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flight distance between the major capitals of Europe and Namibia's capital,
Windhoek, is roughly 9.000 kilometres, or around 9.5 hours. From South Africa
it takes only one and a half hour flight time. Air Namibia flies non-stop from London and Frankfurt several times per week all year; German LTU flies direct from Düsseldorf and Munich. Most international airlines operate direct flights to Johannesburg; connecting flights to Windhoek are available several times per day with Air Namibia and South African Airways. Please look for other airlines to the Internet or to our page "useful links". |
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Despite the considerable travelling time it is very pleasant that the
time difference between Europe and Namibia is one hour at the most, because
they are basically on the same degree of longitude. Both Air Namibia and LTU
fly at night and arrive in Windhoek early in the morning with passengers
reasonably rested. The reason for the time difference is that summer and winter in the northern and southern hemisphere are at opposite times of the year. During part of the Central European Summer Time (CEST) period it is "winter" in Namibia. The Tropic of Cancer passes through Namibia at 23 degrees and 27 minutes south. It is the southernmost latitude where the sun still culminates in the zenith on 21 December (the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere), vertically above the observer. Namibia is situated in south-western Africa, with the Kalahari Desert in the east and the Atlantic Ocean in the west. Neighbouring countries are Angola in the north, Zambia and Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls) at the eastern tip of Caprivi, Botswana in the east and South Africa in the South. The Namib, which runs along the entire length of Namibia's coastline, is the oldest desert on earth. |
| Etosha National Park, one of the largest and most diverse game
reserves in Africa, covers a large part of northern Namibia. Namibia boasts a well-developed network of tarred roads and good gravel roads. Almost all of Namibia's highlight sights are accessible by city car without four-wheel drive, but look out for ground clearance if you rent a car. Namibia is a safe country for self-drive travel. Just bear the two most important rules in mind:
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Size: with 824.292 km² (318.259 square miles) more than Britain and France combined |
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Population: some 1.8 million, made up of many different ethnic groups: the San (or Bushmen, seen as the country's original inhabitants), Damara, Nama, Herero, Himba, Ovambo, Oorlam, Kavango, Caprivians, Rehoboth Baster and about 80.000 whites of European extraction (German and Dutch) |
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Form of Goverment: an independent republic since 1990; head of state: Hifikepunye Pohamba |
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Capital: Windhoek, some 200 000 inhabitants |
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Languages: English is the official language; Afrikaans still is the lingua franca. German is fairly common. |
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Time: CET - CEST (Namibian Winter Time from end of April to 1 September) |
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Currency: Namibian Dollar N$ (NAD), pegged to the South African Rand. Parity (05/2007) about N$937 for €100, about N$692 for US$100 and about N$ 1.372 100 for GBP100 (without guarantee). |
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Climate: Mainly subtropical arid savannah and desert climate; wet savannah in the north. Summer from November to March, winter from May to September, 365 days of sunshine. Best time to travel: March to May and August to October; rainy season: January to April. |
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Health: Preventive steps are not necessary and vaccinations are not mandatory. A course of malaria tablets should be taken, however, if you plan to travel to the humid north, and always pack a first-aid kit with something for diarrhea, mosquito bites and sunburn. Remember your sunglasses and a hat. |
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