Lüderitz on the move

Lüderitz, the Diamond of Namibia, is a true gem waiting to be discovered. Lüderitz is one of Namibia’s top ten tourist destinations with many activities and attractions on offer, whether on water or on land. But Lüderitz goes deeper, much deeper than its unique natural and rugged scenery. As one of the town’s best-known citizens, the Director of Tourism and Gaming in the Ministry of Environment of Tourism, Sem Shikongo, once stated “Whether brown, black or white, the Buchters are one.” For the international and local Namibian visitor alike, Lüderitz has much to offer. Besides a temperate climate with on average 345 days of sunshine a year with the Atlantic mist kept at bay at the tip of the peninsula, the seafood is among the best in the world. The famous Lüderitz rock lobster, commonly known as crayfish, oyster or locally farmed abalone are three of the local delicacies. In fact, the Lüderitz lobster and oyster are so tasty that they rank in the top three in the world! For the adventure seeker, there is a host of activities and tours on offer: Catamaran dolphin, penguin and island marine cruises, 4x4 desert tours to the famous Bogenfels coastal rock arch (the highest in southern Africa at 59 metres), Lüderitz town, waterfront, Shark Island and peninsula tours, Out of This World overnight in the desert 4x4 camping tours, the new Heritage Route, Kolmanskop Ghost Town and the famous wild desert horses at Garub. Lüderitz also offers excellent water sports: kite and windsurfing, stand-up paddle boarding and surfing. The world famous annual Lüderitz Speed Challenge attracts kite-surfing and windsurfing champions from around the globe and during the 2012 event, no fewer than 16 national and five world records were smashed. Already during the 2013 event, 15 national records have been broken including the South African and all-Africa record! Lüderitz as a tourist destination has kept its originality and charm; no large shopping malls or massive developments, no blocks of apartments or multiple modernistic square housing structures here, no traffic jams and, uniquely, not even one traffic light in sight. To preserve and to enhance the town’s architecture and attractiveness as a visitors destination, the government has invested millions in the town’s Waterfront Phases 1 and 2. This eccentric town boasts a range of new accommodation establishments as well as Namibia’s multiple-award-winning Lüderitz Nest Hotel which is located directly on Lüderitz Bay. The town council under the stewardship of its new dynamic CEO, Aunie Gebhard, is embarking on a communication campaign to better promote the town, its attractiveness as an investment centre and to further improve the town’s look and image. Newly paved roads and pavements have already been constructed and signage improved. The brand new railway line linking Lüderitz to the interior should be completed by September 2014. All the above bodes well for a town that is sometimes excluded by Namibians when planning their next vacation. The town is easily accessible via excellent tarred roads and Air Namibia flies directly from Hosea Kutako International Airport several times a week.