15 Days in Namibia
DO NOT MISS
Oysters in Luderitz, Humming dunes of Sandwich Habor, Joe’s Beer House in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Kudus, Ostriches, Baboons, Impala, and tons of animals you can spot just driving along the high way.
ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrive in Karasburg from Cape Town, hide from the heat of the sun until dusk, hang out at local bar in the “location”
A “location” in Namibia is essentially the equivalent of a township (aka slum) in South Africa, There are separate locations for different “classification” of people. Of course there are no laws that confines people to these areas post-apartheid but an invisible electric fence still exist. Often the locations are situated behind hills and rocks, well-hidden from visitors and tourists.
Day 2: Attend local church in Karasburg for some culture exchange.
Day 3: Head for Luderitz, dinner at the oyster bar
The oyster bar is hidden inside an oyster processing plan by the docks. You would not know a restaurant existed there. Ask the locals and they will point you in the right direction. Both raw and grilled oysters are mouth-watering, fresh and cheap!
Day 4: visit Ketmanskop ghost town, take a walk on Shark Island.
Day 5: Visit the seal colony and walk along the beach at Diaz Point.
There are BBQ pits built on the side of the beach if you want to bring your own food to cook.
Day 6: head for Mariental
Day 7: day of rest at Mariental. If you have your own vehicle you can check out the nearby Hardap Damwhich is the largest reservoir in Namibia
Day 8: head for Windhoek, with a stop by Oanob Dam. Dinner at Joe’s Beer House.
A visit to Joe’s Beer House is a must, especially if you are looking for game meat! The food is top notch with pocket friendly value. The restaurant is well decorated with a koi pond and various different rooms filled with game related paraphernalia.
Day 9: head for Swakopmund, take a walk along the beach.
Day 10: Sand-boarding in the Namib Desert
Day 11: Day Tour of Sandwich Harbor.
At first this seemed like a tourist trap and a bit on the expensive side (1150 ND pp) but we had a fantastic time doing nature walks, taking our 4×4 down the sand dune and listen to the dune hum, lunching on top of the sand dunes with a view of the ocean and drive through salt fields. At one point our guide/driver dug clams out of the beach and had us taste fresh raw clams – it was sweet and delicious!
Day 12: hang out at the beach in Walvis Bay
Day 13: head to Okahandja
This is a nice little town to stop by on the way to the northern part of the country.
Day 14: head to Rundu.
Watch the sunset overlooking the Okavango River into Angola at the Kavango River Lodge. The view is breathtaking.
Day 15: head to Botswana.
LODGING
In Windhoek we stayed at Chameleons, which is incredibly clean, eco friendly, and well managed. There are craft markets within walking distance. The Municipal Bungalows in Swakopmund is a great place to stay. It is walking distance from the beach and grocery store. Each bungalow comes with a stocked kitchen so you can cook your own food and save money.
For the rest of the time we stayed with hospitable Peace Corps volunteers who allowed us to peek into the lives of locals.
TRANSPORTATION
Because Namibia is a huge country with only 2 million residents, there simply isn’t enough demand for long distance public transportation. However, hitch hiking is a perfectly acceptable way to travel. Sometimes people will ask for money, other times you get lucky and get a free ride with lunch. For a free hike it may take some patience. It is easier to find lifts in northern part of the country than the south as it is more populated.
TRAVELING WITH LESS TIME…
- Focus on the coast and northern part of the country
- Hire a car – we spent a lot of time on traveling hitch hiking
TRAVELING WITH MORE TIME…
- Check out seal colonies at Cape Cross
- Rent a car and visit sand dunes in Sossusvlei
- Hike Fish River Canyon
- Visit Etosha National Park, make sure it’s the right season to see animnals
- Visit the Himbas in Kaokoland