The Ultimate Namibia Road Trip

Namibia is a sub-Saharan African country that is quickly growing popular among travelers. Offering unique landscapes ranging from the vast expanse of the Namib Desert with seemingly endless towering dunes to the waterholes of Etosha National Park, it's a country that is endlessly fascinating. A two-week road trip is long enough to cover around 4,000 kilometers, allowing you to experience an abundance of wildlife including elephants, zebras and giraffes, the 700-year old tree skeletons of Dead Vlei, one of the highest sand dunes in the world, the largest canyon in Africa (Fish River Canyon), an abandoned ghost town in the desert (Kolmanskop), and several shipwrecks scattered along the Skeleton Coast. Need I say more?

Four thousand kilometers is a lot of distance to cover over two weeks, but with appropriate planning, it's very achievable. From an accommodation perspective, the easiest, most flexible, and relatively affordable approach is to camp on top of the vehicle. Most car rental places in Namibia offer four-wheel drive vehicles that have tents attached to the roof. These can be erected in under a minute and have ladders that hang down and allow you to climb in. Gecko Car Rental has a large fleet of vehicles that are available for hire at a reasonable price. 

Namibia is relatively affordable, although the prices are pushed up in certain tourist hotspots. If you're looking for somewhere to stay in Windhoek to start your trip, I'd recommended Cardboard Box backpackers hostel, which is affordable, has a pool, and a good social scene. A lot of the locals hang out there, so you'll get to meet a lot of people! 

As a final note, make sure you allow safety time when planning your road trip. Given the large amount of gravel roads, punctures are quite likely, so it's definitely necessary to carry a spare tire! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to comment below.