Villa Margherita
Villa Margherita Is A Comfortable Boutique Hotel Located In The Heart Of Swakopmund.
Villa Margherita is one of a few excellent options in Swakopmund for a decent value and very comfortable stay. The rooms are spacious and individually decorated, and are located within a few different buildings surrounding a central garden and courtyard. With an onsite restaurant and massage studio, this small hotel provides a little more than a simple guesthouse, yet retains an intimate, quiet ambiance.
Rooms
There are five bedrooms within the main manor house and three buildings housing a further six rooms in the garden. Located next to the manor house is The Villa which comprises two individual en suite bedrooms and a fully equipped kitchen and dining room and sitting room (these rooms within the villa can either be taken by two separate bookings, or with extra beds The Villa sleeps up to six guests). Also in the garden is ‘The Nest’ which consists of a double and twin bedroom sharing one bathroom and lounge. Finally, The Cottage houses two en suite rooms with direct access to the garden (these rooms interlead if required).
Central Areas
Breakfast is served within the main manor house (a la carte lunch and dinner are available on request) and there is a massage studio on site.
Facilities
Wi-Fi – Yes
Power for Charging – Yes
Swimming – No
Area
Swakopmund is a quaint town reflecting much of Namibia’s colonial past in its architecture. Set at the mouth of the Swakop River, the town was developed by the German colonialists as the harbour from which it could develop the colony (nearby, the deep-water harbour of Walvis Bay had been excluded from the treaty as it had already been annexed by Britain). However, its life as a harbour town was short lived and in 1915, when the Union of South Africa took over the protectorate, all shipping was transferred to Walvis Bay. The town suffered greatly but found its salvation in the holiday industry. Later, the discovery of uranium at Rossing, some 70kms away, transformed the town allowing it to grow into what it is today.
Walvis Bay nearby is also worth visiting, particularly for bird watchers where the mudflats attract a wide range of waders.
Sandwich Harbour is a spectacular stretch of coast some 50 kms south of Walvis Bay. Here, fresh water seepage points exude from the huge dunes to create a brackish wetland separated from the sea by an extensive beach. Birds flock to the region and jackals can be seen scavenging the area.
Activities
Various guided tours are available from Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. The highly informative Sheltering Desert Tour explores life in the astonishing Namib and focusses on trying to see the small reptiles, birds and insects which thrive there – desert chameleon, sidewinder adder, shovel-snouted lizard, palmato gecko, Grey’s lark and the track-track chat to name but a few.
The Living Desert Adventure is an exciting educational tour that explores the local dunes between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, and the abundance of life therein. Geckos, rolling spiders, scorpions, lizards, snakes, chameleons and skinks are some creatures to be found on this tour.
Or head inland on a Welwitschia Moon landscape tour which takes you eastwards from Swakopmund into the Namib Desert along the banks of the Swakop River. The river has carved out deep canyons into the granite rock, producing spectacular landscapes known as the Moon landscape. This tour focuses on geology, desert adapted plant life (oldest living plant Welwitschia mirabilis), and animals big and small. Or you can combine it all in a full day Desert Extravaganza tour!
Most desert species are active after dark and three hour Desert Night Walks are also available out of Swakopmund (min 4 participants). This is an excellent opportunity to see many of the nocturnal species which won’t be seen during the day – scorpions, a variety of geckos, Brush-tailed gerbils and genets. This tour can also be done as an extension to an afternoon tour.
Excursions to the remote birding mecca of Sandwich Harbour are a highlight of the region and include a dramatic drive (four wheel drive required – self-drive not recommended) along the beach and over sand dunes, providing a wonderful experience of this section of the ‘Skeleton Coast’.
At Walvis Bay you can join dolphin and seal watching cruises to Pelican Point (or even kayak safaris) and although quite expensive, scenic air safaris are available along the coast. It is also possible to undertake quad-biking and dune boarding in the sand dunes between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.
Seasons
Although you can visit Namibia year-round, the best time to travel is late April to early November.
Children of all ages are accepted, and there are a couple of options for inter-leading rooms.
Villa Margherita supports the Mondesa Youth Opportunities which is a non-profit trust dedicated to providing comprehensive educational support to talented students from underprivileged schools in a local township community.
