NAMIBIA
CHANGE (updated July 2016)
The currency of Namibia is the Namibian Dollar (NAD)
1 NAD = 0.06197 Euro – 1 Euro = 16,331 NAD
EXPENSES IN EURO
We are obviously light years away from the very minimal budget of past years, but I did everything was possible to save. I slept in a hostel or cheap guesthouses, avoided altogether restaurants, except on one occasion in which it was already included in the tour price, traveled by bus, used cheap tour operators.
Food: 413.56 NAD (25.62 Eu)
Transportation: 340 NAD (290 of which to go from the hostel to the airport, 21:07 Eu) + 33 USD (Intercape bus from Livingstone to Windhoek).
Accomodation: 1330 NAD (82.42 Eu). These relate to Windhoek, because others were already covered in purchased excursions.
Excursions: 15135 NAD (937.91 Eu). In details: 1870 for a day trip to Naankuse, 300 half-day excursion to Katutura, 4540 Etosha safari with Wild Dog Safaris, 8425 3 nights / 4 days in Namib Naukuluft National Park, with African Extravaganza
Phones: 65 NAD (4.02 Eu)
Total: 17283.56 NAD + 33 USD (1100.10 Eu)
If we add the cost of the flight 453 Eu + 91 flight from Windhoek to Johannesburg, we are at 1644.10 Eu, taking account of the days spent in Namibia, ie 9.
FLIGHTS
Ethiopian Aiways, I talk about it here
Flight Windhoek – Johannesburg with Air Namibia, 91 Eu, punctual. Snack on board.
INTERNAL TRANSPORT
Lonely Planet says the local black people move with shared taxis which usually depart from fuel stations. Although I made so many reseraches on the web before leaving, and even asked, I did not get any reply, as if there is no way to move around in Namibia with anything other than a private vehicle
I reached Windhoek from Livingstone with the only bus line that seems to be existing on internet, Intercape Mainliner. 33 USD, about 21 hours of traveling. Not as comfortable as the Peruvians or Bolivians cama bus, but unlike them, the on-board toilet was clean and working. It stopped every now and then in some fuel station a bit squalid, like Rundu, where we could buy something to eat at places like Wimpy, a little cautious after the driver warned us to be careful because it is a dangerous place.
To go to the toilet we paid 2 NAD, better to have small cash available.
The bus waited at the border (Wenela), the slower immigration office among all those passed so far.
After that, I then relied on two different agencies for my trips, see “travel organization”
Once in Namibia, at the fuel stations, and even in the streets, I realized that the combi (shared taxis) are really existing, and they even carry a luggage cart. But for sure it is difficult to understand when they leave or arrive, one should go the day before, and ask for information to the locals.
WEATAHER / RECOMMENDED CLOTHING
A bit warmer than Botswana, both during the day (about 28° C) and at night. A few degrees less in Windhoek due to the altitude (1650 meters above sea level). A winter sleeping bag is needed (although you can rent them). In the rooms in the evening can be a bit chilly. Clear sky, never seen a cloud
ACCOMODATION
A bigger amount of pictures has been uploaded in the oppurtune sections, in brief:
Windhoek – Chameleon Backpackers – 320 NAD a single with shared bathroom. A really nice place, well maintained and appointed, with lively atmosphere, without exaggeration. Abundant buffet breakfast served from the property, large, fully equipped kitchen space. Pool (cold water in August). Shared bathrooms clean enough. Nothing to complain about the rooms. A few blocks from downtown, efficient internal travel agency. Recommended.
Windhoek – Kate’s Nest Guesthouse – 370 NAD. I spent one night only, as in the passage from Etosha to Namib Desert trips I forgot to book a night at Chameleon, and they had no place left even in the dorms. Chosen at random on booking because the first in the ranking of the cheapest ones. A true gem, really super. The only drawback, a car is necessary as it is away from the center. Intimate atmosphere, fine furnishings, exudes good taste from every pore. Hearty breakfast included.
Etosha – dome tent with no bed inside, a 5 cm foam mattress is provided. You need to have a sleeping bag, although I believe that paying extra is possible to rent one.
Namib Desert – Namib Naukluft Lodge. Single room cost is 1175 NAD, mine was already included in the excursion price. A 3 stars lodge in stunning location, in the desert. Services are adequate to the paid price. It’s an uncommon type of accommodation for me, so I was amazed for every little comfort. I ate very well (meals were included in the calculation of total costs), but still I could hear some Italians complaining about the quality …
COMMUNICATIONS
My safari mates in Botswana gave me their MTC sim card before leaving.
http://www.mtc.com.na/packages/pre-paid/mtc-traveller
In my turn, I donated to some Etosha safari mates the Mascom sim card I bought in Botswana
FOOD
The Chameleon Backpackers is a few blocks from the city center, close to supermarkets. The kitchen is fully equipped. I went only once at the restaurant, at the Naankuse resort, because already included in the excursion, and I had a wonderful meal. Refined food, stunning setting. It’s one of those places that I rarely attend, and not only on holidays. The meals during the Etosha and Namib desert tours were excellent. We eat a lot of meat (good).
Raw vegetables, washed with tap water at campsites in the Etosha NP, did not give any problems.
SHOPPING
In Independence Avenue, the main street in Windhoek, there are 3 or 4 wonderful shops, selling high quality products. In front, a craft market where much cheaper souvenirs are exposed.
Instead, I assaulted the Namibian Craft Centre, a kind of middle way. It’s possible to find nice things at reasonable prices
WORTH TO GO?
I would say yes, despite the way I visited Namibia is not the one I prefer
TRAVEL ORGANIZATION
Given the lack of public transport, I have been forced to rely on packaged tours. One of the most reliable operators in the economic sector is Wild Dog Safaris, already tested by a friend of mine, estimated traveler, so I trusted it immediately without even thinking.
Similar services are offered by Cardboard Box Backpacker, also very popular.
The most of the group tours have fixed departures dates, once a week. I do not think there is any particular problem to join them on the last moment, since you’re in a tent, you just have to arrive at the right time, otherwise you waste time waiting.
The duration of the tours is the same more or less with all operators, and judging from what we saw on the internet, also many destination and places.
Regarding the Namib Desert, since I thought the period of time proposed by Wild Dog Safaris, three days, was too short, and since I had a spare day to dedicate, I found some agencies which had daily departures, and offered the possibility to spend 24 additional hours in the area. They were Cardboard and African Extravaganza, suggested by some users of TripAdivsor. The first one did not answer me, so I contacted the other.
The price was about 200 Eu more, but I would have slept in a lodge and not in tents, one more day, so I said “who cares”.
See my comments in the “Impressions” sections. Prices are listed in the “Expenses” section
RIPS OFF / SAFETY
Namibian citites are dangerous at night, apparently. Windhoek also during the day .. When our bus arrived in Rundu at 21:00, the driver, announcing the 20-minute toilette and dinner stop, advised us to be very careful, because the place was “very dangerous”. Actually, I did not see around so many bad people, much worse had been in Venezuela … In Windhoek, in the evenings I never went out because I had nothing to do outside the hostel, but also during the day the staff invited us to leave everything, including passports, in the room safe, and bring with us only the day pocket money. They warned us not to show around the camera. Actually then I saw tourists around with 1000 Euros digital cameras hung on their necks, and backpacks on the shoulders. What I noticed is that in fuel stations beggars and prostitutes seems to hang out. I had the bad idea to cross diagonally the fuel station in front of the Craft Namibian Centre, rather than walking at a right angle on the sidewalks. A girls followed me for a while, shouting and asking for money, I thik she was sick or mentally disturbed. I just went straight on my way.
No scam to report, everybody was very correct