Friday 31 December 2021

2021 Christmas morning in Windhoek, Namibia, part 3 | Рождественское утро Виндхук Намибия

25 December 2021 - a video of morning walk through Windhoek city center with stops at sights and famous buildings - almost no people or cars are involved. Namibia, southern Africa. Part 3.

#ChristmasMorningInWindhoek #NamibiaHolidays #SouthernAfrica

2021 УТРО РОЖДЕСТВА ЦЕНТР ГОРОДА ВИНДХУК НАМИБИЯ

YouTube video:


Windhoek Christmas 2020: https://youtu.be/SwA00-HdBEE

Windhoek:

http://www.namibweb.com/windhoek.htm

Christmas in Namibia (Windhoek in particular)!

If you haven't been to Namibia during the festive season before, it may come as a surprise to you that Christmas is celebrated much like it is in European countries. Especially the German flair is predominant in many homes and supermarkets, which one can half expect seeing that Namibia was a German colony just over a century ago.

Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve by Germans, while the rest of the country celebrates on Christmas Day. The event itself can be divided into two broad categories: activities around Christmas and activities on Christmas.

The first thing to remember is that Namibia lies in the Southern hemisphere and therefore experiences no such thing as a “White Christmas”. In fact, Christmas falls into one of the hottest periods of the year and the one thing that everyone yearns for is not snow, but rain! Rain on Christmas is a blessing to everyone and if it does come about, a collective sigh of relief and gratefulness can be heard across the countryside.

Christmas also falls into a time of school holidays. Many people travel to other parts of the country, in particular the coast (to find reprieve from the heat!), or to their family farms in rural areas to help prepare the land for the rains that are expected from December to March.

The meal and activities on Christmas Day and Eve itself depend on the different cultures, although it is common among most cultures that people attend a church service, either on Christmas Eve or Day. That is not surprising, as most of the Namibian population is Christian. Concerning meals, Weihnachtsteller is common among Germans, as are roast duck and potato salad. Among the Afrikaans speakers the “Braai”, the South African barbeque, is very popular, while the people in rural areas often enjoy 'pap en vleis'. The 'pap' is a porridge made from Omahangu millet or maize. This is a typically Namibian dish that many Namibians enjoy on this holiday.

And of course, the Christmas tree may not be forgotten, else where does one put the gifts? Peculiar in Namibia is that the tree sometimes takes the form of a thorn bush rather than the evergreens that people may be used to in Europe. This definitely adds a Namibian flair to Christmas!

Windhoek climate makes it a very nice place to live in: mostly dry but with a quite reliable rainfall with an average of 360 mm a year. Another reason for establishing a settlement here were several fountains with good healthy water. German colonists found morass in the Windhoek's valley that they drained later. Windhoek's altitude is around 1650 m above sea level (railway station: 1642 m, International airport: 1680-1720 m, Ausspanplatz: 1650 m). The highest mountain around the capital is Grossherzog at 2330 m above sea level (south of Windhoek on the way to Rehoboth with TV tower on top).

The settlement was founded in 1840 by Jonker Afrikaner who built his first house next to present South African High Commission (previously Berg hotel). For a long time Windhoek was a small settlement abandoned from time to time during Nama-Herero wars. 18 October 1890 Curt von Francois reached Windhoek with 32 men and commenced construction of Alte Feste establishing permanent German presence.

COOPERATION:

1. Send your video to namhren@gmail.com
2. Watch it on our compilation
3. Get links and views to your channel

YouTube channel Exploring Namibia TV publishes four video a week: on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Themes range from travelling in Africa to exploring Europe and Russia. No annoying endless begging "hit/smash that bell" and "don't forget to sub" here.

© Exploring Namibia TV

Soundtrack:
Momo Do
by
The Mini Vandals featuring Mamadou Koita and Lasso

Facebook:

NAMIBIA:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/namibia.namibia

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✩W H A T S U P T E X T | ВОТСАП ТЕКСТ: +264 816 654893

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Thursday 30 December 2021

2021 Christmas morning in Windhoek, Namibia, part 2 | Рождественское утро Виндхук Намибия

25 December 2021 - a video of morning walk through Windhoek city center with stops at sights and famous buildings - almost no people or cars are involved. Namibia, southern Africa. Part 2.

#ChristmasMorningInWindhoek #NamibiaHolidays #SouthernAfrica

2021 УТРО РОЖДЕСТВА ЦЕНТР ГОРОДА ВИНДХУК НАМИБИЯ

YouTube video:


Windhoek Christmas 2020: https://youtu.be/SwA00-HdBEE

Windhoek:

http://www.namibweb.com/windhoek.htm

Christmas in Namibia (Windhoek in particular)!

If you haven't been to Namibia during the festive season before, it may come as a surprise to you that Christmas is celebrated much like it is in European countries. Especially the German flair is predominant in many homes and supermarkets, which one can half expect seeing that Namibia was a German colony just over a century ago.

Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve by Germans, while the rest of the country celebrates on Christmas Day. The event itself can be divided into two broad categories: activities around Christmas and activities on Christmas.

The first thing to remember is that Namibia lies in the Southern hemisphere and therefore experiences no such thing as a “White Christmas”. In fact, Christmas falls into one of the hottest periods of the year and the one thing that everyone yearns for is not snow, but rain! Rain on Christmas is a blessing to everyone and if it does come about, a collective sigh of relief and gratefulness can be heard across the countryside.

Christmas also falls into a time of school holidays. Many people travel to other parts of the country, in particular the coast (to find reprieve from the heat!), or to their family farms in rural areas to help prepare the land for the rains that are expected from December to March.

The meal and activities on Christmas Day and Eve itself depend on the different cultures, although it is common among most cultures that people attend a church service, either on Christmas Eve or Day. That is not surprising, as most of the Namibian population is Christian. Concerning meals, Weihnachtsteller is common among Germans, as are roast duck and potato salad. Among the Afrikaans speakers the “Braai”, the South African barbeque, is very popular, while the people in rural areas often enjoy 'pap en vleis'. The 'pap' is a porridge made from Omahangu millet or maize. This is a typically Namibian dish that many Namibians enjoy on this holiday.

And of course, the Christmas tree may not be forgotten, else where does one put the gifts? Peculiar in Namibia is that the tree sometimes takes the form of a thorn bush rather than the evergreens that people may be used to in Europe. This definitely adds a Namibian flair to Christmas!

Windhoek climate makes it a very nice place to live in: mostly dry but with a quite reliable rainfall with an average of 360 mm a year. Another reason for establishing a settlement here were several fountains with good healthy water. German colonists found morass in the Windhoek's valley that they drained later. Windhoek's altitude is around 1650 m above sea level (railway station: 1642 m, International airport: 1680-1720 m, Ausspanplatz: 1650 m). The highest mountain around the capital is Grossherzog at 2330 m above sea level (south of Windhoek on the way to Rehoboth with TV tower on top).

The settlement was founded in 1840 by Jonker Afrikaner who built his first house next to present South African High Commission (previously Berg hotel). For a long time Windhoek was a small settlement abandoned from time to time during Nama-Herero wars. 18 October 1890 Curt von Francois reached Windhoek with 32 men and commenced construction of Alte Feste establishing permanent German presence.

COOPERATION:

1. Send your video to namhren@gmail.com
2. Watch it on our compilation
3. Get links and views to your channel

YouTube channel Exploring Namibia TV publishes four video a week: on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Themes range from travelling in Africa to exploring Europe and Russia. No annoying endless begging "hit/smash that bell" and "don't forget to sub" here.

© Exploring Namibia TV

Soundtrack:
Momo Do
by
The Mini Vandals featuring Mamadou Koita and Lasso

Facebook:

NAMIBIA:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/namibia.namibia

✩F A C E B O O K | ФБ ►https://www.facebook.com/ExploringNamibiaTV
✩INSTAGRAM | ИНСТА ►https://www.instagram.com/exploringnamibia
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✩PURCHASE VIDEO P5 | ПОРТФОЛИО P5 ►https://bit.ly/2Vvbb6L
✩W E B S I T E | САЙТ ►http://www.traveltonamibia.com
✩C O N T A C T | КОНТАКТЫ ►info@traveltonamibia.com
✩W H A T S U P T E X T | ВОТСАП ТЕКСТ: +264 816 654893

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Wednesday 29 December 2021

2021 Christmas morning in Windhoek, Namibia, part 1 | Рождественское утро Виндхук Намибия

25 December 2021 - a video of morning walk through Windhoek city center with stops at sights and famous buildings - almost no people or cars are involved. Namibia, southern Africa. Part 1.

#ChristmasMorningInWindhoek #NamibiaHolidays #SouthernAfrica

2021 УТРО РОЖДЕСТВА ЦЕНТР ГОРОДА ВИНДХУК НАМИБИЯ

YouTube video:

Windhoek Christmas 2020: https://youtu.be/SwA00-HdBEE

Windhoek:

http://www.namibweb.com/windhoek.htm

Christmas in Namibia (Windhoek in particular)!

If you haven't been to Namibia during the festive season before, it may come as a surprise to you that Christmas is celebrated much like it is in European countries. Especially the German flair is predominant in many homes and supermarkets, which one can half expect seeing that Namibia was a German colony just over a century ago.

Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve by Germans, while the rest of the country celebrates on Christmas Day. The event itself can be divided into two broad categories: activities around Christmas and activities on Christmas.

The first thing to remember is that Namibia lies in the Southern hemisphere and therefore experiences no such thing as a “White Christmas”. In fact, Christmas falls into one of the hottest periods of the year and the one thing that everyone yearns for is not snow, but rain! Rain on Christmas is a blessing to everyone and if it does come about, a collective sigh of relief and gratefulness can be heard across the countryside.

Christmas also falls into a time of school holidays. Many people travel to other parts of the country, in particular the coast (to find reprieve from the heat!), or to their family farms in rural areas to help prepare the land for the rains that are expected from December to March.

The meal and activities on Christmas Day and Eve itself depend on the different cultures, although it is common among most cultures that people attend a church service, either on Christmas Eve or Day. That is not surprising, as most of the Namibian population is Christian. Concerning meals, Weihnachtsteller is common among Germans, as are roast duck and potato salad. Among the Afrikaans speakers the “Braai”, the South African barbeque, is very popular, while the people in rural areas often enjoy 'pap en vleis'. The 'pap' is a porridge made from Omahangu millet or maize. This is a typically Namibian dish that many Namibians enjoy on this holiday.

And of course, the Christmas tree may not be forgotten, else where does one put the gifts? Peculiar in Namibia is that the tree sometimes takes the form of a thorn bush rather than the evergreens that people may be used to in Europe. This definitely adds a Namibian flair to Christmas!

Windhoek climate makes it a very nice place to live in: mostly dry but with a quite reliable rainfall with an average of 360 mm a year. Another reason for establishing a settlement here were several fountains with good healthy water. German colonists found morass in the Windhoek's valley that they drained later. Windhoek's altitude is around 1650 m above sea level (railway station: 1642 m, International airport: 1680-1720 m, Ausspanplatz: 1650 m). The highest mountain around the capital is Grossherzog at 2330 m above sea level (south of Windhoek on the way to Rehoboth with TV tower on top).

The settlement was founded in 1840 by Jonker Afrikaner who built his first house next to present South African High Commission (previously Berg hotel). For a long time Windhoek was a small settlement abandoned from time to time during Nama-Herero wars. 18 October 1890 Curt von Francois reached Windhoek with 32 men and commenced construction of Alte Feste establishing permanent German presence.

COOPERATION:

1. Send your video to namhren@gmail.com
2. Watch it on our compilation
3. Get links and views to your channel

YouTube channel Exploring Namibia TV publishes four video a week: on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Themes range from travelling in Africa to exploring Europe and Russia. No annoying endless begging "hit/smash that bell" and "don't forget to sub" here.

© Exploring Namibia TV

Soundtrack:
Momo Do
by
The Mini Vandals featuring Mamadou Koita and Lasso

Facebook:

NAMIBIA:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/namibia.namibia

✩F A C E B O O K | ФБ ►https://www.facebook.com/ExploringNamibiaTV
✩INSTAGRAM | ИНСТА ►https://www.instagram.com/exploringnamibia
✩V K EN TV | ГРУППА ВК ►https://bit.ly/2I3ws4P
✩T W I T T E R | ТВИТТЕР ►http://twitter.com/TravelToNamibia
✩PURCHASE VIDEO P5 | ПОРТФОЛИО P5 ►https://bit.ly/2Vvbb6L
✩W E B S I T E | САЙТ ►http://www.traveltonamibia.com
✩C O N T A C T | КОНТАКТЫ ►info@traveltonamibia.com
✩W H A T S U P T E X T | ВОТСАП ТЕКСТ: +264 816 654893

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Tuesday 28 December 2021

Namibia: Video of National Marine Aquarium in Swakopmund, part 2 of 3 | Аквариум Свакопмунд Намибия

Video of Marine Aquarium in Swakopmund, Namibia, part 1 of 3.

#MarineAquariumSwakopmund #NamibiaWestCoast #SouthernAfrica

The National Marine Aquarium of Namibia is located in the coastal town of Swakopmund, wedged between Atlantic Ocean and Namib Desert.

YouTube video:


This recently overhauled waterfront aquarium provides an excellent introduction to the cold offshore world in the South Atlantic Ocean. Most impressive is the tunnel through the largest aquarium, which allows close-up views of graceful rays, toothy sharks and other little marine beasties.

Fish feeding is every day at 15h00. On Tuesdays, weekends and public holidays, a diver (if available) will handfeed the fish.

Species that may be viewed in the Aquarium

Galjoen, West Coast Steenbras, Baardman, Ragged-tooth Shark, Shyshark, Kipfish, African penguin, Cape cormorant, Blacktail, Redfingers, Horse mackerel, Octopus, Green turtle, Pipefish, hermit crab, kelp gull, White pelican, Anemone, Horseshoe sea cucumber, Spotted grunter, Mullet, Spotted gully shark, Blue-spotted ray, Sand shrimp, Crumb-of-bread sponge, Silver kob, Barbel, Houndshark, Eagle, ray, Hawksbill turtle, Three-spot swimming crab, Red crab, Cape fur seal.

Commercial species of Namibia

Chub mackerel, Horse mackerel, Deepwater hake, Orange roughy, Alfonsino, West Coast Sole, Kingklip, Cape hake, Mako shark, Red crab,  Cape rock lobster, anchovy, Pilchard, Mullet, Silver, kob, Monkfish, Swordfish, Snoek, Yellowfin tuna, Blue shark and Cape fur seal.

Feeding takes place each day at 15h00. Fishes in the main tank are fed 8-10 kg of filled hake. Special feeds are prepared for the filter-feeders (such as mussels and barnacles) and smaller creatures such as crabs, anemones, starfishes and sea snails.

The goals of the National Marine Aquarium are to spread information about Namibian marine life and to enhance knowledge about the sensitivity and complexity of the Benguela system.

Species that can be seen at the aquarium include Galjoen, West Coast Steenbras, Baardman, Ragged-tooth Shark, Shyshark, Kipfish, African Penguin, Cape cormorant, Blacktail, Redfingers, Horse Mackarel, Octopus, Green Turtle, Pipefish, Hermit Crab, Kelp Gull, White Pelican, Anemone, Horseshoe Sea Cucumber, Spotted Grunter, Mullet, Spotted Gully Shark, Blue-spotted Ray, Sand Shrimp, Crumb-of-bread Sponge, Silver Kob, Barbel, Houndshark, Eagle, Ray, Hawksbill Turtle, Three-spot swimming Crab, Red Crab and Cape fur Seal.

The more commercial species include Chub Mackerel, Horse Mackerel, Deepwater Hake, Orange roughy, Alfonsino, West Coast Sole, Kingklip, Cape Hake, Mako Shark, Red Crab, Cape rock Lobster, Anchovy, Pilchard, Mullet, Silver, Kob, Monkfish, Swordfish, Snoek, Yellowfin Tuna, Blue Shark and Cape fur seal.

Seawater is drawn in from the old jetty and pumped through various filter systems into the exhibition tanks.

Sunday 26 December 2021

Bushtracks Africa: 7-Day Family Odyssey

Bushtracks Africa

Travel Updates: 7-Day Family Odyssey to Livingstone and the South Luangwa, Zambia

The UK now recognises more vaccines as Red List bought to zero

The UK's existing list of authorised vaccines for inward travel will be expanded to include Sinovac, Sinopharm Beijing, and Covaxin. Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have also now had their vaccination certificates recognized by the UK.

More vaccinated travellers will be able to fly with fewer restrictions as a result of this. A review of the quality, safety, and efficacy data led to this recognition.

UK Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps declared that no countries or territories were currently on the list. "We will keep the red list in place as a precautionary measure to protect public health, and we are prepared to add countries and territories if needed as the UK’s first line of defense if the situation changes." He also said ​​it was a "great boost for travel and all those people employed in the travel sector".

The governments of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland stated they would follow suit in recognising these vaccines.

All under-18s arriving in England from a non-red list country or territory will be treated as fully vaccinated at the border, regardless of their vaccination status, according to the UK government.

They will not be subjected to self-isolation upon arrival, and will only be required to take a lateral flow test after that, with a free confirmation PCR test if the results are positive.

Saturday 25 December 2021

Natural Selection: Government travel policies summary

Natural Selection

A QUICK SUMMARY OF BOTSWANA, NAMIBIA & SOUTH AFRICA'S GOVERNMENT POLICIES AROUND TRAVEL

For inbound travellers the following COVID-19 travel regulations are in place as of 14 December 2021.

Botswana is open for travel. All in-coming travellers (including ones that have been vaccinated) are required to produce a negative COVID-19 test that was obtained not more than 72 hours before the time of departure in the country of origin to Botswana.

At the arrival port of entry all travellers will undergo a cost-free Rapid COVID-19 test to gain entry. No official statement on the implementation of a vaccination certificate requirement for entry has been made yet.

Namibia is open for travel. All in-coming travellers (including ones that have been vaccinated) are required to produce a negative COVID-19 test that was obtained not more than 72 hours before the time of departure in the country of origin to Namibia. Namibia has also implemented the Trusted Travel System, where guests will need to have their test results checked and approved online by the Trusted Travel System prior to arrival.

South Africa is open for travel. All travellers (including ones that have been vaccinated) are required to produce a negative COVID-19 test that was done not more than 72 hours before the time of departure in the country of origin to South Africa.

GETTING A PCR TEST IN EACH COUNTRY BEFORE DEPARTING HOME 

All the major centres of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa now offer very efficient PCR testing facilities for travellers requiring a test before flying home. Given the turnaround times of a PCR test this usually means having to overnight in a major centre before flying out.

We are pleased to be able to offer an in-camp PCR testing service for guests staying in any of our Botswana camps or at Kwessi Dunes in Namibia. The in-camp testing service costs $310 per person in Botswana and NAD 5,950 per person at Kwessi Dunes for a minimum of 2 people in a group. The cost per person decreases for larger groups requiring in-camp testing as a significant portion of the cost is to cover a charter flight or transfer for a nurse. Allow a 24-hour turnaround time to receive results with the PCR certificates waiting for guests on arrival at Maun or Windhoek airports.

Please contact us for more information around pricing and testing facilities.

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Friday 24 December 2021

Update from Botswana Desert & Delta Safaris

Desert & Delta Safaris

BOTSWANA IS READY TO WELCOME YOU

Now is an excellent time to be on a Botswana safari with Desert & Delta Safaris.

We would like to reassure our travellers and travel partners that Desert & Delta Safaris and destination Botswana is travel ready. Right now!

We are now seeing the lifting of all travel restrictions and the rescinding of travel bans imposed on our region. This comes after the “knee-jerk” reaction from the UK government a few weeks ago and the other countries that followed subsequent to the discovery of the Omicron COVID-19 variant.

We thought it would be helpful to highlight some of the reasons why travellers are ready and visiting.

° Botswana’s borders remain open and we do not anticipate the closure of any borders in Botswana or the SADC region.

° All Desert & Delta properties are open, fully stocked and staffed and looking forward to welcoming a large number of travellers over the holiday season.

° 96% of Desert & Delta staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

° All staff in the Desert & Delta camps conduct a Rapid Test prior to returning to service in their respective properties. All local travellers must produce a rapid test before travelling to our properties. All international travellers must produce a negative PCR test less than 72-hours old when arriving into Botswana.

° All properties have, and continue, to operate with strict COVID-19 hygiene policies which allow guests to travel efficiently and with minimal risk of infection.

° Air access to the region remains very accessible with regular flights to neighbouring South Africa & Victoria Falls from the USA, Europe & other African hubs. All flight connections into Maun and Kasane gateways operate on schedule.

° PCR tests for departing Botswana can be conducted at our properties and turned around within 1-day. This will ensure all travellers can get their COVID-19 negative test within the time to meet the requirements of all overseas countries.

° Should the unlikely happen and guests test positive for COVID-19 prior to returning home, a contingency plan is in place with accommodation and assistance on the ground within our own properties.

° Desert & Delta Safaris has been successfully welcoming international travellers since January 2021.

° All new bookings may cancel for a 100% refund up to 48-hours before travel should their trip be curtailed due to COVID-19 travel restrictions before or during their trip. This applies to COVID restrictions imposed in the country of origin, transit or Botswana.

° Banning travel to/from the SADC region in November should never have happened. It was a disappointing and unnecessary  reaction considering the significant work by our Botswana laboratories and South African partners in discovering this new COVID-19 variant and the transparent reporting provided to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

° With 90% of your day spent in the outdoors in remote safari areas – could there be a safer place to be? View post of the TOP TEN reasons why travelling to Botswana is still one of the ultimate post-pandemic destinations.

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Thursday 23 December 2021

Bushtracks Africa: Zambia reduces visa fees | Замбия снижает визовые сборы

Bushtracks Africa

Zambia reduces visa fees

Zambia is a country rich in tourism resources, with rugged terrain and rich biodiversity, as well as numerous parks and safari sites. The world-famous Victoria Falls are on the country's border with Zimbabwe. The Zambian government has promised a cut in tourist visa charges beginning in January 2022. The bold and innovative measure is expected to boost tourist numbers and aid the tourism industry's recovery.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on Zambia's travel and tourist business, which has shown signs of robust expansion in recent years. The industry produced 7% of GDP and 7.2 percent of total employment prior to the pandemic in 2019.

"Zambia remains a popular tourist destination," said Dr. Musokotwane, Minister of Finance and National Planning. "To strengthen our competitiveness, I propose a 50% reduction in visa fees for all categories."

These changes will mean that a single-entry visa to Zambia will be reduced in cost to just US $25, a multiple-entry visa to US $75, and a double-entry visa to US $40. To enter Zambia, visitors need a passport that is valid for at least six months upon arrival and has at least three blank pages and a visa.

Zambian entry visas are available either online through the Department of Immigration's e-Services website or at any port of entry. For the most up-to-date visa information, go to the Department of Immigration's website. It is worth noting that multiple-entry visas are only available via the online e-visa system. All those who ordinarily require visas to come to Zambia are eligible to apply for e-visas prior to travel if they so wish.

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Wednesday 22 December 2021

Namibia: Video of National Marine Aquarium in Swakopmund, part 1 of 3 | Аквариум Свакопмунд Намибия

Video of Marine Aquarium in Swakopmund, Namibia, part 1 of 3.

#MarineAquariumSwakopmund #NamibiaWestCoast #SouthernAfrica

The National Marine Aquarium of Namibia is located in the coastal town of Swakopmund, wedged between Atlantic Ocean and Namib Desert.

YouTube video:

This recently overhauled waterfront aquarium provides an excellent introduction to the cold offshore world in the South Atlantic Ocean. Most impressive is the tunnel through the largest aquarium, which allows close-up views of graceful rays, toothy sharks and other little marine beasties.

Fish feeding is every day at 15h00. On Tuesdays, weekends and public holidays, a diver (if available) will handfeed the fish.

Species that may be viewed in the Aquarium

Galjoen, West Coast Steenbras, Baardman, Ragged-tooth Shark, Shyshark, Kipfish, African penguin, Cape cormorant, Blacktail, Redfingers, Horse mackerel, Octopus, Green turtle, Pipefish, hermit crab, kelp gull, White pelican, Anemone, Horseshoe sea cucumber, Spotted grunter, Mullet, Spotted gully shark, Blue-spotted ray, Sand shrimp, Crumb-of-bread sponge, Silver kob, Barbel, Houndshark, Eagle, ray, Hawksbill turtle, Three-spot swimming crab, Red crab, Cape fur seal.

Commercial species of Namibia

Chub mackerel, Horse mackerel, Deepwater hake, Orange roughy, Alfonsino, West Coast Sole, Kingklip, Cape hake, Mako shark, Red crab,  Cape rock lobster, anchovy, Pilchard, Mullet, Silver, kob, Monkfish, Swordfish, Snoek, Yellowfin tuna, Blue shark and Cape fur seal.

The National Aquarium in Swakopmund opens a window to the wonders of marine life found in the cold Benguela Current off the coast of Southern Africa.

Seawater, drawn from the old jetty, is pumped through a series of filter systems before reaching the exhibition tanks. The main tank has a holding capacity of 320 000 litres, is 12 m long and 8 m wide. An underwater walk-way allows the visitor to view sharks, rays and fishes from close range. The smaller exhibition tanks house organisms from the inshore waters, mainly found along sandy and rocky beaches.

Numerous information posters line the walls of the Aquarium. Scientific information, regarding the rich resources of Namibia, is simply, yet comprehensively displayed.

The functions of the National Marine Aquarium are to disseminate information about Namibian marine life, to enhance visitors about the sensitivity and complexity of the Benguela System and to serve as a place of recreation for those who merely want to put their feet up and relax.

Feeding takes place each day at 15h00. Fishes in the main tank are fed 8-10 kg of filled hake. Special feeds are prepared for the filter-feeders (such as mussels and barnacles) and smaller creatures such as crabs, anemones, starfishes and sea snails.

The goals of the National Marine Aquarium are to spread information about Namibian marine life and to enhance knowledge about the sensitivity and complexity of the Benguela system.

Species that can be seen at the aquarium include Galjoen, West Coast Steenbras, Baardman, Ragged-tooth Shark, Shyshark, Kipfish, African Penguin, Cape cormorant, Blacktail, Redfingers, Horse Mackarel, Octopus, Green Turtle, Pipefish, Hermit Crab, Kelp Gull, White Pelican, Anemone, Horseshoe Sea Cucumber, Spotted Grunter, Mullet, Spotted Gully Shark, Blue-spotted Ray, Sand Shrimp, Crumb-of-bread Sponge, Silver Kob, Barbel, Houndshark, Eagle, Ray, Hawksbill Turtle, Three-spot swimming Crab, Red Crab and Cape fur Seal.

The more commercial species include Chub Mackerel, Horse Mackerel, Deepwater Hake, Orange roughy, Alfonsino, West Coast Sole, Kingklip, Cape Hake, Mako Shark, Red Crab, Cape rock Lobster, Anchovy, Pilchard, Mullet, Silver, Kob, Monkfish, Swordfish, Snoek, Yellowfin Tuna, Blue Shark and Cape fur seal.

Seawater is drawn in from the old jetty and pumped through various filter systems into the exhibition tanks.

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Tuesday 21 December 2021

Legacy Hotels & Resorts: Neil Yates message

Legacy Hotels & Resorts

Dear Legacy Family

It has been two months since I last communicated with you, and we are only two weeks away from the end of 2021. I cannot believe how fast this year has gone, as well as the fact that we are now twenty months into the Corona Virus pandemic with no end in sight.

The speed that countries acted on in shutting down access from many Southern African countries, including South Africa, following the appearance of the new omicron variant, showed an attitude of act first, and then consider the facts and consequences. Fortunately, sanity has now prevailed, with the United Kingdom taking the affected countries again off the red list, but sadly not before causing massive damage to our economy and the hospitality industry, and worse, resulting in many families who had planned to spend the holiday season together, no longer being able to do so. We trust that all the other countries still having travel restrictions in place for travellers from South Africa remove these as soon as possible, and we ask that in future countries properly consider all the facts before making any far reaching decisions which negatively affect both their own citizens and those in other countries around the globe.

Global research is predicting travel spend will return to pre-pandemic levels by 2024 at the earliest, and this could take even longer in the Middle East and African regions. New variants will obviously delay any recovery, and the only way to slow down the growth of new variants is getting a vaccinated population.

It is good to see that many countries are implementing measures such as restricting access to restaurants, sporting events, government buildings, and the like, to only those who are vaccinated. These measures now focus on looking after the vaccinated rather than the unvaccinated.

Legacy continues to actively promote the vaccination of all its staff so as to ensure we can provide a safe environment for visitors to our hotels, lodges and resorts, and we look forward to welcoming our both domestic and international leisure and corporate guests, and delivering the experience all are used to when at a Legacy property.

We also invite everyone when in Johannesburg to experience the iconic Leonardo which stands high and proud as a statement of the confidence Legacy has in South Africa, and to also join us for a drink at ALTO234, the highest Urban bar in Africa.

May your holiday season be filled with laughter, joy and peace, and that you get to connect with family and friends over this period.

Stay safe and remember to social distance, wear a mask when appropriate, and regularly wash your hands and sanitise.

Neil Yates

Managing Director
Legacy Hotels & Resorts

SOME GOOD NEWS

Swakopmund Hotel & Entertainment Centre is NOW OPEN!

After being closed for nearly 21 months since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, we are pleased to announce that doors reopened to guests on the 17th of December 2021.

The decision to reopen the hotel comes ahead of the notoriously busy festive season, which is much anticipated by our dedicated and passionate team. The hotel has and always will be the heart and soul of the Swakopmund area.

NEW! Yoga in the Sky at Alto234

Starting Sunday, 30 January 2022. Join us for a Vinyasa open class. Open to all levels.

08h30 – 09h00 Arrival

09h00 – 10h00 Yoga

10h00 – 11h00 Refreshments

Terms and conditions apply. Subject to availability.

GIVE HOPE THIS CHRISTMAS

Help put food on the table with Legacy Pride

Celebrate this Festive Season with a donation towards Legacy Pride, a registered NPC and Legacy Group initiative. In partnership with Nutriwell, Legacy Pride continues its fight against hunger and malnutrition with its mission to provide vulnerable children with highly-nutritional food products.

18A Tax certificates are available on request.

CELEBRATE IN SANDTON

Christmas at Parc Fermé

Join us for a decadent 5 course meal

Christmas Eve Dinner: 24 Dec, 6pm – 9pm

Christmas Lunch: 25 Dec, 12pm – 3pm

Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.

Christmas at DAVINCI Hotel & Suites

Bring the family for a traditional Christmas buffet lunch in Maximillien Restaurant, or a 3 course plated lunch in DAVINCI Lounge.

Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.

GIFTING INSPIRATION

Legacy Hotels & Resorts Vouchers

We offer convenience with a click. There’s no better feeling than watching a loved one receive something you know they’ll love. Make their day with a gift voucher from one of our Sandton properties and create memories that will last a lifetime. From incredible dining options to celebratory stay over packages and memorable moments, our gift cards offer many opportunities to delight.

SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO

Dive into Summer with Legacy Hotels & Resorts and take advantage of our seasonal promotion. From chic city staycations, to bushveld excursions, and exquisite dining and shopping options at your fingertips, you’ll be psyched for Summer!

Address: 5 Autumn Street, Legacy House, Rivonia, Johannesburg

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