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['Destinations'
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Namibia
emptiness and profusion in equal measure
The red-duned and pebble-strewn expanses of Namibia are as alien as an earthbound
landscape can get. To stand on the western shore with the mist drifting in across
the rusting hulk of a diamond-dredger is to experience utter desolation. No blade of
grass, no sign of life, not even the bones of the crew remain to remind you that this
is an overcrowded yet abundant planet. Here is emptiness made palpable.
Inland, the spaces are just as vast, yet teeming with wildlife. From the lone
gemsbok chewing sustenance from a dried twig, to the dazzling herds of zebra that
gather round the waterholes of Etosha, this is nature at its most adaptable.
In Namibia, emptiness and abundance are two sides of the same glittering coin.
| Official name: |
The Republic of Namibia |
| Size: |
318,000 square miles (824,000 sq km) – more than three times the size of the UK |
| Borders: |
Atlantic Ocean (to the west); Angola and Zambia
(to the north); Botswana (to the east); South Africa (to the south) |
| Population: |
1,700,000
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| Capital city: |
Windhoek |
| Currency: |
South African Rand |
['Cities'
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Cape Town
where worlds and oceans meet
Cape Town…the name reeks of tall ships, bustling trade, and reckless merchant
adventurers. This is where South African history begins; with African, Dutch, British,
and Malay influences tugging at the soul of a city which is, in turn, swept by the
opposing currents of the Indian and Atlantic oceans.
The result is vibrant – an infectious mix of nature and culture that will keep
you enthralled for a lifetime. Behind the streets of brightly-painted colonial
buildings stands the flat-topped monolith of Table Mountain, the timeless geological
backdrop to a twenty-first century melting pot.
Central Cape Town is small enough to explore on foot. With bars, restaurants,
shopping, history, and culture, there's something for everyone. Try the Victoria
& Alfred Waterfront for a brisk blend of old-style shipping and upmarket shopping.
Explore the five-sided Castle of Good Hope with its bastions at each corner, or relax
in the shade of the Gardens, a park that began as a vegetable patch. After dark you
can slip into the nightlife that fizzes around Loop and Long Streets.
| Population: |
950,000 (SA's 4th largest city) |
| Airport: |
Cape Town International (12 miles [20 km]) |
| Don't miss: |
Table Mountain, Castle of Good Hope,
Company's Garden, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Robben Island
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| Recommended hotels: |
Mount Nelson Hotel, Victoria & Alfred Hotel
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['Attractions'
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Hermanus
whale-watching for cliff-top naturalists
The Cape coast is one of the world's great whale-watching locations. You don't even
have to get your feet wet because the area around Hermanus is famous for inshore viewing.
Into these secluded bays, the southern right whale – so named because it was the
right whale to hunt – comes to mate and to calve. In the peak season, a hike along
the rocky cliffs to the west, or the golden beaches to the east, is almost certain to
bring a sighting.
No need to worry that the peace might make you drowsy. A blast from the horn of the
keen-eyed whale crier warns you when cetaceans are about.
| Location: |
Southern Cape |
| Nearest town: |
Hermanus (whale-watching to east and west) |
| Activities: |
whale-watching, hiking |
| Attractions: |
Old Harbour Museum |
| Access: |
by road (22 miles [35 km] south of N2) |
| Season: |
June to November |
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