Namibia was a mixed bag for us. While we enjoyed a self-driving safari in Etosha National Park, the wildlife variety and population felt significantly lower—perhaps only 10-20%—compared to what we experienced in Tanzania, Kenya, and Botswana.
We spent 15 of our 18 days in a rented two-person hardshell camper (built onto a 4WD Toyota Hilux truck). This was the right choice given the heavy rain, and the compact size allowed us to navigate 2,500 km of roads, about half of which were gravel or dirt. Larger campers with more amenities are available but are restricted to asphalt.
But our trip was nearly over before it started! On our first day there were heavy rains which turned the roads to mud. One section of road was so muddy and washed out that we barely made it through. A short while later, we came to a culvert that had become a river. Two 4WD Toyota Hiluxes with rooftop tents were there. They thought that they would have to wait until the following day to cross. Two of the men had walked across and found the water to be up to their knees. I waited for an hour, but then two other trucks came along. I watched them make it across and then I followed suit. This would turn out to be the first of three river crossings that we had to deal with.
Our itinerary included:
– Sossusvlei: We spent three nights here visiting Deadvlei’s 1,000-year-old trees and climbing giant sand dunes.
– Swakopmund: At the coast, we took an ATV tour through the desert and saw local wildlife, including geckos and chameleons.
– Skeleton Coast: We visited the Zeila shipwreck and the Cape Cross seal colony, which is home to 250,000 seals.
– Madisa Camp: A beautifully remote, primitive site where we visited 10,000-year-old petroglyphs.
– Etosha National Park: During our daily self-drives, we saw rhinos, giraffes, mongooses, baboons, wildebeests, hartebeests, impalas, gazelles, oryx, zebras, Kory bustards and jackals. We had gorgeous sunsets here on our first night.
Following that, we returned to Windhoek and checked into a Hilton. It felt great to be back in a real bed with a proper bathroom.
Another note about Namibia: The police are incredibly friendly. Whenever you would come to a police checkpoint they would beam a huge smile and say, “Hello. How are you?” I’ve never encountered this anywhere else in the world.
Overall, while I’m glad that we were able to see the country, compared to other African countries: 1) the safari experience fell far short of Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana and South Africa; 2) The cost to rent a camper was far more than our usual hotel costs (well, what isn’t more when compared to when you usually stay for free); 3) Other than on Mt Kilimanjaro, the mosquitos were the worst I’ve experienced in any continental African country.
In terms of amazing sights or things to do, I would rank Namibia below every other country we’ve been in except for Tunisia.
(polished with AI)