Page 697 - feb2023

NAMIBIA
The route through the picturesque Namaqualand and the valleys of wild flowers during spring surely call for a stop.
Namaqualand is a rugged mountainous plateau that overlooks a narrow, sandy coastal plain and the bleak beaches of the West Coast. This coastal plain is an important source for alluvial diamond mining by boats, operating from small villages like Port Nolloth.
For most of the year, Namaqualand is dry and windswept. This apparently inhospitable environment produces, after enough rain, one of the world's natural wonders. Spring explodes into wonderful colours as far as the eye can see.
It is world-famous for these marvellous displays of wild flowers and visitors from all over the world make annual pilgrimages to experience its beauty.
The Cape Peninsula boasts the world renowned Table Mountain, as well as the scenic natural beauty of forests, rivers, sea and the world's richest floral kingdom.
One of the world's most sought after destinations lies at the tip of Africa.
The Peninsula prides itself on its scenic natural beauty - forests, rivers, sea and mountains.
"The Fairest Cape" has a rich cultural history as is represented by its Rainbow Nation. First inhabited by the Khoi and San, the first European settlers arrived in 1652. Table Mountain became a sighting post and South Africa's mother city, Cape Town, the stopover for fresh fruit and vegetables on the long voyage between Europe and the Dutch West Indies.
ROUTES INTO NAMIBIA