The Breakdown

Since we are currently based in Cape Town, South Africa, our Namibia road trip probably looked a little different than yours will, but no worries! Other than the loooong drives to and from Cape Town, the rest of the info will help those flying in and out of Windhoek (pronounced VINDhok).

Without further ado, here is the Namibia road trip itinerary we did. We moved incredibly fast to cover this much ground, and I would have extended this to three weeks if we could have. Most places we stayed just one night, and there was a lot of driving between each place.

Please note that camping costs below are per person per night and are updated as of December 2019, so the prices listed below are mostly more than what we paid back in June. With four of us instead of traveling as a couple, we definitely saved money, especially with the cost of petrol. Also, one of the most expensive parts of road tripping Namibia is spending US $100 a day on a 4×4 truck for the crazy dirt roads. Luckily, our one friend is from SA and has a truck, so we got to ride in that for free (with the small cost of fixing two flat tires and replacing his windshield after it was cracked by a piece of gravel). It pays to travel local 🙂 Also note that driving times may be much longer if you are renting a sedan or you aren’t comfortable driving on sandy roads. Michael was an expert, and was able to drive much faster than many of the other cars we saw. All prices are listed in Namibian Dollars, which is pegged to the South African Rand.

Mariental
Waterberg Plateau
Etosha National Park
Damaraland
Spitzkoppe
Swakopmund
Sossusvlei
Aus / Luderitz
Ai-Ais / Fish River

Sossusvlei and Deadvlei…#1 hands down.
Suddenly becoming very interested in desert geology.
Being scared of riding on the dunes at first, but then gaining confidence and ripping it a bit! Just in time to head back…
ALL. THE. STARS.
The absolute wonder that a place like this exists on earth.

Don’t be scared of the bumps.

The roads in Namibia are surprisingly good for being almost all gravel, and they are constantly being graded. That being said, there are still a lot of rough roads. If you find yourself on a washboard road…SPEED UP! Driving 20mph on those ridges means you’ll be feeling every bump. Try to stay at least above 40mph/60kph, if not faster.

Know your roads.

Map out all of your roads beforehand along with petrol stations and make sure your car’s tank can make it. Also, know which roads are ok for 2×4 and which require 4×4. All B roads in Namibia are tarred and good for sedans. Many C roads are fine for sedans as well. A D road is unlikely to be doable, but do your research first! Also, whatever drive time Google says, you need some padding. Better to Google your specific route and how long it takes—there are a ton of forums out there for 4×4 driving in Southern Africa in particular.

Know how to change a tire.

Don’t be those guys waiting for 5 hours for someone to drive by. Learn how to change a tire before you go, and if you’re renting, double check that the car has everything you need to do it.

Stock up whenever you stop.

Namibia is a country of nearly nothing everywhere you look. When you do find a town, it may just be a small shop with biltong and dry snacks, but no fresh fruit or veggies. Keep your car stocked with snacks, water, and anything else you might need. You may not see another store—or the next store you do see may be painfully understocked. While you’re there, you might as well fill up with petrol.

Don’t rely on cell service.

Because you’ll barely have it. You can buy a SIM card for cheap when you arrive, but it won’t provide reliable service unless you’re near a town. Download offline maps (try maps.me and google maps), print out any confirmations or directions you may need, and maybe actually know how to read a real road map!

Get a map.

I downloaded the road map from HERE for €4.99 which is totally worth it as it has detailed info on every sector of the country including road conditions. TBH, though, I’m not sure the last time it was updated. Luckily, our driver also had a GPS system with all of our routes uploaded. Some of the road signs when you get to an intersection are so old and worn by salt and sand, you can’t even read them!

Dress for all the seasons.

Just look at my photos below and you’ll see me in everything from tanks and shorts to triple-layered sweaters and beanies. And RAIN in the dry season. Deserts are always fickle, and Namibia is no exception. As Scar would say, Be Prepared!

Namibia Road Trip Itinerary

Day 1: Cape Town > Bastion Farmyard, Mariental

Drive Time: 12+ Hours, 1200km
N$171 per person

Day 2: Waterberg Plateau Campsite

Drive Time: 5 hrs, 540km
N$250 per person

The Waterberg Plateau isn’t a must-see stop in Namibia, but it’s a great way to break up the drive up to Etosha north of Windhoek, and the plateau is pretty stunning in itself. It’s a lush oasis jutting up from an otherwise flat landscape. The campsites were nice, the birding was incredible, and we even had a porcupine come be our camp friend! His name is Charles. There are a few lovely hikes on the property, but we weren’t there long enough to do the panorama hike with the real views from the plateau. Please go do it and tell me how it is!

Day 3-6: Etosha National Park

Drive Time: 4 Hours, 316km (plus LOTS of safari driving around the park)

Onguma Tamboti Luxury Camp – N$255 per person
Etosha Village Camp – N$200 per person
Olifanstrus Camp – N$389 per person
Halali Camp – N$333 per person

Etosha is a wild place. It is dust and ghosts and literally means “the great white place” referring to the massive salt pan that lies at its center. Etosha is seeing a single springbok alone in a vast, flat plain with nothing else in sight. It’s seeing the skeletons of bushes adorned in the white dust that coats everything when you are here. It’s seeing single file lines of zebras trudging lonely across the desert in their neverending search for water. It’s wondering how anything manages to survive in a place so desolate.

OK, enough poetic musings. Down to brass tacks. We spent four nights in Etosha (pronounced eh-taw-shah, not eh-toe-shah) and had to stay in FOUR different camps because this place books up quick, and we were also on the heels of the Put Foot Rally Racers, which is basically hundreds of people roadtripping around Africa. My advice…book Etosha at least six months in advance, or as soon as you think you want to go. Stay at Halali or Okaukuejo Camp, maybe two nights in each. How do you pronounce that last one? OH-ka-KOO-yoo. I know. It feels wrong. I’m pretty sure it morphed into oh-cow-kwa-kwee-juice by the time we left.

Olifanstrus is a pretty sweet camp out in the western half of the park that has a great waterhole with a two-storey hide, but it does take a full day of driving down a pretty desolate stretch of road to get there. This part of the park was only opened in the last few years and Olifanstrus is only open to campers. There are no huts or bungalows here. It’s actually so recent, Google Maps doesn’t even show it as part of the park! It’s surrounded by the bush and feels incredibly intimate. Definitely recommended if you’re going to leave from the western side of the park, but keep in mind the long drive time. Like the idiots we are, we booked a night out there, then drove all the way back to Halali for our last night. But that’s all that was available! Side note: Halali has an amazing night-lit waterhole where you can see the drama of the bush unfold!

Onguma Reserve is directly outside of the eastern gate of the park, had wonderful campsites, a lovely pool and office area, and even offer their own game drives and a water hole you can view from the camp bar & restaurant. I would definitely stay here again. Etosha Village is just outside the main/central gate, and was a little weirder. They put us in a massive group camp for 30+ people, but whatever. Their pool/reception area was lovely and it was very accessible to the park. They also sold really good bread at their front desk. Seriously, pick up a couple loaves on your way out, it’s better than anything you’ll find at the stores around the park.

ETOSHA TIP: TWO of our camps got attacked by honey badgers, so be sure to put up all of your food!!! They’re crafty bastards.

ETOSHA TIP #2: If it’s dry season and you have the time, spend one whole day just sitting next to one of the waterholes at camp with a book. The animals come and go, and it will be empty a lot of the day, but it’s so cool to watch the dynamic of the bush while you relax with an icy cold cider!

Stock Up in Outjo

There is a great, fully stocked market in Outjo along with a nice little town, a cafe, and a bakery. After trying to buy groceries in Etosha (just don’t) it was a welcome relief! If you’re coming north, stop in Outjo before you hit the park. If you’re driving South, this is the best grocery store before Swakopmund.

Day 7-8: Brandberg White Lady Lodge

Drive Time: 6 hrs, 400km
N$310 per couple

Day 9: Spitzkoppe Camping

Drive Time: 2 hrs, 130km
N$190 per person

Spitzkoppe is a famous rock climbing spot, and if you’re a climber, this is definitely where you stay. However, we were not rock climbing, it was still too blistering hot to hike, so we just sat at the very cool outdoor lodge area and drank lukewarm drinks. The campsites have no water and are quite far from the main house, so it definitely wasn’t my top pick. Unless you are a climber, then this is where you come.

Day 10-11: Swakopmund – GreenArt Yard Cottage

Drive Time: 2 hrs, 150km
N$580 per couple

After however much time camping, you need a place to do some laundry and feel like a human again. Especially when an African wild cat pees on your bag in some sort of territorial ownership claim.

Swakopmund is an adorable, strangely German town in the middle of Namibia, and is the second largest city after Windhoek. Here is where you will restock on everything cause it’s slim pickins in the rest of the country. Our airbnb was cute, it was a short walk to town, and the owner was super nice.

Swakopmund is also where you do all the adventure stuff like 4x4s out in the dunes. Highly recommend! Also, eat at the Brauhaus and get the schnitzel.

Day 12-13: Sesriem / Sossusvlei – Hauchabfontein Camp

Drive Time: 6 hrs, 355km
N$150 per person

Hauchabfontein was our base camp for exploring the Sossusvlei dunes. You can get closer, but honestly this camp was WAY better than the garbage camps in Sesriem near the entrance. Don’t believe the photos on their website. This remote camp was a hidden gem discovered by Michael, and was only about a 45 minute drive to the entrance to the dunes. I don’t even think they have a website, you just have to email them to book it and they check their email like once a week when they go to town. They have no internet so bring cash.

The campsites are lovely, spacious, and there is a quiver tree forest on the property. We didn’t have time to go, but went to another one in SA so here is a picture of those weird trees that are definitely worth seeing!

c14 Scenic Drive – Gobabeb/Kuiseb Pass

After leaving Swakopmund, pop into Walvis bay and head out on the C14 (a good gravel road). Once again you’ll be absolutely floored how the landscape could change so much…and then it changes again. Wanna nerd out on precambrian geology??? ME TOO. After you leave the pass, you’ll run into the second (and better) Tropic of Capricorn sign, so be sure to bring a sticker to leave your mark!

D707/c27 Scenic Drive & Helmeringhausen

Drive Time: 247km, adds about 1 hour

The C27 is a gorgeous drive through the Namib Rand Nature Reserve between Sesriem and Aus, and shouldn’t be missed. Google will probably tell you to take the C19 to the C14, but don’t listen! The D707 is a sand road and is 4×4 only, but the C27 can be driven in a 2×4.

Helmeringhausen is a tiny German town in the middle of nothing but desert and it’s clearly the most hopping place for 100 miles. They have a mildly disappointing store, but they sell cool maps and also ice cream! They even have a POST OFFICE which is open for four hours only on Tuesdays, which I am assuming makes Helmeringhausen the happening hotspot on Tuesday mornings. Get that mail, gurl!

Day 14-15: Aus / Lüderitz – Klein-Aus Desert Horse Camp

Drive Time: 7 hrs, 481km
N$150 per person

Easily the biggest disappointment of the trip was that we didn’t get to go to Kolmanskop, the ghost town about an hour from Aus on the way to Luderitz. It used to be a village for the diamond miners, but that industry dried up long ago. Apparently it closes at 1pm, cause like, who knew ghost towns had HOURS??? Anyhoo…here is a picture from Michiel Van Balen on Flickr cause I wasn’t allowed to get my own!

After you visit Kolmanskop, head down to the seaside town of Luderitz to get some lunch, a surprisingly dense town that has gone through many iterations of mining and fishing.

Day 16-17: Fish River Canyon – Ai-Ais Hot Springs

Drive Time: 5 hrs, 338km
N$315 per person

Our last stop was the massive Fish River Canyon, the largest canyon in all of Africa and the second largest in the world.

There is a five-day hike that traverses the base of the canyon from Ai-Ais to Hobas camp, but of course, we didn’t have time to do that. Instead, we did a day hike in and turned around coming back to Ai-Ais. Ai-Ais also has hot springs on the property, but I have to be honest—they weren’t very hot unless you were sitting right in front of the source. The campsites themselves are pretty wide open and not that great, in my opinion.

If I went back, I would definitely check out Hobas, though it is a longer trek to get all the way in there!  As a reward, however, you get the best views into the canyon.

Day 18: Ai-Ais Hot Springs > Cape Town

Drive Time: 11 hrs, 800km