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You are at:Home»Namibia»9+ unique things to do while touring Namibia | travel tips
Namibia

9+ unique things to do while touring Namibia | travel tips

Katja BirrerBy Katja BirrerFebruary 12, 2022211 Mins Read
Sunset over Damaraland rock formations
Sunset over Damaraland
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Recommended route and travel tips for an unforgettable Namibia tour: From the dead trees of Deadvlei to the bizarre rocky landscapes in Damaraland and where the wild animals roam in Etosha National Park.

Here are my tips for an immersive round trip through Namibia, including a suggested itinerary.

Dream Destination Namibia

Boundless savannahs, steppes, bushland, deserts, sand dunes, strange rock formations – and an extraordinarily rich fauna – Namibia is fascinating in lots of ways.

The country is located on Africa’s southwestern coast and is South Africa’s northern neighbor. Namibia is often called the “Land of Red Silence” because of the red sand dunes of the silent Namib Desert.

Dramatic sunset in Ongava
Sunset during a safari

Red is often also the color of the sky at sunset time.

And it is quiet when you are all alone in nature, the lone human beings in a desert expanse. With just over 2.2 million inhabitants on almost 330,000 square miles, Namibia is one of the least densely populated countries in the world.

If you are looking for peace and quiet and appreciate nature, magnificent landscapes and wildlife, Namibia will captivate you from the first moment. Count on it!

Kameldornbäume beim Parkplatz von Düne 45
Sunset with Dune 45

Recommended clockwise itinerary from Windhoek

  1. Wolwedans Dunes Lodge – Paradise in NamibRand Nature Reserve
  2. Sossusvlei: Famous sand dunes and dead trees in Deadvlei
  3. Sesriem Canyon near the Sossusvlei park entrance
  4. Coastal city Swakopmund
  5. Damaraland and a dramatic rock camp
  6. Safari in Ongava Nature reserve
  7. Etosha National Park – where the wild animals rule
  8. Stalking the rhinoceros on foot
  9. Onguma The Fort
  10. Okonjima Bush Camp – eye-to-eye with the big cats

See more useful travel tips at the bottom of the page.

Wolwedans Lodge – Paradise in the NamibRand Nature Reserve

Mountain View Suite
Mountain View Suite at Wolwedans Dunes Lodge

The NamibRand Nature Reserve covers nearly 500,000 acres, making it one of the largest private reserves in southern Africa.

It borders the Namib Naukluft Park to the west and is located about 38 miles south of the famous Sossusvlei dunes with their dead trees.

The unique attraction of NamibRand resides in the varied desert landscapes

Safari-Jeep von Wilderness Safaris im Sonnenuntergang des Naukluft Mountain Zebra Park
Safari Jeep by Wilderness Safaris in Naukluft Mountain Zebra Park

We stayed in the Mountain View Suite of Wolwedans Dunes Lodge from which we enjoyed the magical view of the vast landscape with the mountains, the red dunes, the yellow grass steppe, and the green bushes.

Especially sunrise and sunset bathe the surroundings in an incredible play of colors. Access all info on Wolwedans Lodge here.

Hartmann Zebras in Wolwedans
Landschaft NamibRand
Wolwedans
Einsamer Baum in Wolwedans
Sundowner in Namibia's NamibRand
Mountain View Suite

Back to the list of attractions

Famous sand dunes and dead trees in Deadvlei

The “Sossusvlei” valley is world-famous for its spectacular sand dunes and the dead trees of the “Valley of Death” (Deadvlei).

In my opinion, Sossusvlei and Deadvlei belong absolutely in the Namibia tour. Why? Find out in these travel tips.

Tote Bäume des Deadvlei
9+ unique things to do while touring Namibia | travel tips 1 | travel memo
Walter fotografiert tote Bäume als gäbe es kein Morgen
Tote Bäume des Deadvlei
Sanddünen am Ende des Tales Sossusvlei
Sand dunes where the Sossusvlei valley ends

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Sesriem Canyon near the Sossusvlei Park entrance

While in Sossusvlei, you can go on a little hike in Sesriem Canyon – a barely 2-mile long gorge carved by the river Tschaub up to 30 meters deep into the rock.

As a place to stay in Sossusvlei, I recommend Little Kulala Camp  (see our review).  It is considered a flagship camp of the award-winning Wilderness Safaris operator.

Sesriem Canyon
Sesriem Canyon
Sesriem-Canyon in Sossusvlei
Sesriem Canyon in Sossusvlei

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Coastal city Swakopmund

Let’s be clear – we were not all that crazy about Swakopmund.

And yet the coastal town on the Atlantic is on practically every Namibian itinerary. This is because it is an ideal starting point for exploring northwestern Namibia.

In addition, the town of Walvis Bay, located about 20 miles south of Swakopmund, offers numerous excursion options, including desert, boat, and catamaran tours.

They let you observe colossal whales, dolphins, playful seals, slightly clumsy pelicans, and the ever cheeky seagulls.

Delphine vor Wolvis Bay
Dolphins outside Walvis Bay
9+ unique things to do while touring Namibia | travel tips 2 | travel memo
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Surfende Delphine in der Bugwelle
Dolphins surfing on the bow wave

Back to the list of attractions

Damaraland and a dramatic rock camp

Damaraland is located in the northwest of Namibia and stretches between the Ugab and Huab rivers.

With its steppe desert and craggy rock formations, the landscape is one of the most fascinating attractions in Namibia. In addition, you will find here the Twyfelfontein rock paintings.

Twyfelfontein is considered one of the most important sites of African rock engravings and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007.

In Damaraland, we stayed at the indescribably beautiful Mowani Mountain Camp and had all kinds of adventures while there!

To read all about one of the most gorgeous sunsets and how our safari jeep got stuck in a swamp, check out our travel report.

Parasols by the pool
Large-leaved Sterculia against blue sky
White tree in Damaraland sunset
Sunset view from Mowani Mountain Camp

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Safari in Ongava Nature Reserve

The Ongava Private Game Reserve is rated one of the largest and best private game reserves in Namibia. It lies right by Anderson Gate, the southern gateway to Etosha National Park.

On 75,000 acres roam elephants, lions, giraffes, white and black rhinos, various antelopes, and numerous bird species cavort

You can read all about our encounters with snarky elephants and cute lion cubs as well as tips on the luxurious Ongava Lodge here in this safari report.

Elefanten
Elephant at an Ongava water hole
Löwenmutter mit ihren Jungen
Lion mothers with cubs

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Etosha National Park – where the wild animals roam

A visit to Etosha National Park is not to be missed on any Namibia tour: It is rare to see so many animals in one place.

Enjoy the safari highlight, especially since you can drive yourself through the park!

Check out our visiting tips for Etosha National Park here.

Etosha Nationalpark Namibia
Zebra herd crossing a gravel road in Etosha National Park
Elefantenherde beim Wasserloch Goas
Elephant herd at the Goas waterhole
Etosha-Pfanne Namibia
Etosha Nationalpark Namibia

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Stalking the rhinoceros on foot

Going on safari in the African bush is best done in an open safari jeep. In Namibia, they typically rely on large Toyota Land Cruisers with a sun canopy.

But if you want to see reclusive rhinos up close, go on a foot safari. You can follow our nerve-wracking rhinoceros stalk in this walking safari report.

Safari in Namibia
These are white rhinos. Black rhinos are to be avoided at all costs!
Safari
Stalking the rhinoceros from as close as prudent

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Onguma The Fort

Onguma The Fort is one of the private luxury camps that are located outside the Etosha National Park’s gates.

The camp’s buildings are modeled after a Moroccan fort. It has suites accessorized with four-poster canopy beds. Dreamy accommodations!

Here is our picture gallery from these luxury digs.

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Back to the list of attractions

Okonjima Bush Camp – eye to eye with the big cats

Okonjima is an 80 mile² nature reserve, located halfway between Windhoek and Etosha National Park.

This private game reserve is known for its big cats like leopards and cheetahs

This is the Okonjima Bush Camp and here is the tale of our eye-to-eye encounter on a leopard safari.

Bungalow mit offenem Sitting-Room im Hintergrund
Okonjima Bush Camp
Leopard
Leopard Mawenzi in Okonjima

Back to the list of attractions

Namibia travel tips

  1. Go it alone or guided tour?
  2. Lodgings in Namibia: from basic to luxurious
  3. The best time for touring Namibia
  4. Flying to Namibia
  5. Book your Namibia tour yourself or use a travel agency?

Namibia: Go it alone or guided tour?

You can readily explore Namibia on your own in a rental car.

You will be best off renting a comfortable 4×4 off-road vehicle for navigating on what you will find are mostly gravel roads.

Also, be prepared for driving very long distances. We had put nearly 940 miles (1,500 km) on the odometer by the time we finished the tour described in this post.

Walter has put together a few tips in this article on how best to conquer Namibian gravel roads. And where you must plan to fill your gas tank!

Toyota Fortuner 4x4
Big SUVs like the Toyota Fortuner are ideally suited for the gravel roads of uneven quality
9+ unique things to do while touring Namibia | travel tips 12 | travel memo
Not another car as far as the eye can see!

The lodges and camps offer guided activities, including excursions to the nature reserves and game drives with an experienced guide.

That means you basically drive the routes between lodgings yourself without any problems.

Of course, you can also book a fly-in safari, so you don’t have to cover such long distances by car.

A flight also offers a great opportunity to enjoy a bird’s eye view of Namibia. Therefore, we recommend a tour combining a fly-in safari and a self-drive tour.

Flug über NamibRand
The view on the flight to Wolwedans
Katja und Walter vor dem Abflug
Walter and Katja before boarding their flight from Windhoek Eros to NamibRand
Re the luggage: There were six more people on the flight ;-)

Lodgings in Namibia

From simple to luxurious: You will find beautiful accommodations everywhere on your Namibia tour.

In many nature reserves, the lodges or camps also offer several options in different price ranges.

The lodges mentioned in our reports are among the best and most luxurious in Namibia.

Of course, all this comes with a price tag. But since we booked this Namibia trip for my 50th birthday, we lived it up. A woman only turns 50 once ;-)

You can also book stays for the entire tour in more basic camps – or if you are the rugged type, you can also make do with a safari jeep with an attachable roof tent.

9+ unique things to do while touring Namibia | travel tips 13 | travel memo
Airy lounge in Onguma The Fort
Jakes und Katja im Little Kulala Camp
Little Kulala Camp

The best time for touring Namibia

Namibia is a year-round destination. However, different experiences dominate depending on the season.

The best time to travel is from June to October. This is the high season in Namibia.

Booking early is usually the key to successful travel planning at this time of year! Normally – that is, when Corona isn’t just turning everything upside down.

We were originally scheduled to fly to Namibia in September 2020 and had booked this trip a year(!) in advance.

During the June to October high season, temperatures hover in the high 70’s (mid-20’s Centigrade) during the day. At night, however, the temperatures drop sharply, sometimes down to freezing. Here the classical “peel the onion” layering principle proves itself when dressing!

The months of August to October are particularly well-suited for safaris, as this is the absolute dry season in Namibia.

In the national parks, such as Etosha, during the dry season, the animals seek out the few remaining waterholes. Thus, you are guaranteed plenty of wildlife sightings.

But also during the rainy season (November to March) is Namibia said to be fascinating because during this time nature’s color palette is even more spectacular with the landscape in bloom.

On the downside, that time of year can also be extremely hot. And be prepared for the occasional cloud bursts.

Flying to Namibia

Hosea Kutako International Airport is located 30 miles east of Windhoek. Several airlines have service from Europe to Windhoek – some via Johannesburg or with nonstop flights.

We took Swiss/Lufthansa respectively Eurowings from Zurich via Frankfurt to Windhoek. The Frankfurt – Windhoek leg took about 11 hours and was a night flight in our case.

Book your own Namibia tour or use a travel agent?

Quite often, we are used to booking our own trips, especially to European destinations.

But if you want to combine Namibia tours with stays in small lodges and transfers in small planes, it quickly becomes quite complicated.

Through one of Walter’s acquaintances, we found out about Rhino Africa. It is one of the leading tour operators in southern Africa known for customized tours and top-notch advice.

We heartily recommend Rhino Africa! (We paid for our trip and receive nothing for our endorsement) ;-)

The personal advice, as well as the online service, were terrific! We want to take this opportunity to once more send a big thank-you to Saskia Van Dalen. She very patiently – especially because of Corona – rebooked or changed our trip and always kept us in the loop on Corona developments in Namibia before we took off.

Bon voyage, enjoy your Namibia trip!

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Katja Birrer
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Katja is travelmemo.com’s destination research and booking expert. She always has the upper hand on itineraries and travel details. When not on the road, Katja is a corporate communications manager.

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2 Comments

  1. Ryan Anderson on March 1, 2022 4:40 AM

    Those pictures are gorgeous, I have been few countries in Africa but never been to Nambia. I was curious are those photos taken by you or are they just stock images?

    Reply
    • Walter Schaerer on March 1, 2022 10:52 AM

      Yes, Africa is amazing!

      All photos are ours. We shoot on DSLR, smartphones, GoPro and a drone.

      Reply
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