Rundu

Has anyone stayed at the Sam's Giardino recently, and do you recommend staying in Swakop for one or two nights is there much to see ? Thanks very much

Patty

Would you be flying or driving? If driving, where would you be coming from and where would you be going to? If the distances are long, you may want 2 nights just as a break from driving. What kind of activities interest you? If you're planning to do the tour to Sandwich harbor, that's a full day so you'd need 2 nights unless you're continuing on to somewhere very close by.

Rundu

Hi Patty, Thank you for the reply. We are coming from Sesriem and driving.I assume we will be leaving after our am excursion the dunes. Do you know long the excursion is? After Swakop we are heading up to Damaraland for two nights. If possible, we would like to use Swakop as a Stop & Rest kind of thing. Regards

Treepol

Hi Rundu,

I would recommend 2 nights in Swakop, especially as you are driving and probably looking for a rest.

I've not stayed at Sam's Giardino, but have heard good reports and had a positive booking experience with Brigadoon B&B, who have also arranged my day trip to Sandwich Harbour. Swakop is good for shopping and has a quaint seaside location and atmosphere. I really liked my first visit and am returning for 4 nights in July.

Cheers,


Pol.

kurt_a

The drive from Sesriem will take you 5 hours or so, depending on your speed, time to stop to take in the scenery of the Kuiseb Pass, etc. It was a pretty bone-jarring stretch of road, when I last did it about a year ago, as it is heavily travelled.

If you do the Sandwich Bay excursion it will take you all day, including a drive of 2 hours or so each way. I *highly* recommend it, but you should be aware that it may not be as much 'stop and rest' as you're seeking. Also, the weather in Swakopmund can make the town unpleasant - cold and fogged in or blistering hot with whipping sandblasts of wind, so you may end up hunkered down inside a konditorei with some authentic linzertorte or apfelkuchen and eine tasse Kaffee (which isn't such a bad thing). Finally, the drive to Damaraland is another long and bumpy ride, so if you don't rest in Swakopmund, you won't have a chance to make it up the next day!

Consider 3 nights/2 days, with one day spent at Sandwich Bay and the other strolling the Mole and Promenade, poking about in shops and the museum, (recommended for insight into the German colonial era) having tea beneath the lighthouse, and doing a 1/2 day cultural tour (I recommend Hata-Angu Tours for that - your B&B can book for you when you arrive). Make sure to see the Welwitschia plants!

HTH

Kurt

Patty

Hi Rundu,
Not sure where you're staying in Sesriem, but our Sossusvlei excursion through Desert Homestead was from approx 6:30am-1:00pm. We could've stayed out longer but asked our guide to cut it short as we wanted to get back to the lodge and get ready for our horseback ride/camp out. As Kurt said, it'll take you about 5 hours to drive to Swakopmund.

Rundu

Hi Treepol, Kurt and Patty, Thank you all very much for the replies. It is a bit difficult to make decision for how long or how short I want to stay in Sawkop! Iam going to post a new topic "Suggested Travel Plan at present for September"
please have look at it.
Thank you.