Has anyone been to Namibia on holiday?

[Rozendantz]

I'm wanting to take DS to Namibia on holiday next year. I'm very familiar with SA and Zimbabwe, but never been to Namibia. I want to fly to Windhoek then go to Walvis Bay so that we can see the dunes etc.

Where else should I go? How safe is it (I know driving at night is a bad idea due to the wildlife, and that Windhoek has a fair but of crime like smash and grabs at traffic lights etc). I want to go sleep catering by the sea.

Can anyone recommendations places to see/stay?

I went this year. But was with a small organised group. The big red dunes and Death Valley were amazing. We did a boat trip from Walvis bay and saw whales.

Oneof my day places was Spitzkoppe. We saw amazing sunsets and rises, and 4000 year old cave paintings.

Thank you, that sounds awesome. How long were you there for?

Yes went this summer with my 7 year old daughter. Just us.we were there roughly 15 days maybe. I was travelling around in shared transfers and some self drive. Spent a few days in Swakopmond although cut this section short as I didn’t want to be in a small town.

We didn’t spend any time in Windhoek to speak off. We bedded for a night on arrival and one night mid trip.

Ask me any questions and I’ll answer as best I can. I only passed through Walvis Bay to where the desert meets the sea and did Sand dining to Sandwich Bay. My daughter loved this .

I went this year too! Amazing place! We loved etosha national park and the dunes, all of it in fact. Windhoek is just a starting and end point. We were on a tour and I’d be wary of self driving unless v confident- we got a puncture on a remote road and our guide was able to sort it easily. He was also amazing at finding the wildlife and dealing with accommodation and eating out etc. I think we got a lot more out of it all with him.

Thanks all, this is really helpful.

I've definitely no intention of spending any time in Windhoek, it's the only realistic way of getting in and out of the country and to pick up a car etc.

I'm looking forward to it 😊

I definitely would not have driven the Windhoek / Kalahari:/ Namib Desert / Sossusvi on my own without another adult. For sure. But driving up to the Caprivi region was fine for self driving. Roads were good and busy.

We stayed here https://www.brandbergwllodge.com/a/34002/lodge and here https://hammersteinlodge.com.na/ and other places!

You’ll have a blast. The most beautiful country and experience. And busy but not too busy.

My daughter just said her favourite was Etosha NP, Leopard tracking at Okinjima, all the animal/safairs actually and sand duning to Sandwich Harbour.

Personally I rate naimbia higher then South Africa. Much safer, has all the big tick attractions at a fraction of the price of say Tanzania and SA. Have a look at Etosha, Skeleton Coast, Namib desert, Sossuvle, Fish river canyon Walvis Bay, okavango delta etc. If you are feeling brave hire a 4x4 with a rooftop tent and head out on your own. Camping facilities are excellent. PM me if you need more details.

Some great ideas here, thank you. I'm off to Google some of these!

We did a balloon ride of sossusvlie and it was amazing. We also went to stay near the san people and did a dessert experience.

We hired a 4x4 with roof tents. Didn’t stay in any towns and cities at all. There are some amazing campsites!

If self driving be aware tyres likely to need changing much more often given dirt roads (we had two - though that was unlucky - I’ve been to Namibia before and had no tyre problems)

resurrecting this thread in the hope someone else has some advice. really hoping to do this with 10 and 12 year old but unsure due to long drives, and cheapest way is to camp, so again unsure if will then make a holiday into something more draining? I've actually driven all around Namibia before but not with kids. Be great to hear experiences from others who have self driven and camped (or stayed in lodges) with kids in Namibia.

I hope this is OK to post. Not an advert! But I watch this guy who is a Namibian native called Ruben Lambrechts. Their family hosts a farmstay outside Windhoek. On FB/Instagram he can be found at Ruben Namibia. He also leads tours at idreamnamibia.

We're just back from a Namibia self drive, but kids are older (18 and 15). It was absolutely unforgettable and the kids loved it. Yes, distances are long, as you'll know - we drove 1500 miles in a fortnight, and had some 7 hour plus driving days - but the landscapes and wildlife (and the road conditions!!) made the driving interesting, so nobody got bored. The kids have always been good with long journeys though, and I think would have been fine with the holiday when younger as well (we've previously done long car journeys down to south of France, Italy etc) - we just download lots of music to listen to, make family playlists etc. I'd be more hesitant with kids who eg suffer from car sickness or get bored on long car journeys.

There’s a webcam of the watering hole you can view from the campsite on etosha national park and it’s amazing. Namibia is the most amazing country