General Information:
– Location
– Best time to travel
– Time difference
– Language
– Religion
– Food & Drink
– Safety
Travel Documents:
– Passport
– Tourist visa
– Airline or other travel tickets
– Departure tax
Travel to and within Namibia:
– Flights
– Domestic Flights
– Fly-in Safari
– Panoramic Flights
– Car
– 4WD with tent on the roof
– Refueling
– Game-drives
– To stay the night; but where?
– Bus
– Hitchhiking
– Train
– Taxi
Health:
– Do’s and don’ts
– Feeling ill?
– Vaccinations
– Medication
– What to bring
Practical info:
– Money and banks
– Tipping
– Electricity
– Telephone
– Internet
– Film and Photography
– Namibia Tourism Board
General Information:
Location:
Namibia (or the Republic of Namibia as it is officially known) is located on the Atlantic Ocean, bordering South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Angola, and has a surface area of 824,292 km2. Three rivers form the natural borders in the north to Angola and Zambia, namely the Kunene (with Angola), the Okavango (with Botswana and Angola), and the Zambezi (with Zambia). In the south the Orange River provides the natural border with South Africa.
The Northeast includes the Caprivi Strip, which consists mainly of rain forests, swamps and rivers like the Zambezi, the Kavango and Kwando. Because Namibia consists mostly of desert, agriculture flurishes in the Caprivi Strip.
The central plateau starts in Damaraland and the Kaokoveld in the northwest; in these plains the rare desert elephant and black rhino reside.
The oldest desert in the world, the Namib desert with its huge sand dunes and gravel deserts, slip into the Atlantic Ocean, where shipwrecks can get stuck for years. The gravel dunes are especially attractive to the diamond mining companies, and are only accessible with guided tours.
At the eastern border(with Botswana), the landscape changes into the vast plains of red sand of the Kalahari Desert, with scattered swamps where few people can survive, but where many wild animals live.
In the south, one after the largest canyons in the world can be admired. The Fish River Canyon consists of rugged mountains with some grassy plains and desert with little vegetation.
Best time to travel:
Namibia has a semi-dry desert climate and is one of the driest countries in the world, with a year average of 270 mm of rainfall. 60% is desert, 32% savannah, and 8% wetlands (Caprivi strip), where more than 500 mm of rain falls aunnally. In the Namibian summer months (May to October) the temperature rises to above 25 °C and, and in the far north it can rise above 40 °C. On the coast it is generally cooler because of the sea winds and morning fog from the Atlantic Ocean. In the rainy season (November to April) there can be short but intense showers, with bad effects on the (gravel) roads.
Tip: Although the temperatures can be very high during the day, the night can cool down to below freezing. So if you plan on camping, make sure you bring warm sleeping bags and perhaps even thermal underwear.
Time difference:
The Namibia Standard Time, is the same as the West African Time Zone, which is 1 hour ahead of GMT (GMT+1) in the winter, April-September, and 2 hours in the summer October-Narch (GMT+2).
Language:
English is the official language in Namibia, however, national languages such as Afrikaans, Herero, Kavago languages, Khoi San languages , Oshiwambo languages, Tswana, Lozi and German do exist. Oshiwambo languages are the most commonly spoken.
Tip: Some languages contain a lot of different clicks. If see a ! , in the middle, of a word, sentence, or after a sentence, there is a clicking noise associated with it. Ask a tribesman, if you can practice some clicking sounds with them; if they can teach you some words. It will generate a lot of laughs!
Religion:
80% of the population is Christian, with 50% being Lutharian and 50% Roman Catholic. However, many Christians worship their ancestors with traditional African rituals and nature religions. The northern tribes such as the San, Herero and Himba believe that their ancestors are the messengers between the gods and the living persons. 10-20% of the population, including the Herero, keep traditional religions and decorate their graves with cattle skulls, so that the animal may accompany the deceased to the afterlife.
Food and drink:
For traditional food you can go to the different tribes, who still get lots of food from nature such as termites, lizards and wild fruits. The local cuisine is European-oriented because Namibia used to be a German colony before becomming part of South Africa. Besides the known apple strudel and traditional German meats, there are various kinds of fish, and game meat, eating them on the “braai”, the barbecue. On the coast the fish is fresh and there are some delicious oysters. Game is very tasty and widely available such as springbok, zebra, ostrich, emu andmany more!
Tip: Fancy eating a tasty piece of game meat? Kudu is always very juicy even if it has been on the “braai” too long.
Botterskorsie sop: pumpkin soup
Namibian Potjie: wild meat stew with potatoes and carrots
Monkey Gland Steak: veal in spicy sauce (don’t worry, even though the suggests it; there is no monkey meat in this dish)
Bottervis Hansa Hotel: butterfish with green asparagus with hollandaise sauce
Oshingali: spicy bean salad (black-eyed peas) with cayenne and chili pepper
Biltong of droëwors: seasoned dried beef or game meat. Really a great snack!
Safety:
Petty crimes such as street robbery and pickpocketing are relatively rare in Namibia, however, they do happen from time to time, so always be aware. Street robbery usually happens in the larger cities, after dark. Therefore, it is always better to keep an eye on your belongings and to never leave your valuables, documents and money alone in your room, but to make use of your hotel safe if it there is one!
Tip: Scan your passport, visa, vaccination certificate, health cards, insurance papers and other important documents, send them to your webhosted email address and place them in an e-mail folder. This allows you to access them at any time you might need them!
Travel documents:
Passport:
Your passport* needs to valid for another 6 months when leaving Namibia.
Tourist visa:
For a period of 3 months or less, no tourist visa* is required.
*Rules and regulations may differ per country, check with your Embassy or Consulate or visit the following link below.
Link: Visa information
Airline or other transportation tickets:
It’s always advisable to print out your airline e-ticket or other transportation tickets and bring it with you when you travel.
Tip: In some countries you are required to show a proof of your departure date, showing your return ticket or other transit ticket leaving the country is then obligatory.
Departure tax:
Namibia has no departure tax.
Tavelling to and within Namibia:
Flights:
Check if direct flights are available from your country; it often isn’t. You often have to change over somewhere in South Africa eather from Johannesburg or Capetown. Because flying on the same day is often not possible (from South Africa to Namibia), you will have to spend a night in a South African citiy, or stay overnight at the airport.
Link: Air Namibia
Domestic Flights:
Domestic flights are not so easy as Air Namibia has only a few destinations where you can fly to. They are carried out mainly by charter flights, small planes, through a private network.
Average flight duration:
Windhoek (Eros Airport) – Walvisbaai: 0.50 hrs
Windhoek – Ondangwa (noorden): 1.05 hrs
Link: Air Namibia
Fly-in Safari:
Fly-in Safaris are a great way to see the highlights of Namibia. This increasingly common phenomenon, which is not cheap, will save you hours of driving and gives you a completely different perspective over the impressive countryside, where difficult or inaccessible areas can be admired from above.
Note: Travelling in small planes means that often less luggage is allowed.
Link: Namibia Safari
Link: Skeleton Coast Safaris
Panoramic Flights:
There are plenty of possibilities for Panoramic flights. You can take tours of 1,5 hrs round trips, or day trips where you go from one place to the next with little excursions in between.
Tip: Fly over the desert and see the sand dunes, sea and shipwrecks!
Link: Pleasure flights
Car:
Because public transport in Namibia is pretty poorly organised, the best option to to travel the country is to rent a car. Asphalt roads are limited but the dirt roads (gravel) are in good condition, unless bad weather and heavy traffic have passed. However, generally they are well maintained. People drive on the left side of the road, and take care with crossing wildlife, especically with dusk and dawn in northern and central Namibia.
Tip: A 4WD is really only needed if you go to the very remote areas. For the Caprivi Strip and northern Namibia a 4WD is a must during the rainy season. A higher car or SUV, is useful, since 80% of roads are unpaved (gravel roads) and a slightly higher suspension can be the difference between driving 80 km/h, or 30 km/h when you travel large distances.
Note: An international driving license is required.
Note: Due to lack of public transport local people hitchhike, take care if you want to offer someone a lift or not!
Note: People drive on the left.
4WD with tent on the roof:
When we travel we like to take our own tent, so this time we dragged our camping gear with our backpacks.
Not in the mood for all the with pitching your tent and taking it down in the morning? It is also possible to rent a 4WD vehicle with a tent on the roof. At the end of the day you just open the tent on the roof.
Tip: If you sleep on the roof you are less likely to be in danger by animals!
Note: An international driving license is required.
Note: People drive on the left side of the road.
Refueling:
Refuelling is only possible in large cities, main roads and sometimes on certain camp sites.
Tip: Fill the tank tank every time you get the chance, as some stations are sometimes out of fuel and the distances between petrol stations can be enormous!
Game-Drives:
Often lodges and camps offer game drives, where the drivers often double as guides. Depending on the type of vehicle you can have anywhere between 2 to 12 people on board.
Tip: A guide is often an incredible source of information about both the animals and nature in the area, and a huge recommendation. Try to do a game drive with seperate driver as well as a guide, guides have tremendous eye sight and can spot game far better than tourists; if your driver is also the guide, than his or her eyes are not watching out for game but on the ‘road’, which is a shame.
To stay the night; but where?:
Finding a place to stay has never been easier than in Namibia. They have a complete directory with information: the Trummis List. We have bought the book in Windhoek, but perhaps you ordered it online as well. ISBN nr: 99916-50-43-1.
Tip: “Trummis Liste”, was written by Wolfgang Leyerer Wendula & Dahle, and the guide with all accommodations in Namibia was composed in 2008. Every six months / year, an attachment with all changes from the original edition are listed and added. Not only will you have all the camping sites, but all other sleeping facilities from lodges to luxury hotels. In total over 1200 places to stay!
Tip: The beauty of this guidebook that it goes a step further and lists the activities that each guest farm or other accommodation has to offer. So you know straight away where you can go walking, rafting, quad biking, climbing, hunting (if you are into that), or ‘just’ can go on safari.
Bus:
There is almost no public transportation in Namibia. Travel is only possible by minibus to and from major cities. The transport is generally pretty cheap, but only leaves when a van is full. Famous tourist attractions like the Sossusvlei, Fish River Canyon and Etosha National Park are unreachable by public transport.
Tip: There are luxury or inter-city buses between Windhoek and Cape Town and Johannesburg in South Africa.
Hitchhiking:
In the absence of public transport hitchhiking is very common, especially outside the bigger cities.
Tip: Only go hitchhiking if you have a lot of patience and a lot of time. Some roads are so quiet that it can take hours, or even days before someone comes passed.
Trein:
The Starline train offers both economy and business class extras, such as trains with adjustable ‘airplane’ seats, air conditioning and a television entertainment program. This passenger train is partly a freight train. The Windhoek to Keetmanshoop train is also a sleeper train. Tickets can be purchased by calling the reservations line in Windhoek +264 (0) 61 298 2032, or mail to: paxservices@transnamib.com.na.
Tip: Take your own food and drinks with you, because besides a snack dispenser, there is no restoration.
Link: Train
Met de Desert Express kun je reizen van Windhoek naar Swakopmund of v.v. met de mogelijkheid om op vaste plaatsen een excursies te doen. In deze slaaptrein heb je een eigen badkamer (douche/toilet), een restaurant en een bar. De excursiemogelijkheden zijn: game driven, duin klimmen en leeuwen voeren (afhankelijk van welke richting je gaat).
Link: Desert Express (EN)
Taxi:
Only in the bigger cities you can find taxis and they come in two types: expensive or cheap. The “Radio Taxi” or “Airport Shuttle” is expensive, usually have seatbelts and air conditioning and can generally be considered pretty safe. The cheap version is recognized by the yellow taxi signs taped (!) to a car. The costs are N $ 6 for a ride as long as you do not indicate a specific place, because often the price will be more expensive.
Tip: Do not be surprised if the taxi you have to share with other people.
Health:
The medical care in Namibia in the capital and private clinicsis fine. However, away from the larger cities, it can take hours to get to doctors and clinics due to the large distances.
Do’s & don’ts:
Tapwater is is OK for consumption, but better be safe than sorry and buy bottled water. Do not take ice cubes in your drink, because they are not made from bottled water. If you go for an ice cream, be sure to only eat pre-packaged ice cream, and not home made. Also, ice cream can often have melted and refrozen due to power outages, you’re better off not eating it at all. Try to avoid consuming raw vegetables and already peeled fruit, they might have been washed in ‘bad’ water. Do not eat meat and fish which is not thoroughly cooked or that might be cold, and be careful with shellfish. Wash your hands regularly using disinfectant or soap.
Tip: Suffering from Jetlag? Take part in the rhythm of local life as soon as possible, that way you will acclimatize quickly and get rid of your Jetlag.
Feeling ill?:
Dehydration can be prevented by drinking regularly. ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) is a powder mixture sold in readymade bags, containing salts and sugars that can you can dissolve in water to restore moisture balance.
Tip: We have a plastic ORS spoon that you can use to the exactly measure the amount of salt and sugar. This will save you from dragging the finished mixture with you everywhere, whilst you easily make it yourself if necessary. Furthermore you can also order and drink tea with sugar or a broth.
If you have a high fever, and are vomiting, or have mucus or blood in your stool, consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Vaccinations:
Because the conditions, duration and your health is crucial for any trip, it is always advisable to contact a doctor or a vaccination municipal health bureau in plenty of time before your trip.
Tip: Always carry your vaccination certificate with you whilst travelling, in some countries they may ask for this at the customs office!
Vaccinations are not necessary, but the general vaccinations when travelling are the following:
– Hepatitis A (often in combination with Hepatitis B)
– Diphtheria
– Tetanus
– Polio
– Stomache Typhoid
– Malaria pills (only from November – June in the Northern parts and the Caprivi delta, and the entire year in the Kavango- and Kunene river area)
Tip: Even if you are taking Anti-maleria medication, be sure to use insect repellant with DEET, as well as an impregnated mosquito net.
Medication:
Do you use medication? If so, make sure you always carry your medical passport with you. Such passports contain information about your medicines and a written statement by your doctor.
Tip: Ask your doctor about your condition and the generic name of your medicine in both Latin and English. As such it is easier to understand for customs what kind of medications you are carrying with you.
What to bring:
– First Aid Kit
– Disinfectant gel
– Painkillers
– ORS or ORS scoop
– Thermometer
– Tick remover
– Anti-motion sickness medicine
– Your own medication (+ the name of your drug substance)
Practical info:
Money and Banking:
The currency in Namibia is the Namibian Dollar (N$).
In the larger cities and touristy areas you can come accross ATM’s at the bank, or sometimes in larger supermarkets. All machines with the Cirrus or Meastro logo or VISA or Mastercard for Credit Cards can be used to take out cash.
Tip: It’s often also possible to pay the Sout African Rand as the exchange rate is 1:1 with the N$.
Tip: Take some €’s or US$ with you, just in case you cannot find an ATM. It is sometimes possible to exchange them for N$. Be sure that the notes are in prestine condition, or you stand the chance that your foreign currency will not be excepted.
Link: Current exchange rate
Tipping:
There is a lot of poverty in Namibia, so everyone who delivers a service expects a tip. Tipping often forms a large part of someone’s salery, and thehrefore a lot of people in tourism depend on these tips. Especially guides and rangers are dependent on tips and expect somewhere between N$ 30 and N$ 40 per person. Waiters and cab drivers expect around 10% and room maids N$5 and N$10 per day. Porters usually expect N$ 2 per bag.
Electricity:
The electricity is 220 – 240Volt.
Tip: In villages and in the larger towns and cities there often is very little street lighting, so bring a flash- or headlight.
Tip: Bring a universal electricity plug with you.
Telephone:
The international country code for Namibia is: +264.
Note: Signal enhancers are generally only found along highways, in larger cities and sometimes smaller towns, so mobile phone coverage cannot be depended on.
Internet:
Internet cafés can be hard to find, however, in larger cities there are some. They can often be found in the larger shopping centres.
Film and photography:
Memory cards for Film and Photo equipment are difficult or even impossible to come by; so be sure sure to take enough recording space with you.
Tip: Take an external hard drive with you to save your images on. Think of it as a backup should anything happen to your memory cards.
Tip: Take not one but two universal electricity plugs along with you. This way you can charge multiple things at once, like your phone, camera and video battery pack or notebook.
Link: Check out our Namibia Photos here
Namibia Tourism Board:
Link: Namibië Tourism in Namibia (EN)