Trip to Namibia

My name is Hali Atiya, 28 years old. The first time I traveled to Africa was after the army. I went alone for 4 months, visiting Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland. I returned from this trip very hardened and eager to continue traveling and seeing more parts of the continent. Therefore, 4 years later, I went on trip number 2, again alone. This time I traveled for a year, 10 months of which I spent in the west of the continent (Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, and Ghana), and for dessert, I continued for two months in the south of the continent (Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Lesotho).

Special experiences in 10 days

I traveled around Namibia for 10 days, and enjoyed every single moment..

I arrived in Windhoek, Namibia on an Intercape bus from Zambia. I had more or less places in mind that I knew I wanted to travel to, and as soon as I arrived I started asking about organized tours or other options. I already knew that if I relied on public transportation, I wouldn't reach most of the places I planned to visit.

I arrived at a hostel called Cardboard box (which, by the way, is a great place to spend a night or two in Windhoek) and started inquiring. They have a lot of tour offers (Travel bug safaris company) - between 3 days to two weeks, very interesting offers, but also not cheap.. I was interested in a 10-day trip, and met an American couple there who were also looking for something similar. We decided to look for a fourth partner and rent a car.

A few hours later, we found a Korean partner for the trip and started planning the route.

In the city center, there is a lot of information for tourists, and it is highly recommended to go there and ask all your questions. In addition, for the more attractive nature reserves (like Etosha and Sossusvlei), it is recommended to book accommodation in advance (even camping..). This can be done at the NWR (NAMIBIA WILDLIFE RESORTS) offices, which are also located in the city center.

Day 1:

After inquiries and planning, we headed north from Windhoek to the craft village - okahandja.

In the village, there is an artisan market, and it's a great place to buy souvenirs at reasonable prices (especially when coming with a car), just don't forget to haggle over the price.. :)

From there, the plan was to go see "big cats" at one of the parks along the way - Africat in Okonjima, but by the time we arrived, we were told that entry wasn't allowed for just one day, you have to stay the night, and the price for one night was quite steep..

So we gave up and continued north, burying our heads in Lonely Planet looking for another attraction in the area - as compensation for the big cats... Finally, we decided to go see a meteorite in some field in the area.

After a lot of wrong turns along the way, we reached the meteorite, which was a bit disappointing, and from there we continued to grootfontein to spend the night there.

A point that can be credited to Namibia and NWR is their campsites. Throughout the country, there are very well-maintained campsites, mostly with showers, sometimes even a kitchen, all at a reasonable price.

Day 2:

The next morning we drove to a zoo and an impressive pool of water in the area of the town of tsumeb, on our way to Etosha. Afterwards, we continued on to the "Namutoni" camp - there, after brief arrangements, we entered Etosha Park. We drove around the park, saw zebras, impalas, giraffes, and so on.. We even saw a rhino walking right parallel to us, which finally stopped to splash in a large water puddle right at the edge of the road. We continued to the "Halali" camp - at night you can go overlook the waterhole near the camp, and many times animals come there at night to drink. But our luck didn't hold, and we didn't see any animals.

Day 3:

On the second morning, we continued driving across the reserve (huge in size..) but didn't see the more attractive animals we hoped to see. Of course, we saw more zebras, giraffes headbutting each other J, etc. We continued to the third camp - "Okaukuejo" to leave the next morning. There is also a waterhole there to observe, but the wished-for animals didn't come there either.. It should be noted that in all three campsites in Etosha, there is a nice swimming pool, showers, toilets, shared kitchenettes, and everything of very good quality.

Day 4:

On the fourth morning, we went to visit the Himba tribe.

To do this, we had to ask around quite a bit. In the end, we got the phone number of someone whose family befriended the Himba, and they set up an orphanage and women's village for them near the city of kamanjab. We reached him, and in exchange for a nominal fee - a donation to the village - he sent us to the village, where a "guide" who spoke English was waiting for us and walked us around the very small village. We saw the customs and lifestyle of the tribe; they were very embarrassed, but then the children arrived and started jumping and getting excited about our cameras, making faces, dancing, and singing. Afterwards, the village women sat in a circle and each displayed the jewelry she makes so we could buy souvenirs from them. They have special jewelry you don't see in every "market", so it's nice to buy more unique souvenirs from there.

At the end of the day, we continued driving and stopped for shopping and sleep in the town of khorixas.

Day 5:

From there, we drove to twyfelfontein, where we saw the Bushmen rock paintings. There is about a one-hour hike in a really beautiful area and also a small museum explaining and describing more about Bushmen life and natural phenomena in the area.

We decided to take advantage of our stay in the area to see another place nearby - "burnt mountain" - a mountain that simply looks burnt - almost black.. From there we drove towards brandberg mountain in hopes of seeing the sunset from its western side, and sleeping at the UGAB RIVER - SAVE THE RHINO site. The drive, via the town of UIS, was very long - driving through amazingly beautiful expanses, but with no idea about our location and distance relative to the campsite. There were no signs at all; at a certain point, the drive became a bit dangerous when sharp rocks appeared on the edges of the narrow road, and the open space was isolated - without a living soul.. Until finally a tiny sign appeared indicating the last - and more dangerous - kilometers of the drive..

In the end, we arrived after sunset but safely at the campsite - a completely natural site - every car (we were the only car) parks under a tree, there is a bamboo partition marking our "territory" and a welcoming sign warning us about lions and elephants that might be in the area - "camping at your own risk..". We bought wood to light a fire, lit a nice bonfire, even ate marshmallows, and went to sleep.

Day 6:

The next day we drove west to the coastline, where we drove along the Skeleton Coast - we saw several shipwrecks, and stopped at cape-cross - a huge colony of seals - lots and lots and lots of seals, there's a really stinky smell, but the experience is really amusing..

From there we continued to Swakopmund, settling into the city with a bit of civilization - at a hostel called "desert sky backpackers". Swakopmund is a very touristy city, but not overly so. Very nice - with colorful houses decorating the amazing beachfront, a lighthouse, and a cool pier with a view of the endless ocean..

The city offers a variety of attractions (everything can be coordinated through the hostel) - skydiving, sandboarding, scenic flights, quad biking in the dunes, and more.. In addition, there are many nice cafes, restaurants, fast and cheap internet (everything is relative..), shopping centers, and also souvenirs (more expensive..)

We spent 2 nights in Swakopmund, and on the second day there, we split up and everyone did what they wanted.

Day 7:

I did sandboarding - it was super fun, simply sliding down the dunes at tremendous speed, crashing a bit into the sand, but immediately continuing to the edge of the next dune and sliding again..

Right after that, I went to the skydiving area. Highly recommended!! In my opinion - one of the best places to skydive over. Blue ocean on one side - huge sand dunes on the other side - simply breathtaking, an amazing experience. As soon as we touched the ground, I wanted to jump again..

In the evening we all gathered, ate pizza at a very nice restaurant, and got organized for the drive the next day.

Day 8:

In the morning, we started climbing Dune 7. The dune is right at the exit from the town, and at its base are several palm trees that together with the dune and the blue sky create a wonderful picture - like an oasis (just without the water..) Afterwards, we continued driving south - towards Sesriem, Sossusvlei.. the red dunes..

On the way - there is a gas station with a very nice restaurant - solitaire - we arrived there after coming across an article in a newspaper about their apple pie, and indeed - the pie was worth every bite J

We arrived in Sesriem right before sunset, and headed inside - to Sossusvlei (a 4x4 vehicle is required to drive inside. If you don't have one - the place operates a shuttle service there). At the entrance, there is Dune 45 - from all the postcards you've seen.. We tried to climb it too, but failed in the mission - the wind simply wouldn't let us continue.. Sand was flying into our eyes, our airways, and simply - if nature doesn't want it, it won't happen..

We continued into Sossusvlei - the place is amazing. Sunset had just begun, the sky turned dark blue-purple, the dunes changed color from red to mahogany brown, the ground was suddenly gray, everything was magical.

As soon as it got dark, we went back - the gates close at certain hours - and drove to the campsite. There too were hot showers, toilets, and a shared kitchen that was very convenient.

Day 9:

The next day we returned at sunrise to Sossusvlei - to see the colors change back. We walked around, each in their own direction - on foot - among the dunes, crossing them, circling them, walking among the dunes captivated by their charm. Suddenly something sparkled in the distance. I walked further and further, and to my surprise, I found water there. Between all the dunes - on the arid soil that slowly began to change its texture - I found water. And an impala drinking from it, even before the sun had a chance to glance..

I was mesmerized by the magical beauty of the place, by the surprise of the water there (which later turned out to be a phenomenon that happens once every nine years, when winter is very severe - a little water remains between the dunes). After a while, I found my three travel partners and called them to come and see what was going on - they too were mesmerized, and some really good photos came out of it..

Afterwards, we walked in dead vley - where the ground is grayish with a special texture, and there are isolated trunks of trees long dead - these too could be turned into a postcard.. simply a mesmerizing landscape..

For me - Sossusvlei is truly one of the most incredible places in nature. The endless sand in its unique color there, the silence between all the dunes, the sand slowly moving without even noticing it, its mastery over us. The magic that dominates walking there. Simply wandering alone among all this sand, going wherever nature takes you, and discovering what it holds inside. You could spend hours upon hours there, sunrises upon sunsets, and I don't think anyone would ever get tired of it.

After a few hours, we returned to Sesriem - we also visited Sesriem Canyon - really nice, there's a bit of water, a bit of climbing, a bit of descending.. You can take advantage of the shade there and eat lunch inside the canyon..

From Sesriem we drove east, to spend our last night at a magical castle in the south - DUWISIB CASTLE.

The castle, it turns out, is a museum with a campsite next to it, and unfortunately the museum closed at six in the evening, so we weren't really inside the castle, but it looked just like out of a fairytale, and behind it was a not-bad campsite at all.

Day 10:

In the morning - before sunrise - we started the long drive back to Windhoek, where we returned the car with no issues, spent a few hours at a different hostel than the previous one - Chameleon - which turned out to be really nice too, with a bar, a pool, organized tours, and the option to leave luggage for half a day - until the bus to Cape Town arrived.. We all said goodbye to each other and went on our way..