Namibia (Tips for traveling in Namibia)

Member Name: tomprosser

Product:	Tips for traveling in Namibia
Date:	13/07/09 (11 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: amazing place

Disadvantages: hard to get around without car

Namibia is a beautiful country and a great place to backpack or go on holiday to. It is not the cheapest African country to travel around but is full of dramatic scenery, friendly people and lots to do.

I found Namibia harder to get around without a car than many other African countries. The distances between cities are massive and there was often a very limited choice in bus/coach services. If you can afford it hire a car it would make life easier, although never drive at night as it is incredibly dangerous. We ended up going on an organised tour, they are a great way to see all the attractions and life is made easy because some else is doing the driving, telling you about Namibia and its sights and organising everything. They are very to organise from Windhoek, the capital, and are great value for money.
I would suggest taking camping stuff with you as it can be hard to find cheap accommodation and there are lots of camp sites in awesome locations. It is a great feeling to wake up in the desert and watch the sunrise.
We arrived at Namibia via Zambia and it was an interesting journey to get to and from the Zambia/Namibian border. I would recommend you take the more popular route through Botswana as it would be a lot easier. Although if you like a challenge and are not intimidated about being stranded in the middle of nowhere and having to hail passing Land Rovers then you will love it.
The Namibian people were very friendly and welcoming although it is a very sparsly populated country and it can be heard to meet people outside of the major towns. You can drive for hours and not see another car or person.

Summary: great place to explore