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Namibia luxury safari
Namibia luxury safari
Namibia luxury safari

Namibia

Namibia is home to deserts, mountains, incredible safari lodges, national parks, dreamy beach towns, and some of the best wildlife viewing in Sub-Saharan Africa. So whether you’re climbing sand dunes in Sossusvlei or tracking rhinos in Etosha National Park, this Namibia luxury safari guide has everything you need to plan an epic trip!

The Best Safari Lodges in Namibia

Fun Fact: Namibia has one of the lowest population densities in the world, which means this is one of the best destinations to escape the crowds.

Ready to plan your trip? Here’s the ultimate Namibia luxury safari guide!

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Top Places to Visit

Caprivi

Epupa Falls

Etosha National Park

Okonjima Nature Reserve

Skeleton Coast

Sossusvlei

Spitzkoppe

Twyfelfontein

Walvis Bay

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Typical Travel Costs

Exchange Rate

The currency in Namibia is the Namibian Dollar. 1 Namibian Dollar (N$) is equal to about £.04 British Pounds, $0.06 U.S., and €0,05 Euros. Exchange rates are subject to fluctuations, so be sure to check this as your trip approaches. The Namibian Dollar is pegged to the South African Rand, so 1 Namibian Dollar is always the same as 1 South African Rand, and Namibian Dollars and South African Rands are accepted interchangeably throughout the country.

Accommodation

A hostel or budget hotel will be around N$170 a night (£8., $10, €9,50). A mid-range hotel should be about N$850 a night (£40, $50, €50), and more luxury accommodations will start at N$3300 a night (£160, $200, €190) and go up from there. There are Airbnbs in Swakopmund and Windhoek, which average N$850 (£40, $50, €50) a night.

Food

Lunch in a casual restaurant is around N$85 (£4, $5, €4,50). A nice dinner will be about N$170 (£8, $10, €10), and a fine dining meal with drinks will start at N$350 and go up from there (£17, $20, €20).

The tap water is drinkable in every part of Namibia, so please bring a refillable water bottle instead of buying single-use plastic water bottles.

Transportation

A one-way bus trip between cities averages N$20 (£1, $1.20, €1,15). A city taxi will be around N$15 per kilometer (£0.74, $0.90, €0,90). Renting a car (not including gas) will cost around N$850 a day (£40, $50, €50), and hiring a car and driver will start around N$3200 per day (£115, $160, €130, 1030 Yuan).

Uber and Lyft don’t operate in Namibia.

Other Expenses

I’d budget around N$300 a day (£15, $18, €18) for entrance fees, snacks, tips, and souvenirs.

Haggling is expected in markets. Most vendors start with inflated prices expecting tourists to negotiate a lower price.

ATMs are widely available in Swakopmund and Windhoek for getting cash, but ATMs are few and far between outside of these cities. Some restaurants and hotels take credit cards, but cash is the preferred form of payment, even at high-end safari lodges. So always plan on having plenty of cash with you.

Namibia luxury safari
Tipping

Restaurants: 10% of the bill (always check to see if this is automatically included in the check).

Hotel & Safari Lodge Staff (Servers, Housekeepers, etc.): N$80 per day per guest.

Safari Guides & Trackers: N$200 per guest per day for a guide and N$100 per guest per day for a tracker. If you have different guides and trackers during your stay at a safari lodge, make sure to note your staff’s names.

Tour Guides & Drivers (not at camps or lodges): N$80 per guest for a half-day, N$160 for a full day.

Taxis Drivers: N$20 per guest per drive.

Airport & Hotel Porters: N$20 per bag.

Hired Guide & Driver for Your Entire Trip: N$200 per day per guest.

Suggested Daily Costs

These daily estimates include half-board rates at hotels and lodges where some of your meals and activities are included with your room rate.

Budget: N$555 (£27, $33, €32). Midrange: N$2100 (£100, $125, €122). Higher End: N$7000 and up (£345, $415, €410).

Money-Saving Tips

1
Visit During The Shoulder Season May and June have lower hotel, tour, and transportation prices than the peak travel months from July - August and drier weather than the other months of the year.
2
Drink Tap Water The tap water everywhere in Namibia is safe to drink. So at restaurants, order a pitcher of tap water instead of a bottle of water. And bring a reusable water bottle you can refill throughout the day instead of buying single-use plastic water bottles.
3
Research Whether All-Inclusive Is the Best Choice for You Safari lodges and hotels have an all-inclusive option (where everything, minus tips, is included) or half-board rates (where your accommodation and some meals are included). If you're hiring a guide and moving accommodation every couple of nights, the all-inclusive rate might not be the best financial choice for you because you won't do the safari lodge guided activities and you probably won't eat every meal at the lodge.

How to Prepare for Namibia

Vaccinations

No vaccinations are required to enter Namibia. However, you should be up-to-date on yellow fever, typhoid, tetanus, rabies, and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) shots. A hepatitis vaccine is also a good idea. Although malaria medication is not required, it might be a smart choice if you visit the Caprivi or any rural area. If you’re going to take malaria medication, you need to begin taking it a few days before traveling.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has current information on vaccinations and diseases in Namibia, and I recommend visiting their website for the most up-to-date travel requirements.

Visas

Citizens of the EU, U.S., Canada, Australia, and Great Britain need a valid passport and a return ticket or a visa to enter Namibia. Your passport should be valid for at least six months from your entry date and have at least one completely blank page. If you require a visa, your passport must have at least three blank pages.

Citizens of most countries don’t need a visa if you’re visiting Namibia for less than 90 days, but you’ll need to check your country’s requirements for visiting Namibia. The World Travel Guide has more information on Namibia’s visa and passport requirements.

If you do need a visa, iVisa is an incredibly helpful resource for obtaining visas. iVisa makes the usually complicated and confusing process of getting a visa easy by taking care of everything for you. You fill out a simple online application, and then iVisa takes care of everything else.

Etiquette

Politeness is highly valued and expected in Namibia. Always greet people with a smile, handshake, nod, or verbal greeting when you walk into a restaurant, hotel lobby, or safari lodge common area.

As a visitor, you should make eye contact when speaking with someone.

Things and people running late are not uncommon and are usually not considered rude in Namibia. You should always strive to be on time, but don’t be outwardly frustrated if others are not, or if your transportation is running late.

Businesses will not necessarily be open during their posted business hours, and rest camps, B&Bs, and shops might close without notice. So I recommend phoning ahead to keep from being disappointed and frustrated.

For Planning Your Namibia Trip

When To Go

Namibia is a desert country – one of the driest places in Sub-Saharan Africa. July – October are the driest months of the year and the peak travel season. Wildlife will gather by the hundreds around water holes, meaning these months have some of the best game viewings anywhere in Africa. These months have the highest prices and crowds, so book your lodge and tours as far in advance as possible. In July and August, daytime temperatures average in the 60s and 70s, and nighttime temperatures can drop below freezing, so bring layers. September and October nights are warmer, but you’ll still want a jacket.

May and June are the shoulder months. The rains will have stopped, the landscape will be lush, and wildlife will be easily visible at waterholes (though not as high a concentration as in July – October). Travel costs will be less during these months, and the safari lodges and destinations won’t be overrun with tourists. Daytime temperatures range from the 60s to 80s, with nighttime temperatures falling below freezing in June, so bring layers for the mornings and evenings. 

November, February, and March are the rainy and off-season months. It will be wet and humid, and wildlife will be hard to see because they won’t need to gather at watering holes. You can score some great accommodation deals during these months, though, and it can feel like you have the entire country to yourself. 

December, January, and April are the best months for bird watching. These are the months directly after the rainy months, when the weather will be drier, the skies clearer, and the feeding conditions are ideal for water birds. These months have drastic temperature changes from night to day, so bring shorts, pants, short-sleeve shirts, and jackets.

Namibia luxury safari
WHAT TO PACK

Namibia has pleasant daytime temperatures year-round (with highs rarely going above the mid-80s). But temperatures plummet at night. So you’ll want layers for the evenings and mornings regardless of elevation, region, or time of year.

Sunscreen, insect repellant, and head protection from the sun are must-bring items. Most towns, cities, and safari lodges have uneven or unpaved cobblestone streets and sidewalks, so bring comfortable shoes with good traction. If you’re here during the rainy season (November, February, March), always have a raincoat with you.

Electrical outlets in Namibia are Types D and M. So if you’re from the U.S., U.K., EU, or most other countries, you’ll need an adaptor.

What To Wear

Namibia is a relatively casual and informal country. T-shirts and shorts are the most common clothes for locals. So you won’t need formal clothes unless you’re going to a high-end restaurant or your safari lodge has a dinner dress code.

If you’re visiting a cultural site (such as the Damara Living Museum), avoid crop tops, mini-shorts, and showing off too much skin.

You’ll want activewear, sturdy water-resistant hiking shoes, a hat, and sunglasses everywhere you visit. Bring a scarf on game drives to keep the dust out of your throat and cushion the camera strap around your neck. Always bring layers and at least one pair of long pants because it will be cold in the mornings and evenings.

Have you been here? Comment below with anything you’d add to this Namibia luxury safari guide!

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is Namibia a good place for safari?

    Yes! Etosha National Park has some of the best wildlife viewings in Sub-Saharan Africa!

    Namibia is home to deserts, mountains, incredible safari lodges, national parks, dreamy beach towns, and some of the best wildlife viewing in Sub-Saharan Africa. So whether you’re climbing sand dunes in Sossusvlei or tracking rhinos in Etosha National Park, this Namibia luxury safari guide has everything you need to plan an epic trip!

    Fun Fact: Namibia has one of the lowest population densities in the world, which means this is one of the best destinations to escape the crowds.

  • How much is a safari in Namibia?

    SUGGESTED DAILY COSTS

    These daily estimates include half-board rates at hotels and lodges where some of your meals and activities are included with your room rate.

    Budget: N$555 (£27, $33, €32). Midrange: N$2100 (£100, $125, €122). Higher End: N$7000 and up (£345, $415, €410).

  • Which African safari is best?

    Namibia is an incredible safari destination.

    Money-Saving Tips:

    1. Visit During The Shoulder Season. May and June have lower hotel, tour, and transportation prices than the peak travel months from July – August and drier weather than the other months of the year.

    2. Drink Tap Water. The tap water everywhere in Namibia is safe to drink. So at restaurants, order a pitcher of tap water instead of a bottle of water. And bring a reusable water bottle you can refill throughout the day instead of buying single-use plastic water bottles.

    3. Research Whether All-Inclusive Is the Best Choice for You. Safari lodges and hotels have an all-inclusive option (where everything, minus tips, is included) or half-board rates (where your accommodation and some meals are included). If you’re hiring a guide and moving accommodation every couple of nights, the all-inclusive rate might not be the best financial choice for you because you won’t do the safari lodge guided activities and you probably won’t eat every meal at the lodge.

  • How much does a walking safari cost?

    I did a walking safari in Botswana with David Foot Walking Safaris. I camped in luxury in the Bush in the Okavanga Delta for four days and three nights, and it cost around $700 U.S. a night. Many safari lodges will offer walking safaris as morning or evening activities. This is usually included in an all-inclusive rate and costs around $60 if you don’t opt for the all-inclusive rate.

  • Where can you see animals in Namibia?

    Etosha National Park is the best destination for game viewing in the country, and it’s one of the best game viewing destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    The Best Places To Visit in Namibia

    Caprivi

    Epupa Falls

    Etosha National Park

    Okonjima Nature Reserve

    Skeleton Coast

    Sossusvlei

    Spitzkoppe

    Twyfelfontein

    Walvis Bay

  • How good is Namibia?

    Namibia is home to deserts, mountains, incredible safari lodges, national parks, dreamy beach towns, and some of the best wildlife viewing in Sub-Saharan Africa. So whether you’re climbing sand dunes in Sossusvlei or tracking rhinos in Etosha National Park, this Namibia luxury safari guide has everything you need to plan an epic trip!

    Fun Fact: Namibia has one of the lowest population densities in the world, which means this is one of the best destinations to escape the crowds.

    When To Go:

    Namibia is a desert country – one of the driest places in Sub-Saharan Africa. July – October are the driest months of the year and the peak travel season. Wildlife will gather by the hundreds around water holes, meaning these months have some of the best game viewings anywhere in Africa. These months have the highest prices and crowds, so book your lodge and tours as far in advance as possible. In July and August, daytime temperatures average in the 60s and 70s, and nighttime temperatures can drop below freezing, so bring layers. September and October nights are warmer, but you’ll still want a jacket.

    May and June are the shoulder months. The rains will have stopped, the landscape will be lush, and wildlife will be easily visible at waterholes (though not as high a concentration as in July – October). Travel costs will be less during these months, and the safari lodges and destinations won’t be overrun with tourists. Daytime temperatures range from the 60s to 80s, with nighttime temperatures falling below freezing in June, so bring layers for the mornings and evenings. 

    November, February, and March are the rainy and off-season months. It will be wet and humid, and wildlife will be hard to see because they won’t need to gather at watering holes. You can score some great accommodation deals during these months, though, and it can feel like you have the entire country to yourself. 

    December, January, and April are the best months for bird watching. These are the months directly after the rainy months, when the weather will be drier, the skies clearer, and the feeding conditions are ideal for water birds. These months have drastic temperature changes from night to day, so bring shorts, pants, short-sleeve shirts, and jackets.

  • Is Namibia safer than South Africa?

    Yes, though both Namibia and South Africa are relatively safe safari destinations for tourists.

    What To Pack for a Trip To Namibia:

    Namibia has pleasant daytime temperatures year-round (with highs rarely going above the mid-80s). But temperatures plummet at night. So you’ll want layers for the evenings and mornings regardless of elevation, region, or time of year.

    Sunscreen, insect repellant, and head protection from the sun are must-bring items. Most towns, cities, and safari lodges have uneven or unpaved cobblestone streets and sidewalks, so bring comfortable shoes with good traction. If you’re here during the rainy season (November, February, March), always have a raincoat with you.

    Electrical outlets in Namibia are Types D and M. So if you’re from the U.S., U.K., EU, or most other countries, you’ll need an adaptor.

  • What is the best time to go to Namibia?

    Namibia is a desert country – one of the driest places in Sub-Saharan Africa. July – October are the driest months of the year and the peak travel season. Wildlife will gather by the hundreds around water holes, meaning these months have some of the best game viewings anywhere in Africa. These months have the highest prices and crowds, so book your lodge and tours as far in advance as possible. In July and August, daytime temperatures average in the 60s and 70s, and nighttime temperatures can drop below freezing, so bring layers. September and October nights are warmer, but you’ll still want a jacket.

    May and June are the shoulder months. The rains will have stopped, the landscape will be lush, and wildlife will be easily visible at waterholes (though not as high a concentration as in July – October). Travel costs will be less during these months, and the safari lodges and destinations won’t be overrun with tourists. Daytime temperatures range from the 60s to 80s, with nighttime temperatures falling below freezing in June, so bring layers for the mornings and evenings.

    November, February, and March are the rainy and off-season months. It will be wet and humid, and wildlife will be hard to see because they won’t need to gather at watering holes. You can score some great accommodation deals during these months, though, and it can feel like you have the entire country to yourself.

    December, January, and April are the best months for bird watching. These are the months directly after the rainy months, when the weather will be drier, the skies clearer, and the feeding conditions are ideal for water birds. These months have drastic temperature changes from night to day, so bring shorts, pants, short-sleeve shirts, and jackets.

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This Namibia luxury safari guide is not a sponsored post, and, as always, the thoughts and opinions expressed in this Namibia luxury safari are entirely my own. Some of the links in this Namibia luxury safari guide are affiliate links, and, at no cost to you, I may earn a small commission from this Namibia luxury safari guide.

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August 8, 2022

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