Namibia

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Quick Facts

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Capital

Windhoek

Government

Republic

Nationality

Namibian

Population

2,031,000

Languages

English

Religions

Christianity (Protestant), Indigenous beliefs

Currency

Namibian Dollar (NAD)

Calling Code

+264

Time Zone

UTC+1

Daylight Saving

UTC+2

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• Utrecht (60%)
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Introduction

Need some sand?

© All Rights Reserved richfuell

The Lutheran church in its centre gives the village its most distinctive icon. The delicatessens, coffee shops and century-old German style architecture give this town that perfect Bavarian quality. That is, except for one matter - the mighty Namib desert stretching to the horizon at the town's edge. Lüderitz is a fine testament to Germany's bearings in Namibia's past. The German connection, for the Western world, is perhaps the most distinguishable cultural current in Namibia; the dozen or so African ethnic groups, however, each add to what is a surprisingly diverse culture. Surprising, because the country doesn't exactly boast the world's most liveable landscape. The Namib Desert occupies the western coastline, while the Kalahari dips its dry hands into Namibian territory - hardly the recipe for popular living. But in terms of travel destinations, Namibia's arid landscape rewards the traveller with stunning scenery and abundant wildlife.

Brief History

The dry lands of Namibia were inhabited since early times by Bushmen, Damara, Namaqua, and since about the 14th century, by immigrating Bantu. Although there are signs of inhabitants as long as 10.000 years ago.

The first time Europeans saw the country was in the 15th century when Portuguese explorers landed on the shores. But most of the territory of Namibia was not explored until the 19th century. Around this time Germans started to house themselves into the region, as well as Boeren from South-Africa. Namibia became a German colony, excluded Walvis Bay which was British. At the start of the 20th Century the Herero and the Namaqua started wars to get rid of the Germans, but these failed and even leading to a mass genocide after the battle of Waterburg.

South Africa occupied Namibia during World War I and kept control over it, even after it was summoned by the United Nations to give up the occupation. Although the intentions were to incorporate Namibia into the territory of South Africa it was never done in an official way.

In the 1960’s the SWAPO launched a war of independence, fighting a guerilla was, but it was not very successful. In 1988 South-Africa agreed to leave Namibia, as part of a United Nations peace plan. Independence was officially declared on March 21, 1990. In 1994 Walvis Bay was returned to Namibia.

Geography

Namibia can be divided into 4 main geographical zones. The first one is the Namib desert and the coastal zone, which is one of the driest areas in the world with only several showers a year. In the south there is the area of the Kalahari near the borders with Botswana and South Africa. A vast area of Namibia's surface is spread out over a big central plateau, with dry mountainous areas. The 4th and last area is the upper north and north-east, being the Kavango and Caprivi areas. The landscape is much greener and sometimes very lush here and apart from the capital Windhoek and a few smaller towns along the coast, the majority of people live here.

The Namib desert is home to the highest sand dunes in the world, up to 300 meters. Along the coast, the cold Benguela Current brings cold air with it, being heavier than dry air and containing very little moisture. Meeting the warm air on land, it condenses and therefore the coastal zones has relatively many days of fog.

Instead of having the typical yellow desert colours of the dunes in the Namib, the Kalahari desert is known by its red colour and its low rolling hills, covered with low bushes. In between is a mountainous rugged area with canyons like the mighty Fish River Canyon. Although on some days there are some small rivers running in these 3 areas, it's the north along the border with Angola that boasts rivers, waterfalls and fertile land. The Kunene, Chobe, Okavango and Zambezi river systems are the most important ones.

Regions

Namibia contains 13 political regions, roughly in the following areas.

• The northern are along the borders of Angola: Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena, Otjikoto, Okavango and Caprivi
• Central north: Kunene and Otjozondjupa
• Centre: Erongo, Omaheke and Khomas (where Windhoek is located)
• The south: Hardap and Karas

Cities

• Windhoek - The nation's capital.
• Keetmanshoop
• Lüderitz
• Walvis Bay
• Swakopmund
• Grootfontein
• Rundu

Sights and Activities

Sossusvlei

Sossusvlei is the showpiece of the Namib desert: a magnificent place surrounded by one of the highest dunes in the world. Deathvlei (vlei meaning valley) is indeed covered with death trees on a flat and white area in between beautiful yellow dunes, everything covered under a clear blue sky on most days of the year. And after the rare shower, there are some beautiful small pools where animals like oryx come for a refreshing drink. Dune 45 along the potholed road to Sossusvlei is one of the most impressive dunes of the area.

Fish River Canyon

After the Grand Canyon in the USA, the Fish River Canyon is said to be the second biggest canyon in the world, being over 150 kilometers long and about 500 meters deep. It is one of the best places for hiking in Namibia, but you can also relax in the hotsprings of Ai Ais.

Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park is the place for a safari in Namibia. Apart from buffalo, the big five (leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo and lion) can be seen here, among other smaller animals like cheetah, antilopes and zebra. Also, many birds have their breeding spots in the park. One of the best places to base yourself during the evening is the rest camp of Okaukuejo, where you are likely to see elephants and black rhino at the waterhole.

Lüderitz

Lüderitz and surroundings are not from this earth. It's a long drive to get there and back along the same (very good) route. Watch for wild horses on the plains several dozens of kilometres before the town. Although Luderitz itself is just a small places, it has its charms. A drive over the gravelled roads of the peninsula is very nice - you can see seals, so bring your binoculars! Don't forget a visit to deserted Kolmanskop, a ghost town and forbidden area in the time when diamonds were found here. Now, diamonds can not be found here in a wide area, but there are some good tours here and it feels a bit strange actually being here.

Damaraland

Although it is not as difficult to reach as the Kaokoveld, Damaraland is a very beautiful and rugged place, with good gravel roads to travel. The north of this area is still home to some elusive desert elephants and desert rhinos. Unfortunately, the desert lion is extinct. Coming from Swakopmund, this is one of the best routes to enjoy before heading for Ethosha.

Caprivi strip

For something much greener, a visit to the Caprivi strip is a must see. There are many national parks here along the borders with Angola and Botswana like Mudumu and Mamili national parks. The area used to be a bit dangerous back in the 90's of the 20th century, when a couple of French tourists where killed. But now that problems have been solved totally, the area is becoming more and more popular as a detour or in combination with the parks in Botswana and the Victoria Falls.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Most of Namibia has a desert climate. The Namib desert and the coastal zone have about 50 mm of rain a year. Although temperatures in the Namib can get to over 40 °C, these temperatures are rare directly along the coast, where temperatures are much more temperate and fairly constant throughout the year, averaging 20 °C - 25 °C during most days in for example Lüderitz, Walvisbaai and Swakopmund. These places can have cold days when the fog lasts for a whole day. Further inland, temperatures are generally higher during the day and colder at night. Frost is not uncommon on the central plateau including Windhoek. Frost also occurs in the eastern Kalahari desert, where temperatures can get close to 50 °C in the summer months of December until March!

Generally, these months are also the wettest, especially in the north along the border of Angola. For example, Rundu has about 150 mm a month in January and February. Also, the north has a more tropical climate, with temperatures being around 30 °C or more. Only the winter months are a bit cooler. Because of this, the cooler and dry and sunny winter months of May until September are more pleasant for a visit. It is still nice and warm (20 °C - 25 °C) but nights can get cold.

Getting There

By Plane

Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) is the country's primary international airport.

There are few direct connections from Europe, the USA or Australia. From Europe, best direct connections are with Air Namibia or Lufthansa from Frankfurt or Munich.

There are more flights to and from neighbouring countries though, and it is most likely that you have to switch planes in Cape Town or Johannesburg before heading towards Windhoek. South African Airlines flies to these two South African cities, while Air Namibia flies to other cities as well, like Harare and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe or Maun (gateway for Chobe and Okavango Delta) in Botswana.

By Train

There is a regular overnight train service with TransNamib, the national railway company of Namibia, from Upington in South Africa to Windhoek in Namibia via Keetmanshoop. The total trip takes about 26 hours. Although the domestic service from Keetmanshoop to Windhoek rides every day except Saturdays, the train between Upington and Keetmanshoop only rides on two days: from Upington on Sundays and Thursdays at 5am arriving 11 and a half hours later in Keetmanshoop and from the latter on Wednesdays and Saturdays around 9 am, taking well over 12 hours to reach Upington in South Africa's Northern Cape Province.

By Car

It is straightforward to enter or leave Namibia from or to Botswana and South Africa. Renting a car in South Africa is cheaper and many traveller choose this option, although you have to ask for a permit at your rental agency first and some local fees might apply for this or crossing borders. It still works out to be cheaper though. The main border crossing with South Africa is in the south, at Noordoewer/Vioolsdrif, which is along the main Windhoek to Cape Town road. Other crossings are Nakop between Upington and Karasburg, Noenieput between Upington and Aroab, Onseepkans between Pofadder and Karasburg and Rietfontein between Askam and Araob. Currently it is not possible to cross from the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park directly into Namibia, you have to go back and cross at Rietfontein. Also the border between Alexander Bay and Oranjemund in Namibia is only open if you have special permits.

With Botswana there are border crossings in the east at Gobabis and several in the north act as a gateway to the national parks in the north of Botswana and further on to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, although for the falls, you need to leave your car in Botswana and take a bus.

Also, there are crossings into Angola and a ferry into Zambia, but it is not allowed for rental cars to enter these countries and few travellers will drive their own car into Angola.

By Bus

Buses connect the capital Windhoek with most neighbouring countries, but frequencies are low and travel time high. It takes about 24 hours to and from Johannesburg and even more to Lusaka in Zambia. There are also direct buses between Windhoek and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, stopping in Katima Mulilo in the eastern Caprivi. These buses travel through Botswana, but you are not allowed to get out of the buses. From Windhoek there are also irregular minibuses travelling directly to Maun, the gateway for the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

By Boat

There are boat connections between Namibia and Zambia, across the Zambezi River, to and from the Caprivi Strip in the far northeast.

The Royal Mail Ship "Saint Helena" travels regularly between Saint Helena and Ascension Island, Walvis Bay and Cape Town. The schedule is primarily designed to meet the needs of locals and cargo for St. Helena, and thus follows a timetable but not a consistent routing. In general terms, the ship leaves Cape Town once a month, before heading to St. Helena, sometimes via Walvis Bay. From St. Helena it will then run 1 or 2 shuttles to Ascension Island, before returning to Cape Town, again sometimes via Walvis Bay. Occasionally, Cape Town is omitted, and the ship returns to St. Helena directly from Walvis Bay.

Getting Around

By Plane

Air Namibia is the national airline of Namibia but there are few domestic flights that are of any use to travellers and most flights are chartered. There are however a few dozen of airports in Namibia, mostly catering to smaller planes with originate from Windhoek. Often these flights are part of a package deal. You might find this List of airport in Namibia interesting if you want to joing such a tour.

By Train

Although there are some expensive tourist trains, the regular train system is not much use to the traveller. While it's cheap, it is also very slow, runs infrequently and services usually run only between major towns, so you still have to rent a car or book a tour to see something of the landscape. Of course, it can be a very nice experience if you are a train enthusiast. And for more details about services and schedules you can check the TransNamib website.

By Car

The best way to get around Namibia is by renting a car, either in Namibia or at a cheaper rate in South Africa. Although there are just a few main roads which are paved, the gravel roads are of a very good quality and driving a normal car won't be any problem on the main roads. The roads which are paved are those towards Luderitz and the south-north corridor, from the border with South Africa, via Windhoek, Rundu until the Caprivi strip.

You can have a cheap car (usually a Volkswagen Chico) for as little as $30 (USD) a day, but renting a 4WD will set you back at least $130 when booking the car from your home country. If you go out camping, it is a good idea to rent a fully equipped 4WD. The higher rental costs are compensated for by the fact that you can sleep cheaply in the car.

Many major international agencies, like Budget, Hertz, Avis, Alamo and Thrifty have offices in Namibia or South Africa and you are allowed to take the car to most neighbouring countries as well, excluding Zambia and Mozambique. You have to ask this when you book though, because you need documents, permission and pay some fees for this services. Minimum age is 23 but sometimes 25 and you need a creditcard as well.

By Bus

Intercape has connections as far as Cape Town and Zambia but also originate and terminate in Walvis Bay and Windhoek and several other major towns on the route, mainly between Walvis Bay and Windhoek and along the north-south axe and Caprivi Strip as well. Towns where buses stop include Mariental, Karasburg, Rundu and Grootfontein.

By Boat

In such a dry country, there really are no useful options to get around by boat as a means of public transport. The only times you will be on a boat are probably on the rivers that border Zambia and Angola, if at all.

Red Tape

Nationals from the countries listed below don't need a visa to travel to Namibia:

Angola, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Malawi, Mozambique, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Singapore, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Your passport needs to be valid for 6 months after arrival in the country. Visas are valid for 90 days and all other people need to apply for a visa.

Money

See also: Money Matters

Namibian dollar is the national currency, but South African Rands can also be used as they connected 1:1. Namibian dollars are not accepted in South Africa though.

Work

Study

Namibia has many high institutions of education and the top two are the University of Namibia and the Polytechnic of Namibia.

Language

English is the official language of Namibia, but many other local languages are spoken and as a consequence of the German colonisation, Afrikaans and German are spoken as well, but only by white people. The local languages are either a Bantu language or a Khoisan language.

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also: Travel Health

Safety

See also: Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

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