Solitaire
Another long drive along gravel roads took us to our next stop – the coastal town of Swakopmund. This road, nonetheless, has a couple of must-see tourist spots, so the journey didn’t feel quite so monotonous.
The first stop is the Solitaire Roadhouse. Famous for its apple pie (or some say apple crumble), we had to give it a try.
Is it a pie or a crumble? In my opinion, it is somewhere in between. A sweet biscuit crust base gives it a “pie” label. The “crumble topping” is more of a crumbled sweet crust, forming a more solid topping than the crumbs we are used to in the UK.
Whatever you call it, with plenty of apple filling, a hint of cinnamon, and most definitely not a mean helping, it did not disappoint. We had ours served warm and plain – though ice cream was available. We also had a couple of slices of blueberry tart to take away.
In addition to the bakery, the roadhouse had a small shop, a collection of abandoned vehicles and, rather randomly, a small church!
Tropic of Capricorn
Next stop on this leg was passing the Tropic of Capricorn.
The Tropic of Capricorn is the circle of latitude that contains the sub-solar points at the December solstice. This means it includes the points on the earth where the sun is directly overhead at noon on 21st December.
We arrived at our lodgings just in time for a quick shower before heading out to dinner.
Jetty 1905 is a popular restaurant situated on the end of Swakopmund jetty, and its prime location ensures its popularity with locals and tourists alike. But, location aside, we were left underwhelmed. Yes, we were tired from the journey and cold (yes, cold!), but the staff were inattentive and the place just lacked atmosphere.
Walvis Bay
A short drive from Swakopmund, Walvis Bay (Afrikaans for “Whale Bay” due to the presence of the Southern Right Whales) is a natural harbour which is Namibia’s second city and main seaport.
Home to an abundance of marine wildlife and a major stopover for migrating birds, Walvis Bay is a mecca for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts alike. More recently, it has also become a centre for adventure tourism with 4×4 and dune buggy tours aplenty.
Catamaran Cruise
Our visit to Swakopmund saw us take a full day trip from Walvis Bay – a rather chilly catamaran trip in the morning, followed by a 4×4 drive through the dunes of Sandwich Harbour in the afternoon.
First thing to say is that it was cold!!!!
After the seering heat of the Sossusvlei desert, we certainly felt the chill in the air whilst on land, and even 4 layers of clothing didn’t make the air any warmer out at sea.
Our spirits were not dampened though, as we were visited by a friendly pelican and a display from several humpbacked whales, as we made our way to see the cape fur seal colonies on Pelican Point. (The rather large dashes of Old Brown sherry helped keep us warm too).
A spot of light lunch with local oysters completed an enjoyable morning.
Sandwich Harbour
Back on land and into a land cruiser for a 4×4 trip to Sandwich Harbour, where the desert dunes meet the sea.
The area can only be accessed by permit holders and the trip usually involves a drive along the beach to appreciate the height of the dunes, but the full moon meant the tide was high and the beach inaccessible for our visit, so we had fun driving through the dunes and had a few more oysters as we admired the views.
The sand here is made of tiny gems and a quick macro shot of a tiny bit of sand made us feel like millionaires – can anyone spot any diamonds in the sample we’ve got?
The Living Dunes
Whilst the dunes along the coast are part of the same range as those found in Sossusvlei, here they are known as the ‘Living Dunes’ as they are constantly changing. Spikey Acacia trees grow in the sands and, as the wind blows the sand with the tides, the sands get trapped in the plants forming small mounds which eventually grow into dunes.
Batis Birding tour
The only bird that is endemic to Namibia is the Dune Lark, and Batis Birding Tours claim to know where to find them so we booked a day tour with them in the hope of finding this little bird, as well as finding other birds for Phil’s tick list.
We were bit concerned when our guide warned us that on her recent trip, she had failed to find any Dune Larks. Thankfully, our trip was much more successful with 3 males displaying beautifully at our first port of call, leaving the rest of the day to discover more birding spots among the dunes and along the coast to build up Phil’s list.
Back at our lodge, we spent our final night eating out at the Tug. Located at the land end of the jetty, it is equally as popular as Jetty 1905, but it proved to be far superior in our opinion. The staff were engaging from the minute we arrived, and remained attentive throughout our evening – and the food was fabulous too.
Swakopmund
Swakopmund is Namibia’s fourth largest city, and, despite its coastal location and cooler air, it seldom rains (Every 3-5 years is normal), but it does get very foggy in the mornings, providing plenty of water for plants and animals.
Our packed itinerary left us little time to visit the town, but we managed a short drive-through to adnure this picturesque town with its German colonial buildings.
The Stiltz
We stayed at the Stiltz at the edge of town. This charming accommodation comprises of several individual bungalows built on stilts overlooking a bird (and camel) rich lagoon, at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. A generous breakfast is served in a separate dining bungalow.
We stayed for 3 nights before heading back on the road to our next stop.
TheWanderingWains 