10 Days In Namibia: Everything You Need To Know

22 Apr 10 Days In Namibia: Everything You Need To Know

In light of the recent coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, not a lot of people will be travelling at the moment. Travel is a luxury and privilege, which even we are having to reconsider for the foreseeable future. But we know a time will come when we’ll all be free to roam and explore again (Namibia and other beautiful places), so until then, we will continue to dream, sharing inspiring stories and travel tips that you can bookmark for a more relevant time.

Our first save-for-later post shares our research and learnings from our 10-day road-trip across Namibia, which we took in late January 2020 during our wedding adventure elopement. It was, without fail, the most magical and memorable trip we’ve ever taken and cannot recommend it enough. Read on for all our tips and research (promise it all applies, whether you’re eloping or not).

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NAMIBIA ROAD-TRIP OVERVIEW

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>> We started and ended our trip in Windhoek (as this was the most cost-effective and simple option – logistically – for us coming from, and traveling to, South Africa). If you’re traveling from elsewhere, you may want to look at other options, as Walvis Bay also offers an international airport.

>> We toured around Sossusvlei (most famous for the dunes and salt pans), and we finished off in Etosha National Park (for some unbelievable wildlife viewing).

>> We traveled in the peak of Summer, from 23 Jan – 1 Feb (9 nights) but Namibia is definitely a year-round destination, so don’t feel limited to these dates…in fact, their peak season is the southern hemisphere’s winter (June – October) since the desert gets extremely hot in the summertime.

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>> Since this was our wedding (and we still had lots of celebrating planned after the Namibia trip) we took it easy and kept the itinerary quite relaxed, but there were definitely some early mornings to view the insanely beautiful sunrises, and we had a few long driving days since we covered a good portion of the country.

>> Our trip was entirely self-driven in a 4×4 (the rental vehicle we used was incredible, with everything inside the car, and our bed on top) so we’d recommend getting one as well. We booked a Sleepy Team through Namibia 4×4 Rental.

>> We chose to mix up our sleeping style throughout the trip, so we camped for 2 nights, glamped for 3 nights, had 2 nights at a local lodge, and then splurged on 2 nights of utter luxury (but you can also camp the entire trip, or go lux the entire trip – Namibia has many options for all types of travellers and budgets).

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BUDGETING FOR THE TRIP

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This will obviously depend on a few factors*:

• How long you decide to go for:
  • A 10-day trip (3 nights in Windhoek, 3 nights in Sossusvlei, and 3 nights at Etosha National Park) like us
  • Or a longer / shorter time

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• What type of accommodation you’re wanting to book:
  • If you’ll be camping the entire way, you could spend as little as N$4,300 (US$250) per person on accommodation for 9 nights
  • If you choose to go bucket-list-luxury the whole way, you could pay anywhere from N$50,000 (US$3000) per person sharing for 9 nights
  • If you choose to go with the accommodations we’re proposing – 2 nights camping, 3 nights glamping, 2 nights in lodges and 2 nights in five star luxury, then you’ll look to pay around N$16,700 (US$950) per person sharing for the 9 nights

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• Transport:
  • If you self-drive for 10 days, in a fully-equipped camping 4-seater vehicle (including camping equipment and fuel, but excluding insurance and park fees) this could cost you around N$16,450 (US$950)
  • If you self-drive for 10 days in a 2-seater with no camping equipment (including fuel but excluding insurance and park fees) this could cost you N$13,750 (US$750)

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• You’ll also need to consider flights:
  • We booked return flights – Cape Town to Windhoek – for N$3,410 (US$222) per person

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• Our food expenses came to approximately N$6,500 (US$370) but were for 4 people, covering 20 meals over the 10-day trip (since we had 7 meals included in our accommodation bookings, when we stayed in the luxury lodges) but it’s probably safe to budget N$240 (US$14) per person per day – roughly N$2,400 ($140) per person for the 10-day trip if you won’t have any meals included with your bookings

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• If you’d like to do some additional activities, such as hot air balloon rides, helicopter rides, sand boarding, quad biking, game drives etc these will also need to be considered.

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In summary, and based on the above calculations, the lowest you could probably pay is N$17,000 (US$960) per person sharing (this would be a 10-day trip, camping the whole way, self-driving in a 2-seater, cooking all your own meals, taking return flights to and from Cape Town, with no additional activities booked, and no car insurance). If you wanted to take the exact same trip we did (with the same accommodation), you would pay around N$30,800 (US$1,750) per person sharing for the 10-day trip, including self-driving, cooking most of your meals (except for those included in your 4 lodges), and taking return flights to and from Cape Town, but excluding any additional activities and car insurance).

*All amounts are based on pricing and exchange rates in April 2020.

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Although the prices and rates are more than likely going to change, we hope this at least gives you a ballpark to work with. If you’re traveling with friends, you can also look at sharing some of the costs (particularly for the car and food) and if you’re traveling with children, then a lot of the rates can also be reduced.

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OUR PROPOSED ITINERARY

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DAY 1 : FLY TO WINDHOEK, STOCK UP ON SUPPLIES

Fly into Windhoek’s international airport, then head to pick-up your car (if you booked with Namibia 4×4 Rentals they’ll collect you from the airport and take you back to their office so you can get acquainted with your vehicle). Once you’re used to driving the 4×4, head to go get food and water, and any other supplies you might need (we had to invest in some bedding for the camping days, for example) – we recommend Maerua Mall for all your shopping needs, before making your way to your accommodation (if staying at Urban Camp, you can enjoy a local Windhoek beer at their bar).

Accommodation: Urban Camp Glamping

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DAY 2 : DRIVE TO SOSSUSVLEI

Probably good to leave nice and early, as you’ll drive 310km (190 miles) to reach Sossusvlei inside the Namib-Naukluft National Park, along some long dusty roads. You can have lunch on the road, and then “bush TV” once you’ve set up camp. If you get there early enough, it’s definitely worth going for a drive inside the park, especially around sunset time – the colours are simply breathtaking.

Accommodation: Sesriem Camping

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DAY 3 & 4 : EXPLORE SOSSUSVLEI

On these two days you can spend time exploring the dunes and Deadvlei inside the park. Since it’s going to be ridiculously hot, we recommend doing most of the adventuring around sunrise and sunset (and this would also be the ideal time for some astrophotography, if anyone is keen). On Day 4 we left camping behind and headed to Desert Whisper, which is really something out of a Martian dream, so recommend getting there as early as possible so you can enjoy the facilities.

Accommodation: Sesriem Camping + Gondwana Collection Desert Whisper 

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DAY 5 : DRIVE TO WINDHOEK, STOP FOR APPLE PIE

A long drive day of 375km (230 miles), try leave early and head out to Windhoek to stock up on some more food and water for the next few days. If you’re not in a rush, we recommend going via Solitaire to see the Car Wrecks of Solitaire (and apparently the cafe there sells some incredible apple pie too – we sadly didn’t get a chance to try it, but we’ve heard from multiple sources that it’s definitely worth the drive out). Settle in at Urban Camp once again and don’t forget to have another cold one at their bar.

Accommodation: Urban Camp Glamping

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DAY 6 : DRIVE TO ETOSHA

An early morning and long drive day, as you’ll head up north for 400km (250 miles) to reach Etosha National Park. Unlike the drive to Sossusvlei, this road is paved the whole way, and is actually a really pleasant drive. We stayed at Etosha Safari Lodge outside the park, and arrived early enough to enjoy their pool. Highly recommended for the panoramic views. 

Accommodation: Etosha Safari Lodge

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DAY 7 : EXPLORE ETOSHA

After a morning game drive (organised through Etosha Safari Lodge) and visits to several watering holes, you’ll self-drive across the park to reach Onguma near the North-East gate. The accommodation is unlike anything we’ve ever stayed in, so recommend getting there early enough to enjoy the facilities. The on-site chefs will also cook an incredible meal for you and the other Treetop Camp guests, so get ready for an unforgettable night.

Accommodation: Onguma Treetop

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DAY 8 : EXPLORE ETOSHA

More wildlife encounters and relaxing on the agenda, just make sure to go past the Etosha Pan Lookout point for vast views of nothingness – it’s really spectacular. We chose to stay at Etosha Safari Camp this night and enjoyed their bar and restaurant’s shebeen-style vibe.

Accommodation: Etosha Safari Camp

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DAY 9 : DRIVE TO WINDHOEK

Make your way back to Windhoek, driving the 400km (250 miles), once again staying at Urban Camp for your last night in Namibia.

Accommodation: Urban Camp Glamping

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DAY 10 : FLY TO CAPE TOWN

After sleeping in and dropping off the car, make our way to the airport for (ideally) the 14:00pm flight to Cape Town, arriving back in the Mother City at 16:05pm.

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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE CHOOSING TO COME TO NAMIBIA

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Although we would love to say that anyone can do this Namibian road-trip, we realise that an adventurous trip like this isn’t for everyone. We’ve gathered some thoughts and research about what to keep in mind, and what you can expect, so that you can make the right decision (and also prepare yourself mentally).

THE WEATHER

Namibia is EXTREMELY hot during the Summertime. The daytime temperatures can reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) which is no joke. We spent most of the days either in air-conditioned cars or swimming pools to cope with the intense heat, which meant most of our adventuring happened in the early mornings and late afternoons when the sun was not so harsh. Also, since a large portion of the trip was spent in the desert, evening temperatures dropped to a cool 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit) so you’d need to pack some warmer clothes too (if you were also planning our itinerary).

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IT’S REMOTE

Besides Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, the other parts are extremely remote, making it quite difficult to gather supplies…and quite risky regarding healthcare and emergency situations. On most days we weren’t close enough to shops to get food, water, or more fuel for the cars, so our time in the city (and pre-planning) is definitely part of the adventure. It’s also something to keep in mind if you were hoping to travel with little ones.

WILDLIFE

Most of the wildlife viewing will happen in Etosha National Park (with occasional spotting of Oryx, Springbok, Ostrich, and the famed Namibian wild horses in the other parts of Namibia), so if you wanted to skip the first explorations and go only for the wildlife, you could start your trip from our Day 6 itinerary (changing it from a 10-day to 6-day Namibian adventure).

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THE ROADS

Although the distances between towns seem relatively small, the long and dusty roads of Namibia make the travel time a lot longer – your average speed will be 65-70km/h (40-43 miles/h). Just like South Africa, you’ll drive along the left hand side of the road, and don’t expect many other cars in sight once you leave the big town (although the road up to Etosha pleasantly surprised us, as it was fully paved – and had some great picnic spots along the way for lunch stops). There were also more cars and trucks headed in that direction, so it’s mostly just the route to Sossusvlei and back that’s really quiet.

THE CURRENCY AND EXCHANGE RATE

The Namibian Dollar is linked to the South African Rand, and everyone in the country accepts the Rand, so you won’t need to exchange for the NAD if you have some ZARs already. You can get the up to date exchange rate here.

VISAS

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourist visas were valid for three months and generally took three days to process at the Namibian Consulate or Embassy in your country. Not all visitors to Namibia required a tourist visa either, so if you were from South Africa, Australia, England, Germany, USA, Canada, or Japan you could enter visa-free for 90 days. You can look here for more info and probably do a little more research as the COVID-19 procedures and regulations get put into place.

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WATER

You will need to stock up on bottled water in the main towns before all the excursions. You won’t be able to buy water en route, and you will need bottled water for drinking, cooking, washing up the dishes, and brushing your teeth (we got horribly sick the first time we visited Namibia, and thought it was linked to the water, so we were extra careful the second time and everything went well, sticking to using bottled water for everything).

STAYING HEALTHY

For a lot of you, the temperature in Namibia at this time of year might shock your system (especially if you have a long flight before the trip, and if you’re coming from somewhere cold like USA or Europe, it’ll be an even bigger shock), so if you can, try arrive a day or two earlier to acclimatise and give your body enough time to rest ahead of the adventure (we do this for all our trips). It goes without saying, that taking vitamin supplements before, during, and after is a good idea, and taking electrolyte powders with you to mix with water everyday during the trip as well, as the heat will seriously dehydrate you (at least that’s what we learned after our last trip) so you may want to do the same. Regarding vaccines or other preventive medicines – you don’t necessarily need any (luckily Namibia is not a malaria-zone), but travel clinics will always advise to get the “standard” shots of Diphtheria, Hepatitis A, Tetanus, Hepatitis B, Rabies, and Typhoid. Cholera and Bilharzia are also common here, hence why we advise to use bottled water for everything (see WATER above). You’ll definitely need to pack some insect repellent too, and it would obviously also be a good idea to take out travel insurance for the length of your stay.

We know this section went on a little negative spiral there at the end – we don’t want to deter you from coming (obviously!) – but we know how horrible it is to get sick whilst traveling (it’s happened waaaay too often to us), and we also know how sometimes just doing little things to prevent the bad can change the entire trajectory.

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

We found some good articles worth reading if you’re still on the fence and want to know more about what to expect, or if you’re sold and want to start getting inspired ahead of the trip:

• Click to read “The Ultimate Namibian Road Trip | How Far From Home”
• Click to watch “Everything you Need To Know To Visit Namibia | We Film Things”
• Click to read “Namibia Road Trip Itinerary | The World Pursuit”
• Click to read “A Taste Of Namibia: Our 11-Day Namibia Road Trip Itinerary | The Sandy Feet”
• Click to read “The Plains of Namibia: Visiting Etosha National Park | The Sandy Feet”
• Click to watch “Destination Namibia | Namibia Tourism Board”

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If you enjoyed this blog post, you may want to see the rest of our Wedding Series right here on our blog, or on YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok.