Namibia

Namibia

Welcome to Namibia

Namibia carries one of the highest diversities in the world. You can find the highest sand dunes at Sossusvlei. The exceptional conservation area of Etosha National Park with a variety of wildlife is a sight to watch. You can appreciate the rock carvin

Featured Overland Adventures in Namibia

Country Quick Facts

Country

Officially called the Republic of Namibia, this country is located in South Africa. Zambia and Angola lie to its north while Botswana is situated to its east. It shares its coastline with the Atlantic Ocean at the west while the Zambezi River separates it from Zimbabwe. The name of the country is derived from the Namib Desert, one of the oldest deserts in the world. And the Namib Desert is derived from the word Nama meaning a vast place. Namibia is the driest country in all of Sub-Saharan Africa and also one of the least populated countries in the world. The presence of the Namib Desert has resulted in Namibia being one of the least populated countries in the world. Namibia has been called by a variety of names, like German South-West Africa, followed by South-West Africa, and now the Republic of Namibia. Windhoek is the capital and the largest city of Namibia. 

Area: 825,615 km2 
Population: 2,746,745 
Capital: Windhoek

Weather

Namibia is located in sub tropical high-pressure belt with an arid and semi-arid climate. Most of the year, a clear sky is observed. Winter onsets from June and lasts up to august. Both rainy seasons are experienced in summer. Significant rainfall happens between February and April, while a small amount of rainfall is expected from September to November. With the current of Atlantic Ocean, cold is more dominant in t4he coastal regions with meagre precipitation and dense fogs.

People & Language

The people of Namibia follow conventional values. These people value their traditions very much. But, they are quite amiable and friendly to visitors. Namibia shows great diversity in terms of languages. The officially recognised national languages include English, Afrikaans, German, Otjiherero, Khoekhoegowab, Oshiwambo, Setswana. The regional languages identified officially have Ikung, Gciriku, Thimbukushu. Oshiwambo is the most widely used language in the country while the most understood language is Afrikaans, the country’s lingua franca. Afrikaans and English are the officially accepted primary language in educational institutions. 

Practicalities

Time: There is a single time zone active in the country. 

Windhoek- Central Africa Time (CAT) is 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. (UTC +02:00)

Electricity: Electricity in Namibia is supplied at 230V and 50 Hz. Two types of plug systems are in use here: Type D with three round pins in a triangular pattern and Type M resembling the Type D plug, but larger in size. If you are from the US, Canada, or South American countries, you will need a voltage converter, as the standard voltage of your appliances would be fit for the voltage range 100-127 V.
Weight & Measurement: Metric system is adopted in Namibia of weight and measurements.

Telecommunications:  Around 13 % of the populace in Namibia uses the internet. Cellular phones are widespread in the country. Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line is introduced in the country by Telecom Namibia.

Currency

The official currency of Namibia is the Namibian Dollar, with the currency code issued by ISO 4217 as NAD. The South African rand, with the currency code issued by ISO 4217 as ZAR is also accepted in Namibia. The coins are available in denominations 5, and 50 c and 1, 5, and 10 N$. 10, 20, 30, 50, 100, and 200 $ are the available denominations for the banknotes in Botswana. ATMs are located nearby hotels and shopping hubs. Maestro, cirrus, or plus cards are commonly valid here. 

Top Attractions

Food and Drink

Are you a fan of traveling? Do you love exploring the beaches and ioslands? In addition to this, are you an animal lover too? And are little confused about where to travel next? Then Indonesia is the perfect choice for you!

Culture & Lifestyle

Association football is the most famous sport in Namibia. Namibian Rugby team is the most successful national team formed. Cricket also enjoys popularity in Namibia, unlike other African countries. About 90% of the population follows Christianity in Namibia. Lutherans of the Christian group are the most dominant religious groups in the country. Islam and Jewish people are also found here in the minority.

The Himba people, descendants of the Herero group of people, inhabited the Kaokoland area of Namibia. This people value their traditions even now, and the women adorn an intricate hairstyle along with traditional jewellery made of iron r shell. Men and women wear few clothes made of loin or goat-skinned mini-skirt. Hence, they rub their bodies with red ochre to protect themselves from the sun. This application of ochre also gives their body a rich red colour. Himba people have enormous cattle wealth.

Overlanding in Namibia

You can easily rent a car in the country. However, keep the cash ready at hand, as most of the petrol stations in Namibia only accept cash. Fuel shortages are quite common in the country, and you may not get to buy the fuel as much as you require, so fill up the tank as much as you can. The road condition in Namibia is pretty good. The primary roads are topped with a surface coat, and the secondary ones comprise of well-graded gravel. 

But, tertiary roads and skeletal coast require an all-wheel drive vehicle. Keep the spare tires as tires are somewhat used up while traversing on the Namibian routes! If you are experienced on travelling through extensive gravel sand for long distances, you can even rent a motorcycle in Windhoek. GPS is also enabled in such rentals, so do not worry about getting lost!

Urban Adventure in Namibia

Etosha National Park, Kunene Region

Etosha national park in the northwestern region has been declared as a game reserve since 1997. Etosha pans are the most prominent geographical feature in this park. Some extremophile microorganisms are present in this park, but owing to the extreme saline conditions, most of the species cannot reside permanently. In summer, for a short time, the pan is filled with water. At that time, pelicans and flamingos can be seen here. The wind picks up the sand and transports it to the southern Atlantic from here. The south border of the park has dolomite hills near the Anderson entrance gate. These hills are called leopard hills in English. The western Etosha also has the hills, and mountain zebra can be found here only. The climate of this park is dominated by savannah desert climate with mean temperature 24° C. large variations exist between day and night temperatures since it is a desert. Rainfall is very negligible. You can set up a camp inside the park as the park offers four camping locations declared inside the park and five lodges. Game proof fencing surrounds all the sites. The camps include Dolomite camp, Halali, Namutoni, Okaukuejo, Olifantsrus are some of the camping sites inside the park.

Dune 45, Sossusvlei

The name is because of the fact that it is at the 45th kilometre of the road connecting the Sesriem gate to Sossusvlei. This star dune, located in the Namib Desert of Namibia, is standing over 170-metre old sand accumulated by the Orange River from the Kalahari Desert, which is blown over here. The dune is very clean and organised. The photography of the dune is quite popular as it is situated near the road. A breath-taking photograph can be obtained particularly in the early morning and late evening when one side of the dune is covered by shadow. You can climb this dune over to reach Sossusvlei. You can visit this site daily, and you will be amazed every day! As the winds blow over the sand in this desert, you will never find it the same as it was the previous day!

Twyfelfontein, Kunene Region

It is a site of ancient rock engravings located in the southern part of the Kunene region. A spring is located here in a valley flanked by the slopes of a sandstone table mountain. This valley receives a negligible amount of rainfall with diurnal temperatures prevailing here. Over 25000 items of rock carvings have been created here owing to the shamanist rituals of worship. A few rock paintings were made as well. The largest concentration of the rock petroglyphs in the whole of Africa is found here. Twyfelfontein is the first site of Namibia to be approved as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This site is developed at the banks of the Aba Huab River in the Huab Valley of the Mount Etjo formation. The spring, based on which the name is given, is sustained by an underground aquifer. The topography is a transitional zone between semi-desert, savannah, and shrub land. The tourist facilities such as campsite, lodge, visitor’s centre, and other such facilities are well managed here. Three different types of engravings can be found here: Iconic imagery of animals, humans, and fantasy creatures; pictograms, which are geometric rock art like pecked circles; and indentations from everyday use like grinding hollows and board games.

Spitzkoppe, Nambi Desert

The name is derived from the German language, meaning pointed dome. It is also referred to as a Matterhorn of Namibia. It is a group of bald, granite peaks situated between Usakos and Swakopmund. The mountain peaks are prominently visible as the surrounding area consists of plains. The highest peak rises to over 670 metres from the floor of the desert. The other stretch of the mountain is called as Pontok Mountian. Bushmen's artwork can be seen painted on the rocks here. Around the foot of the great Spitzkoppe, some good paintings still exist, especially on the Rhino Rock. Be prepared for hot temperatures, in any case!

Epupa Falls, Kaokoland (Kunene Region)

These series of gigantic waterfalls are also called as Monte Negro Falls in Angola. The falls are formed by the Cunene River flowing through the borders of Angola and Namibia. The falls are spread over a distance of one and a half kilometres, and the greatest single drop is of the height 3 metres. Epupa means foam in Herero language. As the nature of these falls is, many specialised species of fish and other endemic aquatic species are located here. It is quite far away from the mainland. You can take a vehicle from Opuwo to reach here. If you love the clean natural environment and coloured rock walls forming the falls, then it is a place to be visited. Ruacana Falls are located at just one, and a half-hour drives away from this location. Four lodges viz. Kapika Waterfall Lodge, Omarunga camp, Epupa Camp Lodge, and Epupa Fall Campsite is constructed here. You can watch a variety of birds here or go for an excursion to see crocodiles or admire the diverse vegetation growing in this region. White-water rafting is also possible at Epupa camp.

Apollo 11 Cave, Karas Region

This archaeological site is located in the southwestern region of Namibia, about 250 kilometres southwest of Keetmanshoop. The Nama people named these caves Goachanas. The cave hosts one of the oldest pieces of mobile art associated with charcoal. The art slabs present in this cave are called Apollo 11 stones. Seven grey-brown quartzite stones were excavated from this cave. A number of white and red paintings also exist in this cave. The theme of the paintings varies from simple geometric patterns to bees to much more. On the banks of a riverbed near the cave, a large limestone boulder with engravings was also discovered. 

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