Skip to main content

Need assistance? Email Travel Support on: help@africa-adventure.info

Bogenfels and Diamonds Tours

Bogenfels & Diamonds Tours 

Steeped in century old diamond history, ghost towns, abandoned mining equipment and tales of untold riches vie for the attention of curious adventurers. With a booking office in Walvis Bay, our Bogenfels & Diamonds Tours is the exclusive tourism concession holder to the Sperrgebiet area south of Luederitz and welcomes you to unique excursions and experiences in this history-rich area of the Tsau //Kaeb National Park. 

We offer multilingual tours in English, Afrikaans and German. Please confirm your nationality and preference upon booking. 

Our Adventures 

Join one or all of our exciting adventures and guided tours for which we will pickup our guests from their places of accommodation. We specifically cater for persons with disabilities. Alternatively, come and explore the Namib desert as well as the Atlantic ocean with our affiliate companies Sandwich Harbour 4x4 and Catamaran Charters.

4x4 selfdrive adventure: Pomona & Bogenfels - 2 days with overnight. This guided two-day overnight selfdrive adventure in a 4x4  is well-suited for those who wish to explore the fascinating desert to the south of Lüderitz in the comfort of their own vehicle, combined with an overnight camping in one of the deserted ghost towns ensconced deep in diamond history. 

We will meet you at your accommodation, do a short briefing after which we'll drive to a control point at Kolmanskop for registration and proceed to the entrance gate of the Tsau //Kaeb National Park. From their we will pass the site where the a sparkling gem was found that set off the diamond rush to the area. Onwards towards the first dunes and along the former railway line that linked Kolmanskop with Pomona and Bogenfels more than a 100 years ago. The remnants of old sidings where materials were offloaded in support of mining activities bear testimony to the harsh conditions in which prospectors and miners operated in this forbidden area. Driving onward through the diverse desert terrain and vegetation your guide will chat about the fascinating mysteries of the time. Heading towards the coast where old buildings and the remains of a desalination plant can be viewed. Late afternoon we will set up camp and start a fire for supper at the ghost town of Pomona. The abandoned houses of this mining settlement make picturesque subjects to photograph. Enjoy fabulous stargazing with possible visits of hyenas and jackals. On day 2 we will explore the diamond area and visit the Dome cave before reaching the majestic, 55 metres tall Bogenfels arch above the rugged coast. 

Bogenfels and Diamonds Excursion - 9 hours. Join us for a guided day-tour from Luderitz southwards through the Sperrgebiet, stopping at ghost towns where desert sands have built up and attempted to reclaim their land, causing roofs to fall in and walls to crumble. The highlight of the tour is Bogenfels, a massive rock arch that straddles the coastline and sea, comparable to a 20-storey building. The desert around Luderitz is steeped in diamond history. Tales of diamond smuggling and intrigue abound, and the sands cover and uncover remnants of the lives of those intrepid folk who ventured into this remote arid region to live in the small mining towns scattered amongst the gravel plains of Namibia's Diamond Coast. 

E-Bay Diamond History Excursion - approx. 4 hours. Often forgotten in the shadow of its ghost town counterpart Kolmanskop, Elizabeth Bay was another lucrative diamond mining town that is worth exploring. It feels closer to urban exploration, and its decrepit buildings and machinery tell of a dark, greedy history. E-Bay was developed between 1924 and 1926, with a number of engineers, technicians, hundreds of artisans from Germany and local workers recruited to build the plant. All materials and every piece of equipment needed had to be transported by railways from Luderitz. After having produced 1.25 million carats of diamonds, the Great Depression caused a complete shutdown in 1931, with the residential part of E-Bay being finally abandoned in 1940. Mining activities at E-Bay thereafter continued on-and-off, with a new owner taking over the mine in 2021. 

Upon arrival at E-Bay we conduct a tour through the abandoned village area and visit the extensive separation plant as well as view the remains of a huge entertainment hall and casino overlooking the ocean.  The village also contrasts rows of housing for miners, and large, overcrowded sleeping quarters for local workers. We view the south-facing bay and discuss the historic role of Possession island recognisable in the distance in early diamond mining and guano harvesting. You are encouraged to also explore the remains of the village on foot to take advantage of spectacular photographic motives, or just to reminisce about the past. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be served at the house of the mine manager, where you can study static informational displays.

Sandwich Harbour 4x4

Sandwich Harbour 4x4

Scenic Sandwich Harbour is part of the Namib Naukluft Park and a place many have heard of but very few have ever visited. We get you there! Based in Walvis Bay, Our Sandwich Harbour 4x4 is the leading day tour operator in the Namib Desert south of town and Sandwich Harbour. Join us on our exciting excursions and outdoor adventures.

Giant sand dunes run straight into the ocean creating breathtaking sceneries and unique landscapes, just waiting to be discovered by you!  

Once a commercial fishing and trading port, Sandwich Harbour is now a RAMSAR site (No. 743 - one of 5 sites in Namibia) with magnificent wetland wilderness as well as devoid of any human settlement, and one of Namibia’s most unique and dramatic sites. Situated a little less than 60 km south of Walvis Bay in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, here some of the world’s highest dunes descent into the Atlantic Ocean to form a picturesque lagoon. The lagoon, salt pans and the bird sanctuary, which form the Walvis Bay Wetlands, are rightly heralded as the single most important coastal wetlands of Southern Africa. 

Wedged between the sea and the Namib Dunes, Sandwich Harbour is home to eight endangered species among the large numbers of wading birds.

Early evidence of human life is preserved, and the site includes several archaeological sites dating back thousands of years. 

Our Adventures 

Join us on one or more of our exciting excursions and outdoor adventures. We offer multilingual tours in English, Afrikaans and German. Please confirm your nationality and preference upon booking.

Shipwreck Sandwich Harbour Excursion - Full Day, 8 hours. If you are interested in experiencing the rugged beauty of the Namibian coastal landscape and dream of seeing an actual shipwreck stuck high-up on a beach in one of the world's most isolated places then this one-day excursion is designed for you. Experience a piece of Namibia's central Skeleton Coast exposed to the stormy South Atlantic Ocean claiming numerous ships over past centuries. Combine the scenic beauty and wildlife of the Kuiseb Delta and Sandwich Harbour, as we explore further south along the coastline an area where the Namibian coast claimed another victim, the Shawnee, a transport tug that ran aground on 16 February 1976. 

Sailing Desert Adventure - Full Day, 8 hours. This Sailing Desert Adventure provides the ultimate combination of viewing our marine life on a leisure sailing cruise on the Atlantic Ocean with our affiliate Catamaran Charters, and exploring our fauna and flora with a ride in the breathtaking Sandwich Harbour Area of the Namib Naukluft Park.

Sandwich Harbour 4x4 Excursion - Full Day, 6 hours. From our office at the Waterfront in Walvis Bay we head to the Walvis Bay Lagoon with its masses of flamingos, and weather / tide permitting further on to the scenic Sandwich Harbour Lagoon. Enjoy a light lunch (including snacks, oysters, drinks and sparkling wine) overlooking the Atlantic ocean or spectacular dunes, and on our way home an exhilarating four-wheel drive over majestic dunes where you can see typical desert flora and fauna, e.g. a jackal, springboks, ostriches, oryx antelopes and lizards.  

Sandwich Harbour 4x4 Scenic Excursion - Half Day, 4 hours. The above mentioned tour is also available as a morning excursion starting at 08h30 and returning at around 12h30, or as an afternoon excursion starting at 12h30 and returning at around 16h30.

Walvis Wetlands Birding - Half Day, 4 hours. Join our morning birding excursion starting at 08h30 and returning at 12h30, or the afternoon excursion leaving at 13h00 and returning at 17h00. Possible sightings include over 150 species of bird that have been recorded in this region, including Intra-African migrants, e.g. two flamingo species, European and northern Siberian migrants, as well as Palaearctic terns and resident birds such as huge great white pelicans amongst others. If you’re a serious ticker, you might get lucky further inland and see Namibia’s only true endemic bird, the Dune Lark.

Sundowner Photography Excursion - Sunset, 4 hours. The desert is any photographer’s ultimate dream and nightmare all rolled into one. Whilst the landscapes are breathtaking, the conditions can be quite challenging. Let us ensure you get the most joy from photographing our beloved desert with spectacular results. When the sun has set and the light has diminished, we'll find a suitable place to stop and serve a selection of oysters and snacks with sparkling wine, beers and cool drinks. We usually do this on top of a high dune, between the dunes or on the beach. In summer we will be returning at around 20h00, in winter at 19h00.

Flying Dress Photo-shoot - 4 hours. Bring your favourite dress for an unforgettable Flying Dress photo shoot in the spectacular dunes of the Namib desert. We create a personalized and unforgettable photography experience to make you look beautiful and feel confident. While always with a goal of personalisation and originality, our photo shoot is the ideal choice for a special person, couple and family, or to enhance a special occasion such as a birthday, engagement or pregnancy. 

Shipwrecks & Diamonds - 3 Days. This three-day adventure provides the experiences of driving through some of the most spectacular dune areas, overnighting in a tented camp close to the ocean, viewing two shipwrecks, visiting areas of great historical interest and see untouched sceneries, fauna and flora. Come and explore the Sperrgebiet south of Luderitz and the Tsau //Kaeb National Park with our affiliate company Bogenfels & Diamonds Tours.