NAMIBIA SAFARI

Namibia is a unique destination with an incredible number of attractions  and diverse sights to discover. Namibia offers exceptional experiences, interesting cultures, stunning natural beauty and incredible wildlife sightings.

As you travel through Namibia you’ll love the changing landscapes, the wild beauty and the unique experiences. Imagine climbing the highest dunes in the world, camping under the wide open African skies, viewing Africa’s wildlife and enjoying the friendly hospitality of the Namibian people. 

Tourism plays a major role in the economy of Namibia and provides employment to many thousands of Namibians. Namibia has a large numbers of lodges, hotels, self catering establishments, campsites, nature reserves and tour operators, all of whom employ the locals from their area in various positions eg managers, chefs, waiters, safari guides and more.

SHOPPING

Shopping in Namibia is excellent and on par and better than most well developed African countries of the region. These include grocery stores, bakeries, pharmacies, clothing, hardware, digital, liquor stores, fast food and the like. In the bigger cities like Windhoek you will be spoilt for choice, whilst smaller towns and especially rural areas have limited numbers of shops. Do however be assured that you will find most of the items you might be looking for with relative ease.

Restaurants in bigger cities are plentiful in variety and quality great
in rural areas your eatery of choice will be the lodge restaurants which are all superb quality and affordable.

BANKING & CURRENCY 

Banking, ATM’s and money exchange kiosks are all plentiful in bigger towns, whilst limited once you enter rural areas. Visa and master cards are accepted everywhere for ATM withdrawals as well as payment for goods purchased, fuel included. The local currency is the Namibian dollar, which is also the preferred choice for cash payments, with US Dollar, Euro and Pound not generally accepted.

The Namibian dollar generally trades at around 16 to the Euro and 12 to the US Dollar, making it a very affordable to cheap destination for travelers from abroad. Some lodges and national parks have increased their rates to international levels off late, but the remainder of your expenses will remain low…. fuel being one example as a liter of diesel will cost you well less than one Euro.

FUEL

Filling stations are plentiful, but yet again not so in more remote areas which are off the beaten track. Do note that some filling stations only accept cash as payment for fuel. Always carry a couple of thousand Namibian dollars with you in case of need. You should however have no problem navigating your way around the country without getting stuck with an empty tank.

VEHICLE RENTAL

Vehicle hire and vehicle repair outlets are both well presented and you will definitely be able to find either of them in case of need.

MEDICAL

Medical care is available in most parts of Namibia and there are good private hospitals and clinics in the big towns. Smaller towns all have a clinic of sorts where emergency assistance can be obtained. The country also has a good air rescue network but do remember to take out travel insurance in your home country before arrival in Namibia, to be eligible for top end emergency medical treatment.

On the medicinal front malaria prophylaxis is recommended if you intend visiting the northern parts of the country, whilst malaria does not occur in the central and southern parts. Do bring a basic first aid kit consisting of headache, nausea, diarrhea and cramping tablets as well as a few plasters, sunscreen, moisturizer, lip balm, insect repellent and the like. Most of the above mentioned can be bought in Namibia too, so don’t stress if you forgot something at home.

CELL/MOBILE PHONES & COMMUNICATION

Cell phone reception and electrical connections are good in most towns as well at the lodges in rural areas.

CRIME

Crime in Namibia varies from moderate in big towns, to low and very low in rural areas. I would not have sleepless night about crime before arrival in Namibia.
It’s generally very low on the tourist routes you are bound to follow.

WATER

Tap water is available in most areas and the quality is generally good. I would however suggest the use of tap water for cooking, whilst bottled water is recommended for drinking.

General hygiene and overall sanitation is of a very high standard and pretty much on par with the country you will be coming from.

CLIMATE

Temperatures vary according to season with September to March being the warm to hot months, and temperatures can vary between 25 and 40 degrees celsius during the day, whilst evenings and nights remain warm to cool, but not cold. From April it cools down with June and July being the coldest winter months. Days will remain sunny and warmish and sometimes up to 25 degrees, whilst night time temperature can drop to below zero.

ROADS

Roads consist of paved roads on the main highways, with gravel on most of the tourist roads. Road conditions unfortunately varies greatly, depending on the frequency of grading done by the caterpillar grader. conditions might be great, average, poor to atrocious.

CULTURE

You will come across the great ethnic diversity of the country as you travel along from south to north or visa versa. Most striking is the Himba tribe in the north west, followed by the Herero, Ovambo, Damara, Nama and more. Most of these grouping still have very strong cultural believes and some still live according to their centuries old customs.

WILDLIFE

Wildlife in Namibia is largely limited to national parks like Etosha, although you will encounter kudu, springbok, giraffe, warthog, zebra, steenbok and a few more on roadside as you travel in the rural areas. Rhino and elephant also occur in these rural areas, but not frequently and you can count yourself lucky if you see any.

Etosha National Park is the best place to find wildlife so do ensure your itinerary include 2 to 3 full days in the park to ensure sufficient sightings of the wildlife that occur here which include elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, hyena, cheetah, giraffe, zebra and lots more. Etosha has great campsites, all of which are fenced and all having a well stocked general store where firewood, ice, liquor, meat, general groceries and the like can be purchased.

ATTRACTIONS

Attractions other than Etosha are many and they are splattered all over the country. Down south is the Fish River Canyon, followed by small town Luderitz, Sossusvlei, Namib desert, Swakopmund, Skeleton Coast, Damaraland, Twyfelfontein, Hobas Meteorite, Kunene river region, the Caprivi region and many more.

COUNTRY SIZE

In respect of size Namibia is a huge country and I would advise that you get an expert opinion whilst deciding on an itinerary for your visit. Designing your trip on the Namibia map can be very deceiving and what may look like a short drive might end up a whole day due to road conditions, mountainous terrain and possible tyre problems.

So what is it like in Namibia as a tourist?
A fantastic country, that is well run, with a flourishing economy, is strikingly beautiful and remarkably scenic, very affordable, and overall a great experience.

Once you have done your first trip you more than likely will come back again as the country is way to huge to experience it all in one go.

Now go on and plan your trip of a lifetime to Namibia!