Visiting Namibia: Are you doing it right?

There are a handful of times in your life (a bit more, if you are lucky), where you feel absolutely invincible. Adrenaline runs through your veins as your senses heighten and time stops completely.

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Perhaps it came at a birth, or after a professional success. Maybe it shot through you during a kiss. At the sight of a loved one. During a youthful late-night prowl. Or maybe it was when you stood barefoot, with the breeze on your face.

You will most certainly find it at the top of a sand dune overlooking the glimmering ocean in Swakopmund, Namibia.

Swakopmund and its neighbouring shores of Walvis Bay and Henties Bay in Namibia have held a fascination, a near obsession, for me for nearly 10 years. From the moment I saw the sand violently, but poetically, crash into the ocean from thousands of feet above on a trip to Brazil, my soul yearned to be there.

To feel invincible again.

There is a silent wonder in the sands of Namibia that invites you to explore, to crack them open and discover something about the place and, in turn, about yourself.

And when that peaceful canvas is punctured by the unpredictable wilds of the ocean, it makes for an explosive colour of adventure.

An adventure that starts from the moment you start the descent into Walvis Bay.

A flight over the Namib Desert exposes a blank brown parchment, folded in parts by mountains, and pierced only by roads and rivers that, like veins, keep it alive only enough to show off.

Much of the joy of travelling in Africa is the sense you are touching the untouched. It is in this vast, near nothingness that beauty resides. A beauty found in the calm.

The plane’s jets quieten to a soft, near-sacred hum in reverence, as the landscape becomes a little clearer.

The veins have dried up. The mountains of sand, weathered by centuries of wind, bury them. Their scabs and stretch marks now proudly gleam in the sun.

You descend further until it seems as if you will land on the very sand itself, before the runway reaches out to safely pull you in.

WATCH: Landing in Walvis Bay

It’s a warm, sandy embrace that is felt throughout this region, stretching up to the Skeleton Coast.

And one that is felt most keenly at Legacy Hotel’s iconic Swakopmund Hotel and Entertainment Centre.

A station and a destination

First finding life as a busy train station back in 1901, the entrance of the hotel is an imposing, majestic building which carries its history with distinction.

Declared a National Monument in 1972, it was meticulously renovated to its former glory before its official opening in 1994 by Namibia’s first president, Sam Nujoma.

The hotel honours its roots with dozens of photographs in the hotel reception, inviting visitors to be part of the memories as they make new ones during their stay.

Alongside the reception area is the Whistlestop lounge, a great place to rest up after a day’s adventure at the nearby sand dunes, jetty, stables, or Mole Beach. Other activities in the area include skydiving and culinary walks, so you can have fun no matter your interests.

The lounge brings a touch of elegance and sophistication, but it’s relaxed enough to be a go-to spot to share a drink with friends or order a coffee and work on the patio outside.

Walking through the reception doors takes you to the old platform and immediately transports you deeper into its world.

Here, a large pool with intricately engraved twin fountains takes centre stage, overlooked from above by two king suites.

In these suites, as in all rooms in the hotel, small traditional décor choices harken back to its railway past. These sit carefully next to the modern touches and amenities like Wi-Fi, high-res TVs, desks, and minibars.

The hotel caters to all kinds of travellers, from the adventurer and the nomad to the family and the businessman.

A buffet at the hotel’s restaurant, Platform One, welcomes one and all, and during our trip was a clear dinner party favourite. Across all of its diverse dishes, the food is delicious, and the seafood grill is a highlight.

For those wanting to put on more of a spectacle for their special day or hold a memorable out-of-town conference with a stately touch, a conference centre can be hired and hosts up to 350 guests. During our stay, one of the residents of the town was throwing a James Bond-themed dinner party that turned the place into a secret headquarters that was glamorous and suave.

The conference centre is neighboured by a gym, a Chinese restaurant, a beautician, an events planner, a cinema, and a casino.

They surround a large courtyard that holds monthly parties, showcases, and other events that bring the community together.

At sea

You could enjoy a wonderful weekend away or a week-long business retreat solely at the hotel, and be completely content. But there are many wonderful gems that lie just beyond the hotel’s doors.

Among these is The Tug restaurant on the jetty.

The jetty, with its occasionally mismatched wooden boarding and quirky speed bumps, is often bustling with activity but is really enjoyed in the fading light of sunset, with the sky painted in colourful hues and the cool breeze sweeping over your face.

When it goes a little too dark, or cool, for your liking, head back and grab a seat overlooking the ocean at The Tug at the base of the jetty.

Crafted out of the wheelhouse of the Danie Hugo tugboat that operated in Cape Town and Walvis Bay for 25 years, the restaurant delivers a unique dining experience. It combines traditional maritime themes with contemporary touches and dishes.

A wine-pairing-friendly menu reads like an all-star global cast of seafood excellence. From Chinese Blue Mussels to Chilean and Peruvian scallops. There are wild-caught Patagonian squid from the Falkland Islands and Pink Prawn from off the shores of Argentina.

While all of these dishes are delightful, it is the locally caught Oysters and Kabeljou that are a firm favourite.

The oysters are also the star of the show on the many cruises and tour boats that run from the harbour at Walvis Bay.

The busy bay area is alive with the sound of seagulls overhead as we take our seat on the Catamaran Charters catamaran sailing around the harbour. The morning-long ride is filled with wonder, from a shipwreck (the Comoran Ship) to visiting seals and pelicans that board the boat.

WATCH: A seal comes to visit

A helpful guide takes you through the history, geography, ecology, and wildlife of the area; as blankets, drinks, and snacks keep you warm, hydrated and full. Once the sun is out and the waters are calm, there is nothing better than fresh oysters from the bay’s oyster line and a tan on the deck.

Close your eyes, and the sounds and smells remind you that this is living.

In the sand

On the shore are the commanding peaks of the sand dunes.

It is the sight of this collision, but harmony, of elements that stays with you for the rest of your life; and is viewed most beautifully from the top of these commanding crests.

Desert Explorers Adventure Centre in Swakopmund has helped provide these breathtaking moments for international celebrities, visitors, and local Namibians for many years.

They offer sandboarding, camel rides, 4-wheel drives, fauna and flora tours, and quad biking through the sand.

WATCH: A ride around the dunes

A quad biking excursion is sure to quicken the pulse until you arrive at the top of the dune.

There, as sunset arrives and your eye casts over the sea of sand towards a never-ending ocean, you find yourself invincible.

Windhoek

About 350km, or 4 hours away, there is no collision point between sand and sea – only one between business and leisure, connected by a Bridge.

The wooden bridge at the Legacy Hotel’s Windhoek Country Club Resort takes guests over a small pond fed by waterfalls on either side. The transit from the hotel to the gardens and the pool is notable and abrupt. A clear break from business to leisure time beyond.

It is a business focus that greets you from the moment you walk into the hotel reception. On one side is a business centre, on the other a massive conference centre able to host hundreds, including high-level politicians and business leaders.

A two-story presidential suite overlooks the golf course and offers high-level luxury living.

An exclusive kitchen, large living and working areas, an impressive staircase, and a massive bathroom transport the suite far beyond the hotel around it and into a world of sumptuousness.

But the serene executive suites steal the show.

Business travellers may miss some of the bells and whistles of the luxury and presidential suites but instead are led to perhaps the most serene area of the hotel: a quiet wing where silence is the premium and the open, airy desert-inspired atrium breaks from the generic hotel corridors that are uniform world over.

It sits invitingly at the end of one of these common corridors, inviting guests to take in its charm.

Even the standard rooms are impressive, with a window feature connecting the bath to the bedroom being the standout.

The décor is modern, and the rooms come with all the standard amenities, including Wi-Fi, high-res TVs, air con, desks, and coffee stations. It also has a patio or balcony.

The hotel’s main on-site restaurant, the Kokerboom, serves a delicious and richly diverse buffet for all pallets, and à la carte menu. A whiskey lounge and wine cellar offer a touch of sophistication or intimacy to an occasion.

All the fun

But it is over the wooden bridge where the hotel really feels like a resort.

The newly opened Oasis Bar and pool is a haven with one clear message: work hard and play harder.

Picture: Supplied

Rooms facing the pool and central gardens remind you that relaxation is not just an afterthought but a major reason to stay.

Children run around the massive lawn, chasing meerkats, and playing on new Playground equipment.

Guests take a drink at the pool, fresh from trying their luck at the Desert Jewel Casino.

Away from the conference rooms, guests access the golf courses where the deals signed in the meeting rooms are often birthed.

Beautiful people laze about in the hot Windhoek heat, later putting on more fancy dress to enjoy sundowner and a few drinks late into the night.

In Windhoek, everything is on a much larger scale.

The hotel is bigger, grander, more modern. The home comforts of the coast give way to a more elegant, refined, luxurious big-city experience.

The conversation- spinning, rugby, economics, and politics – is the same, but the setting is different. There is more business, more diversity, and less come as you are.

Picture: Supplied

But whether you are out at sea in Swakopmund, or around the pool in Windhoek, there is a charm about Namibia that pulls you in and makes you feel at home.

Kyle Zeeman was a guest of Legacy Hotels, which sponsored his trip to Namibia.

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