Swakopmund Travel Forum

Hi people,

Myself and a mate are planning on doing an Overland tour from Victoria Falls to Swakopmund in Namibia. From there we want to get to Cape Town. I’ve tried to find flights but haven’t had any success yet? Can anyone confirm if it’s possible to fly direct?

If not, what other options are available? Is there a train, or is the distance too great to go by any other means other than plane?

Also, is Namibia considered safer than South Africa?

And finally, what type of weather can we expect in Namibia around mid to late December?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Brendan

Namibia is pretty safe - nothing much to worry about as long as you use common sense.

You could fly Air Namibia direct from Swakop to CT, but check going via Windhoek as well because there may not be flights every day. There is an overnight train to Windhoek as well. (Disclaimer: I haven't been there since 2003/4 so it might have changed).

The weather in Swakop is always pretty mild, but go further inland in Namibia in December and it can get stinking hot (and bloody cold at night, if you're camping).

Please try WDH to CPT, as the direct flights are from WDH.
Namibia is safe and travelling in the interior, i felt very safe. (being associated with Cuba has unusual advantages in Namibia!)
there is a bus that goes from windhoek to capetown as well..
the weather in december is agreeable as posted by the above post.. swakop is by the sea ( a little german in architecture and appearance) but inland, see above post.

You have 2 options..Windhoek to Joburg then Cape Town,or Walvis Bay to Joburg then Cape Town.You must fly,as trains would be to long. Namibia is very much like South Africa, but I would say a bit safer. Safety depends on where you are and what you doing.Dont be stupid,and everything will be fine. Swakop is very busy in December,and it is going to be very hot.

Have a great trip

Mate, depending on how much time you have available, you may want to consider driving from Swakop to Cape Town. Only because you will see some stunning scenery and experience an ancient civilization!
From Swakob, travel south to Walvis Bay and the Namib-Naukluft Park in one of the oldest deserts in the world. Visit the dramatic sand dunes (repurted to be the highest in the world) at Sossusvlei. Here you can also meet the San people (Bushmen) who will teach you how to survive in an inhospitable (but beautiful) land. Stop at Fish River Canyon - the 2nd largest canyon in the world! Camp on the banks of the Orange River and enjoy a peaceful paddle. Travel through the Richtersveld and then Namaqualand (you may be too late for the unbelievable flower shows in spring). Be sure to taste wine at farms in the Cedarberg and fruit in Citrusdal prior to arriving in Cape Town.
You can either do this on your own steam or with a tour group.
I would agree that SWA is probably a little safer than RSA, but that is very subjective and I havn't been there for a while. Play it safe and take all necessary precautions.

Planning on a trip from Cape Town to Windhoek & Swakopmund soon myself. What I've found so far is that you have to remember it's more distance than it looks like. Bus (http://www.intercape.co.za)is cheap at about $60 one-way, and they do have a stop in Swakopmund, however it's a 21hr drive. I don't think there are any mini-buses making that journey. Flight is only 2hrs, but not terribly cheap since it's a small jet, not a puddle-jumper. About $350-400 round trip is what I've seen (http://www.airnamibia.com.na)

Of course you could also rent a 4x4 and drive yourself. I'm going to contact these guys (http://www.namibian.org/) for some of the things I plan to do in Namibia. They seem genuine, and not much like "a place" even though they're a place, if you know what I mean. Looks like they can help organize car rentals too.

Hope it helps,

Andy

Cheers for all the advice guys, much appreciated.

Looks like time constraints will decide that's it's going to be a plane journey.

Thanks again.

Cheers for all the advice guys, much appreciated.

Looks like time constraints will decide that's it's going to be a plane journey.

Thanks again.