How many towns: Visit
four to six towns on a two-week trip. Distances are long, and each hub needs at least two nights to rest, restock and recover from hours of glare and vibration on dirt roads. Squeezing in more means you spend the trip looking at a windshield, with the dust in your teeth and the low sun in your eyes, instead of walking a market or finding a braai at sunset.
Choosing the kind of town: Pick by travel style. For
adventure and comfort, choose a coastal hub: sandboarding, quad biking and kayaking are bookable on the spot, and cafés serve real coffee. For
solitude and low cost, choose southern and central desert towns, where evenings are silent apart from wind. For
culture and the least-crowded experience, choose the north, where markets sell dried mopane worms, grilled meat …
read more 👉 How many towns: Visit four to six towns on a two-week trip. Distances are long, and each hub needs at least two nights to rest, restock and recover from hours of glare and vibration on dirt roads. Squeezing in more means you spend the trip looking at a windshield, with the dust in your teeth and the low sun in your eyes, instead of walking a market or finding a braai at sunset.
Choosing the kind of town: Pick by travel style. For adventure and comfort, choose a coastal hub: sandboarding, quad biking and kayaking are bookable on the spot, and cafés serve real coffee. For solitude and low cost, choose southern and central desert towns, where evenings are silent apart from wind. For culture and the least-crowded experience, choose the north, where markets sell dried mopane worms, grilled meat and fabric by the meter. Most travelers mix one of each. The coast is pricier because it caters to package tourists and South African holidaymakers, so the smarter move is to treat it as a short splurge between cheaper stops.
What it costs: Budget US$35 to 60 a day (about N$650 to 1,100) for camping or dorm beds and self-catering, and US$80 to 130 if you rent a car and stay in guesthouses. Campsites run N$150 to 300 (US$8 to 17) per person, dorm beds N$250 to 400 (US$14 to 22), and a restaurant meal N$100 to 200 (US$6 to 11). Fuel is around N$23 to 26 a liter, and a basic rental car costs US$40 to 70 a day. Group activities such as sandboarding or a dolphin cruise run US$40 to 70 each. Namibia has few cheap shortcuts, so the smarter approach is to cook in supermarkets, which are well stocked and fairly priced, and to share rental costs among three or four travelers.
Safety and etiquette: Namibia is among Africa’s safer destinations, but petty theft occurs around bus stops, markets and parked cars. Never leave luggage visible in a vehicle, and avoid walking after dark in larger towns, taking taxis instead. Tap water is generally drinkable in towns, but the sun is severe, so carry 3 liters per person and wear a hat. The north carries malaria risk in the wet season, while the south and coast do not, so check with a travel clinic before you go.
Greet people before asking anything. A handshake and a few words are expected, and skipping them reads as rude. Ask before photographing residents, especially in rural communities, and expect to pay or be refused. Cash is useful because small stores and fuel stations in remote areas may not take cards. Tip about 10 percent in restaurants and a few dollars to the fuel attendants who check your tires and clean your windshield.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.