Swakopmund

Swakopmund is a coastal town, founded by the Germans in 1892. It was developed as the German colony at this time had no port as the man in port in Namibia, Walvis Bay, not far from Swakopmund, was held by the British.

Swakop, as it is known locally, is now a tourist centre which still has a German feel with several buildings surviving from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Namibians and Angolans are attracted to Swakop for its mild climate. On the day we arrived from Sossusvlei it had been close to 40 degrees; by the evening in Swakop it was around 20 degrees with a storm whipping around the pier where we had dinner. In Namibia mild, wet weather is something to be celebrated.

Walvis Bay has continued to thrive as a port with business in ship maintenance, including those used for oil drilling. We went on a catamaran boat trip around the bay, which has a seal colony, pelicans, flamingoes, dolphins and in summer wales. The pelicans were a bit too friendly for comfort while the guide had an unusual liking for jellyfish !