ABOUT NAMIBIA
Namibia has desert, hundreds of meters high sand dunes, wild animals, an amazing coastline, star lit nights and so many different landscapes that it makes you feel like you’re crossing a whole continent in just one country.
Sometimes called “Africa for beginners”, the country gives you the unbelievable landscapes of the African continent and cultural experiences, with the combination of safety, lack of malaria in most regions and good infrastructure that make all main sites easily accessible.
Duration of the trip: 2 weeks
Timing: January 2019 . The rainy season is from November until April. This is the low season, so the prices of accommodation are lower. It only rained twice during those two weeks. It might be a little more difficult to spot Game at a safari, they told us, but we still saw a lot of animals, so definitely not a reason not to go.
Budget for 2 ppl (flights included): 3470 €
| 1 person traveling | 2 people traveling together | |
| Flights (Frankfurt – Windhoek; return) | 670,00 € | 1340,00 € |
| Train Brussels – Frankfurt (ICE, return) | 40,00 € | 80 |
| Taxi Airport Windhoek – Windhoek city | 15,00 € | 30 |
| Taxi’s in Windhoek (total) | 12 € | 12 |
| Accomodation | 315,00 € | 522,00 € (private and shared rooms) |
| Car (incl: car hire, standard insurance) | 700,00 € | 700,00 € |
| Optional extra insurance for car “Tyre and Windshield” | 200,00 € | 200,00 € |
| Fuel: | 250 | 250 |
| Food: | 300 | 150 |
| Entrance fees: | 26 | 54 |
| SIM card & phone credit | 12,00 € | 12,00 € |
| Souvenirs | 60,00 € | 120 |
| Total: | 2600 | 3470 |
- History & Culture
Namibia had a long history of tribes that lived in the region. It was later colonized by the British, South Africans and Germans (and I think some others too).
The official language is now English, South African Rand is an official currency and the German heritage is probably most prevalent: many places and streets have German (or Dutch) names, lots of cities look like ‘Germany in Africa’ and even the cuisine is heavily inspired by the German culture (think about Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, which you can find even in the middle of the desert). Nevertheless, the African culture is still present in the many local languages, craftwork and food. Namibia is a sometimes strange but always interesting mixture of cultures.
Be prepared to deal with Germans, as they seem to be the main tourist group (85%) in the country.
Namibia has diamants and uranium as most important natural resources. The most souther part is called “Sperrgebiet” and to this day there are still diamonds to be found. It’s heavily guarded and entering is only possible with a permit. - Health & vaccinations:
– Malaria: there’s still a small prevalence of malaria in the north, so if you’re going there (let’s say almost anywhere north of Windhoek), it’s recommended to take malaria prophylaxis & a spray with DEET.
– Recommended Vaccines: the standard traveling vaccines are recommended: Hepatitis A+B, Booster Tetanus (if you haven’t had it). I didn’t have the Meningitis or Typhus vaccine, but you could get it if you want. Rabies vaccine could be considered, ask your doctor for advice.
– The sun and heat will probably be the most important thing to watch out for. – you’re in the desert so make sure to cover yourself (head and shoulders), because even with a factor 50 suncream, the sun is still very strong. Also wear sunscreen when you’re at the coast – it doesn’t matter that it’s only 20 degrees – the sun is still strong and that’s where I got burned.
– Water: in cities tap water is often drinkable. I didn’t drink it, but I did use it to brush my teeth and had no problems.
– General conclusion: I had absolutely no health problems at all in Namibia – except for getting burned once, while we were at the coast and underestimated the sun. Do make sure to bring along a small first aid kit (painkillers, disinfectant,..), as you will often be in deserted places with no immediate acces to medical care. - Money
The currencies used are Namibian Dollar (N$) and South African Rand (ZAR). Both currencies are locked to each other, so they have exactly the same value at all times and can be used interchangeably.
The conversion rate with EUR changes slightly almost daily, so I recommend using XE Currency Converter for an updated conversion.
At the time, 1 EUR was about 15 N$.
There are banks and ATM’s at all the big cities and a lot of smaller cities. I do recommend to get a lot of cash in a big city, as sometimes the banks at the smaller cities run out of cash and at many gas places, you can only pay with cash.
3. Rooftop tent or hotel/hostel?
There are three options to travel Namibia:
Option 1: If you want to go full safari-style, you can rent a 4×4 with a rooftop tent (2 to 4 people). Usually it includes all camping gear, but do check with the rental company. Of course this is more expensive than a normal car (starting from 100 N$ per day), but it also includes your accommodation and gives you the opportunity to cook your own food.
This is probably the option that gives you a great experience with a comfortable drive. It also gives you the opportunity to camp in nature on the most amazing places.
Option 2: rent a car & book a hostel/hotel for sleeping: If you don’t wanna go camping, you can rent a car and book a hotel or hostel for the night. This means you will get a comfortable night’s sleep, but you’re also a little more restricted as to where you’re staying, since the budget hostels are mainly located in the (bigger) cities. If you’re not on a budget, you can also book the resorts from NWR. They’re very nice, but also very expensive.
We decided to go with this option and booked hostels via booking.com in the big city; one exception: in Lüderitz I bought a 1 person tent & a sleeping mat (I had brought a sleeping bag myself) to stay on the camping in Sesriem. More info about that below in the itinerary.
Option 3: rent a car, rent (or bring) a tent and rent camping gear: I’m not sure if all camping grounds are good for normal tents, as there are still wild animals walking around freely (no problem if you have a rooftop tent), so that’s something to check before you decide.
==> What’s the cheapest option?
In my calculations, all three options cost more or less the same, because:
– option 1: you pay more for the car, but accommodation & camping gear is included. You do still have to pay for your camping spot.
– option 2: you pay less for the car, but accommodation is not included and depending on where you wanna go, this can get expensive (eg in Etosha).
– option 3: you pay less for the car and less for accommodation, but you have to rent the camping gear. You do still have to pay for your camping spot. This is probably the cheapest option if you can bring a tent, as renting the camping gear will not be extremely expensive.
4. Transport: public transport, normal car or 4×4?
Yes there are buses (and even some trains) in Namibia, but those will mostly just get you from city to city and not to the nicest, most deserted places. So unless you’re on a VERY tight budget with absolutely no other options, I would not recommend using (just) public transport .
If you’re renting a car with a rooftop tent, this is always a 4×4.
If you’re just staying at hostels or hotels and you’re going to rent a car, the next question is: do you need a 4×4 or is a normal car (2 wheel drive) fine?
If you are just doing the itinerary we did (basically: just visiting the tourist places), then a normal car (2wheel drive) is absolutely OK.
I do recommend hiring an SUV though – it’s a little more expensive, but more than with it. As the clearance is higher, it’s way more comfortable on the gravel roads and better for game spotting. The cheapest SUV I found was a Toyota R4 via Hertz. But like I said, if you are really on a budget, a normal small car will also get you there, you just might need to drive a little slower and be a bit more careful.
The rule in Namibia is: every time you pass a gas station, fill your tank. Depends a little where you are of course, but in general it’s a good rule. The main cities have always gas stations and usually also the small towns, but it happens that they run out of petrol.
5. What about the roads?
The main roads in Namibia are tarred and you can drive 120km/h.
The main gravel roads are also in a good condition and although you can’t drive as fast it’s still feasible with a 2wheel drive. With the Toyota SUV, we could drive 60 – 80 km/h on the main gravel roads. With a smaller car, 60 km/h would probably be the maximum.
There are also a lot of Dirt roads/gravel roads, that are only accessible by 4×4.
Make sure to check upfront, because if you get stuck with your 2wheel in the sand in the middle of nowhere, that’s not the nicest situation to be in, as there’s not cellphone reception everywhere.
Also make sure at least 1 person knows how to change a tire. We didn’t have a problem, but it’s not that hard to get a flat tire on some gravel roads.
Along the main roads, there are many picnic places foreseen with a table and some shade.
6. Cell phone: SIM card, internet & reception.
You can buy a SIM card from the main Namibian network “MTC” at the airport or many other shops. I don’t remember the price, but it was quite cheap, so definitely worth it.
I think I paid about 200 N$ for the SIM card + data and free minutes.
You receive a flyer that shows network coverage in the whole country, which you can also find here, including where you have 2G, 3G or 4G coverage.
A common question asked is if you need a satellite phone. If you’re just following our itinerary or otherwise visit the tourist places, then you’re fine with a normal phone. First of all, because there’s network coverage almost everywhere and second of all, because there are several cars passing by during the day. If you’re going completely offroad with a 4×4, then a satellite phone could be a good idea.
7. Language
The official language of Namibia is English, however many other languages are widely spoken and not everyone speaks English.
South African is very commonly spoken, followed by several local languages.
8. Food
There are big supermarkets (Spar, OKfoods,…) in all major cities and small shops in the other cities.
The big cities have restaurants, most of them are mainly visited by tourists.
9. Weather & Climate
The rainy season is from November until April. This is the low season, so the prices of accommodation are lower. It only rained twice during those two weeks. It might be a little more difficult to spot Game at a safari, they told us, but we still saw a lot of animals, so definitely not a reason not to go.
Here I’ll write the temperatures during the rainy season, which is also the hottest.
North: tropical, savanna: very green & more humid, 25 – 30 degrees. Rain possible during Rainy season?
Center: border of desert: mountains, little vegetation, 25 – 30 degrees.
South & East: Desert: sand, mountains and little vegetation. 25 – 35 degrees.
Coast: windy, possible rain during rainy season, very strong sundespite the lower temperatures. 18 – 25 degrees.
Itinerary
So many options, so little time… the whole country is amazing and to visit it completely, would take months. So the best thing is to select a few places you really want to go and base your itinerary on that – if possible.
For me, I absolutely wanted to go to Kolmanskop, Sossusvlei and Etosha. Kolmanskop is in the far south of the country and Etosha in the far north. It is feasible, but take into account that it’s a long drive. You can also choose to focus on just the north or just the south, incl the center; but I think Etosha National Park and Sossusvlei are an absolute must when visiting Namibia
Day 1: Windhoek
We arrived at the airport of Windhoek in the morning, after a 10 hour flight from Frankfurt. The airport is very small and about 40km outside of the city. It’s usually very quiet, so if you want you can immediately pick up your rental car at the airport, since it’s an easy drive to the city. Our accommodation offered a shuttle, so I had decided to go with that. That way we didn’t have to start finding our way by car to the location. The shuttle brought us immediately to our accommodation. Windhoek is the capital city, but it has more the feeling of a small city. In my opinion, it’s a good place to get a first contact with the country, but besides from the Lutheran Church and the Meteorites (Post Mall Street), there’s not that much to see or do. It’s nice to follow the walking route you can find in the Lonely Planet guide, but you’re not really missing out on anything if you skip Windhoek and go straight to your next destination – up to you.
We stocked up on food and water. We could cook at the hostels, but since we didn’t have a fridge, we had to buy things that wouldn’t go bad. Although that wasn’t really an issue, as we could still buy these things once we arrived and keep them in the fridge of the hostel.
dried sausages, muesli, small milk cartons, fruit, vegetables (tomato, cucumber, carots), crackers/bread, cheese like “la vache qui rit”, boiled eggs, jam, muesli bars, pasta, rice, potatoes, tea, coffee. Don’t forget to bring lots and lots of water!
Accomodation: Apartment Fritsche
Food: Supermarket OKfoods in front of Apartment Fritsche
To see & do: Lutheran Church (Christuskirche), walking route Lonely Planet, meteorites (Post Mall Street)
Getting a taxi in Windhoek: we stopped one on the street, but heard afterwards that they’re not always very reliable. An idea is to find a big hotel and ask if they can get a taxi for you.
Gas stations: many
Climate: sunny and hot, between 25 – 30 degrees;
Day 2: Maltahöhe
Early in the morning, we got a taxi to the Hertz office in Windhoek city to pick up our car. From there we went on our way to our first stop: Maltahöhe.
It was supposed to be just a stopover between Windhoek and Lüderitz, but it turned out to be a very interesting place – more than the travel guides give it credit.
It’s true, the town has about 4 streets and besides from a small supermarket, liquor store, hotel and a way too modern church, there is absolutely nothing to do. However, it’s a safe place, it gives you the feeling to be in a real Namibian town and it’s super quiet.
Next to that, the Guesthouse were we stayed was owned by a South African and I can honestly say it was the nicest accommodation of our whole stay: it had a beautiful little garden where you could sit outside, a bbq, small kitchen and perfectly clean and beautiful rooms with airco and a fridge.
Maltahöhe is worth the stopover and even for 2 nights if you like quiet places.
Accomodation: HUDUP Guesthouse
Food: Supermarket, but the offer is very limited (no fruit and vegetables, limited meat), so bring your own stuff. There’s a fridge at the guesthouse. You could also eat at the restaurant of Hotel Maltahöhe, but that will be more expensive.
To see & do: walk around the town, relax and enjoy the quietness.
Gas station: yes
Driving: 3 – 4 hours (tarred road)
Climate: desert
Day 3: Maltahöhe to Lüderitz
There are two ways to get from Maltahöhe to Lüderitz:
1. via the main road B2, which is kind of a detour, but the whole road is tarred, so you can drive faster.
2. via the C-road, passing through Helminghousen. It’s shorter in distance (half of the kilometers), but it’s mainly gravel road, so you have to drive slower.
We took the main B2 road, because we were still unsure about driving on gravel roads, but after taking part of that route to Sesriem, I can recommend taking the shorter route via the gravel route – it’ll be just fine.
This is the longest drive of the two weeks, that’s why we decided to put it on the 3rd day, in the beginning of the itinerary, instead of at the end.
The landscape on the part between Keetmanshoop and Lüderitz is absolutely stunning and more than worth the drive: flattened mountains, canyons and colorful desert landscapes made us stop many times to take amazing pictures.
About 100 km before Lüderitz, is the small town called Aus, where wild horses are roaming the desert. Check for the signs along the road that indicate from where on you can see them (best in the morning) and where the viewpoint is.
When we were only about 10 km away from Lüderitz, we drove into a sand storm: I couldn’t see more than 2 meters in front of me and sand was blowing all over the road. You have to drive carefully, but it was absolutely amazing to experience!
These final 10km took us 30min, but around 18h we finally arrived at the Elements Riders Place Backpackers in the city center.
Accomodation: Element Riders Place Backpackers
Food: big supermarket (Spar) where you can find all the necessary basics.
To see & do: stopovers at the many different landscapes, picnic along the road and stop at Aus to stop the wild horses.
Gas station: Mariental, Keetmanshoop & Lüderitz
Driving: 7 – 8 hours (depending on how many times you stop; tarred road)
Climate: desert (Maltahöhe to Lüderitz); windy, cloudy and colder at Lüderitz
Day 4: Lüderitz
After the long drive to Lüderitz, we spent a quiet day exploring the city.
Lüderitz looks as if they took a complete old-German/Bavarian village and just imported it to Namibia.
We walked around Shark Island and visited the Lutheran Church. You can climb up the mountain that lies behind the church to get the best view from the city.
Accomodation: Element Riders Place Backpackers
Food: big supermarket (Spar) where you can find all the necessary basics. Restaurant
To see & do: Shark Island, Lutheran Church, viewpoint, walk around the city.
Gas station: yes
Climate: windy, cloudy and colder (18 – 25 degrees)
Day 5: Kolmanskop
Kolmanskop is only a 15min drive from Lüderitz. I had seen pictures on the internet about Kolmanskop and although I know that’s not always what it looks like in reality, I absolutely wanted to go. Kolmanskop is a ghost town in the middle of the desert. It used to be a German settlement for diamond mining, but has now completely been taken over by sand and wind. I can only say that the pictures on the internet in this case represented perfectly the mysterious atmosphere of the town and I’ve never regretted taking the long detour to the south to see this place – it’s mesmerizing and I will let the pictures speak for themselves.
The entrance is 40 NAD per person (adult) and you can go either in the morning or in the evening (only with a photographer’s permit). A guided tour – which I can recommend – of about 45min is included in the ticket prize. Come early, to be there before the tourist groups and to have enough time to take pictures. We were there for 4 hours and we still wanted to stay longer.
Accomodation: Element Riders Place Backpackers
Food: at Lüderitz
To see & do: explore and take pictures, join the guided tour
Gas station: no
Driving: 15min from Lüderitz to Kolmanskop
Climate: desert (30 – 35 degrees)
Day 6: Lüderitz – Sesriem
I read on the internet that this part was “the most scenic route of all” and I can’t really argue with that. It’s also the toughest and longest part to drive, but it’s totally worth it.
We left early in the morning and after and hour, we passed by the wild horses of Aus. They’re not very shy, we could get out of the car and be very close to them, as long as you don’t scare them.
Right after Aus, you take a left turn on the gravel road C13 towards Helmeringhausen. You drive this until you get to the crossroad with the D707. The C-road is a bit quicker, but the D road is absolutely stunning. It’s also doable with the SUV (2 wheel drive) we had. On this road I saw Oryxes, Zebras, and Ostriches for the first time in the wild!
The last 20km before Sesriem are the worst, as you’re driving on actual gravel with big stones, so you have to drive more slowly and more careful. It had been a long trip when we finally arrived in Sesriem around 17:30 – but we also stopped many time to take pictures so if you really want to go faster, you can get there also in less time.
In Sesriem, you have 2 options for the location of your accommodation:
Inside the National Park: only with NWR – either very luxurious (+/- 300 EUR pp/night, food not included) or the campsite (+/- 20 EUR pp/night), which is actually very nice!
Every camping spot has a big tree for shade, a water tap and a braai. The shared bathrooms are very clean (as they were generally everywhere in the country) and there’s even a nice swimming pool.
Advantage of staying inside the National Park is that you get to leave earlier and stay longer at Sossusvlei. Sossusvlei is still a one hour drive and restricted opening hours.
The other option is to stay Outside the national park. Here you have more options and it isn’t all NWR, although it doesn’t get that much cheaper.
What about food & a tent?
This is where it gets adventurous!
So we didn’t bring any camping gear (except for 1 small sleeping bag), but Lüderitz has an outdoor store, where I bought a cheap tent, sleeping bag and a mat (in total 50 EUR). One person slept in the tent and I slept in the car.
As for the food, we didn’t have a fridge/coolbox or cooking utensils and there aren’t any on the campsite, so we bought food for 2 days that we didn’t have to keep cold or cook.
Some ideas: dried sausages, muesli, small milk cartons, fruit, vegetables (tomato, cucumber, carots), crackers/bread, cheese like “la vache qui rit”, boiled eggs, jam, muesli bars. Don’t forget to bring lots of water!
Accomodation: Sesriem Camp Site (NWR)
Food: bring your own; there is also a very small shop with basic canned food. For lunch and dinner you can eat at the restaurant, but it’s quite expensive.
To see & do: wild horses at Aus, road D707, wildlife and amazing landscapes.
Gas station: at Lüderitz, Betta Campsite (halfway) & Sesriem.
Driving: 8hours, many stops included
Climate: desert (30 – 35 degrees)
Day 7: Sesriem Canyon & Sossusvlei (Hidden Vlei)
In the morning, we decided to go for a walk through the Sesriem Canyon. It’s only a 2 minute drive from the camp site and the Canyon is only 2km long, but it’s amazing to walk through. If you go early enough (9-10 is fine), you have the whole place to yourself and it’s so quiet and impressive. At the end of the Canyon, you have to walk the same way back to the car. It took us about 1,5 hours with stops.
During the afternoon, I went swimming and did some reading.
Around 4, we left to Sossusvlei. Every video or picture you see from Namibia, will almost always have an image of Sossusvlei: black dead trees in the middle of orange sand dunes. The sight is even more striking than in real life and it’s probably the most visited place in the country, next to Etosha.
To get to Sossusvlei, you need to drive about 1 hour from the entrance of the park (at sesriem campsite) to the 2×4 car park. On the way, you will pass by Dune 45 (located at kilometer 45). You can’t miss it – it’s the most breath taking Dune you will pass by and my personal favorite!
Once you arrive at the car park, you can either hike to Hidden Vlei (2km) or take a 4×4 shuttle to Sossusvlei (it’s not accessible by 2×4). Unfortunately, we didn’t know that in the low season the shuttle doesn’t run in the evening, so I never actually got to Sossusvlei, but we hiked to Hidden Vlei instead. That was just as amazing and the nicest thing – there was not one other person. It feels like you’re completely lost in the desert by yourself and watching the sunset from the dunes is a sight to never forget.
Make sure to get back on time ! The gate of the park closes at sunset, but if you’re staying at an NWR accommodation in the park, you only have to be back at the gate one hour later.
Accomodation: Sesriem Camp Site (NWR)
Food: bring your own; there is also a very small shop with basic canned food at the camp site. For lunch and dinner you can eat at the restaurant, but it’s quite expensive.
To see & do: Sesriem Canyon, swimming pool, Dune 45, Sossusvlei, Hidden Vlei
Gas station: at Sesriem.
Driving: 1 hour to Sossusvlei (and back)
Climate: desert (30 – 35 degrees)
Day 8: Sesriem – Swakopmund
Driving to Swakopmund you will pass through several canyons with great views and narrow turns. The rest of the road isn’t that incredibly spectacular, so you probably won’t stop as much, and the road is quite good, so you can arrive in Swakopmund way faster. In the afternoon we went grocery shopping and walked along the beach.
Accomodation: Skeleton Beach Backpackers
Food: Big supermarkets in city center of Swakopmund (15min walk from the hostel).
To see & do:
Gas station: at Sesriem, Walvis Bay & Swakopmund
Driving: 5 hours
Climate: desert (30 – 35 degrees) from Sesriem onwards; windy and colder when arriving in Swakopmund (18 – 22 degrees)
Day 9: Swakopmund
Swakopmund feels like you’ve stepped into a German holiday city (and it probably partly is) with the houses having the typical Southern German architecture. The old railway station, which is now a hotel, is the most impressive building. The local market near the beach is very nice to visit and get local hand crafted souvenirs. Be prepared for some bargaining, but with very nice people.
We also went to the NWR office to get our permit for the moon landscape. It’s not that anyone ever checks those permits when you get there, since it’s in the middle of nowhere, but even then it’s still good to get one, as you support the preservation of the environment by paying this. The the office you will also get a map of a road you can drive with some interesting marking points.
In the afternoon, we drove 15min to Walvis Bay. The city itself is nothing special and more an industrial town, but at the laguna you can get very close to the many flamingos and pelicans!
Accomodation: Skeleton Beach Backpackers
Food: Big supermarkets in city center of Swakopmund (15min walk from the hostel).
To see & do:
Gas station: yes
Driving: NA
Climate: windy, colder, but sunny (18 – 22 degrees)
Day 10: Moon Landscape & Goanikontes
We took off early in the morning towards Goanikantes, an oasis halfway down the Welwitschia trail. The map you get from the NWR office is nice to follow, as it has some marking points you would otherwise never notice. Make sure to stop at the viewpoint for some great pictures of the Moon Landscape.
Arriving at Goanikantes, you can get information about 2 hiking trails, a short one (30min) and a long one (1h30 – 2h). We took the long one and it was a really cool hike. You need some experience, as there’s quite some climbing and going down off steep walls involved, but nothing a regular fit person can’t do. The markers are done every day along the trail, but due to the sun they easily disappear so make sure to watch out for them. You can easily get lost in this landscape. Bring enough water, sunscreen and something to cover your head, as you won’t be walking in the shade. Also go early enough and make sure to be back by 12 latest.
Goanikantes itself is a place run by South Africans and is literally an oasis in the desert. They have a great variety of food, including the best Schwarzwälderkirschtorte, Käsekuchen and other German dishes. Worth to stay for lunch!
Accomodation: Skeleton Beach Backpackers
Food: Big supermarkets in city center of Swakopmund (15min walk from the hostel) and a restaurant at Goanikantes.
To see & do: Moon Landscape, Welwitschia Drive, Goanikantes.
Gas station: at Sesriem.
Driving: 30min to Goanikantes
Climate: desert (30 – 35 degrees) in Goanikantes; windy and colder in Swakopmund (18 – 22 degrees)
Day 11: Swakopmund – Etosha
The drive to Etosha takes you from the seaside through the desert to the green forests of the North. We spotted several monkeys and warthogs. Actually, so many even that you really have to be careful while driving! More than once a group of monkeys was in the middle of the road and I had to stop for them to get away. The road also takes you through several villages, which have a different and lively atmosphere compared to the south. When arriving to Etosha park, you immediately get what you hoped for: not even after 100m we already saw antilopes and giraffes! It’s only a 17km drive on a tarred road to Okaukuejo, but it took us a little longer, as there was already so much to see and we had to be careful to not run over any crossing animals!
The good thing about Etosha is that you can enter with your own car, so you only pay for accommodation (with which breakfast is included if you stay at a room). Camping is also possible.
The camp itself is very nice. The rooms are spacious and the floodlit waterhole is definitely a highlight. Although I must admit that during the rainy season there are not so many animals, I did get to see zebras, giraffes, antilopes and even a rhino!
In the afternoon, we went for a short self-drive safari, which didn’t disappoint: many many zebras, desert foxes, ostriches, antilopes and wildebeest in a setting like I’d never seen before.
(In the north malaria is still present, especially during the rainy season, so it’s recommended to take prophylaxis.)
Accomodation: Okaukuejo Camp
Food: Bring your own from Swakopmund if you want to stay on a budget, there’s a fridge in the room. There’s a restaurant at the camp and a small shop to get the most basic food things.
To see & do: self drive safari, floodlit waterhole
Gas station: at almost every town along the way & in Okaukuejo Camp.
Driving: 5 hours
Climate: tropical (30 – 35 degrees) going north, more humidity and rain is possible during the rainy season.
Day 12: Etosha
On our next day in Etosha, we drove to Halali Camp, passing by Olifantenrus – a waterhole where it’s known for elephants to come. And so they did – there were at least 15 elephants including babies! We also saw a hyena, zebras and some other animals I don’t even know the name of. Absolutely worth a stop! Further along, we saw many more ostriches, wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, antilopes and even 3 rhinos!
I didn’t get to see a lion, although they were apparently there.
It’s only 37km to Halali Camp, but it took us almost 5 hours due to many stops (and at the end the gravel road isn’t that good anymore).
Halal Camp is much smaller than Okaukuejo and so is the waterhole, but it’s in a nice setting up a hill, in nature. We saw 3 rhinos at night at the waterhole!
Accomodation: Halali Camp
Food: Bring your own from Swakopmund if you want to stay on a budget, there’s a fridge in the room. There’s a restaurant at the camp.
To see & do: self drive safari, floodlit waterhole
Gas station: at Okaukuejo and Halali Camp.
Driving: 5 hours (37km only, but with stops)
Climate: tropical (30 – 35 degrees) going north, more humidity and rain is possible during the rainy season.
Day 13: Etosha – Windhoek
Finally, it was time to leave and the 65km back to the entrance of Etosha allowed us again to see many many animals. After about 100km, in the town of Outjo, there’s a very nice bakery and generally it’s a good place to get some food. Then we drove back to Windhoek over the tarred road. It was probably the most boring road of the whole trip, as it’s very busy, so not too bad that we had this at the end. We went back to the airport, dropped off our car there and then it was time to go home.
It was an amazing trip – Namibia is a spectacular country and the pictures don’t even do it justice. Go there if you can – you won’t regret it!