An African adventure in Namibia

Saeed Saeed takes a road trip around Namibia, and finds a corner of Africa where you can experience safaris, rugged coastlines and German colonial culture inside a week. A word of warning, though: it's a long trek from the UAE. A flight to Namibia often includes a lengthy transit in major African hubs such as Nairobi or Johannesburg; it's the latter in my case, with a four-hour wait on the way and six hours on the return leg. We snake our way around the azure waters of the Walvis Bay Lagoon. Swaths of it are occupied by so many expensive holiday homes with manicured lawns that I begin to chalk this trip down as a scenic drive. Harold suddenly parks the car on the side of the road beside the water and hands over some binoculars. The following day, I undertake the first of many five-hour car journeys; this one heading to the semi-desert landscape that is Damaraland. Before turning off onto the main highway heading towards the rocky region, we manage to swing by a small stretch of the Skeleton Coast. One can understand why this stretch of the Atlantic has been the bane of sea captains. Stepping out, I encounter an almost mythical scene, with the sounds of powerful sea waters puncturing a heavy mist. About 400 metres from the shore, I can just spot one of the coast's many abandoned vessels, rust rendering it a rich bronze. I should have savoured the sea breeze more; from then on, as we head farther north, the climate becomes increasingly dry and arid. It's the last time during my trip where I don my jacket during the day. The rest of the afternoon is spent enjoying the view from the car. Damaraland is a stunning road-trip destination, with its varied composition of mountains, ranging from smooth surfaces to red and rocky. The most majestic of all is Brandberg. Approximately 30km by 23km at its base, and 2,606 metres high at its peak, it's the country's highest mountain and hulks over the savannah landscape. The remaining three hours of the journey is spent on unpaved roads. Some sections are teeth-rattlingly bumpy - an experience that Namibians refer to as an "African massage". By the time we reach the Doro Nawas Camp lodge ( ) - located besides the dry Aba-Huab River Valley - at sunset, the room's lack of Wi-Fi is a blessing, as I almost immediately call it a night. The next two baking-hot days are spent spotting wildlife and admiring the expansive vistas of the Etosha National Park, one of the largest game reserves in the world, a bumpy three-hour ride from Damaraland. With this being the Namibian autumn (December to March), the chances of seeing Africa's big five animals in the park are scant - that's best reserved for the warmer months (September and October). That said, with the park spanning a mammoth 22,270 square kilometres, there's still plenty to see. Our frequent stops at designated waterholes see us getting close to endangered mountain zebras (recognised by flappy skin underneath their jaws) and virile red hartebeests, as well as brown and spotted hyenas. We hit pay dirt during our last afternoon in the park when we spot a trio of elephants grazing in the grassland. We also find fortune in the stately Ongava Lodge ( ), our overnight rest stop, where a rather haggard rhino uses the watering hole to replenish itself. The last day's drive is a much more pleasant affair, with a 300km cruise along paved roads towards Windhoek. While it may not retain the quirky character of Swakopmund, the Namibian capital is lush and visually appealing in its own right, sitting huddled in the valley of the Auas Mountains. The city also boasts a friendly European-cafe-culture vibe, with shopping and pedestrian precincts on Independence Avenue and scattered market stalls. For our last meal of the trip, we elect to go to one of the city's most popular restaurants. The Portuguese-inspired Paguel ( ) is a much-favoured hangout for the after-work and university crowds, with a large canopied open area in the back. The lack of halal options wasn't too much of a hindrance; the boiled codfish served with chickpeas and boiled potatoes (250 dollars [Dh79]) was perfectly hardy and triggered a deep sleep upon returning to the elegant Heinitzburg Hotel ( ), near the National Botanical Gardens. In Windhoek airport, heading back to the Gulf, I refer to my photos of coastlines, deserts, mountains and parks to convince myself I witnessed all of this within a week. Therein lies Namibia's appeal and perhaps its best defence against being overrun by tourists; the country has a lot to offer, if you're prepared to make the effort. ssaeed@thenational.ae

An African adventure in Namibia

Saeed Saeed takes a road trip around Namibia, and finds a corner of Africa where you can experience safaris, rugged coastlines and German colonial cultural inside the space of a week.