Travel News - New Places - Walvis Bay Tourism Centre
At the end of Union Street, bordering the desert and tourist area, the
Walvis Bay Tourism Centre comes into view. This attractive and friendly
centre, built with Oregon pine, is a sparkling new and welcoming
‘one-stop shop’ in a town that is changing and growing in tourist
facilities and charm, offering a quieter, more intimate experience of
the Atlantic Coast and all it has to offer.
The Tourism Centre is a novel idea where accommodation, information,
activities, gifts and tasty meals are all located in the same building.
The info desk provides information on Walvis Bay and all the activities
available in the area, from dolphin and seal cruises to quad-biking and
Sandwich Harbour tours.
The team of three came together last year when Herman Neethling
contacted Tim Theron about developing a piece of land situated in a
prime position on the main road leading into town and to the renowned
Walvis Bay Lagoon. Francois Visser from Levo Tours later joined the team
as a partner in the Centre; the Levo Tours office is positioned
alongside Photo Ventures and the Information Desk. All three combine
creative forces and experience to offer a selection of exciting and
interesting tours. The Tourism Centre has four attractive bungalows with
more planned for the future and a small to medium (40–50 delegates)
conference facility, making it an ideal venue for group incentives and
team-building weekends, especially now that Air Namibia offers flights
directly to Walvis Bay.
Focus on photography
With an emphasis on photography, information and family, Tim and
Herman’s Photo Venture activities work actively to offer something more
than the usual tours. Herman takes quad-biking excursions into the dune
area adjacent to the centre, stopping at a Topnaar community where the
visitor has the chance to taste the prickly !nara plants that grow in
the desert, and see old burial grounds and sites of semi-fossilised
animal tracks. As Herman says, “The tours are for ouma (grandmother),
oupa (grandfather) and baby,” with more playing in the dunes for the
young at heart. He also takes Sandwich Harbour tours into the
awe-inspiring landscapes of the Namib-Naukluft Park and guided
self-drive 4x4 excursions into the dunes, while Tim Theron concentrates
on tailor-made overland tours and sunset trips into the sensuous dune
sea on the outskirts of Walvis Bay.
Tim Theron has 16 years of experience under his belt, running his own
safari company. He changed the name of the company from Scorpion (after
the winter constellation) to Photo Ventures to mirror his interest in
photography, although his tours are not necessarily photographic trips
as such, unless specifically requested. He caters for small groups,
often tourists who are visiting the country for the second or third time
and want to travel off the beaten track into the more remote areas of
Namibia.
Areas he favours are Damaraland, Kaokoland, Bush-manland and the Khaudum
area, and he visits Bushman and Himba groups along the way. He prefers
the ‘places made by God’, and travelling to these areas of tranquillity
and space is his forte. In the Walvis Bay vicinity, he offers a
four-hour late-afternoon trip to the sand-dune sea of Rooibank, 30 km
outside Walvis on the rim of the Namib-Naukluft Park, either in his Land
Rover or as guided self-drive trips for those wanting to experience
driving in the dunes. The visitor finds himself in an untouched world of
curves, swirls and co-lour, away from towns and traffic. The sand turns
golden and shines as the sun dips, humbly offering sublime moments of
magic. As Tim says, “We’re the only people on planet Earth.”
Seal and dolphin cruises
Levo Tours’ seal and dolphin cruises were initially started by
Francois’s father-in-law, who was the first operator in the 90s and the
animal lover who befriended a seal that had a fishing net wound around
its neck. As the two slowly became accustomed to each other, Otmar was
able to remove the line, the two remaining firm friends.
Francois laughs and says that the seal started the tours and became the
star attraction as it jumped onto the boat. Other seals followed suit
and now, many years later, it is still one of the highlights of the boat
cruises.
A stop at the Walvis Bay Tourism Centre is recommended for its appealing
bungalows, information, Internet facilities, pro-golf shop, restaurant
and range of activities.
Instead of speeding through Walvis in time for a cruise, an excursion
into the park or a flight, take the time to linger. (RS)
