Namibia Travel Tips – Your Namibia Safari Starts Here!

Why Visit Namibia?

This Namibia travel tips post provides all the information you need to start planning your first Namibia safari. Once you have the basics sorted, read up on my Namibia travel blog.

Southern Africa is possibly my all-time favorite travel destination, and I was blown away by Namibia. If you’re planning your first safari, I recommend South Africa or East Africa (Tanzania or Kenya). These locations have the classic ‘Big 5’ safari experience, and you really can’t beat them for animal density.

However, if you’ve been there, done that, or prefer to self-drive and experience a mix of incredible landscapes and wildlife, then a Namibia safari could well be the place for you. Keep reading these Namibia travel tips for an overview of Namibia activities, transport, accommodation, when to go and how to book.

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Namibia Safari Highlights + Activities

Landscapes

Namibia’s unique desert landscapes set it apart from other African safari destinations. The desert is truly out of this world. It somehow manages to be both barren but incredibly beautiful, and endless but constantly changing. In the desert, you’ll find some of the best scenery in Namibia.

There’s so many options – from the ancient dunes and dead-trees of Sossusvlei to the desert elephants of Damaraland; from the high sand dunes and adventure activities of Swakopmund to the more nuanced beauty of the Kalahari and NamibRand – take your pick!

Animals and Wildlife

A Namibia safari also provides excellent wildlife and game viewing opportunities. While Namibia sometimes gets average reviews for animal viewing, this isn’t entirely fair.

Etosha National Park has to be a close runner up to the premier safari destinations of South Africa and East Africa. You may need to look a little harder than in the Kruger or Serengeti but, as they say, patience is a virtue and good things come to those who wait and all that jazz. Etosha is also less crowded, has surreal pan landscapes, and the best waterhole viewing in Africa.

In fact, we ticked pretty much all the boxes in Namibia! We saw leopards, a cheetah with cubs, lions, rhinos, jackal galore, large elephant herds, giraffes for Africa, all kinds of antelopes and multi-specie processions to the waterholes. (Disclaimer: We have a reputation as lucky animal spotters!). Of the Big 5, Namibia is only missing the buffalo, which I’ve gotta say is the least exciting of the Big 5.

There’s also good game viewing opportunities outside Etosha. Try the Kalahari Desert, Damaraland and private game reserves like Okonjima Nature Reserve and Erindi.

Animal life is a bit sparse in other deserts like the NamibRand. However, you should still spot various antelope, zebra and other creatures like jackals. You’ll find yourself wondering how on earth they survive in the harsh environment.

Hiking Trails in Namibia

While itineraries usually center around Namibia’s desert and safari highlights, there’s plenty to do beyond this. The Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world, one of the most visited sites in Namibia, and home to excellent hiking.

Love hiking? If you’re a hardcore hiker, you can tackle the Fish River Canyon hike. This is a five day 85km hike that can be done during the cool season only (May to September). You also need to carry all your gear and amenities. Check out this guide to hiking the Fish River Canyon.

Want an easier guided hike where you don’t have to carry your own gear and are treated to the full glamping experience? For some of the best Namibia hiking with a guide, try the Tok Tokkie Trails in the NamibRand Nature Reserve, the Trans Kalahari Walk in the Kalahari Desert or the Desert Homestead Lodge to Desert Homestead Outpost walk.

Adventure Activities in Namibia

If you’re into adventure activities and sports, Swakopmund has a range of activities with a desert or ocean twist. Highlights include sand boarding, quad biking, dolphin and whale cruises and horse riding. Swakopomund is a quaint German seaside town backed by rolling dunes, so is also great if you simply want to chill out and relax.

Read More: Discover the best places to visit in Namibia!

How Long to Spend in Namibia

Short answer: As long as you have available!

Slightly longer answer: If you don’t have all the time in the world, aim for two to three weeks to cover one of my suggested Namibia itineraries without rushing. If you want to see both the north and south, one month or longer is recommended.

If you’re on a Namibia self-drive safari tour, make sure you check out distances and driving times in advance. Leave enough time at each destination to see the sites and have a break from driving.

Transport in Namibia 

Namibia is undoubtedly one of the best self-drive destinations in Africa, along with South Africa. While you can do a guided tour or flying safari, there’s something about the freedom of self-driving which is unbeatable. Plus it’s surprisingly easy to self drive Namibia!

Read More: Guide to Self Driving in Namiba for the low-down on road and driving conditions in Namibia.

Namibia Accommodation

Like most African safari destinations, there’s a wide range of accommodation in Namibia to suit most budgets. It’s not really a super-budget backpacker location. However, you can keep costs down by camping and cooking for yourself.

Camping

Camping is popular in Namibia. As well as traditional tents, you can use a ‘pop up’ tent that easily assembles on the roof of your vehicle or out the back of your vehicle. Campsites are frequent, cheap and well-located. They usually have good facilities like bathrooms and cooking facilities. Definitely the adventurous option!

Self–Catering Accommodation

The next step up is self-catering accommodation. You get a room and cater for your own meals using the facilities provided, which usually include the local style BBQ, similar to a braii in South Africa. Like camping, this requires a little planning, as you’ll need to stock up on food when you see stores.

Namibia Lodges

Lodges are the classic luxe safari experience and my personal preference. Most lodges have a common dining and relaxation area with standalone guest rooms. Guest rooms range from thatched huts, to permanent tents (complete with full bathrooms) to more luxurious villas.

When it comes to the level of luxury and inclusions, the sky’s the limit, and you really get what you pay for. Many lodges offer different pricing depending on the meals and activities included. With self-driving, many people opt for DBB (dinner, bed and breakfast), as you can always add on activities and other meals on the ground. Prices can range from a couple of hundred to a couple of thousand a night.

My favourite lodges – Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge, Onguma Tented Camp and Mowani Mountain Lodge

Namibia Weather + Best Time to Visit Nambia

Some parts of Namibia can be visited at any time of the year and the climate varies around the country. However, the best time to visit Namibia is May to October during the dry winter season. May to October is also generally best for Etosha and wildlife viewing. During this time, the skies are clear, days are warm, the vegetation becomes sparser, and the animals congregate around the waterholes as water sources dry up.

Be warned though, nighttime temperatures in winter can get pretty chilly (freezing!) in in the desert, coast and game reserves in June and July. Winds increase in August and the end of the dry season gets hot. The peak season starts on 1 July and most accommodation prices increase from this date.

The summer rains come from November to April. The rains bring beautiful greenery, the occasional flood, and birders. Namibia is a particularly dry country though, and some places can go years without any rainfall. The summer can be prohibitively hot and prevent travel (or at least comfortable travel) to the desert. Sossusvlei can soar beyond 40 degrees Celsius in summer!

I travelled to Namibia in late May / early June to avoid peak prices and the coldest nights. (I haaaaaate the cold!). It was the start of the dry season, so plenty of animals were out and about searching for water. The remaining summer foliage made the landscape much prettier but did mean it was a bit trickier to spot animals if they were hiding in the dense bush.

How To Book a Trip to Namibia

You can book your trip to Namibia either independently online (with separate bookings for your vehicle, each lodge, and any activities) or through a local or international travel agent. If you use a travel agent, you can opt for a guided tour or an independent self-drive tour.

For a Namibia self-drive tour, you work with an agent to set the itinerary and choose accommodation. The agent then makes all the bookings and deals with the local back and forth, and you simply pay the agent the overall price. Simples!

The agents often have good local relationships and can get you the same or a better price than if you book direct. This is because the agent receives the commission from the providers at no extra cost to you. The agent will meet you on arrival with the vehicle and a detailed itinerary. After that, you travel independently, but with the benefit of a local agent to call on for tips or if anything goes wrong.

Namibia Tours & Safaris and the Cardboard Box Travel Shop are good local travel companies. These companies can help with any other Namibia travel tips and information you need to plan the perfect trip. The AF used Namibia Tours & Safaris and they were excellent. Even if you’re not using an agent, both websites provide itinerary ideas and accommodation information. The Cardboard Box has detailed information on accommodation and lodges by area, including facilities, activities, rates, directions and reviews.

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