12 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE VISITING NAMIBIA

1. VISA

The majority of the countries have a free 90 days visa on arrival all you need is a valid passport.
If your country doesn’t have a visa exemption agreement with Namibia you can always do a visa on arrival
Simply check your country recommendations regarding the visa for Namibia.
You can also get an idea checking the visa policy of Namibia here :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Namibia

2. DRONE LAWS

Namibia is the perfect location to fly a drone it’s a big desert, it’s the second less populated country in the world… but the drone regulations are quite strict.
You need to fill up an authorization form 2 months ahead as a foreigner and provide all the informations regarding your drone and your planned flights.


Get more informations on how to do it via this article :
https://uavcoach.com/drone-laws-in-namibia/


You cannot fly you drone in National parks.
These new rules regarding drone mostly took place because of wildlife poaching. This enforcement is in the interest of Namibian wildlife and especially the Rhinos

3. DISTANCES

Namibia is a huge country and locations of interest are often spread out in the country.
That implies a lot of driving and long distances, the plus point is that you get to have the road for yourself, on the other side you have to organize yourself well for this road trip
In between cities there is nothing ! 
Don’t expect to do groceries or to fill up gas in middle sized cities. You will see as you pass them they mostly look like ghost towns and you will not find much options.
Simply take the habit to always fill up gas when you see a gas station even if you only used half of your tank, you don’t know when you will see the next one ;)
Always stock water in advance you can get these big 5L bottles of water from Woolworth.
Just remember to refill on food water and gas when you arrive in a big city.

4. NAMIBIAN ROADS

In Namibia you drive on the left side of the road !
This country is huge pretty untouched : you will not drive on a lot of tarred roads :)
Pick up the tourism board map with you (our car rental integrated it in our car) and identify the colors of the roads :
Main roads are tarred /Minor Roads are gravel
Look well and expect to add time on what your GPS is indicating if most of your itinerary includes gravel roads you can usually add up an extra hour or an hour and half of driving if the road is really bad
It’s not recommended to drive when it’s dark due to the gravel roads conditions. You don’t really see the bumps, turns or wildlife at night (believe me we had to do it once, it was an adventure)
Also you do not want to encounter an Elephant at night seeing him last second…


5. GET A 4x4

Take a 4x4 Namibia’s road are not tarred for most of it, that implies a lot of bumps sand, and rocks
You will need a reliable car that will endure the dust and distances.
Also when visiting Sossusvlei the last 5km of the road is sand you only will pass there with a 4x4
We took the option to have the tent to be able to camp during our road trip. It was very convenient and our car was fully equipped with a fridge and camping equipment (table, chairs, gas cooker etc…)
Make sure your car has a double tank because a simple tank cannot always get you to arrive to the next gas station… :)
Also check that you have a spare wheel in case of a flat tire, that usually don’t happen but it’s good to have one.
ASCO CAR HIRE is the best company to get a car

6. PLAN AHEAD

We organized our trip for Namibia around 2-3 weeks before arriving there and we should have planned more ahead. Most people seem to book very early, so if you do like we did you will end up with limited options. Accommodations are very limited in Namibia.
We were very lucky to find a last minute car (ASCO was fully booked, almost all companies were fully booked)
A lot of Hotels were fully booked especially in Damaraland there was not options to stay close to Twyfelfontein because we booked too late
Prices are rising fast for plane tickets you get a far better price if you plan in advance
Finding an accommodation last minute for Etosha is a struggle people sometimes book months ahead
Simply organize your trip ahead and check in which the season you want to visit Namibia

7. HI-TECH

Take a SIM card, it’s always nice to be able to call your host if you took longer on the road than expected or if you got lost. 
Signal works ok, some areas are totally blank from network but for most of it you can phone. Plus you can usually top up at any general store. On top of it when you get data it is usually faster than the saturated wifi that everyone is using.
Download in advance Namibia’s map offline on Google Maps and download the app maps.me, play with these 2 to find your path and always check both before hitting the road. I always advise to compare it with your Local paper map to see what type of road you will drive on.
The plugs are Type M you don’t have this type on a regular adapter, order some before leaving
Get a cigaret lighter usb charger, you will drive for long distances you need to keep your GPS until arrival :)

8. NATIONAL PARKS

Namibia national parks are very numerous and beautiful.
National Parks are very easy to get in, simply register at the entrance with your driving license, plate number and pay your entrance fee.
Most of the parks are not expensive usually you get to pay NAD $80 per adult per day (around USD $6,5)
For Etosha : Note that if you don’t sleep inside the park and want to pay for multiple days in one time they will refuse and ask you to do the queue again the next day. They keep track of who enters and exit the park daily and your hotel inside reports your arrival.
National Parks opening hours are from sunrise to sunset and changes everyday. They will tell you at what time you need to be outside the gate when you enter the park.

9. DRESSCODE

Namibia is a big Desert, that implies extreme conditions, very hot temperatures which drastically drop at night.
Pack clothing that are light and that will protect you from the sun
Pack hats and sunscreen
Also think about jumpers because it will be chilly at night
If you plan on camping pack warm clothing for your nights (gloves, big socks)
Dress neutral, even though Namibia is a very open country it is not very touristic. 
You can absolutely wear shorts try simply not having any provocative outfits (big cleavage, very short skirt or dresses)

10. CAMPING 

Camping is easy in Namibia and it’s the cheapest way to discover the country !
Be aware that you are not allowed to free camp anywhere. You are in a country with National parks and where unfortunately poaching exists. And even though Namibia is very safe you don’t want to meet poachers at night or be mistaken for poachers by the authorities.
Use their amazing camps, you can find them pretty much in every place of interest, they are very inexpensive
You can drink the Tap water in your campsite
Get a torch it get really dark at night

11. TIP AND MONEY

Namibian currency is the Namibian Dollar (NAD$) it is exactly aligned on the South African Rand therefore they accept both currencies
Namibia works on the TIP system, staff are often paid by tips :
Usually tip 10% at the restaurant and cafe (or more if you found that the service was great ! ;) )
Tip the person who fills up your car with gas and cleans your window shield, you usually give between NAD $ 3-5
Tip your local guide who shows you the path or explains you about the history of the place you are visiting
Tip the persons who watch your car and guards it (if they are present when you arrive and leave) between NAD $ 2-5

12. IT'S NOT CHEAP

Namibia is a remote country, it is not touristic and big infrastructures are not largely developed.
It is therefore quite expensive to travel there
Transportation is expensive, you need to rent a 4x4 for 2 weeks and it’s a budget
If you choose not to camp you will find out that average prices for accommodation is around NAD $2000 (USD $130)
In remote areas you pay per person per night because you meals get included, it can get expensive however the food is usually an amazing buffet.
For most countries there is no direct flights to arrive to Namibia and the plane ticket is not cheap