6 Best Sights in Namibia

Though you may have already visited higher or more visually stunning dunes, the Swakop dune belt is well worth a visit (especially Dune 7) for its easy access from Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, and for the wealth of tours available, including a truly fascinating search for the numerous—and normally invisible—creatures thriving in this surreal ecosystem of the Namib Desert. Activities within the dunes include quad-biking, camel rides, sandboarding, hikes, 4x4 drives, and horseback rides.  Generally, the dunes are visited on a tour and your activities would be organized through the operator.

This sizable gallery houses the largest-known quartz-crystal cluster in the world—an awesome natural wonder more than 520 million years old and weighing 14,000 kilograms (30,864 pounds). Numerous smaller but no less beautiful chunks of Namibian minerals and gems, including a wide variety of quartz crystals, rainbow tourmalines, and other semiprecious stones, are also on display. Some great souvenirs can be had in the adjoining large gift shop and high-end jewelry boutique to allow you to take home a unique piece of Namibia. There's also a "scratch patch," where kids can sift through non-precious stones and select a bagful to take home.

With more than 25 species of Namibian snakes, lizards, chameleons, and scorpions, this small museum will excite herpetologists large and small. Several of southern Africa's most dangerous snakes can be seen here, including the black mamba and puff adder. Snake feedings take place on Saturdays between 10 am and 1 pm.

The designated swimming beach at Swakopmund, The Mole, is actually a failed engineering project. In 1899 the South Africans controlled the closest harbor at Walvis Bay, so attempts were made to build a harbor at Swakopmund. The engineer, FW Ortloff, failed to take into account the force of the Benguela current flowing down the length of Namibia and dumping desert sands on the shore. The result is the promontory you see today with The Mole now forming a secluded swimming beach. A short walk from the center of town, the beach is serviced by a number of restaurants and small cafés. The Atlantic Ocean is generally cold and rough, so if you're set on swimming, you'll have to brave it. Lifeguards are on duty during the summer. Amenities: lifeguards (in summer); toilets. Best for: sundowners; sunsets; swimming.

At a manageable 500 meters (1,640 feet), Palm Beach, which stretches along the western side of Swakopmund and effectively forms the western border, is the recommended beach for gentle walking. Swimming isn't encouraged due to rough waters and strong currents (and the icy Atlantic waters). Instead stroll from the north, starting at The Mole beach, and watch the sun go down in the west. Enjoy a sundowner on Swakopmund's famous Jetty 1905 restaurant and if you're hungry try the festive scene at the famous Tug restaurant. The palms the beach is named after are set back against the access road offering limited shade. Busy in summer, but quiet in winter, Palm Beach is also often in fog due to the cold air of the Atlantic hitting the heat of the desert. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets. Best for: sunsets; walking.

The largest private museum in Namibia, this historical building down by the lighthouse was built in 1951 and houses a surprisingly large and varied collection of items. Displays on everything from natural history, archaeology, and ethnology to the German colonial period and the town's beer brewing history are informative and worth a look, especially if traveling with kids.