Namibia: Kolmanskop now open to visitors without taking a guided tour

According to the official facebook page for the Namibia Tourism Board (15 Nov 2012), the ghost town of Kolmanskop, located a few kilometres inland from Lüderitz in Namibia's south, is now open to visitors without taking a guided tour. Instead travellers are welcome to pay the entrance fees on arrival, and take a self-guided tour through the abandoned mining town.

Back in 1908 railway worker Zacharias Lewala found a diamond in the area around what we know today as Kolmanskop and showed it to his German supervisor, who actually tried to keep the discovery of the diamond as a secret. After realising that this area is rich of diamonds, people rushed into the Namib Desert hoping to make an easy fortune.  A diamond protection zone was proclaimed shortly after and Kolmanskop was founded. The residents built the village in the architectural style of a German town and opened a hospital, a school and a powerstation, as well as a casino, a theather, an ice factory and the first x-ray-station in the southern hemisphere. Some 30 years after the first diamond was found in the area, even richer deposits were discovered at Oranjemund. It didn't take long and the transfer and redeployment of mining equipment and workers was under way. Finally, in 1956, the last inhabitants of Kolmanskop left the town. In 1980, a number of buildings were restored and guided tours through the town were introduced to the tourism market.

The Cape Town Diamond Museum is now open to visit

Cape Town's latest attraction is the recently opened "Cape Town Diamond Museum". Situated in the upgraded Clock Tower precinct at the V&A Waterfront, the museum is telling its visitors the story of South Africa’s diamond trade. Also on dispaly are the most famous South African diamonds, such as the 3,106 carat Cullinan rough diamond discovered in 1905, showcases specimens of Kimberlite rock dating billions of years old as well as life-size replicas of South Africa's famous diamonds that have adorned royalty, the rich and the famous.



The "Cape Town Diamond Museum" is open 09:00 - 21:00, 7 days/week. It can be found on 1st Floor of "The Clock Tower" adjacent to Robben Island Gateway at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.

BBC documentaries podcast - Assignment: Zimbabwe's Child Migrants

The BBC has produced a new and very interesting podcast about Zimbabwe as part of their BBC documentaries podcast series Assignment.

Assignment - Zimbabwe's Child Migrants (25min) - download
Mukul Devichand goes on the road with young children travelling alone on a journey of desperation, danger and hope - south from Zimbabwe and across the border to South Africa. (via bbc.co.uk)

BBC documentaries podcast - Assignment: Zimbabwe's Diamond Fields

The BBC has produced a new and very interesting podcast about Zimbabwe as part of their BBC documentaries podcast series Assignment.

Assignment - Zimbabwe's Diamond Fields (25min) - download
Have you bought a diamond recently?
Would you really know where it came from?
Assignment goes into Zimbabwe's Marange diamond fields and uncovers evidence of torture camps and widescale killings.
As the international community argues over whether these diamonds should be sold on the open market, we ask if President Robert Mugabe will ever face prosecution for these crimes.
Hilary Andersson reports. (via bbc.co.uk)