Namibia Travel Guide

Namibia has seen rapid growth in its tourism industry in a relatively short space of time, meaning that accommodation generally lags behind that of its neighbours. For many years, most foreign visitors were holidaying South Africans and, due to this, you will still find that older lodges were set up to cater to this market.

However, in recent years a lot of new properties have opened and many of these are clearly aimed at European visitors. There are also some excellent high-end options, with service and comfort levels to rival similar-priced lodges in neighbouring South Africa. The main challenges that remain are a lack of accommodation in certain areas and a lack of availability in peak season. To tackle the latter, we recommend booking at least a year in advance, when you’re likely to have far more choice.

Flying in Namibia will offer you more scope and take you further afield to remoter places in less time. Flying is a good option if you want to cherry-pick areas of the country to visit or if you don’t enjoy driving long distances. The views from above are spellbinding and the remote locations you find yourself find often feel just as adventurous as if you were driving yourself. However, flying is significantly more expensive, partly due to the size of the country and partly due to the limited number of scheduled light-aircraft flights.

Yes, the northern reaches of the country border the Cubango River and, to the west, there is the Atlantic Ocean feeding incredible lagoon systems. The east almost borders the Okavango Delta and the south of the country is engulfed by the very arid Namib Desert. Hence, the diversity of bird species found throughout Namibia is impressive.

Of the 10 families of birds that are endemic to Africa, seven are found in Namibia. The seasoned birder will enjoy looking for the dune lark, whilst the less avid spotter may delight in the rosy-faced lovebird and the Ruppell’s parrot.

Namibia offers a great range of activities and safari is one of them. Although a desert country, it is not unheard of to see rhinos, wildebeests, zebras, oryx and giraffes in one view. Etosha National Park is the obvious destination. Here, game drives in the park in your own vehicle can be very rewarding, but the concession areas around the park are particularly good for Big Five viewing. The environment is arid and often supplemented by waterholes, meaning it is quite different to elsewhere in Africa but equally rewarding.

Of course, Namibia can also be easily combined with Botswana or South Africa for additional time on safari.

Namibia has a subtropical climate, characterized by hot and dry weather with a little rain along the coast. The dry winter season is between May and October and the coolest months, June and July, bring chilly nights and early mornings. November to March are the wettest months, with the north of the country seeing the most rain.