Namibia

Why go

It is one of the easier countries to travel without a private guide, and one of the most striking if you do.

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  The Namib

  Sossusvlei and Deadvlei are the red dunes. Go at dawn. Sesriem is the gate. A quiver tree and the desert stars are the rest of the day.

  • Deadvlei is the white pan and the dead camel-thorn trees inside the dune bowl.
  • A balloon over the dunes is an extra at sunrise.
  • Climbing Big Daddy is a walk, not a requirement. The light is the reason to be there early.
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  Etosha

  A huge pan and a ring of waterholes. Rhinos, lions, and elephants in the dry months. You can self-drive the public roads or stay in a private concession on the edge.

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  Damaraland and the Skeleton Coast

  Desert-adapted elephants and rhino, rock art, gravel plains, and a coast of seals, fog, and wrecks. This is guided country, not a casual dune climb.

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  How you travel

  A self-drive in a hired 4x4 is the classic trip. A fly-in skips the long gravel days. Most first trips mix both: fly the long hop, drive the dune road.

Where to go

• Namib DesertSossusvlei, Deadvlei, and Sesriem. The photograph everyone comes for. Stay at the gate so you are inside at opening.
• EtoshaNorthern pan and waterholes. Public rest camps if you self-drive, or a private reserve on the boundary for night drives.
• DamaralandTwyfelfontein rock art, desert elephants along the dry rivers, and wide mountains. Distances are real. Do not rush it into a single afternoon.
• Skeleton CoastFog, seals at Cape Cross, and shipwrecks. The north of the coast is concession country and usually a fly-in.
• Swakopmund and WindhoekSwakopmund is the coastal town for a night between dunes and the north. Windhoek is the capital and the usual car-hire start.

When to go

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  May to October

  Dry winter and the best wildlife months in Etosha. Nights in the desert can drop below freezing in June and July. Days are clear. Book the dune lodges ahead for August.

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  January to April

  The rains. February is the wettest. Etosha's calving is a reason to come if you can take the heat. Some dune roads are fine; some river crossings are not.

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  November

  Heat builds before the rains. Good light, fewer cars at Sossusvlei than in August, and warm nights.

Travel advice

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  Driving

  Drive on the left. Gravel roads punish speed. Fuel towns are far apart in Damaraland. A 4x4 is worth it for the dune approach and the north-west, not for Windhoek to Swakopmund.

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  Health

  Malaria risk is mainly in the north, including Etosha, in the wetter months. The desert south is not the same risk. Ask a clinic for your exact route.

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  Entry

  Check visa rules. A cross-border trip into Botswana's delta needs its own paperwork and should not be assumed from a Namibian stamp.

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  Packing

  A warm jacket for winter nights, a scarf for dune sand, and shoes you can walk in. Soft bags if any leg is by light aircraft.

Accommodation

Costs

From the journal

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  Places

  Namibia vs South Africa Safari

  Namibia vs South Africa Safari is a planning note from Safari Continents Travel. It sits beside the destination guides for South Africa, Namibia. Published trip prices are a guide. You receive a quote before anything is paid.

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  Places

  Wildlife in Namibia What Animals Will You See on Safari

  Wildlife in Namibia What Animals Will You See on Safari is a planning note from Safari Continents Travel. It sits beside the destination guides for Namibia. Published trip prices are a guide. You receive a quote before anything is paid.

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  Places

  Best Destinations in Namibia You Need to Visit

  Best Destinations in Namibia You Need to Visit is a planning note from Safari Continents Travel. It sits beside the destination guides for Namibia. Published trip prices are a guide. You receive a quote before anything is paid.

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  Lodges

  Best Luxury Safari Lodges and Camps in Namibia

  Best Luxury Safari Lodges and Camps in Namibia is a planning note from Safari Continents Travel. It sits beside the destination guides for Namibia. Published trip prices are a guide. You receive a quote before anything is paid.