Walvis Bay, Namibia

Our ship was unable to leave Cape Town due to high winds and as a result of the late departure, we were late to arrive in Walvis Bay. But not all was lost as Viking arranged for us to visit the Namib-Naukluft National Park during sunset. We enjoyed food, drink, music and dance - all provided by the local community which was very open and welcoming. We had a wonderful night dancing under the stars and even got to see the Southern Cross as well as the International Space Station fly by!

Namibia (officially the Republic of Namibia), is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the east and south.

9 Interesting facts about Namibia:
1. Namibia is a little-known country in the southern part of Africa. It is home to the world’s oldest desert. According to scientists, Namib Desert is over 55 million years old!
2. About 30 languages are spoken in the country. The most popular of these is Oshiwambo. English is the recognized official language
3. It has some of the highest sand dunes in the world. The highest dune in the area rises to 383 metres. Climbing dunes to watch the sunrise is actually a popular tourist activity in the country.
4. It hosted the world’s most extensive meteorite shower. The Gibeon meteorite shower occurred in prehistoric times in the central part of Namibia. It covered an elliptical area of 275 by 100 km. Remains from this meteorite shower are exhibited at Windhoek, Namibia's capital city.
5. It contains one of the largest concentrations of rock art in Africa. The San have resided in the country for more than 6,000 years, and there is more than enough rock art to confirm this.
6. It has the largest population of free roaming cheetahs in the world. At the Cheetah Conservation in Namibia, you can run across one of the 3,000 or so free roaming cheetahs in the country.
7. It is also home to the second largest canyon in the world. The Fish River Canyon, located close to the border with South Africa, is also the oldest in the world. Researchers have determined that the canyon was formed at least 500 million years ago through water and wind erosion, coupled with the collapse of the valley floor.
8. The most fascinating traditional tribe in Africa lives in Namibia. The Himba tribe in the Kunene region of the country have strongly clung to their traditional ways and beliefs. They wear traditional clothes, eat traditional foods and even practice traditional religions. The women wear skirts and leave their upper body bare. Basically, they have been unaffected by modernism in any way.
9. The Skeleton Coast is the world’s biggest grave site for sailors and ships.Read more