Namibia. If you can go, do go. And if you have the chance to drive around, you’ll come back from your trip with rich memories … and an intense longing to return.
It’s hard to imagine a landscape more dramatic than that of Namibia. Add to the scenery an amazing (and rather accessible) assortment of big game and wildlife. Then, lightly apply a sprinkling of well-maintained roads across the country to help folks get to its towns and settlements, best beauty spots, and welcoming network of bush camps and luxury lodges. If you like the idea of hitting the open road, experiencing true wilderness, seeing lots and lots of game, and still being able to take a hot shower and sleep in a comfortable bed every night, Namibia’s the place for you.
I hope you enjoyed reading my notes from the Namibian road. To help you browse all the posts about my trip, here’s a list with links to all of them:
• Namibia
• Etosha
• Doro Nawas
• Skeleton Coast
• Sossusvlei
• Index
A Word about Driving in Namibia
As I said in my Sossusvlei post, driving was possibly the ‘ultimate highlight of my trip.’ I can’t recommend it enough for anyone seeking that exhilaration of freedom that comes from being on the road. And as mentioned in my intro post to this series, Wexas Travel’s Namibia in Style Self-Drive offer might be a smart option for you to start arranging your own luxury safari road trip.
For my journey, I found Google Maps and Garman sat nav to be fairly reliable. I stopped using both early on though as a large foldable map given to me from a Wilderness Safaris rep when I landed in Windhoek proved handiest and most accurate. The rep had marked suggested routes for my itinerary with bright highlighter. Tips from camp guides and staff and other tourists on similar itineraries turned out to be valuable advice too. However, guesstimates about driving times between destinations varied greatly (for one drive I was told it would take from just under six hours to more than 12 hours).
Some people I’d met during and after my trip thought me driving around Namibia with “just a map” meant I was some kind of orienteering wizard. But the fact of the matter was that there just weren’t all that many roads; thus, there were very few (often no) wrong turns even to consider. I don’t think I had to backtrack once during this trip (which, I hate to admit, is pretty amazing for me given past road trip foibles).
When you go, be advised to fill up your tank every chance you get between destinations and to make sure you’ve got plenty of water and some food with you. Keep your mobile fully charged. And give yourself ample time to stretch your legs in the wide expanse of this country and to take loads of photos.
Cheers for joining me on my ride across Namibia. Please feel free to take a look at all tikichris miniseries and special features.
