Yolande Pienaar's Blog

Posted by Yolande Pienaar

Namibia is a country with wide-open spaces, long distances between towns and enough tourist attractions to keep a tourist busy for months on end. One of the most popular coastal towns is Lüderitz in the south west of the country.

As Lüderitz is situated at the end of a road leading nowhere else, many tourists do not make the effort to visit the small settlement that has so much to offer by way of tourist attractions. With the Namib Desert surrounding the town and the Atlantic Ocean on the other side, Lüderitz could easily be mistaken for a desolate place when in fact it is a hub of activity during tourist season.

What to See and Do in Lüderitz, Namibia

Diamond mining contributed to the origin of Lüderitz and today the operations of Namdeb Mining Company is still visible just outside the town. Tourist attractions relating to the diamond mining industry includes:

At Kolmanskop ghost diamond mining town tourists can step back in time to investigate the old diamond mining techniques and the harsh conditions the Namib Desert subjected the miners to.

Guided tours into the Namib Desert to view other ghost towns like Elizabeth Bay south of Lüderitz, as well as the operations between Lüderitz and Walvisbaai where remnants of the miners' activities were left desolate in the vast ocean of sand.

Nature lovers can explore the Lüderitz peninsula with its coastal bays and pay a visit to the monument at Diaz Point where the lighthouse has been restored. A small coffee and curio shop offers refreshments to visitors and on days when the wind does not howl over the platform where the cross is erected, tourists can see seals frolicking in the water and baking in the sun on the rocky islands in the ocean.

One of the aspects that make Lüderitz unique is the many historical buildings, which has been restored to their former glory. Upon entering Lüderitz, tourists cannot miss the prominent facade of the Goerke House with the striking sundial on the left. The Lutheran Church towers above the town from a small hilly outcrop and is visible even from the peninsula some distance away.

Sharks Island Resort is rich in history involving wars, concentration camps and bloody battles. Today the resort at Sharks Island (Haifisch Island) offers a view over the small harbor as well as monuments to attest to its largely unknown history.

Accommodation in Lüderitz, Namibia

Lüderitz offers tourists to Namibia a variety of accommodation, including camping, guesthouses and B&B and luxury accommodation in hotels. For such a small town the accommodation options available are astounding. Whether tourists want budget accommodation or luxury accommodation in hotels, self-catering or fully catered, Lüderitz has something to suit every discerning traveler.

With all the tourist attractions offered by Lüderitz town in Namibia, tourists should spend at least a couple of days to explore the town.

Posted by Yolande Pienaar

Besides Namibia, the only other country in the world, which allows the culling of seals, is Canada, which allows an annual Harp seal hunt. Animal rights activists have been lobbying for years to have the culling stopped as they argue that the seals do not exhaust the available fish consumed by humans. In Namibia, Francois Hugo of Seal Alert SA, tried to negotiate a deal with the buyer of Cape Fur Seal products from the Namibian government, an Australian citizen to buy all the rights to the seal products for ten years. As a result, the culling of the Cape Fur seals at Cape Cross Nature Reserve was suspended for two weeks.

Francois Hugo failed to raise the amount of money needed to secure the deal and the culling started on 16 July 2009. A British journalist Jim Wickens and his South African cameraman, Bart Smithers, were arrested trying to capture the brutal clubbing on film. According to the Boston Herald , the men were convicted of entering a protected area without a permit and fined N$10 000 (about US$1200) or 12 months imprisonment with an additional 6 months imprisonment conditionally suspended.

The Namibian government justifies the clubbing of the seal pups, some nursing, and the mature bulls, by quoting statistics indicating that the seals deplete the natural fish resources around the Namibian coast. According to the government the seals consume about 900 000 kilograms of fish yearly, which constitutes roughly a third of Namibia's entire fishing industry.

In order to prevent upsetting tourists to the area, the culling of the seals are done in a clandestine manner, preventing details of exactly how the culling is done to be distributed in the media. Several websites have obtained footage that they use to spur on other animal rights activists.

Whether the culling is justified or not, the Namibian government failed to avoid drawing attention to the culling taking place from July to November.

Posted by Yolande Pienaar

Africa is a continent rich in culture, wildlife and scenery. Exploring the various countries is great fun as long as tourists do not contravene some obscure law or custom and cause embarrassment to themselves or worse - land in jail for an offense.

A few articles to avoid just that is:

Essential Information for Travelers to Botswana

What Tourists Must Know About Burkina Faso

Safety Tips for Travelers to South Africa

Namibia is a fascinating African country, with desert landscapes, beautiful coastlines and a rich diamond mining history. A couple of months ago the area known as Sperrgebiet 1 south of Luderitz were allocated to the local community and they are now responsible for managing tourism to the area. Sperrgebiet 2 north of Luderitz are still closed to the public and access are only possible via guided tours with tourguides holding consessions to take members of the public into the Namib desert.

These tours usually start at the town of Luderitz in the south of Namibia and exploring this beautiful coastal town, rich in history for a few days, would be worthwhile. Several hotels offer accommodation in Luderitz and for the more adventurous, camping at Sharks Island or even staying in a light house. Visit the ghost town of Kolmanskop and walk back in history to a time when diamonds were bountiful and the pickings were rich.

Whatever the preference, Africa has plenty to offer.