In Namibia, I find huge sand dunes, a massive canyon, amazing wildlife, spectacular sunrises and sunsets and … a ghost town
We asked Star readers to tell us about trips they have taken and to share their experience and advice:
Where? Namibia
When? February 2019
Trip Rating: 4.5 out of 5
What inspired you to take this trip? I went to Namibia as part of a sailing circumnavigation from 2016 to 2019. It was a planned port of call, about which I knew almost nothing. We arrived in Luderitz in the south of the country after a passage of four days from Cape Town, South Africa. Once there, I fell in love with the country after travelling to amazing sites and meeting friendly people.
What was the best sight? I can't choose a favourite. Standing on the edge of the Fish River Canyon, the largest in Africa, was amazing. In the middle of the desert, we visited rock carvings that were between 2,000 and 10,000 years old at Twyfelfontein, a UNESCO World Heritage site. At Kolmanskop, we explored a ghost town often used in movies. The water hole in Etosha National Park was an incredible spot to observe giraffes, zebras and black rhinos. Desert sunrises and sunsets were spectacular, especially in the dunes of Sossusvlei.
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What was your favourite activity? I have two favourites: watching the wildlife at Okaukuejo water hole in Etosha National Park, and climbing Big Mama Dune, which is, at around 60 storeys, the second tallest dune at Sossusvlei, in Namib-Naukluft National Park. The thrill of climbing the 200-metre sand dune, reaching the summit and looking out over the desert landscape made the sweat and exertion worthwhile. Unfortunately, my hiking shoes were destroyed by the hot sand and fell apart when I reached the flats below. I hobbled around taking pictures before resting in the shade.
What was the most delicious thing you ate? In Sossusvlei, we stayed at Desert Camp and had dinner and breakfast at Sossusvlei Lodge. The chef cooked whatever game meat you chose, and I chose zebra and hartebeest. Both were grilled to perfection and were delicious and unique choices. In many places, Namibia's German heritage was evident in the various restaurants, and I became an expert on chicken schnitzel.
What was the most memorable thing you learned? Namibia is a desert country, and water is at a premium everywhere. The desert makes it both beautiful and challenging, and yet we still saw wildlife in many places. What I found amazing was how much there was to see and do, and how few tourists were there. We felt safe everywhere we went, even in the most remote areas.
What is one piece of advice you'd give? The best way to see Namibia is to rent a car and drive to different sites. Guides are helpful at some locations. Pay extra for insurance, and make sure the rental car has a good spare tire. Always fill up with gas whenever you can, and take lots of water. The roads can be rough (we blew one tire and saw other vehicles have the same problem). It's important to book accommodation ahead of time, so you have a place to land each night. Namibia Wildlife Resorts has numerous options throughout the country, and we stayed at several, all of which were excellent.
Carol Letman, Mississauga, Ont.
HAVE YOU TAKEN A TRIP IN CANADA?
We've launched a series that invites Star readers to share places in Canada they've visited recently and would recommend, whether it's a weekend getaway in Elora, a Banff canoe trip, or a jaunt to Quebec City or Newfoundland. If you've been, loved it and want to tell us about it, we'd like to hear from you.
Email us with 'TRAVEL TIPS' in the subject line at travel@thestar.ca.
Please include brief responses to these questions. If your holiday experience is chosen, we'll be in touch.
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1. Where did you go and when was it?
2. Where did you stay?
3. What was a highlight of your trip? Why?
4. Any travel tips?
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In Namibia, I find huge sand dunes, a massive canyon, amazing wildlife, spectacular sunrises and sunsets and … a ghost town
We asked Star readers to tell us about trips they have taken and to share their experience and advice: Where? Namibia When? February 2019 Trip Rating: 4.5 out of 5 What inspired you to take this trip? I went to Namibia as part of a sailing circumnavigation from 2016 to 2019. It was a planned port of call, about which I knew almost nothing. We arrived in Luderitz in the south of the country after a passage of four days from Cape Town, South Africa. Once there, I fell in love with the country after travelling to amazing sites and meeting friendly people. What was the best sight? I can't choose a favourite. Standing on the edge of the Fish River Canyon, the largest in Africa, was amazing. In the middle of the desert, we visited rock carvings that were between 2,000 and 10,000 years old at Twyfelfontein, a UNESCO World Heritage site. At Kolmanskop, we explored a ghost town often used in movies. The water hole in Etosha National Park was an incredible spot to observe giraffes, zebras and black rhinos. Desert sunrises and sunsets were spectacular, especially in the dunes of Sossusvlei. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW What was your favourite activity? I have two favourites: watching the wildlife at Okaukuejo water hole in Etosha National Park, and climbing Big Mama Dune, which is, at around 60 storeys, the second tallest dune at Sossusvlei, in Namib-Naukluft National Park. The thrill of climbing the 200-metre sand dune, reaching the summit and looking out over the desert landscape made the sweat and exertion worthwhile. Unfortunately, my hiking shoes were destroyed by the hot sand and fell apart when I reached the flats below. I hobbled around taking pictures before resting in the shade. What was the most delicious thing you ate? In Sossusvlei, we stayed at Desert Camp and had dinner and breakfast at Sossusvlei Lodge. The chef cooked whatever game meat you chose, and I chose zebra and hartebeest. Both were grilled to perfection and were delicious and unique choices. In many places, Namibia's German heritage was evident in the various restaurants, and I became an expert on chicken schnitzel. What was the most memorable thing you learned? Namibia is a desert country, and water is at a premium everywhere. The desert makes it both beautiful and challenging, and yet we still saw wildlife in many places. What I found amazing was how much there was to see and do, and how few tourists were there. We felt safe everywhere we went, even in the most remote areas. What is one piece of advice you'd give? The best way to see Namibia is to rent a car and drive to different sites. Guides are helpful at some locations. Pay extra for insurance, and make sure the rental car has a good spare tire. Always fill up with gas whenever you can, and take lots of water. The roads can be rough (we blew one tire and saw other vehicles have the same problem). It's important to book accommodation ahead of time, so you have a place to land each night. Namibia Wildlife Resorts has numerous options throughout the country, and we stayed at several, all of which were excellent. Carol Letman, Mississauga, Ont. HAVE YOU TAKEN A TRIP IN CANADA? We've launched a series that invites Star readers to share places in Canada they've visited recently and would recommend, whether it's a weekend getaway in Elora, a Banff canoe trip, or a jaunt to Quebec City or Newfoundland. If you've been, loved it and want to tell us about it, we'd like to hear from you. Email us with 'TRAVEL TIPS' in the subject line at travel@ Please include brief responses to these questions. If your holiday experience is chosen, we'll be in touch. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 1. Where did you go and when was it? 2. Where did you stay? 3. What was a highlight of your trip? Why? 4. Any travel tips?
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Protesters used water pistols against unsuspecting tourists in Barcelona and on the Spanish island of Mallorca on Sunday as demonstrators marched to demand a rethink of an economic model they believe is fueling a housing crunch and erasing the character of their hometowns. The marches were part of a coordinated effort by activists concerned with the ills of overtourism across southern Europe's top destinations, including Venice, Italy, Portugal's capital of Lisbon and several other Spanish locations. 'The squirt guns are to bother the tourists a bit,' Andreu Martínez said in Barcelona with a chuckle after spritzing a couple seated at an outdoor café. 'Barcelona has been handed to the tourists. This is a fight to give Barcelona back to its residents.' Martínez, a 42-year-old administrative assistant, is one of a growing number of residents who are convinced that tourism has gone too far in the city of 1.7 million people. Barcelona hosted 15.5 million visitors last year eager to see Antoni Gaudí's La Sagrada Familia basilica and the Las Ramblas promenade. Story continues below advertisement Martínez says his rent has risen over 30% as more apartments in his neighborhood are rented to tourists for short-term stays. He said there is a knock-on effect of traditional stores being replaced by businesses catering to tourists, like souvenir shops, burger joints and 'bubble tea' spots. 'Our lives, as lifelong residents of Barcelona, are coming to an end,' he said. 'We are being pushed out systematically.' View image in full screen People march during a protest against overtourism in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Pau Venteo). Around 5,000 people gathered in Palma, the capital of Mallorca, with some toting water guns as well and chanting 'Everywhere you look, all you see are tourists.' The tourists who were targeted by water blasts laughed it off. The Balearic island is a favorite for British and German sun-seekers. It has seen housing costs skyrocket as homes are diverted to the short-term rental market. Hundreds more marched in Granada, in southern Spain, and in the northern city of San Sebastián, as well as the island of Ibiza. Story continues below advertisement In Venice, a couple of dozen protesters unfurled a banner calling for a halt to new hotel beds in the lagoon city in front of two recently completed structures, one in the popular tourist destination's historic center where activists say the last resident, an elderly woman, was kicked out last year. 'That's lovely' Protesters in Barcelona blew whistles and held up homemade signs saying 'One more tourist, one less resident.' They stuck stickers saying 'Citizen Self-Defense,' in Catalan, and 'Tourist Go Home,' in English, with a drawing of a water pistol on the doors of hotels and hostels. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy There was tension when the march stopped in front of a large hostel, where a group emptied their water guns at two workers positioned in the entrance. They also set off firecrackers next to the hostel and opened a can of pink smoke. One worker spat at the protesters as he slammed the hostel's doors. Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen A plain clothed police officer, left, tries to stop a man shooting a water pistol during a protest against overtourism in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Pau Venteo). American tourists Wanda and Bill Dorozenski were walking along Barcelona's main luxury shopping boulevard where the protest started. They received a squirt or two, but she said it was actually refreshing given the 83 degree Fahrenheit (28.3 degrees Celsius) weather. 'That's lovely, thank you sweetheart,' Wanda said to the squirter. 'I am not going to complain. These people are feeling something to them that is very personal, and is perhaps destroying some areas (of the city).' There were also many marchers with water pistols who didn't fire at bystanders and instead solely used them to spray themselves to keep cool. Crackdown on Airbnb Cities across the world are struggling with how to cope with mass tourism and a boom in short-term rental platforms, like Airbnb, but perhaps nowhere has surging discontent been so evident as in Spain, where protesters in Barcelona first took to firing squirt guns at tourists during a protest last summer. Story continues below advertisement There has also been a confluence of the pro-housing and anti-tourism struggles in Spain, whose 48 million residents welcomed record 94 million international visitors in 2024. When thousands marched through the streets of Spain's capital in April, some held homemade signs saying 'Get Airbnb out of our neighborhoods.' Spanish authorities are striving to show they hear the public outcry while not hurting an industry that contributes 12% of gross domestic product. 1:55 Spain tourism: Thousands protest in Mallorca over cost of living Last month, Spain's government ordered Airbnb to remove almost 66,000 holiday rentals from the platform that it said had violated local rules. Spain's Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy told The Associated Press shortly after the crackdown on Airbnb that the tourism sector 'cannot jeopardize the constitutional rights of the Spanish people,' which enshrines their right to housing and well-being. Carlos Cuerpo, the economy minister, said in a separate interview that the government is aware it must tackle the unwanted side effects of mass tourism. Story continues below advertisement The boldest move was made by Barcelona's town hall, which stunned Airbnb and other services who help rent properties to tourists by announcing last year the elimination of all 10,000 short-term rental licenses in the city by 2028. That sentiment was back in force on Sunday, where people held up signs saying 'Your Airbnb was my home.' 'Taking away housing' The short-term rental industry, for its part, believes it is being treated unfairly. 'I think a lot of our politicians have found an easy scapegoat to blame for the inefficiencies of their policies in terms of housing and tourism over the last 10, 15, 20 years,' Airbnb's general director for Spain and Portugal, Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago recently told the AP. View image in full screen People march during a protest against overtourism in the Balearic island of Mallorca, Spain, Sunday, June 15, 2025. The placards in Mallorquin read, 'In Mallorca we want to live, not survive'. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra). EM That argument either hasn't trickled down to the ordinary residents of Barcelona, or isn't resonating. Story continues below advertisement Txema Escorsa, a teacher in Barcelona, doesn't just oppose Airbnb in his home city, he has ceased to use it even when traveling elsewhere, out of principle. 'In the end, you realize that this is taking away housing from people,' he said. AP Videojournalist Hernán Múñoz in Barcelona, and Associated Press writer Colleen Barry in Venice, Italy, contributed.
