This blog is for those interested in going to Namibia. It is a small practical reflection, based ONLY on our 5 week experience there. I have tried hard not to base my judgements of places based on the weather we experienced whilst there (because lets face it, it can have a massive impact… especially when camping), but rather by the things that struck us. 

Namibia has both surprised us and blown us away on more than one occasion. From its beautiful dusky pastel palettes to it’s intensely grey sky dramas on bright green terrain. From the almost eerie silences of vast empty landscapes, and the dignified magnitude of solitary mountains, to the roar of mighty rivers full of enormous creatures and the bustling endeavours of Namibian natives going about their daily lives. It has been nothing other than a privilege to have meandered through this beautiful land, and get to grips with it’s remote places, as well as it’s tourist areas.

Firstly some practical things. For those wanting to travel through Namibia by road, there are a few border post options, all of which are clear on Google maps. But the process at any of these will be the same. If you have a South African passport, or a UK passport you do not need to pay for a visa. You will have to pay road tax however. And they will ask you for COVID test results – there is no way of escaping this (even if you are vaccinated). At the border crossing we were at, you could actually get yourself tested there and wait the couple of hours it takes for them to process the result. The cost is the same as anywhere else, R750 per person. 

A little tip: when the officials ask how long you will be staying in Namibia, don’t even bother trying to figure it out. You are allowed to stay 90 days, so just tell them (and write on the form) 90 days, so that if anything happens you have the flexibility to deal with it time-wise. We guessed we would be 40 days and actually needed more like 45 and had to change our plans accordingly (that is, we ended up going to Zambia rather than Angola.. not a train smash, but definitely a re-route). To extend the permit you must pay R600 per person at home affairs. Which, when you are having to pay over R3500 each time the family has to have a COVID test for the proceeding country, just doesn’t feel right.

A couple of other practical things; some campsites are inside national parks (eg, Hobas). So not only do you pay the campsite fees, but you also pay park fees per day – which for us, was R500 per day. And as we were booked in there for 3 nights, it ended up costing us an extra R1500 for our stay, and to be honest, I’m not sure that it was worth it. And on that note, whichever national park you go in to, it will cost you (as can be expected). There are an awful it’s of national parks in Namibia! 

On the topic of camping. There are a whole host of campsites which are each an extension of a lodge. When camping on these campsites, you may share in the perks of the lodge… specifically a swimming pool, bar restaurant and other things. They are part of something called the Gondwana Collection. Even when camping, these sites are expensive. However. IF you have the foresight (which is what i am trying to give you now, and which no-one told us about), you can pay for a Gondwana card (much like we would pay for a Wild Card in SA). The Gondwana Card costs R300 per person and lasts for 5 years. Then you get 40% discount on lodge/ camping fees and restaurant costs. That’s a lot!!! Only Namibian and other African country residents can apply for the Card, so i guess the prices as they stand are aimed at Europeans.

Other small things. Connectivity is quite a struggle in Namibia, which is fine if you’re on holiday, and don’t need to work. MTC is the best network to buy a SIM card for, then you simply buy SuperAweh to top up, at R65 for 3G of data.

The other thing that we really struggled with, was trying to find fresh produce. When you’re used to having all the fruit and veg at your finger tips with the amazing supermarkets we have everywhere in SA, your tummy really tells you when you suddenly don’t have it. Don’t let it put you off though, there have been quite a few instances when we simply asked where we could find vegetables, and we were pointed in the direction of someone with a garden full of tomatoes and corn peppers. An absolute delight, and what a treat!!!

And now for the nitty gritty. Place by place (quick review of place and campsites). Just to say here, this is in NO WAY definitive! There are hundreds of campsites in Namibia, and there are many places in Namibia that we didn’t go to. This is just a quick reflection of where we did go, and some recommendations.

Fish River Canyon

The campsite, called Hobas, we stayed at near the Canyon (from where the lookout point can be accessed), is fine. It has trees, but the shade is quite thin (if that makes sense). There is a pool which we really enjoyed and was the one thing which made our 3 night stay here bearable, as it was incredibly hot. If we were to go again, we would probably not stay for so long, namely because you have to pay the Park fee, which was R500 per night on top of the campsite fees.

Aus

This area is absolutely beautiful… for me it marked the start of the desert area of Namibia. The town of Aus is quite quaint, and has a small shop that served as a good place to stock up on a couple of things (no fresh produce though). The campsite, Klein Aus Vista, was absolutely excellent. It was clean, there was good amounts of shade, there was a beautiful walk where the destination was an amazing lookout point over the desert.

There was a restaurant at the Klein Aus Vista Lodge which we didn’t make use of. But we did use the bar and swimming pool situated at the lodge. We would definitely come back to this campsite again. From here we made a day trip to Luderitz and Cape Dias Point which was lovely, the drive being a long straight unfenced road right through the desert. Aus is famous for it’s wild desert horses, but we unfortunately didn’t see any, (much to Evie’s disappointment).

Sesriem

The campsite we stayed in was great. Rustic, but clean and plenty of shade. It has to be said that there are MANY campsites and lodges in this area. It was in this area that we really began to feel the effect of the lack of fresh produce available in the shops. On our way back to the campsite from the dunes, we stopped at another campsite which advertised a farm shop. A very dear couple helped us here, and took us to their huge veggie garden. For something like R150 we bought an absolute load of the most beautiful home grown freshly picked vegetables. It was SUCH a blessing to us!

Spitzkoppe

What a place!! It is quite a drive, but absolutely worth it. The setting is quite surreal – the Spitzkoppe mountain rising out of the desert floor like a castle on the moon. There are 2 campsites there – do yourself a favour and stay at the Spitzkoppe Community Campsite (as opposed to the Spitzkoppe Mountain Tented Camp). It is an extremely special experience where you camp amongst the rocks. There might only be dry toilets, but they are exceptionally clean (I was surprised by how fine it was!!) There are no shops here, so make sure you stock up before you go!

Twyfelfontein

Ongongo Waterfalls, Warmquelle

This campsite is a destination all by itself. And we would return there ANY day! You drive and you drive and you drive through extremely dry terrain for what seems like forever. And just when you begin to wonder where on earth you are, you drop down into a gorge. Here, there is a campsite tucked in, right next to a trickling stream (i guess the ‘trickling’  might be different if you go when it’s been raining!). The stream comes straight from a warm water spring, where there is a deep warm water rock pool (right in the campsite itself). Sound like paradise? It is. Plus, in the little village of Warmquelle (where you find the access road for Ongogo Waterfalls Campsite), there is a tiny bakery where you can buy fresh bread. We asked the girl there where we can find fresh produce – she told us her aunt has a vegetable garden just up the road. And indeed, it was a wonderful experience. This taught us just to ask… if we hadn’t, we would have to have been happy with tinned food. 

Little tip: the campsite only has 8 sites… ask for campsite number 8 – it’s the best!.

Epupa Falls

Etosha National Park

Etosha is undeniably beautiful – expansive, raw, magnificent. The magic comes especially in the evening when the scorching sun starts to dip, and the animals come to drink at the waterholes. The silence of people waiting expectantly. The delight at seeing even the smallest movements of jackals and porcupines, elephants and rhinos.

The 3 campsites we stayed at were dusty and basic, especially Olifantsrus. But having said that, Olifantsrus had the most beautiful hide to watch the animals from. We all spent most of the day in this cool hide, quietly playing games and looking out for animals. Okaukuejo was a huge tourist trap – it was our least favourite place to stay in Etosha, purely because it was so busy and super expensive. Halali was amazing… it had a beautifully shaded waterhole a small walk away from the campsite. It had a swimming pool which was a lifesaver, and a small shop where you can buy essentials (not fresh produce though).

Overall, Etosha was an amazing experience. But make sure you stock up well and be prepared for the heat!

Tsumeb

We have stayed at a few places for just 1 night but i haven’t really noted them as stops, as they were purely practical… for stocking up, or for fixing the car, or just to break up long distances. However, we simply must recommend a campsite called Kupferquelle, that we stayed at for 1 night in a town called Tsumeb. Besides Tsumeb being a pretty little town, I think we found the campsite specifically lovely because it was the first grass we had camped on in almost 4 weeks. There was tons of shade, an Olympic sized swimming pool (the deep end was 4.2m deep), an affordable restaurant, a small shop selling essentials (including fresh produce). It was something like an oasis after a lot of heat and sand! It was extremely cheap to stay there, and the ablutions were spotless. We would definitely recommend it!

The Caprivi Strip/ Zambezi: Rundu, Divundu, Kongola

It is also known as the mini Okovango Delta in parts. And indeed from our relatively small amount of venturing into game parks around the area, we saw plenty of wildlife. But in and of itself, just camping next to any river along the Caprivi Strip will give you ample access to the most amazing bird life, PLENTY of hippos and crocodiles, and there are often elephants wandering the roadsides.

The specific campsites we went to were Hakusembe Lodge campsite in Rundu, Ngepi in Divundu, Namushasha Lodge campsite in Kongola and Chobe Restcamp by the Ngoma border post. Each one of these campsites were on the banks of a river; the Okovango, Kwando and Chobe, respectively. Hakusembe, Namushasha and Chobe were all Gondwana Lodge campsites which were a pleasure to stay at with access to a swimming pool and well looked after facilities… really amazing places to go for a holiday with opportunities for boat rides etc etc, if you are so inclined. Ngepi was an amazing experience of a campsite – each loo was different and completely open air – yes, I got soaked more than once going for a wee! But an absolutely amazing camping experience in thick forest. 

So all in all, Namibia has been a wonderful experience. And yes, we will definitely be back… perhaps in a different season, just to experience the flip side. But the people of this nation are kind and generous, and they are entirely un-intimidating.

They love where they live. And I can’t say that I blame them.