Footprint Guides are fast becoming the most authoritative sources of information for more exotic locations such as Namibia. Authors are chosen with care and know their countries well. Contents always commence with “The Foot in the Door” series of pages, these giving nuggets of information about the people and way of life in a particular region.
This guide to Namibia is no exception: well written and with a clarity of detail. Namibia is a vast country: the guide tells us that, even with a car, a visit should take up at least one month in order to see all the worthwhile sights. There are some suggested tours mapped out, and visitors would be wise to take into account the distances and the heat. There are the usual sections on “Planning your trip” and “Getting there”. There are plenty of places to stay, from back‐packer hostels to hotels and accomodation in the national parks. Safaris, of course, are a way of life in Namibia. There are also ample opportunities for bush hiking. Health is something to be aware of, though staying healthy is not a problem providing one has the requisite jabs, avoids certain foods, and takes sensible precautions against diseases such as AIDS.
Windhoek is the capital of Namibia and quite a lot of information is given on the area in the next chapter of the guide. There are many old colonial buildings in Germanic style, war memorials and churches which are worth a visit. There is, of course, plenty of accomodation in the town and some interesting eating places. But it is outside of Windhoek in all directions that one sees the real Namibia and the game parks. North of Windhoek lie miles of cattle ranches and eventually the Etosha Pan, which is one of the greatest game reserves in Africa. The park is home to 114 mammal species, 110 reptile species, and more than 340 bird species. The “big five” can be found here ‐ elephant, black rhino, buffalo, lion, and leopard. The hippopotamus has taken the place of buffalo in some cases, and zebra, giraffe and cheetah are also very photogenic. In addition, all types of antelope appear: the eland, greater kudu, wildebeest, hartebeest, springbuck, impala, and bushbuck. Jackals and spotted hyena are also common, as are warthogs, dassies and baboons ‐ the latter being a complete nuisance in picnic areas.
Namibia is fast becoming the land of the organised safari and trek, and it is easy to hire suitable vehicles and stay in well‐appointed game lodges or farms. Sport is well catered for (most larger hotel and some lodges have swimming pools). Ballooning is popular in clear skies, while white water rafting, canoeing, horse riding, hiking and bird watching are all represented, as is fishing. Visitors are warned by the guide that souvenirs of any quality are not cheap, but accomodation on the whole is good quality and reasonably priced.
The guide concludes by dealing with the history and culture of Namibia. There are numerous ethnic groups, including the German‐speaking whites (Namibia is a former German colony), and the Bushmen who have sadly dwindled in number and, like some of the animals, are an endangered species. Modern Namibia has seen modest but healthy economic growth and seems free of the many excesses which can be found in its neighbour, South Africa. Education is improving and health‐care is getting better. The country has a well developed diamond and uranium mining industry, and agriculture and fishing are an important source of income.
Namibia is very well worth a visit if you are interested in wildlife and in the great outdoors, and do not mind the hot and dry climate. Sunshine ‐ the guide tells us ‐ is guaranteed for at least 300 days of the year, which makes the weather a distinct improvement on that found in the UK. This Footprint Guide is an excellent résumé of a fascinating country and a worthy addition to this very professional series of guides. It could be added that there is little competition for this handbook as there are few travel guides around covering this region of Africa.
