Summary:
For several years, after South Africa, we had been dreaming of Namibia.
Namibia truly lived up to all its promises. We returned enchanted by the diversity of its landscapes, even though they remain desert-like, by the multitude of animals we encountered, and by the kindness and helpfulness of its people.
What we loved the most:
I’d say practically everything... but I’ll still give you five places, not in order of preference because I couldn’t decide.
- Namibrand, even though it was the coldest place we experienced, that feeling of being alone in the world. We only regretted not staying there for two nights.
- The Sossusvlei site with the climb up Big Daddy and the crossing of Dead Vlei, even though it was crowded—it’s magnificent. With the dune flyover, you really grasp the immensity of the site.
- In Swakopmund, the combined catamaran in the morning and 4x4 in the afternoon—a very interesting and varied day.
- Grootberg’s view over the canyon—a wonderful surprise. We regretted not staying there for two days.
- Etosha, especially the western part where we saw incredible wildlife scenes at the waterholes. I had dreamed of it so much—I was truly fulfilled.
What we liked the least:
- The drive up to Epupa Falls was really tough, and the crossing through Opuwo was the only place where we really didn’t feel at ease.
- The dust was very bothersome for me—it gets everywhere, and I had a constant feeling of being dirty.
- The "Namibian massages," as the Namibians themselves call them, on the corrugated gravel roads. If you have back problems, it can be really painful.
And what about camping!
I think it’s still the best way to visit Namibia, even though staying in lodges is also doable (isn’t that right, Jean Luc?), except for Namibrand.
It requires good organization, and honestly, I didn’t think we’d manage so well for a first time.
What bothered us was the inertia it created, especially in the mornings and evenings—setting up the tent, preparing meals, doing the dishes... it’s quite demanding, and you really need to factor that into your itinerary.
We could have eaten at the camp lodges, but we had bought plenty of supplies and wanted to play the game to the fullest.
At the start of the trip, it took us 2 hours from waking up to leaving. By the end, we had it down to 1 hour—we each had our tasks, and the same went for the evenings.
On the other hand, we slept really well in the tent. Thankfully, we brought sleeping bags and technical underwear because the first nights in the desert were particularly cold. Later, in the north, we even got too hot.
If we were to do it again,
We would have stayed in lodges at Etosha for Okaukuejo and Halali because when we arrived in the early afternoon to relax, it was very hot with no shade. It was a bit tough.
As for the direction of the circuit, we chose it this way because we wanted to see the animals in increasing numbers—we were more than satisfied. The appeal of seeing an oryx on the dunes at Sossusvlei or Namibrand would have been less.
For the different stages, we wouldn’t change anything except the drive up to Epupa, which would have allowed us to spend two nights at Namibrand and two nights at Grootberg.
And now,
We can’t wait to go back. We want to go as far as Fish River Canyon in the south but especially to the Caprivi Strip up to Victoria Falls and take the opportunity to explore Botswana with the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park.
Just that alone would require two trips—oh, and I almost forgot the Kalahari and so many other places!
I think we’ll be coming back to Southern Africa many more times, even though other destinations tempt us a lot.
I can never thank you enough for helping me prepare for this trip, which, without you, wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.
These three weeks left a deep impression on us. More than a month after our return, Namibia is still very much on our minds. Of course, writing this travel journal doesn’t help either. But even my husband, who’s back to working nonstop as usual, still talks to me about it every day.
