautiful Waterberg region with its imposing 150m high sandstone plateau complete with 200 million year old dinosaur tracks, provides a 41,000 hectare haven for endangered species such as roan and sable antelope, tsessebe, black and white rhino. Predators such as leopard, cheetah, brown hyena, black-backed jackal and caracal can also be found, with the more common prey animals such as gemsbok, eland, kudu, impala, steenbok and klipspringer.

Smaller mammals such as banded mongoose can be encountered on walking trails and the tiny Damara dik-dik and lesser bush babies are often seen foraging near the rest camp at Bernabe de la Bat.

Over 200 species of bird have been recorded in the Waterberg, including critically endangered Cape vultures and the impressive Verreaux’s (black) eagles along the cliffs off the Waterberg escarpment.

The vegetation is dense in parts and wildlife sightings therefore require some effort, but it is a stunning and varied landscape of colourful cliffs, ravines, broad-leafed woodland, grassy plains with acacia trees, explored by vehicle or walking trails.

The Waterberg is steeped in history with San (bushmen) living a traditional existence in the area into the 1960s. Further back in time, the Waterberg was the site of a tragic battle, the Battle of Waterberg in 1904, involving 1600 German colonial forces and 40,000 Herero men women and children. The latter were almost annihilated, with only a few escaping into the Kalahari desert and into to British Bechuanaland (now Botswana). A cemetery for the German solidiers which died in this battle can be found near the rest camp.

Kalahari

Located inside the 2.5 million square kilometre Kalahari Basin which covers parts of seven countries (Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo), the 900,000 square kilometre Kalahari Desert is an endless expanse of semi-desert, encompassing habitats from dry savannah, to semi-arid plains dotted with shepherds trees and camel thorn acacia, to moist woodland with ephemeral water courses. This great desolation has a beauty of its own. Instead of the tall dunes of the Namib, the typical and very photogenic Kalahari Desert landscape comprises of low undulating red-sand dunes with grassy valleys, supporting desert adapted wildlife such as gemsbok (oryx), suricate (meerkat), warthog, giraffe, black-maned Kalahari lion and over 200 species of bird.

In human terms, the most famous people of the Kalahari are the San (Bushmen). The original inhabitants of Southern Africa and previously more widespread, the San were faced with extreme persecution from African and European colonisers and were pushed to the harsher environments where they survived with their nomadic hunter-gatherer skills. Their language is fascinating and complex, with various ‘click’ sounds used. A friendly people with a fantastic sense of humour and community spirit, they are proud to show visitors their age-old skills of survival.