go! Namibia

Our popular Namibia guide consists of 132 pages of classic destinations, our Top 20 campsites, more than 240 places to stay with GPS points and maps, great things to do, plans for the perfect day, border post info, and more!

We’re on way. Namibia

Go Namibia

BEHIND THE SCENES • It usually takes at least three days to climb to the top of Brandberg (and back down). Toast Coetzer somehow managed in two! Read his story on page 112.

How not to hike the Fish River Canyon • Four friends decide to hike the Fish River Canyon. What could possibly go wrong?

When it rains in the desert • Namibia is known as the land of thirst. Rain is scarce, but when the clouds do bring relief to many parts of the country, as they did this past summer, you’ll see a smile on every Namibian’s face.

FAITH IN THE VELD • Namibia is like no other country on earth. Willem van der Berg remembers his first trip there – and what the silence and the open space taught him about his dad and himself.

BORDER INFO

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

The South • Many South Africans have sepia-tinged photos in family albums of the Fish River Canyon, the deserted houses of Kolmanskop and the quiver trees around Keetmanshoop. Do you? Then it’s about time you visit – or revisit – southern Namibia!

5 things to do

Take a tour of the Tirasberg • The Tirasberg is a remote mountain range in the south of Namibia where a few guest farms hide out in the foothills. You can enjoy some of the best views in the country and meet farmers with several survival plans in place.

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SOUTH PLACES TO STAY

CENTRAL • In central Namibia, you get to experience higher-lying parts of the country like the Khomas Hochland with its sinuous mountain passes, and also the ginormous plains of the Namib Desert. And when you reach the coast, the icy blue Atlantic awaits…

7 classic things to do

Starry skies in the Namibian highlands • When you’re in Namibia, it feels like you can reach out and touch the stars. In the Khomas Hochland, several mountains are more than 2 000 m above sea level – you’re even closer to the night sky!

Drive a loop through Damaraland • Set sail to wild and remote Damaraland! On this six-day tour, you’ll see an ancient volcano, desert elephants, rock engravings, rare plants and… the Dead Sea

Get barrelled in the desert! • Most readers of this magazine will have heard about the Skeleton Coast, many have probably even driven along its barren, windswept shores. But did you know there’s a world-renowned surf spot called Skeleton Bay?

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PLACES TO STAY CENTRAL NAMIBIA

NORTH • Namibia has no shortage of wild, faraway places, but when you travel to the north of the country – the white plains of Etosha, the Kaokoveld, the mighty Kunene, Kavango, Kwando and Zambezi rivers – you feel as if you’ve reached the ends of the earth!

10 things to do

Eye-to-eye with the animals • Tired of doing gymnastics on your car seat to photograph wildlife from the window of your SUV? Get up close and personal with giraffes, elephants and hyenas at the Onkolo Hide in Onguma Nature Reserve next door to Etosha.

Such great heights • At 2 573 m, a peak called Königstein on Brandberg is the highest point in Namibia. To get to the top, you need an open mind and calves of steel.

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NORTH PLACES TO STAY

Vlei in flood