A regular day on Namibian roads

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Take me to Namibia – my soul needs to breathe….

Namibia is where your soul will recharge, that’s for sure! Namibian road trips take you to the end of the world over some of the most amazing roads on the planet. Remote, beautiful, smooth and endless, it’s these roads that make the adventure. And it starts every day after breakfast; you just type the route into your GPS and off you go, into the wide unknown!

Want to stay connected?

That will be kinda hard in Namibia as roads can be so remote that phone networks don’t reach there. This means no WiFi in the car, and no working (local) SIM cards!

That’s right, you’ll be offline most of the time while on the road, which in this day and age is slightly uncomfortable for many people. To say the least! It does add a layer of adventure to your trip, as being out of your comfort zone is the synonym of adventure!

Road trippin’ in Namibia can make you feel like you ‘boldly go where no man has gone before’ as you drive into a desert that just seems endless, without a house, person or even tree in sight – not in the real world and not on your phone! Luckily, the Namibians know how to ensure you find your way to your lodge at the end of the day:

Old-fashioned paper maps are still widely available, and we’ll provide you with one to guide you (be sure you know how to read it before arrival!)

Google Maps works offline! This means you can set your route while you still have coverage in the morning, then use the map the rest of the day, even if your phone is offline.

Satellite phones are available and can be arranged upon request at an extra cost.

Local SIM cards
Staying connected at all times is impossible in Namibia, but if you don’t want to be dependent on WiFi in the lodges, you can buy a local (e)SIM card from MTC (Namibian provider with the best coverage). These are available at the airport, and our office representative can help you purchase one upon arrival, together with your data package.

Whatever you choose, it’s good to have the paper map at hand at all times and some basic knowledge of how to read it. Then, once you arrive at your destination, the adventure continues with a plethora of activities.

A menu of excursions

Ever had one of those dinners where you can just mix and match little dishes from a set menu? That’s kinda what a self-drive holiday in Namibia feels like, with many lodges (but not all) offering a set of excursions that you, as their guest, can join. The choice is yours!

Usually, lodges offer a choice between guided game drives, village visits, guided bush walks or sundowners in the bush. You’ll take off with a guide for a few hours, sometimes joined by other guests. Upon return, you can have a few hours to yourself before you head out for the next excursion.

As a rule, we book at least one excursion per lodge for you (if available), but usually, there are several excursions to choose from. When staying at all-inclusive lodges, there are always two excursions included in the price, and you can make your choice upon arrival.

In other cases, these excursions are not included in the price, but many times you can choose to join last minute. Alternatively, you can ask your travel consultant what is available at the lodges in your program and ask them to add something extra.

Namibian game drives – DIY adventure or guided luxury

Game drives in Namibia’s national parks and nature reserves can be done with your own (rental) car or in a safari car with a guide. It all depends on the park and the lodge where you’ll be staying. There are a few differences between the two.

Self-drive

You take your own car, pay the park fee at the gate and off you go for the rest of the day, exploring at your own speed. There are a few rules you need to stick to:

Off-roading is forbidden in national parks, but not always in nature reserves. Always ask the people at the lodge about the specifics before you set off.
Stick to the speed limits: 60 km/h on main roads and 40 km/h near waterholes and picnic sites.
Do not leave your vehicle unless at a designated rest camp or picnic spot.
Allow plenty of time to reach the gate before closing. Regular opening times for national parks are from 6 AM to 6 PM.

Elephants crossing the road in front of a safari vehicle

Guide in jeep

You step in a safari car and have everything taken care of. All you have to do is look out for animals and take pictures. Game drives with a guide come with the bonus of someone who knows the nature surrounding you. The guides are local experts who can tell you everything about the park you are visiting. They can identify many of the animals and plants you encounter, might know more about the area’s history, tell about tribes living there, or share facts about Namibia in general. These guided game drives last just a few hours, allowing you time to do something else as well during your stay. When going on guided game drives, please note:

You are not allowed to leave the vehicle outside of the designated rest camps and picnic spots.
For your safety, you need to listen to your guide at all times.

Food, water and petrol on the road

You will want to stock up properly before you set off on your adventure, and we’ll provide you with a list of shops and petrol stations to help you out. Stick to a few rules:

⛽Whenever you have the chance, fill up the tank. Even if it’s still half full. Just in case.

💧Carry plenty of water – we advise having a minimum of 10 litres in your car.

🥪Stock up on food that you can eat without having to cook (fruit, bars, bread, snacks) and make use of the list of stopovers on your trip. There are places along the way where you can buy your lunch or sit down to have it there. When going on game drives, you can also order lunch packs at the lodge.

Most importantly

Relax and enjoy the ride! You are about to see some of the planet’s most amazing landscapes. Once in a national park, remember that game viewing is not about flying along and potentially missing incredible things. Instead, settle into your safari rhythm: windows down, binoculars ready and absolutely no need to rush. And if at some point, you start to feel like you might have lost the way, please remember the Namibian proverb for survival in the wild: Where there are birds, there is water.