Our Experience

As many of you haven’t been to Namibia just yet, we would like to help you with what you can expect. See our tips and tricks to be well prepared. If you need suggestions for a trip before or after the wedding, please see a summary of our last tour in Namibia below. At the bottom of this page you can also enjoy our video below which describes our last trip. Have fun!

Personal tips & tricks

Namibia is the perfect road trip destination. Hire a 4X4 car with a tent on top and travel around the country
Bring a hat and sunscreen for protection as the sun is strong. Drink enough water, you’re no camel.
Plan your trip ahead of time
Don’t drive after sunset because it is dangerous as you don’t see animals or people crossing the street.
Although Namibia is a safe country, it’s better not to leave your car in Windhoek with valuable luggage in there.
The Namibian dollar = the South African Rand
Namibia has internet working at African speed specially designed to allow you to watch the sunset at a waterhole. Cell coverage is not 100% as you don’t want to be disturbed during your holiday.
Relax and Enjoy Afrika

2 weeks travelling around Namibia

Day 1:

Arrival at Hosea Kutako Airport – Windhoek, Namibia. Windhoek is a small town where you shouldn’t spend too much time. If you’re hungry however, you should definitely eat at Joe’s Beerhouse. This is a very popular restaurant in a nice setting. Laura often enjoys the Oryx Lasagne. Robrecht prefers the Namib Bushfire dish. You could also go for crocodile, zebra, kudu, etc. If you have your own vehicle you can ask the parking guard to watch the car and afterwards you should pay him 5 NAD (equals 0,30 €). Always be careful with valuables in the car anywhere in Namibia.

Another very nice place in Windhoek is hotel Thule. It’s located on a mountain where you have a stunning view over the city. You can definitely stay the night or just enjoy a well-earned cocktail to start off your vacation in Namibia. Note: Zero tolerance for alcohol on public roads. Nothing is said about flying a helicopter tho...

Day 2:

Drive to Waterberg plateau. Waterberg Plateau is a unique flat-topped plateau with stunning scenery and some wildlife. This park is unusual in that you can’t drive yourself around. Instead you must either hike or take one of the park’s organised drives with one of their driver/guides. If you come to Waterberg for the walking, then you won’t be disappointed. The panorama from the end of the trail up to Mountain View is definitely worth it (about 45 minutes). Please bring water if you decide to hike and don’t wear flip-flops, otherwise you’ll have this as end result.

Day 3:

Drive to Ethosha National Park. Etosha National Park, covering more than 20,000 sq km, is one of the world’s great wildlife-viewing venues. You can spend days looking for animals. We would recommend to sleep 2 nights in the park. The first night, “Namutoni” is a perfect option. This lodge offers both camping spots as well as nice rooms. Just outside the park there are also some very comfortable sleeping places which are a little bit cheaper. We can recommend you ”Onguma Tamboti Campsite”. For your second night you have to book Okaukuejo. This lodge has bungalows, waterhole chalets and camping spots in the middle of the park with stunning views and animals all around. Try to do a night safari with a guide if there are places free. You’ll have more chance of seeing rhino’s, hyena’s and other animals which are more active during the night. If you have spare time, go and have a look at the waterhole of the lodge. Big chance you’ll find animals there too.

Day 4 - 5:

Etosha’s charm lies in its ability to bring the animals to you. Just park your car next to one of the many water holes, then wait and watch while a host of animals – lions, elephants, springboks, gemsboks etc – come not two by two but by the hundreds. You can drive yourself as long as the sun is not set. Please obey speed limits for the animals and do not step out of the car unless a lion gets in. Apart from the animals also take time to experience the breathtaking size of the main salt pan.

Day 6 - 7:

The Damaraland is characterised by it's rocky and rugged landscapes of rough, fascinating beauty.

You can easily spend a night in Damaraland as they have small but beautiful campsites and lodges. Prices vary with comfort.

Day 8 - 10:

Swakopmund and Walvis Bay are cities on the coast. Most of the town’s attractions are easy to find, so take a morning stroll exploring. If you are in for some adventure, you are in the right place. Quad biking or sandboarding are definitely nice activities. For a boat tour we can recommend “Levo Dolphin Tours”. It lasts 3 hours, you get to see many sea animals such as dolphins, whales, seals and pelicans. You’re also offered Champagne, oysters and other snacks. This boat tour costs around €35 pp.

If you have some time extra at Walvisbay, you can also visit the salt pans. This 3500-hectare salt-pan complex currently supplies over 90% of South Africa’s salt and they are beautiful red pans. Don’t hesitate to take a drive around there !

Weather gets a bit cooler on the coastline and you’ll often need a sweater. If you’re ready to escape this, go to dune 7 (near Walfish Bay). You can drive to the bottom of the dune and climb it yourself. On top of the dune you’ll have a panoramic view as you can see in the photo. Bring your camera and enjoy the time up there.

As for restaurants, we can advise you to eat at the Tug in Swakopmund. This is thé best restaurant in Swakopmund and maybe someone will propose to you ;-)

Day 11:

Drive from Swakopmund to Sesriem (6 hrs). As you’ll have a long drive ahead we’ll get you in a good mood by starting your journey east towards the Moon Landscape. This is a beautiful scenic drive. You can stop at viewpoints and get out of the car. Please make sure to buy a permit in the Namibian Wildlife Resorts. In Sesriem you have a couple of options to choose where you want to sleep. All of them are close to each other. If you want the real experience, we suggest to camp inside the gate to Sossusvalei. This way you can enjoy the sundown over the dunes and be the first one to go to Dune 45 in the morning. Find the info about this camp site here

Day 12 - 13:

Sossusvlei: This place is one of our personal highlights of Namibia. The rust-red dunes, bleached white pans and deep blue skye are instantly recognisable and symbolise the country’s vast and dry expanses. Climb up the dune 45 and you will be amazed by the extremely beautiful view. Be aware though that as it is the dessert, the temperatures can get very high. It’s best to get up early before the heat is unbearable. After this, you can continue towards Deadvlei and Sossusvlei. Sossusvlei is about 66 km past the Sesriem gate. The last 6 km can only be traversed with 4WD vehicles. The vlei is surrounded by high orange-reddish dunes, partially covered by a vegetation comprising grass, bushes, and some trees. This is an ideal location to experience real dessert and take beautiful pictures.

This was only an introduction to Namibia. If you think you saw everything - forget this.

There are many more beautiful places to visit:

Victoria Falls & Fish River Canyon & Kavango rivers & Skeletton Coast & Himba Villages and many more.

Good luck and enjoy Namibia!

Laura and Robrecht