WHERETOEATANDDRINK
LÜDERITZ
Diaz Coffee ShopA true hidden gem.
Home to affordable seafood such
as fresh oysters and calamari cooked
to perfection, it’s open every day
for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Find them on Facebook.
Ghost Town TavernBefore or after the
Kolmanskop Ghost Tour, be sure to
take a seat in what used to be the
Champagne Bar in the town’s old
casino hall for coffee and home-made
cake. Tours range from R90 to R230
per person.kolmanskuppe.com
SESRIEM + SURROUNDS
Neuras Wine EstateExplore the
desert vineyards on a wine tour and
tasting, which includes a cheese platter.
R340 per person.neuraswines.com
Sossus Oasis Service Station
An unassuming fuel stop, there are
mouthwatering German sandwiches,
springbok sausage rolls and more at
the deli counter.sossus-oasis.com
McGregor’s BakeryThe one pit-
stop you cannot miss. Pick up a tray of
Namibia’s famous apple pie and hold
an impromptu photoshoot among
the classic cars.solitairenamibia.com
SWAKOPMUND
The DelightIt’s worth staying
here for the sumptuous breakfast
buffet alone because it includes
Champagne and fresh oysters. The
hotel is perfectly situated for easy
access to the waterfront, shopping
strolls and the beach.store.gondwana-
collection.com
Strand HotelMost of the
restaurants at the waterfront
belong to this hotel. The Brewer
and Butcher is a particularly good
pub-style restaurant and home
to great Namibian craft beer.
strandhotelswakopmund.com
The Fish DeliA favourite with locals,
there’s everything from fresh oysters
and calamari to takeawaybrötchen,
sausages of every flavour, pickled fish
and more.Find them on Facebook.
Slowtown Coffee RoastersSip
artisanal Namibian coffee and watch
Swakopmund go by.slowtowncoffee.com
fluffy and the contents perfectly spiced.
This is no factory pie.
Sadly, after spending the morning at
Deadvleiandclimbingthewallofsand
that surrounds Sossusvlei, I find that
Idon’thavetimeformyplanneddetour
tothenearbydesertwinery,NeurasWine
Estate. Disappointed to be missing out on
anunusualwinetasting–theyareknown
fortheirShirazandaMerlot,Shirazand
PetitVerdotblend–Iconsolemyselfwith
anothersausagerolltogo.Asyoudo.
Luckily, there’s a sensational star suite
awaitingmeattheDuneStarCamp
toeasemydistress.Thiseco-friendly,
off-the-gridexperiencecomesatagreat
rate for South Africans, and each of the
nineunitsattheintimatesatellitecamp
featuresadoublebedonwheels,soyou
can roll it out onto the deck for a night
under the stars.
Butfirstthingsfirst.Dinner.Asisthe
caseinanyNamibianlodgeworthits
salt,oryxsteakisonthemenu.Tender
andpinkinthemiddle,itremindsme
ofostrichandisdeliciouswiththelocal
brew,acoldglassofTafellager–ameal
thatremindsmealotofhome.
Coffeeisbroughttomysuiteearlythe
nextmorningsothatIcanexperience
theluxuryofwatchingthedawnfrom
beneath the covers, the rising sun
graduallyspreadingitsraysacrossthe
sands.Inthissprawlinglandscape,itreally
does feel as if time has slowed down.
Butmyjourneycontinuestothe
settlement of Solitaire, where I find
Namibia’s busiest bakery. Fragrant with
the smell of home-baked goods made
fresh every day, McGregor’s Bakery is
locatedbesideanoldtradingstoreand
fuel station, littered with rusted classic
cars,decadesofcharacterand,moreoften
thannot,aparkinglotfullof4x4vehicles.
The drawcard? Moose’s apple pie.
A Scottish adventurer who found his
“Asisthecasein
any Namibian lodge
worthitssalt,oryx
steakisonthemenu.
Tender and pink,
it is delicious with
the local brew”
110 TASTE JAN/FEB 2019
TRAVEL
Soak up the stars from the comfort
of your bed at the Dune Star Camp.