Enjoy an adventure from Walvis Bay all the way to the Welwitschia plains.

The Welwitschia Miriabilis is a true ancient plant, and very long lived, which grows in quite remote areas. You will be entertained all the way during this adventure with many interesting stops along the trail. See some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, with enough time to photograph every bit of it. The pace of the tour is relaxed, with plenty of rest stops. Read all about this adventure to the Welwitschia to see why it is so popular!

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You will only get the best service at Awesome Chapters. Your private tour guide will pick you up at your address anywhere in Walvis Bay with the tour vehicle, free of charge. Your pickup time is not fixed, but agreed upon during the booking process. If you are arriving on a cruise liner, you have the option to be collected from the ship inside the harbor gates.

On this adventure, you always have still water as a standard, if you want any other refreshments during the tour, just mention it during the booking process. On this tour you will also have the opportunity to get refreshments at the Goanikontes Oasis in the moon landscape. They make excellent coffee, and have “Beer as cold as your mother-in-law’s heart”. Continue reading about all the beautiful sights you will see on the tour!

Dune 7 and the untouched Dune Belt

The dunes surrounding Walvis Bay stretch out into a 5km wide “Dune belt” all the way to Swakopmund. At the start of your adventure you will see Dune 7 which is by far the most popular dune in this belt. Here you can climb the dune to appreciate the landscape around it. Quite often Dune 7 is crowded a bit, and for precisely this reason that show you a few untouched dunes later on our way to the Welwitschia for some real “Lawrence of Arabia” type of photos. The photo above is a prime example.

This dune belt has served as location for quite a few movies like 10,000 BC and Flight of the Phoenix, and a some advertisements. On this adventure you can see the movie locations from the service road, as the gravel plains are protected. Continuing the adventure on the tarred road you can enjoy the scenery with the dunes rolling by as we travel to the Swakop river, where we head into the desert proper.

The stunning Moon Landscape and gravel plains

Leaving the Dune belt behind, you cross the gravel plains, following parts of the Welwitchia trail that was laid out in the 1960’s. The lichen and other flora that grow in this region is especially well adapted for the hyper-arid climate. At the stops in the gravel plain you will see the lichen up close, as well as learn some interesting facts about it. Cutting through the gravel plains is the Swakop river, and in this area it carved a magnificent canyon in the sedimentary rocks.

From the outside looking in at the viewpoints, the landscape already looks a bit like the surface of the moon with it’s complete desolation and bare peaks. The best part of this part tour is that you drive down into this landscape to the riverbed to take it all in! The pace here is very slow, and of course you are welcome to stop the vehicle at any point to take some photos!

Relaxing Goanikontes, the oasis

Goanikontes is an oasis in the Swakop river from before Europeans arrived. Officially established in 1848, it was used to grow food for the population of Swakopmund and the German troops. The name is derived from a Nama word with the meaning of a place where you can take your coat off.

In very much the same fashion, this is where you break for lunch on your adventure to the Welwitschia. The restaurant has an amazing atmosphere with the added benefit of farm animals and wild birds to entertain you. Food here is good, with the tables of the restaurant out in the open. The weather here is always good, and if you like drinking beer, this place has some very cold draught beer brewed according to the Reinheidsgebot. There is also a range of bird species in the trees providing shade at the restaurant.

The Riverbed with interesting wildlife.

The road leading through the Swakop river at the Oasis point was used in Mad Max 4. You have the opportunity to view the parts of it that was used in the movie, as well as take some pictures. As always, your private guide will give you as much information on the area as you want. Leaving the road you can view the rock formations up close while making the way down to the riverbed along a little track. This part of the tour is a geologist’s dream!

The rock formations vary so much in terms of make up and color! As you make your way up the sandy river the textures are simply amazing. The landscape itself has a very out of this world feel. With a bit of luck you might see some wildlife. Common here are Ostrich, but sometimes you might see small antelope and even baboons on occasion.

The interesting Welwitschia Plains

The Welwitschia Miriabilis likes to hang out in places that are quite remote, and dry. This plant is a true ancient, lacking many of the features of modern plants. The Welwitschia does not have any stems or grow points! Here you will have the opportunity to walk in between the Welwitschia and photograph them, as well as the many bugs that make their home on the Welwitschia.

The Welwitschia fields serve as a turning around point for the tour. On the way back, In the Swakop riverbed, there are some camp sites that you can visit. Unfortunately, the road from the Welwitschia plains to the Uranium mine road is usually badly corrugated, like many of the roads in Namibia. Sit back and enjoy the “Namibian massage” while the landscape unfolds from canyon to flat gravel plains again. It’s only 25km and over in a few minutes. You will be provided with earplugs if you need it. Once on the tarred road the journey to Swakopmund is calm and quiet again.

Historic Swakopmund

No visit to the coast would be complete without a visit to Swakopmund. You drive by the historic buildings and landmarks of this distinctly German town. After the trip in the desert the cool coastal air is refreshing! You still have time to learn a little about the history of this town, before heading back to Walvis Bay along the coastal highway.

This stretch of road has a couple of really beautiful spots, and as it will be nearing sunset the light for photos will be great. The bird island is just one of the features of this road, with it’s own peculiar purpose.

Details

• Duration: 6 hours
• Activity level: Moderate/relaxed

Inclusions

• Cool bottled mineral water, still and sparkling
• Free pickup in Walvis Bay
• Private, air conditioned transport
• Local guide
• Pick nick in the wilderness

Optional Extras

• Pick up and drop off in the port of Walvis Bay
• Special or alcoholic drinks during the tour
• Picnic on the tour

Booking – Email

If you are interested in this tour, but you would like to have a discussion with us first, you are welcome to contact us for some human interaction. The booking will be made for you with the information from our chat. We love hearing from you, so even if you do not want to book the tour, and just want some more information, you are still welcome to drop us an email.

Alternatively, drop us a line on the contact form below and we will come back to you!

Payment

To keep things risk free on your side, we accept all mayor currencies on the day of the tour. For your convenience we accept VISA and Mastercard as well. Not everyone likes running around with wads of cash, of course.