Rather than running through how wonderful Namibia is, I will outline a few things that I learnt on the trip and which may be useful to someone who is planning a similar trip.

However I will confirm that Namibia is a magnificent country, with vast expanses of open land, stunning landscapes, an abundance of wildlife which may also be spotted outside the national parks and genuinely friendly people, which makes it a great destination.

When planning the trip, it is important to realise that unless you have at least 5 or 6 weeks it is impossible to see it all and therefore a few decisions have to be made. I had only 16 days and so the trip was reduced to the Waterberg Plateau, Etosha National Park, Damaraland, Cape Cross, Sossusvlei and Windhoek which meant missing out on the Fish River Canyon, Luderitz, the Caprivi Strip and Kaokoveld among others.

The all important vehicle, to be honest a 2WD, a red VW Caravelle van in our case, will get you everywhere we went with no problems at all. I would, however, suggest that a fully equipped (that means all the camping gear, including a roof mounted tent) 4WD vehicle will not only provide greater confidence and allow you to be a little more adventurous but it will also increase the flexibility of the trip.

The choice of vehicle will of course also be dependant on whether you wish to camp or not, but as you may guess from the previous statement, I think camping is definitely the best way to travel around Namibia. Why? The added flexibility of not having to follow the schedule of hotel bookings. Maybe combining the two is also a good option as it does ensure that you don’t forget to move on occasionally and guarantees a nice hot shower and a soft bed.

The roads are mostly gravel or salt roads, though they are generally in excellent conditions and a speeds of 100 km/h are quite easy to maintain, however I would recommend that the daily maximum for travelling is 400km as it’s much more tiring than driving on a smooth asphalt road. Also Namibia’s roads are famous for being very straight and very boring, it’s true, so be careful as it is easy to fall asleep at the wheel. Car accidents are the main risk to the tourist.

Plan on staying a minimum of 2 nights in each place or you will feel like you’re missing out.

Etosha National Park is a paradise for nature lovers with thousands of antelope, ranging from the tiny Dik Dik to the huge Eland, plenty of lion and elephant as well as the occasional rhino or leopard. The rules in the park are simple, stay in the car and stay on the roads, which mean that most of the game viewing is done at the waterholes. A little patience is essential as the action has to come to you and not the other way around.

It is early morning and we set out for Goas waterhole, completely devoid of activity, not even another car, 30 minutes go by, still nothing and then a single lioness wanders out from behind some thorn trees, takes a drink and then the quiet is invaded by a deep roar and another, non stop for what seems like an eternity the lioness roars. No more than 5 minutes later two huge male lions appear at the waterhole vying for the lioness; the dispute consists of stares and roars and will continue throughout the day. A little patience paid off.

The animals move around and are attracted to different waterholes at different times of the year, so check out the sightings book at camp and decide where you are heading for the next day. A few favourites were Chudob, Kalkheuwel and Tsumcor from Namutoni, though this last one is noticeably man made, as well as the Dik Dik drive. Rietfontein and Goas were the most active during our stay at Halali. Okaukuejo camp has the most active camp waterhole with regular visits from lion, elephant and rhino, occasionally all at the same time, but the waterholes in this area are the least attractive, with Okondeka in the north being an exception as the views over the pan are spectacular. A drive onto the Pan is also worthwhile; it’s just unbelievably flat and grey.

If you decide to get out of the car to stretch and go to the loo, in one of the designated areas, check the hut before wandering in as you could be an unwanted guest. In my case a spitting cobra was hiding behind the door, well it is their home so I respectfully ran away.

The three camps are all similar, with Okaukuejo being the largest and Halali the smallest; they are all government run and all the prices in the park nearly tripled as of 1st July 2005. Park fees went from N$30 to N$80 per person per day. The restaurant prices also went up significantly from what is published in the guide books but the food quality is still poor. There is however, a shop at each camp where food and wood can be bought so a barbecue (braai is the local term) is an excellent and much cheaper alternative.

Damaraland was the next destination, in search of the desert adapted elephant. The area is very striking with a landscape made out of huge red boulders that are stacked up to look like a series of profiterole pyramids. Between these piles of red rock, run dry river beds, such as the Huab River. It is here that you will find the desert elephants, who have adapted their lifestyle to this harsh environment. Their longer legs and bigger feet help them to traverse the vast distances, up to 70km, on soft sand, necessary to find water.

Cape Cross was a diversion on the way down to Sossusvlei, however a walk along the beach to the seal colony, made up of tens of thousands of Cape Fur seals is a spectacle for the senses, the smell on a hot summer’s day is meant to be unbearable, but on a cooler winter day it is manageable.

The other star activity, if the weather permits, is shark fishing (capture and release) from the beach, getting hooked into one of these will ensure aching arms for a day or two, but a smile that will last even longer.

The petrol station at Solitaire is definitely straight out of a movie set and is a great place to make a pit stop and refuel on some of there succulent apple pie.

The Namib is the oldest desert in the world and also has the highest dunes, making it one of the natural wonders of the world. One of the best ways of appreciating this is to climb to the top of one of the dunes (a hot air balloon trip would be pretty great too) where a sea of sand stretches as far as the eye can see. Dune 45 is the most climbed, but for those who don’t mind working a little harder, walking up the 250m of Big Daddy is a worthwhile effort. From there you can run straight down the dune (1hour to the top, 5 minutes to come down) and straight into Dead Vlei, where some twisted dead camel thorn trees are patiently waiting to have their picture taken.

To get the most from the dunes, stay in the campsite as only those staying at the campsite have permission to enter the park 1 hour before sunrise and it is a full 60km from the gate to the vlei, of which the last 5km require a 4WD. There is a very expensive shuttle service for those who have a 2WD and don’t want to walk.

Temperatures can be extreme, ranging from 7ºC to 45ºC in just a few hours, so clothing is important (various layers of clothes works best).

Camera equipment: A landscape lens (e.g. 24-70mm) and for the wildlife in Etosha take your longest reaching lens (minimum 300mm) and a multiplier will be very useful. A beanbag, a polarizing filter and a bag to change film & lenses in (there is a lot of dust and sand around) are a good idea. Plugs are South African 3 pin and adapters can be bought in Jo’burg and Windhoek airports.

© Text - Charlie Peel