Hi everyone. I’m heading to Namibia in October and slowly planning my trip. I’ll be spending 2.5 days in the park and was wondering how to organize things to get the most out of Etosha. Routes, wildlife spots, campsites... knowing I’ll be in a 4x4 with a rooftop tent. Thanks in advance for your great tips!

Hello, what’s the best road map? How reliable are GPS devices, and what downloads do you recommend before departure in case Wi-Fi isn’t available?

Hi there, I’m planning a trip with my three teens in a 4x4 with rooftop tents in July 2025 and would love your thoughts on my itinerary (still a draft). Day 1: Windhoek Day 2: Keetmanshoop Day 3-5: Fish River Canyon Day 6: FRC stop in Mariental Day 7: Mariental to Sesriem Day 8-10: Sesriem, then depart for Swakopmund Day 11-12: Swakopmund Day 13-14: Spitzkoppe Day 15-16: Twyfelfontein Day 17: Stop in Outjo Day 18-20: Etosha Day 21: Waterberg Day 22: Waterberg to Windhoek Day 23: Afternoon flight

Thanks so much for your help! Anne Claire

Hi there, Could you give me an idea of the price for a taxi from Windhoek International Airport to Windhoek for two people? Is it necessary to book in advance, or are there enough taxis available at the airport? Thanks! !

I'm looking for a local guide to visit a Himba village near Opuwo in a respectful way. There’ll be two of us (my wife and I) with a car starting from Opuwo. If anyone has a contact—or even better, several contacts—for local guides to arrange this visit, thanks a million! Bernard

Hi there, we’re planning a trip to Namibia this summer and we’d love to know if it’s possible to get around without our own vehicle? Thanks.

Hello, Namibia in April for 11 days from the 10th to the 21st with 2 adults and 3 (our son from the 16th to the 21st). We’re looking to combine 2 short circuits for this brief stay. Should we book a vehicle and accommodation through an agency?

We’re used to traveling independently, but we’re hesitant about Namibia! Any recommendations for vehicle rental sites? And agencies?

We’re planning two short circuits—partly with accommodation and partly with camping. Thanks for sharing your experience!

We’re flying from Cape Town to Windhoek on the 10th and returning on the 21st or 22nd. Marie

Hi, I'm planning to reach Epupa Falls from Purros via Orupembe D3707 or another route (?) and the Hartmann Valley. Is it possible to get to Epupa from Etambura camp with just one 4x4? Thanks in advance

Hi there, I’m sharing my itinerary for your expert eyes and feedback. Quick question: Is it worth cutting a few nights to visit Epupa Falls? Would it be interesting to stop by Aus before Sesriem? Thanks everyone!

Day 1: Windhoek Day 2: Mariental Day 3: Sesriem Day 4: Sesriem Day 5: Gecko Camp Day 6: Walvis Bay / Swakopmund Day 7: Walvis Bay / Swakopmund Day 8: Spitzkoppe Day 9: Twyfelfontein Day 10: Twyfelfontein Day 11: Grootberg Day 12: Grootberg Day 13: Etosha West Day 14: Etosha West Day 15: Etosha East Day 16: Etosha East Day 17: Weaver’s Rock Guest Farm (CCF & Waterberg, rhinos) Day 18: Weaver’s Rock Guest Farm Day 19: Okonjima Day 20: Windhoek – evening departure

Hello, We’re a couple in our seventies planning a 12-day trip to Namibia this coming September. We have a Visa Premier card. In your opinion, should we take out additional travel insurance like Europ Assistance or Chapka? We don’t want to repeat our bad experience in 2020: we’d taken out insurance with Allianz (over 500 € for 11 days). Our trip to Botswana was canceled due to COVID-19, and they were quick to cite the "epidemic" exclusion to refuse reimbursement. Just to clarify: the flights will be with Lufthansa, departing from Luxembourg. Thanks in advance to anyone who can give us some advice!

Hi everyone, I’m heading to Namibia from March 20 to April 7 (Kalahari, Tok Tokkie Trail, Sossusvlei, Spitzkoppe, Twyfelfontein, and Etosha). I was wondering if the rainy season has started and whether it’s expected to be heavy?

Also, if anyone has traveled there during this period, I’d love to hear about your experience. Thanks in advance!

Hi there,

We’re two women heading to Namibia in late January / early February for 17 days. We’ll be renting a 4x4 and mixing up our accommodation (camping / hostels). We’re looking for two more travelers to join us. Adventurous spirits, positive vibes, and good humor welcome!

Hi everyone, Could you clarify what type of driving license is required in Namibia? I don’t have enough time to apply for an international driving permit, unfortunately. The processing time is way too long—5 months! From what I’ve heard, a French license with an English translation should be enough? Is that correct, and if so, who needs to certify the translation? Thanks a lot, and have a great day! Frédéric

Hi everyone, I’d like to book 2 nights at a camp inside Etosha (Halali). However, online, I’ve found two sites for making this reservation: The first is the Etosha National Park site: https://etoshanationalpark.co.za You can’t pay online there—you just submit a reservation request (enquiry). The second is the NWR (Namibia Wildlife Resorts) site: https://www.nwr.com.na, where you *can* pay online. Is the latter one reliable? Thanks so much for your tips! Frédéric

Hi everyone, I’m planning to do the Sesriem–Etosha trip via Windhoek in a single day. I know... it’s really long... I plan to leave early in the morning... before 8 a.m. at any rate... I know the Sesriem–Windhoek stretch via Solitaire is entirely on dirt roads... What do you think? Have a great day

Hi there,

I’m a private individual with a 4x4 in Namibia (Toyota Landcruiser). I’d like to sell it to a European for payment in euros via a European bank account. Could anyone give me some tips on how to find interested buyers locally?

This three-week trip to Namibia was a big first for us: - Visiting a country in winter, for someone who starts feeling comfortable at 25°C (77°F). - Camping, when we usually feel at home in a starred hotel. - Sleeping on the roof of a car—what an idea... when a comfy bed is waiting just a bit further. - Grocery shopping, cooking, doing the dishes... all the things we usually avoid to fully enjoy our vacation. - Washing up when and how we can, when we can’t imagine going a day without a shower. - Driving a big 4x4 on the left, with a manual transmission, when we usually opt for an automatic for more comfort.

Yep! You guessed it—we stepped way out of our comfort zone during this trip.

I had quite a few doubts while planning this adventure, but the more I read travel journals about Namibia, the more I wanted to go.

Personally, without this forum, I never would’ve dared to hit the Namibian roads in a 4x4. I was really anxious during the planning, so I want to thank everyone who contributed with their journals and forum discussions for helping me leave more peacefully.

At first, I wasn’t even considering sleeping in a tent. But after my husband’s persuasion—and my own curiosity to experience what I’d read in those travel journals—I gave in. So off we went in a double-cab Hilux with a rooftop tent.

And of course, let’s talk about me—the big cold-weather wimp. One of the biggest pre-trip challenges was choosing a sleeping bag. After a while, sleeping bags had no more secrets for me: temperature ratings (comfort, limit, extreme), shapes (mummy, rectangular), fillings (synthetic, down), compression rate, and weight... all these factors were a real puzzle. In the end, to make sure I wouldn’t be put off camping in winter (Australian winter, mind you), I went for a sleeping bag with a comfort rating of -10°C. And just to be *extra* sure I wouldn’t get cold, I bought a liner (never knew what that was before) in Thermolite, which boosts the sleeping bag’s temperature by 11°C. There are liners that add up to 15°C, but let’s not exaggerate—we’re not heading to the North Pole! My husband, on the other hand, got a sleeping bag with a -5°C comfort rating and a silk liner.

Was it enough? You’ll find out soon. In the meantime, another big thank you to everyone who helped me make this choice with their advice and experience.

Over a year in advance, we planned a three-week itinerary for our first trip to Namibia—classic route, nothing too out there. We chose to do the circuit clockwise because we wanted to finish on a high note in Etosha and its wildlife. They say it’s like Noah’s Ark out there! And why not, the cherry on top... some big cats.

We used Tourmaline’s services to book our accommodations and the 4x4.

Here’s our planned itinerary with campsites and lodgings—yes, there are a few solid roofs in there; we didn’t want to push it too far.

Day 1: Windhoek – Windhoek Gardens Guesthouse Day 2: Kalahari Anib Campsite Day 3: Namibrand Family Hideout Day 4: Sesriem Camp Day 5: Sesriem Camp Day 6: Rostock Ritz Camp Day 7: Swakopmund - Sea Breeze Guesthouse Day 8: Swakopmund - Sea Breeze Guesthouse Day 9: Spitzkoppe Camp Tented Day 10: Brandberg White Lady Campsite Day 11: Grootberg Lodge Day 12: Opuwo Country Campsite Day 13: Epupa Camp Day 14: Hobatere Lodge Day 15: Etosha Olifantsrus Camp Day 16: Etosha Okaukuejo Camp Day 17: Etosha Halali Camp Day 18: Etosha Namutoni Camp Day 19: Cheetah Eco Lodge Day 20: Windhoek – Londiningi B&B



Alright! Are you ready to follow this adventure with us in our Hilux?

It seems like it's hard to find the book *Compagnon de Safari*, which is a guide to the wildlife of Namibia and Botswana. Actually, you can order it directly from the author, Caroline Oriol. http://guide-faune.voyage-namibie.fr/

It’s quick—you’ll get it by mail in 2 days! !

Hi everyone!

I’m looking for a French-speaking local guide for July 2019. Would anyone have a contact there? No tour operators, please.

Thanks in advance!

Hi, I need to pay my local tour operator and I'm about to make an international transfer online. Have you heard of TransferWise, which claims to be safe and cheaper in fees? Otherwise, what would you recommend? Thanks in advance. Best regards

Hello to all travel lovers! I'm leaving for several weeks to accompany groups in Namibia (I'm over the moon). It's a country I know because I've already spent three months there. I'll be talking about culture, geography, history... but I'd also like to see my "clients" touched by the wildlife, maybe more specifically the birds. Unfortunately, I'm a lousy ornithologist. :-p So, if you could recommend a book on the world of birds we're about to see, that would be... awesome! For those who are on the same journey as me and to avoid duplicates, here are the ones I've found (but haven't bought yet): - *Compagnon de safari* by Oriol (2003) ?? - *Les oiseaux de l'ouest africain* by Serle and Morel (2005) ?? - *Guide des mammifères d'Afrique* by Kingdom (2013) ?? (No, birds aren't mammals!!) - And then... that's not much 😕 Haven't found anything specific to Namibia. So there you go, thank you all, and I wish you a very happy journey too!

I rarely post on the forum, but I've talked (well... written) a lot. Thanks for your attention! :-)

Nathaniel. (For those interested, I could share the link to photos from my previous trips.)

Beace!

For the kids and/or for us, do you have any good book recommendations for identifying and learning about the animals of Namibia (or Southern Africa)?

Hello, I’m looking for Richard Sibanga (Masule), who is of Namibian origin. He lives in Windhoek and is likely a high school teacher. He earned a master’s degree in geography from the Sorbonne and Paris 10 (Nanterre) in France around 1996 and 1997. I’d be incredibly grateful if anyone with news of him could contact me as soon as possible, since I haven’t heard from him since 2010.

Hi,

Could someone recommend a good book to help me recognize the animals I’ll come across in Namibia???

Thanks in advance! Tit&Lou

Departure planned for September 16, 2008!!

Hi, I’m planning a trip to Namibia for 3 weeks in November: should I take malaria prophylaxis, which medication, when to take it, and are there any side effects? At the end of my trip, I’ll spend 5 days up north near the Angolan border and in Etosha National Park. Thanks for sharing your travel tips and advice! Martine

Hi there,

I’m planning a potential trip to Namibia for a classic circuit in April 2027.

I’m surprised by how expensive the accommodations inside the parks are—really steep! Is it possible to stay outside the parks but still close enough to enjoy the game drives?

Do you have any recommendations for more reasonably priced lodging? I’m okay with spending 200 to 250 € per night.

No camping—the friend I’m traveling with absolutely refuses 😉, but maybe upgraded tents would work.

Thanks in advance, and have a great evening! !

hi

Question: we’re doing a 3-week trip in Namibia, including 5 days for Victoria Falls. I’ve booked one night in Brandberg, and then I have some questions. I was thinking of spending 2 nights in Palmwag, then heading to Etosha for one night in Okaukuejo and then 2 nights in Halali. Alternatively, from Brandberg, I could book a night near Galton Gate and then enter Etosha. I’m not really sure about the distances, especially with a 4x4. Same for the return trip: Halali to Windhoek seems long. Maybe it’d be smart to break it up on the way back? (We have 2 days to get back if needed.) If so, where?

Thanks for your tips and feedback!

Rachel

April 11 – Day 1

It was winter, a winter with beautiful weather, A season that only exists in the southwest of America, I remember very well what I told you that morning A month ago... A century ago, an eternity ago... We’ll go... wherever you want, whenever you want...

Well, yeah, back from our adventure in our enchanting American West just a month ago, we’re already taking a bite out of one of its lesser-known competitors. "Flo, if you had to pick just one reason to justify your love for the U.S., what would it be?" The greasy, dripping burgers? No, I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying it’d be the wide-open spaces... And that’s exactly what our new quest is taking us to—a land on the other side of the globe where the horizon also seems endless, where silence tastes like salty wind and sand, where freedom is measured in kilometers of desert tracks, where the GPS is mostly there to confirm you’re lost in the middle of nowhere... Add to that magic formula the fact that you’ll see more zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, and elephants than people per square kilometer, and you can imagine us setting foot in Southern Africa for the first time, more precisely at the small airport in Windhoek, capital of... of...? Brush up on your geography, damn it! We’re landing in Namibia!!!



To be honest, Namibian landscapes have been flirting with me for ages. So how did I resist this island of temptation for so long? First, the budget. Let’s just say that for the same amount of effort (and kidneys), the bank lets you choose two other adventures almost anywhere else on the planet. Then there were my girls. Yeah, back then, they were too little to dose up on Malarone, the only malaria remedy at the time... Long story short, ten years later, all the planets have aligned. First, I won the Euromillions! Well, almost... Let’s just say my girls are now old enough... not to take Malarone, but to stop following me on all my adventures! Jackpot! "Flo, how about a little two-person caprice, just the two of us, tackling the Namibian tracks?"



As we landed on the runway, first wow effect: The horizon is immense. It’s flat as can be, incredibly flat... So much flat space! Did I mention it was flat?... Looking into the distance, it feels like your gaze could circle the Earth without hitting a single obstacle—until you end up staring at your own backside. "Oh, what a nice view!" Well, it’s the first time I’ve seen my butt from this angle! Touching moment... Sorry, I’m rambling—must be the exhaustion from the three-flight marathon we just powered through via Ethiopia and South Africa... And yet, no time to philosophize about my anatomy. As usual, we want to rack up our first kilometers to be front and center at dawn tomorrow. After wrapping up the tedious Namibian immigration formalities and meeting the 4x4 that’ll be our companion day and night for the next fifteen days, we’re off! We’re not exactly fresh, but we’re ready to tackle the next five hundred kilometers in night mode, cruise control set due south! Just outside Windhoek, the local wildlife—a jackal—welcomes us with a smile: "Welcome to Namibia!" That’s what it said! Honest... Okay, first endless straight road, first flaming sunset, first corrugated dirt track, first Milky Way with zero light pollution... You get it—it’s definitely the day of firsts... First night camping, too, in the big trunk of our Toyota Fortuner parked by the side of the track... The real adventure, the kind that smells under the arms, can finally begin...

I’d like to visit Namibia by car and camping around February 8 to March 2, 2027. Right now, I’m planning a route that covers all the main spots (desert, national parks, dunes, etc.). My dates are flexible by a few days. About me: I’m 63, in great shape, and I’ve always traveled solo or in groups.

Retired couple (75 years old) looking for another couple to travel as a group of four to Japan, Namibia, or Brazil in 2026 or 2027. For Japan, someone who speaks Japanese would be ideal. Three-week tour staying in hotels.