Table of contents for 2020 in go! Namibia

When the opportunity to do a project like our annual Namibia guide comes your way, you grab it with both hands – regardless of whether your personal life (two kids under six at the time) and workload allows for it or not. This is how I ended up compiling the guide for two years in a row, without actually going to Namibia! It sounds far-fetched, I know, but I got the job done by relying on the help of our amazing travel writers, photographers, readers and local Namibians. I told myself that this year’s guide would be different. I was going to Namibia no matter what! And I did, not once but twice. The kids stayed with Grandma and Grandpa and my husband Tobie and I hiked the Fish River…

Rates. Accommodation rates and other prices listed were correct at the time of going to print. Use these as a general guideline and always call or e-mail to check current tariffs. Rates often go up on 1 July or 1 November. Also remember we publish a new version of this guide each year – don’t turn up at a place with a 2011 Namibia guide and insist on that price! Discount. When you book accommodation, be sure to mention you’re South African: SADC residents sometimes get a discount (some of the prices in the guide are SADC rates already). Also enquire about discounts for children, off-peak rates and specials. Children. We haven’t always included rates for kids. Most places charge half-price for children aged 3 – 12; children younger than…

AFFORDABLE OPTION (See page 21.) Eleanor Claassen Lüderitz “I was born here. I really enjoy visiting our family farm near Keetmanshoop during the holidays – the whole family gathers there, from Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Oranjemund.” HELMERINGHAUSEN & TIRASBERG 1 Namtib Biosphere Reserve This reserve is next to the D707 – billed as the most scenic road in Namibia. The Little Hunter’s Rest campsite is 3 km from the main lodge. You have a view of the Tirasberg and the red dunes of the Namib Desert to the west. Camping R170 p.p. (braai, hot showers, no power). Lodge rooms from R1 329 p.p. sharing DB&B. Lunch also available. Guests must book in advance. GPS: S26.03714 E16.26170 ✆ 00 264 63 683 055 namtib.net 2 Ranch Koiimasis Only accessible from the…

1 Be surprised by the Ugab Terrace The landscape next to the C39 between Outjo and Khorixas can be monotonous. Change that by turning off onto the D2743. First, you’ll only see mopane trees stretching out to the horizon, but then you’ll round a bend and see a flat mountain rising from the plains. No, you’re not in Utah – it’s the Ugab Terrace! One of the main landmarks is the so-called Vingerklip – a single rock finger balanced on a smaller outcrop. For the best view of the terraces, sit on the stoep at Ugab Terrace Lodge (page 122) or walk to the Vingerklip from Vingerklip Lodge (page 122). It’s about a 2 km walk to the base of the rock formation, and a bit of a climb, but…

1 Gawk at the Fish River Canyon You simply won’t get enough of the Fish River Canyon. There are three viewpoints overlooking the canyon, about 10 km from Hobas rest camp. First report to the reception office to pay the park fee (R60 per person; R10 per vehicle). Come early or late in the day to get soft light if you want to take photos – the gate is open from sunrise to sunset. The best way to immerse yourself in the splendour is to do the five-day hike. It’s a wilderness trail, which means there are no facilities and you have to carry everything you’ll need. It costs R500 per person plus a once-off R60 park fee. The trail is open from 1 May to 15 September. Want to…

1 See dolphins in Walvis Bay For a country with such a long coastline, there are surprisingly few places where you can go on a boat ride. Walvis Bay is the exception, where several operators offer trips from the harbour, usually in the morning. Laramon Tours  (laramontours.com) offer a Dolphin Cruise (9 am – 12.30 pm) for R850 per adult; R425 per child under 12. On board you can sip sparkling wine and eat fresh oysters. You might see dolphins and even a whale if you’re lucky. Other sights include the lighthouse and the seal colony at Pelican Point. Pelicans might come beg for scraps of food – look at that huge bill! Mola Mola  (mola-namibia.com) has a similar tour called the Marine Dolphin Cruise, which costs R890 per adult;…

1 Explore town on foot Most of Swakop’s tourist attractions are only a few minutes’ walk apart. Enjoy the colonial German architecture, preserved beautifully in the imposing Hohenzollernhaus on the corner of Tobias Hainyeko Street and Libertina Amathila Avenue (look for the statue of the Greek god Atlas on the gable) and at the Woermannhaus with its Damara Tower in Bismarck Street. From the Damara Tower you have a great view of the town, the ocean and the desert. Walk towards the Mole (a historical breakwater), past the Kaiserliches Bezirksgericht (now known as the State House) to the Swakopmund lighthouse, which has been signalling to ships on the Skeleton Coast since 1903. Get a town map at the tourist office: 1 Tobias Hainyeko Street; ✆ 00 264 81 155 4000;…

The Namib is the world’s oldest desert and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Experience this unique landscape for yourself on one of two 4x4 tours. The Namib is an ever-changing dune landscape – unspoilt, vast and mesmerizing. It might seem like an inhospitable place, but look carefully and you’ll find animals and plants completely adapted to the environment. You’ll also discover remnants of the desert’s rich diamond mining history, as well as haunting shipwrecks. Out there, it’s you and your 4x4 surrounded by a sea of sand. It’s easy to imagine you’re the only person on this planet. Since this is a concession area only a limited number of tours are offered every year. Make sure you are one of the fortunate few who get to experience this ultimate journey. Faces…

AFFORDABLE OPTION (See page 21.) LOW SEASON Many of these lodges lower their prices significantly at the height of summer (January to March, sometimes April). It gets very hot, and it can rain, but you’ll save a lot of money if you visit during these months. COMMUNITY CAMPS There are many community-run campsites in Damaraland and the Kaokoveld. It’s pointless to try and phone to book and usually not necessary either. Just drive in, someone will come to assist you. Weena van Tonder Outjo “Our family likes to visit the Kaokoveld, Damaraland or the Richtersveld with its amazing scenery. My husband doesn’t really like to cross the Orange River, but this year we’re going to the Garden Route in South Africa!” KAOKOVELD & KUNENE RIVER 1 Epupa Falls Lodge On…

It’s hot outside the car, but not nearly as hot as back at the border post. I’ve pulled off the B1 tar road about 10km north of Noordoewer. Around me lies southern Namibia in all its glory: baked plains that slope slightly towards where rugged ridges jut out. In between lies the odd blackened boulder. Some might say there’s nothing to see here and fire their jet engines for Grünau, 130km away, but this apparent absence of things is what I love most about Namibia. Unlike a place like Mauritius, where you can see its palm-fringed, white-beached appeal from the aeroplane window already, Namibia is not love at first sight. Namibia is like new vellies that first have to be walked in. Back in the car, I push the Duster…

AFFORDABLE OPTION (See page 21.) Shaleen du Rand Henties Bay “I like going to Rosh Pinah in the Richtersveld for a holiday – it’s a bit hotter there in the south than here on the coast.” Johann Steyn Walvis Bay “It depends on the season, but we usually travel inland. We love camping and our favourite places are Wêreldend, Namibgrens and Bloedkoppie. Otherwise, Walvis is a great place – there’s something to do for the whole family.” HENTIES BAY & SKELETON COAST 1 St Nowhere Spa and Campsite This place is 110km north of Henties Bay; 7km north of Mile 108. It’s a popular fishing destination. Info on p70. 2 Mile 108 Campsite (NWR) This campsite is 91km north of Henties Bay. It gets crowded in December and January but it’s…

Cameron Wilson Co-owner, Nunda River Lodge (page 124), Kavango River We started building here in 2006 and we officially opened the lodge in 2008. There’s enough business going around for all the lodges and camps. We get a lot of European visitors – at least 90% of our guests are German, Austrian or Swiss. Especially for a Namibian, where rain is scarce and rivers even more so, it’s a privilege to be on the river. It blows me away every day. It changes all the time; the water level dropping and rising throughout the year. You see the guests walk through the front door and the first thing they do is go to the deck and say, “Wow, look at this!” We’ve got challenges, but I’m sure they can be…