Namibia can make anyone a landscape photographer, a wildlife enthusiast or an cultural ambassador. The most introvert, an outgoing adventurer. It will feel like being part of a David Attenborough documentary or a traveller in time to a land yet discovered. Adding to this one of the safest countries with the friendliest people on the planet.
A vast and first glance, baron and desert land is a novice's instant opinion. With only 2.5m inhabitants it is one of the least populated countries on Earth. Yet it only takes a small prod and hint to see your eyes opened beyond the emptiness and realise just how full of life Namibia is. From reptiles, antelope, birds, mammals small and large to endless alien looking landscapes ranging from grasslands, mountains as old as the planet itself, sand dunes higher and more ancient than anywhere else to lands scarred by sandy riverbeds that fill for only weeks at a time. Stand in one spot as the sun turns each moment to a new scene, each minute is unique. The sands are red from rubies and iron, and tanzanite skies emblazoned the parched land with Namibian sunshine. That said words cannot describe namibia alone. It is there and meant to be explored.
This guide highlights some of key areas and expectation that are worthy and must do for any visit to the amazing country and only covers a relatively small area. To really enjoy these highlighted areas I would suggest 10-14 days. Although it is possible to do this in a shorter time and add plenty more like the Kalahari, Luderitz, Waterberg Plateau, Spitzkoppe, Epupa Falls, Fish River Canyon, Caprivi strip etc., don't shortcut this amazing country and save some for another return. Once you visit this untouched and beautiful country, take it from me, you will desire to revisit.
Travelling through Namibia
There are many ways to discover Namibia, from guide driven tours, train (I will add a comment on this in the "discover more" section at the end), photographic tours amongst others. For me though as daunting as it may sound for someone, self drive is the way to go. The roads are easy to navigate, the infrastructure is setup well to support, and the benefits of your own pace and schedule. It allows you to enjoy and explore to your hearts desire. Choices of accommodation vary from simple self catering campsites, guest houses, lodges and hotels. Choose your style and comfort based on your budget and requirements. Why not mix and match to experience the wild and the luxury combined. Driving between destinations is part of the experience, watching the colours change with each minute across the plains, mountains or dunes as the landscapes change. Looking for wildlife from springbuck, oryx, bat-eared foxes, the endangered Hartmann's mountain zebra, giraffe or if you are lucky, the desert elephants or cheetah. Most routes have small supermarkets at or in the petrol stations, conveniently placed at the start or end of each segment for all the major areas and destinations. Ideal to stock up on water, snacks and food.
There is nothing like it. Freedom to take the route you want, at your own pace and schedule. The roads are very isolated, even in peak seasons and it is not uncommon to not see another vehicle for several hours. Namibia is a super safe country, the only considerations are the roads can be rough and to be alert for wildlife or corrugation and risk of punctures. A 4x4 is not required for most roads, however do recommend high clearance and SUV type vehicle. Unless you plan to off road or drive in the sands, which 4 wheel drive is a must. Fill up your tank when you come across a petrol station, even if you have half a tank. It is possible a delivery has not reached one you come across, so don't risk it. I once had to do a 250km detour for this very reason. Almost all journeys will start and end in in the country's small and quaint capital, Windhoek. Either picking up your car at the airport, or having it delivered to your first nights hotel. Ensure you pick up a route map, these show where petrol stations are, distances on the roads, and sights / places of interest for those interesting detours. Stock up with water and snacks and ready yourself to enter one of the most beautiful countries in the continent. Many roads have rest areas on the way, with picnic tables and a tree or bush for that "bio break" but you can stop almost anywhere en route to enjoy the beauty of Namibia.
Some simple guidelines to driving in Namibia.
- Stick to the speed limits. Gravel and sand road can be slippery and corrugated. Trust me on this one
- Check your tyres daily and know where your jack is / how to change the tyre
- Fill up with fuel when you see a petrol station don't wait until you are empty
- Carry plenty of water with you
- Do not attempt to drive in the dark (many insurers do not cover driving at night)
- Watch out for wildlife in the roads
- Take plenty of breaks and rests
- Enjoy the journey and experience, landscapes wildlife look for raptors and other birds, wildlife big and small
- If planning to drive off road in a 4x4, ensure you have a shovel and ideally two spare tyres
- Let your next accommodation know your plans, should something go wrong.
- Use the 60km/h rule to gauge driving times. eg 240km will likely take 4 hours to allow for stops and sightings
Sossusvlei
Sossusvlei is for most one, of the "must do" for any visitor to Namibia. The highlight of any Namibian trip is the iconic Deadvlei. 900 year old camelthorn trees, desiccated by the baking sun in a clay pan that dried up centuries ago. Blackened by the sun, and the clay bleached by the light against a backdrop of brilliant blue skies and orange dunes, some of which are the biggest in the world. The vlei is a 60km drive along a tarmac road from the park gates at Sesriem. Gates open at sunrise where, the early light has the most dramatic effect. The drive itself passes some beautiful scenery and dunes, where you may find the highly endemic dune lark, bat-eared foxes and ostrich may grace you with their presence. The dunes are numbered with Dune 45 being one of the highest. If you plan the hike up "Big Daddy", save it for your return, to get the best light at Deadvlei. If you drive yourself, note, there is a carpark 4km before Deadvlei for 2WD vehicles, where transport for a few rand will take you the last stretch. Even for 4WD cars the last stretch is tough and pure soft dry sand. We often see inexperienced drivers digging themselves out here. Finally a small hike by foot about 1km across the sand will get you to the vlei. It is a sight that photo's really do not do enough to describe being able to step on to the vlei and marvel at what nature has created here. Watch as the light changes and the colours and hues of the sand and backdrop change with it. It is truly awesome. Every turn is a postcard photo opportunity here. There are plenty of excursions from your lodges and camps to save you the drive.
Returning look out on the left for the fairy circles...lots of thoughts and rumours on how these natural rings in the ground are formed, but will leave you to determine which theory makes sense for you. Aliens, termites, water...who really knows.
A little footnote - there is a well stocked petrol station close to the park gates at Sesriem
Deadvlei: The most iconic and photographed place in Namibia
There are a number of routes to get to Sesriem - the gateway to Sossusvlei. The best in my opinion is the C26-D1625-D1275 which takes you through the beautiful Spreetshoogt Pass and allows for a rest at Solitare
Activities here are plenty, Sesriem canyon is worth a visit, as are balloon rides over the dunes. Solitaire is a wonderful "tiny town" to stop both on the way in and out of the area. I highly recommend Sossusvlei Lodge for your time here for both location and facilities. There is also a campsite right next door for the more adventurous called Sesriem Campsite.
SWakopmund and Walvis bay
The coastal towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, are where the desert meets the cold Atlantic seas. They both offer another flavour of Africa with strong influence of colonial Germany. As the gateway to the Skeleton Coast and Brandburg areas, an opportunity to relax in the chilled cafe culture of the towns, Explore the local inland and water birding and take to the desert for thrills of adventures from sand boarding quad biking - and my favourite "the desert five" or "living desert".
Definitely stop off at the wonderful and quirky Lemon Tree Cafe in Walvis Bay (next to the tourist information centre) for lunch. Visit the Lagoon for flocks of Flamingo's and pelicans amongst many other wading birds.
Getting here from Sesriem
Driving back to Solitaire, pit stop, and then north on the C14 will take you past the Tropic of Capricon. From here the landscape changes dramatically as you go through the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Look out for foxes and jackals, oryx, klipspringer and the damara dik-dik. Maybe some ostrich and mountain zebras. Heading out of the national park and the landscape flattens. Look out for the quiver trees before a rather bleak and baron landscape reminiscent of the planet mars about 90km from your destination. As you approach Walvis Bay, the sand reappears as the Dorab National Park, a sub area of the great Namib Desert, and springs up in front of you.
The Living Desert.
One of the most surprising things is how much life lives in the seemingly dry baron dunes. From tuc-tuc beetles to dune larks and white morphed trac-trac chats, lizards and rodents. There are a number of operators today that offer great excursions, but Tommy's Living Desert Tour and Chris Nel's Living Desert Tour are the two original guides. They started together, but since have set out on their own. Both I highly recommend.
On this half day tour from Swakopmund, Chris (or Tommy) will take you in to the dunes, where you will experience life and the evolution of the region. If you are lucky you may get close up and personal with the unique inhabitants of this huge landscape of sand. The Namaqua Chameleon, Palmato Gecko, Side-winder snake, Horned adder, shovel-snouted lizard and cart-wheeling spider are some of the endemic beauties found here. A fun drive over the dunes are part of the deal.
As mentioned there are many things to do whilst in the area. A short drive will take you to Welwitschia Plains, a UNESCO world heritage sight that hosts the Welwitschia plant - endemic to Namibia. Visit the moonscapes and head north towards the skeleton coast. Take a scenic flight or helicopter ride over the skeleton coast. Heading 120km north on the skeleton coast, you will find Namibia's and Africa's largest seal colony. Cape fur seals range in the regions of 60,000 to 120,000 depending on the season. The road is the salt road at the start of the skeleton coast trail, but is more that doable in a half day trip from Swakopmund. Passing the salt pans and mines, you may in the early mornings and dusk see brown hyena and black-backed jackals who frequent the area, as well as the cape fur seals themselves. There is a lone lodge - the Cape Cross Lodge close by that does a great lunch - and is also a wonderful place to stay and really be away from it all. Staying a night here will give the best opportunity for the Brown Hyena.
Damaraland - Twyfelfontein and Palmwag
I like to think of this area as the heart of Namibia. Differing geology is rocky and mountainous, a change from the plains and the sand. The deep burnt oranges and formations of the landscape dotted with surprisingly splashes with green, as plants and animals seem to survive on almost nothing. Here is the home of the Himba - a beautiful people and symbol of Namibia. The rare desert adapted elephants wander along with giraffe, springbuck, mountain zebras, oryx, vultures, damara dik-dik, steenbok, cheetah, leopard and klipspringers to name a new I have seen frequent this region. If you are lucky the desert black rhino may make a showing. To the west, Namibias famous desert lions may be found. They have adapted to become successful elephant hunters learning to survive without water for months at a time. Geology and history are steeped in the hills, as one of the most ancient landscapes on Earth, hold thousands of ancient rock carvings and secrets of the endemic himba tribes that have lived here for millennia.
The way to Damaraland
There are a number of options from Swakopmund. The easiest and most scenic is C34 towards Hentiesbaai - this will give you a taste of the salt laid road on the skeleton coast, heading inland on the C35 towards Uis. Take a little time to detour and admire the Brandberg mountain, and area. Here I highly recommend taking the D2139 marked on the map. I have always seen the desert elephants on this stretch of road. Connect to the D2612 to head up to Twfelfontien and join the C39 to continue to Palmwag.
A few alternatives for the braver is continue the C34 to just before Mile 108 and take the D2303 towards the west Brandberg mine and circle the west and southern side of Branberg mountain, on the D2342 back to the C35.
Or continue and drive all the way through the skeleton coast national park and take the C39 just before Torra Bay. This can be a lonesome drive and care should be taken if the salt road is wet from fog, as the surface can be very slippery.
Hidden in Twyfelfontein is the Twyfelfontein Country lodge, blended in to the mountains and makes for an ideal stop for a night and give time to explore the area. The lodge itself sometimes gets visiting elephants and occasionally black Rhino. plenty of bird life reptiles and small mammals like the rock hyrax and dassie-rat are found within the grounds of the lodge. The Twyfelfontein rock carvings are a treat with hundreds of ancient carvings showing maps, travels and wildlife that historically roamed here. visit one of the Himba villages and meet the people that call this place home.
Palmwag, just a few bumpy hours north of Twyfelfontein is a nature reserve and concession of about 400,000 hectares.
Wildlife species in Palmwag include leopard, lion, cheetah, mountain zebra, Angolan giraffe, springbok, kudu, and African desert elephants.
The reserve also has the largest population of south-western black rhinos in Africa, protected by the Save the Rhino Trust.
Palmwag lodge has an attached campsite with excellent facilities, and the lodge itself is wonderfully equipped with great food. Self drive in this reserve is possible but for 4x4 only. Non 4x4 drivers can take game drives (half and full days) through the lodge.
The Palmwag region brings with it a new driving experience as the gravel road gives way to stone and rocks. Not advisable to try this region in a standard car, but a high clearance SUV will be fine. Palmwag lodge has a small oasis with permanent underground water supplies that provide a lush green area with palm trees - that lend to the area's name and the best chance of desert elephant, the older bulls hang in this area. As these images show - you don't have to look hard to find abundance of life almost everywhere in this untouched land.
Etosha - The great white place
Saving the best for last. Etosha is the crown jewel of Namibia and largest national park in the country. Again we see a significant change in landscape and geology as the region flattens with open lands washed white limestone. the centre is a great salt pan, that fills only in the rainy season, and flocks with flamingos and wildlife. In the dry seasons the pan is still a hive of activity providing salt and minerals for the animals that dwell here.
Plenty of waterholes dot the national park, and given lack of shade are nearly always filled with wondrous animals from the Etosha elephants (the tallest in Africa), black and white rhino, black faced impala, lion, leopard and cheetah to name a few. Oryx, zebra, springbuck and giraffe are plentiful, as is a huge array of birdlife from vultures and raptors to the colourful rollers and shrikes. The open plains make it easy to spot larger wildlife and size of the park means even in the busy seasons it seems empty of people and vehicles.
Etosha is a superb national park that allows for self drives and lodge provided game drives. The roads are well marked, along with rest stops, permanent and semi-permanent waterholes. There is a vast array of lodges dotted around the park to suit all budgets and needs.
Coming in from the Anderson gate takes you to Okaukuejo. Here there is a lodge, petrol station, post office, a few restaurants and a supermarket. The real feature though is the floodlit waterhole. Anyone can visit the large waterhole that is frequented by zebra, impala, springbuck, oryx, kudu, jackals hyena to name some - but Elephants are often here along with Rhino, lion and leopard. If you are staying outside the park you must leave before sunset, but a treat for anyone staying at Okaukuejo is the sunset vistors and night visitors, where you can sit 24 hours watching incredible sightings.
To give some indication of scale, entering the Okaukuejo side at sunrise, you may depending on sightings, make Halali around midday. If you are staying near the andersons gate - a single day will allow you to reach the centre before making your way back for sunset. The same if you enter from the Namutoni side. I highly recommend 2-3 days near the Andersons gate, and 2-3 days on Namutoni side to allow the whole park to be explored.
I couldn't finish this piece without a mention of the cheetah. Namibia has more cheetah than any other country in Africa. Despite this they are hard to spot, and more abundant out of the national park. Just need a little luck, keep your eyes peeled and drive slowly.
If time allows heading back to Windhoek from Etosha there are perfect opportunities to see them close up at the Africat Foundation in Okonjima, where both day and overnight visits are available or the Cheetah Conservation Fund located in Otjiwarongo (links at the bottom). Both are highly ethical conservation charities and advocates of of these spotted sprinters.
Thank you
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and hope it gives a taste of certainly one of my favourite places in Africa. I am an independant wildlife photographer and traveller, having visited over 28 countries in the continent over the past 25 years. I have no affiliation or commercial ties to any of the mentioned features or companies in this article.
Further reading and links
- Chris Nel's Living Destert https://www.livingdesertnamibia.com
- Tommy's Tours and Safaris http://www.tommys.iway.na
- Etosha National Park https://www.etoshanationalpark.org
- Namibia travel online planner and guide https://www.wheretostay.na
- Namibia travel online planner and guide http://www.namibian.org
My personal recommended operators
Duma Safaris - Photographic safaris hosted by the talented photographer Bobby-jo https://www.dumasafaris.com.au
Safari365 - Personalised professional travel experts based in Cape Town that can cater for your needs: https://www.safari365.com
Pangolin Photo Safaris - The photographic safari specialists with a houseboat in the Caprivi Strip, bordering Botswana, but also host a very special and unique photographic adventure, as the Pangolin Express offers a very special 13 day by train through this amazing country taking in highlights such as Fish River Canyon, Kolmanskop “Ghost Town”, The Namib Desert, Swakopmund, Spitzkoppe Mountain. https://www.pangolinphoto.com
Credits:
all images ©Joe Knapman Photography Maps ©Google