Namibia: Travel Preparations for a 3-Week Trip to Namibia
General Information
Namibia is a very safe country where one can move around safely everywhere using common sense. No special precautions are necessary when planning a trip. It's important that you only camp at campgrounds (and not just anywhere on the roadside). As in any other country, it is advisable not to leave valuables in plain sight in the car and to lock it when leaving or at night. Very important: always have enough water with you. Often, you will travel several hundred kilometers to the next supermarket.
For the trip, I recommend clarifying three main topics in advance.
Choosing the right camper.
Roughly setting the travel route, as spontaneous planning on-site may be impractical due to slow internet connections.
Checking sleeping options along the route.
This structured approach always ensures a smooth trip for me and allows for spontaneity without the need for extensive on-site planning. I will explain the exact steps in more detail below.
Choosing the Right Camper
Booking a camper is comparable to choosing a reliable companion for an expedition. Deciding on a specific model or rental company is a challenging task. The entire trip depends on a dependable vehicle! With an open laptop and swift fingers, I compared many offers from different car rental companies, hoping to find a suitable 4x4 and a trustworthy car rental company. During a first trip to Namibia, my partner traveled with a classic roof tent, which he always found quite cumbersome to set up and dismantle using a ladder.
Toyota Hilux with Rooftop Tent. This is the vehicle of the first Namibia trip.
This time, we consciously chose a camper with a pop-up roof tent. This choice promised not only more comfort but also a touch of luxury. Inside, you can stand up, which is a significant advantage over a roof tent. Moreover, a compact kitchenette with a cool box allows us to prepare meals according to our preferences. However, the real trump card is the time it takes to set up and fold up this type of camper. In 20 seconds, you are already ready to drive again. With practice, setting up is even faster.
Toyota Hilux with body and pop-up tent
Vehicle Rental
For the first trip to Namibia, Advanced Car Hire was the rental company of choice. Unfortunately, this company does not rent campers with pop-up tents. Then, at AfriCamper, I discovered such a camper. The reviews for AfriCamper were very positive, the vehicle met our requirements, and the website seemed professional. So, I made contact and received a response within a few hours (even in German) confirming that they would be happy to reserve the Camper 4x4 Bushcamper Explorer for us. With that, the most crucial part of our trip was already organized, and our anticipation for the upcoming adventures was unleashed.
Travel Planning
My travel planning process remains the same for all my trips. I start by creating a map with Google Maps (feel free to contact me if you have questions) and add places of interest to me. Then, I look for charming campgrounds to also integrate into my map. Typically, I refer to their websites or reviews to gather more information.
In the map below, campgrounds, attractions, and shopping opportunities are color-coded differently.
Google Maps view of travel planning
Finally, I sketch out my main route using Google Maps and plan my daily stages. This gives me a sense of the maximum distance I can cover each day. I usually limit myself to booking accommodations for the first three days in advance before embarking on my adventure. Thanks to the wealth of information in my map, I can extend my stay at a location or flexibly adjust my route on the go without needing to make major plans. Although the initial effort is somewhat greater, it gives me tremendous freedom during the trip. To have a backup while on the road, I transfer the map from Google Maps to maps.me. Maps.me also works excellently in offline mode.
Internet / SIM Card
A cost-effective alternative to high roaming fees is a Namibian SIM card, which can be purchased directly at the airport. In Namibia, MTC is recommended as they offer the most extensive network coverage. The country is large and in remote areas, there might be no reception. While an internet connection is not necessarily mandatory, it can make many things easier and be of immense importance in case of emergencies. For these reasons, I recommend arranging for an internet connection.
Itinerary traveled during 3 weeks in Namibia
Small Note: As always, these are my views and applied to our trip in 2022. Before embarking on your adventure, inform yourself about the current situation in the country and travel wisely.
