From a tourism summit in Windhoek to rock, coast, seabreeze and dunes meeting the Atlantic.
German leftovers, cold Atlantic air, quad bikes, seafood, and a very solid excuse to head west after Windhoek.
A short stop between Windhoek and Swakopmund, with giant granite, open desert, and Namibia’s most famous rock arch.
Windhoek is clean, orderly, oddly German, and a very sensible place to begin before the rest of Namibia takes over.
I first went to Namibia in 2024 after being invited to speak at the Africa Youth In Tourism Innovation Challenge and Summit in Windhoek. Fascinating conference, but just attending a tourism conference in a country I had never been to and then flying straight back out again was obviously not for me.
So the morning after, I teamed up with a few like-minded Kenyans and Tanzanians and hit the road. That took us from Windhoek to Spitzkoppe, then on to Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Sandwich Harbour.
It was not a long trip. Way too short, in fact. But long enough to get at least some of the essence of Namibia. Windhoek had its own rhythm. Spitzkoppe was all rock, space and sky. Swakopmund brought that strange German-African coastal mix. Walvis Bay came with fresh seabreeze, birds, dolphins, pelicans, and some oysters and bubbly to top it up. Sandwich Harbour, known as the place where the world’s tallest sand dunes meet the Atlantic Ocean, was equally impressive with breathtaking views and spectacular sceneries.
So this is not a grand Namibia overview. It is a first run through a few corners of the country I got to see, and a very good reason to go back.