Namibia has been our bucket list destination for a long time! The deep orange and red dunes of Namib-Naukluft National Park, driving in a real life wildlife documentary and a 4x4 were a few ingredients we needed for an unforgettable roadtrip. Roadtrips are often underrated but we really like them because it gives you a sense of freedom. Add a rooftop tent, fridge, and camping equipment to the mix and you're basically self sufficient. We're not seasoned campers so we didn't quite know what to expect, if you're not big on camping this might be just the blog to read! We will be sharing our top tips to convince you that this is truly the best way to explore Namibia.
Namibia is located in Southern Africa, with the Atlantic Ocean on the west, Angola and Zambia to the North, Botswana to the East and South Africa to the East and South. We decided to stay in Namibia for two weeks but you can easily combine it with one of the neighbouring countries.
Good to know:
Official language: English. German, Afrikaans and Oshiwambo dialects are also spoken.
Currency: Namibian Dollar (NAD)
Foreign credit cards are accepted at big supermarket chains like Superspar, gas stations and most accommodation. However, we would recommend carrying cash on you as not all supermarkets, gas stations and camping sites accept card payment. For good currency exchange rates, we use Wise. It works as a debit card and you can transfer your local currency into the account. You can request a physical card or only use the digital one via Apple/Android Pay. Feel free to use our referral code.
Namibia has a population of approx. 3 million people making it a very sparsely populated country. Windhoek is the capital with about and has a population of 494,000.
If you're travelling from Europe, Discover airlines (owned by Lufthansa) operates direct flights to Windhoek from Dusseldorf. We flew from from Brussels to Dusseldorf and would definitely recommend this route.
The best way to travel around Namibia is by car. There are many car rental companies that offer a fully kitted out 4x4. Ours is from Safari Car Rental but we saw cars from Africa on Wheels, Avis, Africar and imagine the pricing is similar (in our case rental through Safari Car Rental for 13 days including full insurance with 100 euros excess cost was 1516 EUR).
Best season to visit Namibia is during the dry season from May to September but this also makes it the busiest and most expensive time to travel. We were there end of April to beginning of May and reserved the car, camp sites and accommodation 6 months in advance. Even at that point, some places and companies were already sold out.
Experience > expectations, remember that this is Africa and you can read all the blogs you want but chances are that by the time you visit certain rules, times, prices will have changed and you're going to have to go with the flow.
Safety concerns: please note that this is purely based on our opinion and experience. When we were briefed on our rental car, we were told by the locals that it's pretty safe in Namibia. They warned us about always making sure our car is locked and not leaving anything on the back seats in full view.
Tipping culture: we advise to carry some small notes/coins on you. Pretty much anywhere you will go there will be people offering to help you carry your groceries, bring your shopping cart back, watch your car, when you go to the petrol station you may need to pay for the toilets and often when you fuel the car they wash your windows.
Top sites to visit:
Etosha National Park
Spitzkoppe
Swakopmund
Dune 7
Pelican Point
Sossusvlei (Namib-Naukluft National Park)
Visrivier (Fish River) Canyon
Packing list:
Due to the nature of the trip (and quite an extensive packing list), we may post a separate blogpost to go through the essentials needed for your safari trip.
Key items:
Headlamps
Earplugs
Powerbank
Sunscreen
Mosquito spray
Binoculars
Coffee set (aeropress, stovetop)
Zoom lens for your camera
Tripod
Swiss army knife
Baby wipes
What to expect when picking up your 4x4 car rental?
If you're renting a 4x4, chances are they will have a complimentary pick up service because most people want to start driving straight away. Upon arrival to their office, there will be a thorough explanation about your 4x4 vehicle. There are typically two options, one with camping (roof tent) and one without. Both types will be fully equipped with the fridge, cooler, water tank, cooking equipment, foldable chairs and table and a basic toolkit in case of emergency. We opted for the Toyota Hilux DC 4x4 2.4 Turbo Diesel with automatic transmission and a roof tent. The option with camping equipment will also include a mattress, duvets and pillows. It is your home on wheels for the next two weeks. This was a perfect size car for 2 people, although there is space for 4 people, we would recommend going for a bigger car in that case because the luggage space is limited due to all of the equipment you're carrying with you.
This was our first time camping with a car and we definitely underestimated how much they would be explaining about the car and all its attributes. Estimate 1-1.5 hours at the car rental just to go through all the instructions. Unless you've done this before, you don't want to skip the introduction. At Safari car rental they were really friendly and took all the time we needed to explain things in detail. Tip: record on your phone how they put the tent up or take a good mental note of it. The first time setting it up ourselves it took us a solid 30 minutes and by the end of the trip probably 5-10 minutes.
Once the car keys are handed over to you, the first stop to make is at the supermarket. We would recommend to go to the largest supermarket available in the area. In our case it was Superspar Maerua. It won't be your only option to buy groceries as there are plenty of supermarkets around the country but the distances are significant. We recommend stocking up for at least 2-3 meals at a time. Every camp site and accommodation we stayed at had a braai (BBQ) or a stone fire pit so keep that in mind when buying groceries. Grilled meat and vegetables as well as one pot meals like a pasta with a meaty/veggie sauce will be your best friends for simple and delicious camping food.
What should I stock up on at the supermarket?
Example grocery list:
Vegetables such as mushrooms, bell peppers, corn on the cob.
Meat such as steaks, boerewors (sausage), pork ribs
Seasoning pack (gives lots of flavour to meat and veggies)
Coffee
Water (to cook with and to drink)
Rice
Pasta
Tinned tomatoes
Eggs (so versatile and a really easy breakfast)
Bread
Potatoes
Onions & garlic
Salt & pepper
Chutney/some kind of sauce
Aluminium foil
Drinks
Snacks such as crackers, crisps, nuts and biltong (similar to beef jerky)
Washing up liquid (you will get some but it might not be enough for your whole trip)
Toilet paper
Wood/charcoal
Firestarter
Matches
Note: Namibian gravel roads are bumpy and dusty, make sure you pack all your food in sturdy boxes and fragile items like eggs should be wedged securely. We had a couple of broken eggs and the annoying part about that is the cleaning.
Day 1-4: Etosha National Park
It is one of the most famous national parks in Namibia where you can spot 4 of the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino and elephant) on a self drive safari. You're not dependent on a guide or other tourists at all which gives you maximum freedom and allows you to explore it at your own pace.
Etosha's landscape is unique, it has Africa's largest salt pan. Etosha National park at its widest point is approximately 110km by 60km. It is also home to a wide variety of animals such as giraffes, ostriches, cheetahs, hyenas, springboks, zebras, the endangered black-faced impala and lots of bird species.
Good to know before going to Etosha:
Decide whether you want to stay inside Etosha National Park or not. There are a couple of camps with Okaukuejo Camp being one of the easier accessible ones (close to the Anderson entrance gate).
Book well in advance if you're staying inside the National Park. The camps have a bit of a monopoly, so once it's full you're out of luck. The reviews of the facilities are quite average but that's the price you'll need to pay. You can even decide to book a few days inside and a few days outside.
The best time for viewing animals is May to October (dry season). Less water is available during this period which means animals will gather at the watering holes.
The advantage of staying inside the park is that you'll have more time for animal encounters as the gates open at sunrise and close at sunset.
The disadvantage is that after the gates close, you can't enter or leave the park so you need to make sure you have enough supplies and make sure you're inside well before sunset.
When you take raw meat inside the park, you need to finish it all before leaving. This means if you're carrying your food for multiple days in the fridge, you either plan it well so it's all finished before you leave or if you stay outside of the park leave it at your accommodation. They will check your car fridge and confiscate it (don't worry, you won't get a fine they're pretty relaxed about it and offer you to go back into the park to finish it if you want).
Top tip: buy the Etosha national park map, it shows all the watering holes. Google Maps/GPS will not work well inside the park.
On average it takes 4 hours 15 minutes by car from Windhoek to cover a distance of 427km.
We can't emphasise it enough but familiarise yourself with the fees and opening times of the gates using official website of the Etosha National Park. We read multiple blogs from previous years and the information was already outdated.
As we were staying outside of the main gate (in our case Anderson gate), our mission was to get to the gate right before it opens (which is sunrise). This is because animals tend not to be as active in the middle of the day when it is hot. This is also when they'll be seeking shelter so it becomes harder to spot them. There will be queue of cars to get in but it moves pretty fast. They will ask you for some personal information (passport, accommodation address) and explain that your entrance fee needs to be paid at the shop in one of the camps (we did it at Okaukuejo). As long as you do so before you leave, you're good to go.
At Okaukuejo camp, you can buy the physical map in one of the shops. We suggest to download an app with offline maps - Tracks 4 Africa. Even if you have a local sim card, the connection might not be good enough to use Google maps. Another tip, have your comfort break at the first camp as there are not a lot of opportunities to go for bathroom breaks. This is also a good moment to make sure you have everything you need accessible. Think about items such as a camera and binoculars. From the moment you enter the park, keep looking around and don't drive too fast or you might just miss an animal encounter.
Etosha national park is huge and can easily take you the whole day. From our experience it is best to plan your route instead of randomly selecting places to visit. This way you can estimate driving distances (displayed only on the physical map) and make sure you're out of the park before the gates close. Plan a minimum of 3 days, otherwise you'll just not be able to cover enough ground and the longer you stay the more likely you'll see some of the more elusive animals.
Now for the fun stuff, we spotted 2 of the Big Five!
Elephants
We were happily driving along a dirt road when all of a sudden we turned a corner and came face to face with a large male elephant. We were on our way to Olifantsbad and Oleg had to hit the brakes. Nobody gives you instructions what to do if an animal approaches you. The park rules are: don't get out of the car and don't hang out of your window. As we stood there deciding what to do the elephant starting approaching us, so we first turned off our headlights (mandatory to drive with them on in Namibia). He kept approaching us so we started to reverse slowly to keep distance. He probably followed us for a good 100 metres before he found his favourite tree and went off track to go for a scratch. We can laugh about it now but we were pretty excited and nervous at the same time. Oleg was driving at the time and if he was wearing a heart rate monitor, it would've been funny to see a spike when the elephant was following us! For those who think it would've been better to turn off the engine and wait for the elephant to pass us, we'd like you to imagine a 3-4 metres elephant with tusks approaching you.
Our second and third encounters were between Groot Okevi and Klein Okevi in the middle of the day. We were driving from Namutoni camp after a lunch and comfort stop and soon enough saw a huge male elephant, luckily not interested in us this time and walking away slowly. As we drove on, all of a sudden a couple of elephants were crossing the road. We continued to one of the waterholes and soon enough there was a herd of female elephants and calves in the surrounding area. The elephants were grabbing sand and spraying it on themselves. They coat themselves with this sand/clay because it acts as a protective layer from the sun and insect bites. We must've counted more than 40 elephants and it was such an exciting and beautiful moment to be part of. You realise how small you are in comparison to them. They approached a small herd of Wildebeest who quickly got out of their way. It's funny to see who gets right of way in the animal kingdom. Fun fact about African elephants in Etosha National Park is that their tusks tend to be quite small, it has something to do with their diet and nutrition. This makes them less attractive targets for poaching which is great for the elephants!
Lions
We did 4 days in Etosha in total but 2 days were at the start of our trip and 2 days at the end. The first time, the lions had completely eluded us and we were hoping to see some on our following trip. Lions are active around dawn and dusk, during the day they're mostly sleeping and looking for shade. So we knew we had to keep a sharp lookout in between trees and bushes. Our first encounter with a pride was 20 metres from our bathroom stop. There are some basic toilet facilities in designated areas in the park. You can leave your vehicle as well which is why it felt crazy that moments ago we were walking outside so close to them. They weren't loving all the attention from us and the other cars, so they slowly started making their way further into the trees.
The second time we saw them was also close to the area of Okerfontein. A guide waved at us and said if we turned in, we would see a pride of lions lying in the bushes just 100 metres down the road. This was incredible because we got to see them from up close and it was a narrow road so vehicles couldn't push in front of you which happens quite often if you're on a bigger road. We get it, everyone is in the park for the same reason but some people are better mannered than others. We watched them in awe, and saw the cubs with their full hanging bellies and the male and females resting in the shade. We decided to name the male Simba, although he did look like he had a bit of a rough time as his mane wasn't so full anymore.
Where to stay:
Etosha Trading Post Campsite (27 EUR/night for a campsite) - located just 10 min away from the main gate. This comes with your own shower, toilet, sink, power outlet (your car fridge will need this) and BBQ facilities. They also have a swimming pool, small shop and WiFi at reception. It was by far our favourite campsite of the trip, the staff is very friendly and the campsites were arranged so that you had quite some distance from your neighbours. There was a lot of privacy!
Day 5-6: Spitzkoppe
After spending the morning in Etosha National Park, we made our way to our next destination: Skitzkoppe. It is located 402 km to the south of Etosha which took us 4.5 hours of driving.
The Spitzkoppe is a group of bald granite peaks located between Usakos and Swakopmund in the Namib desert of Namibia and is famous for its highest peak (aka Namibia's Matterhorn) - Spitzkoppe peak. It is also known for its bushmen artwork painted on the rocks in the area. This was our first taste of remote camping. We loved the area, it was peaceful and the only sounds you'd hear were the dassies (rock hyrax) running around.
Good to know before going to Spitzkoppe:
Make sure you have a fully stocked fridge before coming to this area.
Take some time to explore the entire area, it's easy to get around by car and they've got lots of beautiful sites to see.
If you want to do a hike or go rock climbing, stay more than one night.
Camp sites are on a first come first served basis, you claim it by parking your car there or leaving your camping equipment on the spot. We stayed at camp site 11B because it's closer to the Western entrance which is the best spot for sunset.
Try to pick a camp site that has a bit of shelter from rocks around you because it can get quite windy which is not the most comfortable sleep.
Where to stay:
Spitzkoppe Camping (22 EUR/night for a campsite) - offers more than 20 locations (see map below) around the granite peaks where you can set your camp. Every location comes with at least a place where you can set up your BBQ, a dry toilet nearby (shared by number of locations) and a bin. If you would like to take a shower, then it would be available at the reception, which depending on your campsite spot is a 5-7 min drive.
Apart from enjoying its remoteness and experiencing an enchanting sunset while starting up your fire and BBQ you can also enjoy stargazing, rock climbing and even various hiking routes including going up the local Matterhorn (takes approx. 6-8 hours). Unfortunately we did not have time for the hike, but we would definitely do it if we visit the place again. The hike can only be done with a guide which can be organised at the reception of the campsite.
Day 7-9: Swakopmund
Swakopmund (located 153km, 1 hour 45 minutes away from Spitzkoppe), is nicknamed the adventure capital of Namibia. You won't get bored here as there are many activities to do here. Whether you want to go skydiving, driving in the dunes or prefer kayaking in the water. It happened to be Qiao-An's birthday and whenever we're travelling during our birthdays we try to organise a unique experience. This year was not an exception!
Dune 7
Dune 7 is the highest dune (383 meters) in Namibia. It is named Dune 7 because it is the seventh dune you will encounter after crossing the river Tsauchab.
The entrance fee for foreign visitors is 150 NAD per person (7.90 EUR). There are some activities you can book in the area but we advise just sticking with the entrance fee and walking up the steep dune. If you've never been in the dunes before, this is definitely worth seeing. It is a bit of a steep climb but you don't need any special shoes to go up. Just keep going and you'll find yourself up there in no time (about 10 mins). The way down is quite fun as you can slide, run, or do a combination of both.
If you go just before sunset, the area won't be too busy and it will look literally deserted. If you've seen dunes before, this is not a must visit. Mostly because of the entrance fee which leaves us puzzled because there weren't any facilities worth mentioning and as we were walking up the dune we did see quite some trash and broken glass. So quite honestly, we have no idea what the fee is used for.
Kayaking with seals
This was Qiao-An's birthday surprise, kayaking with cape fur seals! It is one of the top things to do when you're in the area of Swakopmund. We've swam with sea lions in the Galapagos before but this experience is still 100% worth it. Especially the young pups are incredibly curious and will interact with you. Make sure to bring a GoPro if you have one, some of the seals will boop the camera and it makes for the funniest videos. You'll also find them jumping and splashing around you and sometimes they'll even follow your kayak.
Pelikan Point, located at the tip of the Walvis Bay (which is only 30 min drive away from Swakopmund) provides a home to up to 50.000 Cape Fur seals, lots of dolphins, black-backed jackals, flamingoes and pelicans (who would've thought?). The reason the seals thrive in this area is because they don't have any natural predators. There are different companies offering a 4x4 service to get to Pelikan Point and kayaking thereafter. We selected Pelikan Point Kayaking (103 EUR for 2 people) which will include transfer from Walvis Bay (with a guide who will talk about the surroundings and nature) through wetlands and kayaking with the seal colony, which will take you approximately 1.5 hours in the water. After kayaking they will recharge you with a good breakfast consisting of fresh rolls, coffee and tea before heading back to Walvis Bay.
Where to stay:
Beach Loft Landstrand (61 EUR/night) - This was the first location where we decided to keep our roof tent packed up and stay at an AirBnb located right on the beach at Langstrand. The hosts had the best tips around Swakopmund and Langstrand and were so welcoming. An added plus was being able to do our own laundry. We found it the perfect stop!
For the foodies:
Breakfast/coffee
Slowtown Coffee Roasters - Walvis Bay (a lovely place for coffee and food. We only had time to get coffee to go but it looked like a great stop and we enjoyed the coffee)
Lunch/snacks
Ankerplatz Restaurant and wine bar - Swakopmund (for surprisingly good coffee and a great place to try local cuisine and game meat. The springbok pie was amazing but heavy so be prepared to share it. We also recommend kapana Namibian style. The steak has so much flavour and is served with tomato salsa and kapana spice)
Random Cafe - Swakopmund (located by the Platz am Meer shopping mall. It has good breakfast and brunch options)
Dinner
The Tug restaurant - Swakopmund (a beach front restaurant with a view on the Swakopmund jetty. They serve local seafood and it comes highly recommended by locals. Make sure you reserve in advance to secure a spot.)
Day 10-11: Sossusvlei & Deadvlei
Now for one of our favourite spots in Namibia. When you search online for Namibia, it is likely you will have seen a picture of one of the most photographed areas. The black trees on a white salt and clay pan with the red dunes in the background. Sossusvlei and Deadvlei are Namibia's most spectacular and best known attractions.
Sossusvlei is located in the southern part of the Namib Desert. The Namib desert isn't the world's largest but it is the oldest desert. It has been dry for 55 million years and possibly 80 million years. Comparing the colour to the coastal dunes of Namibia, for example Dune 7 you can see that those are pale yellow/golden whereas the Namib desert dunes are red, burnt orange and pink in hues. Deadvlei was formed when the Tsauchab River flooded and the abundance of water allowed camel thorn trees to grow. However, when the climate changed, the dunes blocked the water from reaching the area. Since the area is too dry for the trees to decompose they just got scorched by the sun creating this eerie but stunning scenery.
Good to know before going to Sossusvlei & Deadvlei:
Distance from Swakopmund to Sesriem is approx. 5.5 hours (386km) with only one proper stop along the way at Solitaire. Plan your comfort breaks accordingly!
Pass by the Tropic of Capricorn which is one of the five major circles of latitude, currently marked at 23.5 degrees South. It is along the way, and you'll see the signs on the side of the road.
Decide whether you will stay inside the national park gates or outside. The advantage of staying in the gates is that you can start one hour before sunrise and come back one hour after sunset.
If you stay outside the gates you can enter the national park at sunrise, meaning that you will miss the sunrise in Sossusvlei.
Decide whether you want to see Sossusvlei at sunrise or sunset (sunrise is the more popular one).
If you do both sunrise and sunset, our advice is stay a minimum of one night inside the national park gate. Stay one night outside the gate as it's more affordable (after you've gone to Sossusvlei & Deadvlei).
The day permit to Sossusvlei is only valid on the day that you buy it, not 24 hours.
You need a 4WD to make it all the way to Sossusvlei, otherwise you will need to leave your car at the 2WD car park and take a transfer but those start later in the morning and you will miss out on the opportunity to start earlier.
With the 4WD you will need to be prepared to deflate your tyres and to drive in loose sand. Stick to the path and you shouldn't get stuck.
Make sure to bring plenty of water, snacks, sunscreen and a hat.
How to get to Sossusvlei & Deadvlei:
When staying inside the national park, start when the gate opens (1 hour before sunrise). Drive 50 mins to the 2WD car park. There are proper toilet facilities and parking spaces in this area. At the 2WD car park, deflate your tyres to 1.6-1.8 bar and engage the 4WD mode. The car rental company will have provided you with a simple metal tool to do this. If you're unsure how to do this, there will be plenty of people around to give you tips.
Then navigate yourself to Deadvlei parking and start your desert sand driving adventure. Our tip: stick to the path and don't be tempted to go even more off-road and try not to stop. Once you start driving keep driving until you see the car park (10 mins max). We saw people get stuck but it mostly happens when you try to do shortcuts. It's not the end of the world as there will be plenty of guides on the way who will be able to help tow your car out. Even if this is your first 4x4 experience, we strongly encourage you to give it a go. It isn't too difficult and we speak from experience having driven in the deserts of the UAE and Oman.
Everyone will be walking up the Big Daddy dune first, which is 325m in height. The reason for this is because the sun won't be at its hottest yet and it's a beautiful view. It will take anywhere from 40 mins to 1 hour to get to the top. We decided to skip it because we already went up Dune 7 and have seen a lot of dunes in other parts of the world. Our mission was get to Deadvlei and try to get some great shots before it got crowded. Most people will go to Deadvlei right after the Big Daddy dune because you can slide down very easily. Just be prepared that if you decide to skip the Big Daddy dune, you will arrive to Deadvlei when there is still shadow on it. Be patient, slowly the salt and clay pan will light up and by then you will have found the best spots. 1.5-2 hours after we arrived it became hot and crowded (other people with tours will arrive from 9:00-10:00).
After that we took a shortcut towards the Big Daddy dune but it was already around 11:00 at this point and we saw big groups heading up and struggling. Qiao-An walked around barefoot as she was wearing sandals and they kept sinking into the sand but after reading that there are creepy crawlies hiding in the desert we wouldn't recommend anyone else to do this!
Inflate your tyres again at the 2WD car park, at this point of the day there are plenty of people and guides who can give you advice. Our car rental provided a portable compressor to inflate the tyres. We had to connect it up to our car battery and it did the trick. Once you get back to Sesriem, you can find your nearest gas station to get the tyre pressure checked if you're unsure.
Side quest:
Dune 45, on the way to the 2WD car park, about 45km from the Sesriem gate (now you know how it got its name). A lot of people will stop by here to do a sunrise hike, if you're staying multiple days in the Namib-Naukluft National Park this may be worth going up otherwise we would suggest to skip it and go for the Big Daddy dune and Deadvlei combination. If you don't hike up, do pass by the dune on the way back from Deadvlei to take in its beauty.
Where to stay:
Sesriem Campsite NWR (60 EUR/night) - this was a lucky last minute booking for us to secure the place inside the gate. We had to camp in so called "overflow area" which was quite basic and had no shade but all the facilities were in place (electricity, lighting, bathrooms). It is overpriced but that's because there are limited options inside the national park gate and they know people will pay for it. Learn from our experience and book this well ahead of time. There are also other accommodation options within the gates worth exploring if you want a bit more luxury/privacy.
Desert Quiver Camp (133 EUR/night) - after returning from Sossusvlei, treat yourself and stay here to enjoy your own room (with A/C) and swimming pool overlooking the valley. A real luxury compared to camping life and worth it, the place comes with a proper outdoor kitchen which we loved.
Day 12-13: Keetmanshoop to Visrivier (Fish River) Canyon
After Sossusvlei, we had two options. Either make our way back to the coast to Lüderitz and visit ghost town Kolmaskop on the way or go and see Fish River Canyon. Both are quite a long drive from Sossusvlei, so instead of driving the whole day we decided to stop over in Keetmanshoop (503km, 5.5 hours). The city itself there is not that interesting but they have a super spar (supermarket) so it's a good stop for groceries and fuel. Since we were staying in the area we visited Kokerboomwoud (Quiver Tree Forest, entrance fee: 5 EUR per person). As a small bonus to that, we witnessed feeding of cheetahs at around 5pm which is done by a local farmer. There is conflict between cheetahs and farmers because cheetahs prey on livestock. This particular farm takes care of cheetahs that were born in captivity and wouldn't be able to take care of themselves in the wild. The Quiver Tree Forest is a location loved by astro photographers, if you want to take photos here at night you will need to stay at this accommodation: Quivertree Forest Rest Camp.
Fish River Canyon
Fish River Canyon (175km, 2.5 hours from Keetmanshoop) is one of the largest canyons in the world (160km long), largest in Africa. One of the highlights of the Canyon is that you can do a multi day hike along its floor (takes you 4-5 days). As there are no facilities in the canyon you will have to carry your own gear and drink water from the pools in the canyon. Before considering this, make sure you read up on it.
Due to extreme temperatures (both highs and lows) and occasional floods, hikers are only allowed to descend into it from May to September and must have a doctor's certificate to prove they are healthy/fit enough. We visited in April, so without a chance to hike it it was still worth a visit. It is the only place we've visited where you can literally drive along the edge of the canyon. The area is huge and you can find plenty of picturesque locations and do some short walks along the ridges.
After the canyon, we recommend to stop for lunch or drink at Canyon Roadhouse. This is part of the Gondwana collection which has numerous accommodations in the area. We didn't have the chance to explore more of their locations but we really liked the roadhouse theme.
Where to stay:
Keetmanshoop (only if you really need to stop here to break your long drive)
Quiver Inn Guesthouse (45 EUR/night) - Simple but modern rooms with a small kitchenette. We only recommend this location to restock with the supplies at the supermarket on the way to South. The guesthouse has a swimming pool and communal braai area. Other than that food options are quite limited in this town.
Grünau
White House Guest Farm (93 EUR/night) - Is a beautiful farm, and a popular stopover for South Africans travelling by car to Namibia. They are also known for their delicious dinner and breakfast, so you can have a rest from cooking your own food and let yourself feast on local cuisine. Everyone recommends the organic lamb (need to pre-order it). You can also do a small hike behind the farm (just watch out for snakes) or relax by the pool. They also have a rose quartz quarry on their farm and organise a tour if you're interested. We didn't go on the tour but bought some handmade souvenirs in their reception. This was by far one of our favourite stays in Namibia!
Day 14: Grünau to Windhoek
When you are in the very south of the country you can either visit Lüderitz (which we decided to skip) or make you way back to Windhoek. You can also return to one of the national parks located north of Windhoek. We tried looking into Waterberg Plateau but from our understanding they do not offer self drive safari. It is only accessible with an organised game drive. The bush is also quite dense which makes spotting animals a lot harder. We had selected a campsite nearby but the facilities were very rustic and inhabited by insects. We decided to pass on Waterberg Plateau and spend more time in Etosha. That's why we recommend spending 4 days there in total!
Since water is scarce in Namibia, chances are that your car rental will ask you to have it washed before returning the car. Depending on where you need to be, we can recommend going to Carbath and grabbing a drink/food at Joe's Beerhouse while you wait.
Where to stay:
Urban Camp (28 EUR per night for a campsite) - After staying in campsites in more remote areas in Namibia, this place felt a bit too congested for our liking. We did however want to recommend it because it's a good stop in Windhoek for your 4x4 but we will share our experience so you can be better prepared for your visit. Even though we'd booked 6 months in advance, they'd allocated us one of the worst spots in the camp. We also didn't have the nicest neighbours so they'd basically taken over our area and we had no space to comfortably park our car and set up our rooftent. After insisting the camp staff to do something about this situation they upgraded us to a Glamping tent. This was amazing, it came with a hammock, fridge, double bed, towels etc. Their self service restaurant had lovely food. Although the experience didn't start off well, the staff were incredibly helpful and that's why we would recommend it. When you book it, just state that you would have a preference for the campsites not in the area of spot X1. This used to be an overflow area but they've decided to make them permanent.
For the foodies:
Breakfast/coffee
E.A.T - Windhoek (a good place for coffee, snacks and groceries conveniently located at gas station to fuel last time before you return your car)
Padlangs Padstal - Mariental (a convenient food and drink stop between Keetmanshoop and Windhoek. It is a farm and they have an outdoor seating area surrounded by turkeys and chickens roaming around. If you have some extra time, check out the farm animals. They have quite an exotic mix of animals.)
Lunch
Joe's beerhouse - Windhoek (we really liked the atmosphere, it's laid back and has a big indoor and outdoor area. They describe their food as Namibian with a German twist. We can recommend Joe's roasted pork belly, it was delicious!)
Dinner
Tipsy Cow - Windhoek (a restaurant/bar located on the premises of Urban Camp with a nice cozy atmosphere serving local meat dishes. Note that the gates of the Urban Camp close at 16:00, so dinner as far as we are aware is only served for the guests of Urban Camp)
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