Sasendele - Cape to Namibia 4x4 Adventures - Tour Highlights


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Welcome to Sasendle Accommodated 4x4 Adventure Tours from the Cape of Good Hope to the desert magic of Namibia	Tour Highlights - page 1 *Special places in Namibia and South Africa we visit on our tours are presented here in more detail - providing you with background information in addition to the customary itineraries.*
Photos of Tour Highlights Swakopmund, Namibia The historic Woermann Tower Elands Bay, West Coast South Africa "Ghost Town" Kolmanskop Sperrgebiet, Namibia Succulent Karoo, Richtersveld Namaqualand Daisies Dunes in the Southern Namib	Sasendle's 'Tour Highlights': Jun 2008 to Mar 2009 - page 1 / Apr to Jun 2009 - page 2 News Feb/Mar 2009: Tour Highlight - Part 5: Namibia Swakopmund & Skeleton Coast Swakopmund was founded in the late 1800's, under Imperial Germany's colonial rule of the South-West African territory that was to become the independent Republic of Namibia only in 1990. The first German settlement established on this forbidding central coast initially served only one purpose - to establish a strategically positioned harbour separate from British-occupied Walvis Bay through which the colony could be grown in manpower and be provided with goods. The Woermann Tower (photo left) with its likewise massive adjoining office & storage block was one of Swakopmund's first buildings to be erected in order to monitor the coastal ship traffic and to alert the colony of the arrival of cargo vessels. Germany prepared for a long stay in South West Africa and many more impressive structures soon went up but World War I brought a sudden end to this boom and in fact to the entire era. Even though the harbour project proved a failure due to adverse environmental conditions, and in spite of the ensuing 75 years of South Africa's control over the territory, Swakopmund remained Namibia's town with the most obvious Central-European flair until today. Firmly wedged between the hot arid Namib Desert and the arctic waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and with little else to compete against the ever-growing economic strength of nearby Walvis Bay but its unique history and odd beauty, Swakopmund eventually re-invented itself as Namibia's premier sea-side holiday and retirement resort. Locals and foreign visitors alike find here not only a welcome respite from the dry and hot interior of the country but a dazzling array of excellent hotels, restaurants, shops, and activity as well as sightseeing options - not to forget about seemingly endless quiet beaches and a unique plant- and marine-life. The central and northern parts of the Namibian coast, between the Kuiseb River mouth to the south of Walvis Bay and the Kunene River mouth in the north, - on the border shared with Angola -, are known as Skeleton Coast. All of its four permanent settlements, namely Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Wlotzkas Baken, and Henties Bay, are found in its southern part only. That part was declared the semi-protected "West Coast Recreation Area" already decades ago and in 2009, earmarked for upgrade to national park status. Famous tourist attractions such as the large Cape-fur Seal breeding colony at Cape Cross, the lichen fields on the coastal desert plains, the birding paradise Sandwich Harbour, and the quad-bike nature trails through the coastal dune belt of the Namib Desert between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund are all situated within this area. At the Ugab River, about 150 km north of Swakopmund, the "West Coast Recreational Area" becomes the Skeleton Coast National Park that comprises of 16400 square kilometres, of which only a narrow stretch along the coast - about 100 km from its southern entrance to the north up to Terrace Bay - are accessible to overland travellers, upon purchase of a permit. The park's remaining 400 km of protected coastline up to the Kunene River may only be visited on fly-in safaris to isolated tourism concession areas. This northern part of the Skeleton Coast is characterised by its extraordinary and often eerie scenic beauty, and by an abundance of unusual if not unique plant and animal species that mastered the art of survival in one of the earth's most fragile and most hostile environments. It is like a world of its own where solitude and tranquillity reign supreme, where sand dunes tower over desolate beaches littered with bleached whale bones and the ghostly remains of ships that met their fate at this inhospitable, treacherous coastline. Plans are well underway for consolidating the Skeleton Coast National Park with the related eco-systems along the South Angolan coast into another Peace Park/Transfrontier Park for Namibia. We will report on this and NACOMA's plans for the southern part of the Skeleton Coast in due course. Sasendle's "Cape - Namibia Explorer" Scheduled Tour visits Swakopmund for a 2-night stay, providing our safari guests with numerous opportunities for exploring some of the highlights of the Skeleton Coast. All activities and excursions are optional extras in order to ensure flexibility according to guests' interests and budgets as well as weather conditions. Sasendle guides will assist in making arrangements with local service providers on the spot. Tour Highlight - Part 5: South Africa Upington & Augrabies Falls, Gariep River Travelling west from Upington towards the Augrabies Falls of the Gariep River (formerly: Orange), via the small towns of Keimoes and Kakamas, one is surrounded by miles of scenic vineyards and cotton fields. Especially the grape crops brought much needed employment opportunities to the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, which now produces most of the country's top-rated dried raisins for export and domestic consumption as well as some bottled wines that became collectors' items. Upon entering the Augrabies Falls National Park that covers 55000 hectares of pristine wilderness, one can understand why this area was called ‘the place of great noise’ by the Khoi people. The sight of the Gariep River thundering down 56 m into the ravine below is simply awesome. A wooden walkway leads across the rocky landscape surrounding the falls, which ranks as the world's sixth highest waterfalls. The park provides sanctuary to a diversity of smaller mammal species, to birds, reptiles and succulent plants. Most commonly seen are klipspringer and rock hyrax. As the rest camp situated within the park only provides self-catering accommodation, Sasendle's "Namibia-Kalahari-Cape Discovery" scheduled tours and most tailor-made safaris into the Northern Cape Province stay at the cosy, privately owned Kalahari Gateway Hotel, which is situated in Kakamas, less than half an hour's drive from the Augrabies Falls National Park. News Dec 2008/Jan 2009: Tour Highlight - Part 4: South Africa Western Cape: West Coast & Swartland A particularly scenic route of the Western Cape Province leads north from Cape Town along the West Coast to Lamberts Bay. Following the road R27 through the undulating wheat fields of the Swartland, visitors experience a contrasting array of landscapes. It is a kaleidoscope of vineyards, protea farms, fruit plantations, fynbos and indigenous flowers. In the Saldanha area quaint fishing villages, beaches, sea side resorts, and the Langebaan Lagoon with its West Coast National Park are popular attractions for nature lovers and leisure seekers. After traversing the Bergrivier sub-region in a northerly direction, one reaches Velddrif and the picturesque seaside town of Elands Bay prior to arrival in Lamberts Bay. Sasendle's "Cape - Namibia Explorer" Scheduled Tour covers this route on the first day of each departure. The 3-Day "West Coast Splendour" tour, one of Sasendle's 4x4 Excursions from/to Cape Town, takes an even closer look at this unique part of the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Tour Highlight - Part 4: Namibia *Southern Namibia: The "Sperrgebiet" & Succulent Karoo* One of Namibia’s least known areas, the *Sperrgebiet* (literally translated: prohibited territory), comprising of 26000 square kilometres of Namib Desert wilderness, has recently been proclaimed a National Park. Even though public access to its largely pristine landscapes, strange rock formations, meteorite craters and vast plains dotted by an abundance of succulent plants will only be permitted, once development plans will have been implemented, the tourism potential is certainly huge. Access to the existing major 4x4 excursion destinations, - the deserted diamond mining towns of Pomona and Elisabeth Bay -, is also bound to become easier for operators of guided tours. Sasendle Adventures' "Cape - Namibia Explorer Tour" traverses the Sperrgebiet en route to the historical town of Lüderitz and the picturesque ’ghost town’ Kolmanskop, both situated on the boundaries of the newly established national park. Information on the "Feral Horses of the Namib", - an already accessible natural phenomena of the Sperrgebiet that Sasendle visits on the Explorer Tour -, may be found under Travel Tips. As the proposed new developments within the Sperrgebiet will come on-line, Sasendle will evaluate their suitability for inclusion in scheduled tours and for the introduction of specialised safaris to this area. Sasendle's Explorer Tour also already utilises a scenic route through the Richtersveld to reach Namibia. However, only future developments of tourist facilities suitable for inclusion in Sasendle's upmarket 4x4 safaris will allow taking a more in-depth look at the Succulent Karoo: Bordering the Sperrgebiet in the east, the village of Aus marks the beginning of the Southern Namib area that is called the Succulent Karoo. It stretches towards the far south of Namibia and into the Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, which is home to the most diverse plant life on earth and has been listed as one of the world’s 25 global biodiversity “hotspots”. Although the floral wonders are at their best after the rains, they are well worth a closer look throughout the year. In this harsh minimalist landscape, shrubs and ‘living rocks’ (lithops) store moisture in their leaves and stems to ensure their survival in the mostly dry summer months. Various specimens of the rare and endangered pachypodium namaquasensis, commonly known as the ‘half-men’ plant, may only be seen in the southern parts of the Succulent Karoo, towards the Gariep (Orange) River and on the South African side of the Richtersveld. News Oct/Nov 2008: Tour Highlight - Part 3: South Africa Tour Highlight - Part 3: Namibia This news update covered PART 2 of Tour Highlights in South Africa & Namibia in pictures - please see photo links below! News Aug/Sep 2008: Tour Highlight - Part 2: South Africa Namaqualand Flower Season The 'grapevine' has it that following exceptionally good rains in the Northern Cape, the annual botanical miracle will be a spectacular masterpiece this year. The normally arid sand and gravel plains of the Karoo are transformed into flower carpets of up to 220 different kinds of Namaqualand Daisies, which come into full bloom mostly during the months of August and September. This expanse of natural floral beauty is unrivaled anywhere else on earth. Travelers experiencing this natural wonder will remember it forever. View photos... Tour Highlight - Part 2: Namibia Namib Desert, Sossusvlei The majestic dunes of the Sossusvlei are reputed to being the highest in the world, where visitors can test their endurance when climbing them. Each step is a journey into the environment of the oldest living desert. In this land of open spaces and never-ending horizons, the weather (almost) never disappoints. Over 300 days of sunshine a year and dry, warm climate make it the ideal holiday destination. Summer rains occur mainly from Jan-March, yet in the Southern Succulent Karoo, sporadic winter rains transform the rocky terrain into golden expanses of grasslands dotted with rare floral species. View photos... News Jun/Jul 2008: Tour Highlight - Part 1: Kgalagadi National Park View photos...	News Topics Inside Sasendle - Company Profile - Inside News on team, memberships, shows, & other topics - pages: 1 / 2 / 3 Newsletter Archive Photos - Namibia - South Africa - South Africa Tour Brief - Scheduled Tours - Excursions & Short Tours from/to CPT - Combo Tours Tour Highlights 1-5 / 6 Tours & Equipment - Safaris & Prices 2010 - Safaris & Prices 2011 Travel Tips 1-7 / 8-10 / 11- .. What our safari guests had to say Customer Feedback 4x4 Club Activities (dedicated page to follow)
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