The hardest thing about planning a Namibian road trip is that you are spoiled for choice. The sights and sounds of this country are all worth visiting, the majority of the lodges are a pleasure to stay at, and most of the roads to get there are not horrible. The biggest limitations are time and money.
When I know friends and family are coming, I always start by asking the following questions: What do you want to focus your trip on? Animals? Landscape? Culture and history? Once those questions are answered, the rest of the planning is easy and a matter of logistics. Even better, in Namibia, there are so many great travel agency companies that will do the work for you. This was a lesson I learned about halfway through my tour, when a colleague heard me talk about an upcoming road trip, and whining about picking which lodge to stay at. She asked, "Why do Americans always insist on doing things the hardest possible way, when there are companies designed to do just that?" My response was something stupid and defensive about how the trip felt more personal and that Americans take pride in hard work.
She laughed at me and handed me the name of Dietlind Basson, owner of Acacia Namibia, a 100% woman run booking agency. I would have no regrets, she said. I emailed her and after one day, Dietlind delivered fantastic options which included a gorgeous website link to my customized trip, which was fabulous from beginning to end. From there on out, Acacia became my default recommendation to everyone.
At any rate, my best friend came to visit! She and her parents would brave a 10-day road trip with me and the kids. Super casual mid-western folks, they told me they wanted to see dunes and animals. The rest was up to me. I called up Dietlind and we put together a trip that would capture everyone's wildest wishes.
We drove, we laughed, we drank many mimosas. It was fantastic in every way possible. Of course, there were a few annoying issues: the C14 road from Solitaire to Walvis Bay is a tease. The ever changing views are stunning, but the ruts and potholes at times are bad enough to make a car full of people very murderous. The Sandwich Harbor tour needed its own story (click HERE), the Omaruru Game Lodge smelled spectacularly bad, and one of the chefs at Okutala used a single pair of tongs on raw and cooked meat. No one got sick, but I spent a very sleepless night convinced I'd be forced to drive through Etosha with watery insides. Etosha is not a place to get sick at. Drop toilets are few and far between.
Besides those hangups, the trip was perfect. I miss them dearly. Great friends like that are so rare. For those who are still reading, below the photos are the pros and cons of all the places we stayed in. To sum up: would I do this animal and sand filled trip again? Absolutely. Would I make lodge change? Oh yes.
When I know friends and family are coming, I always start by asking the following questions: What do you want to focus your trip on? Animals? Landscape? Culture and history? Once those questions are answered, the rest of the planning is easy and a matter of logistics. Even better, in Namibia, there are so many great travel agency companies that will do the work for you. This was a lesson I learned about halfway through my tour, when a colleague heard me talk about an upcoming road trip, and whining about picking which lodge to stay at. She asked, "Why do Americans always insist on doing things the hardest possible way, when there are companies designed to do just that?" My response was something stupid and defensive about how the trip felt more personal and that Americans take pride in hard work.
She laughed at me and handed me the name of Dietlind Basson, owner of Acacia Namibia, a 100% woman run booking agency. I would have no regrets, she said. I emailed her and after one day, Dietlind delivered fantastic options which included a gorgeous website link to my customized trip, which was fabulous from beginning to end. From there on out, Acacia became my default recommendation to everyone.
At any rate, my best friend came to visit! She and her parents would brave a 10-day road trip with me and the kids. Super casual mid-western folks, they told me they wanted to see dunes and animals. The rest was up to me. I called up Dietlind and we put together a trip that would capture everyone's wildest wishes.
We drove, we laughed, we drank many mimosas. It was fantastic in every way possible. Of course, there were a few annoying issues: the C14 road from Solitaire to Walvis Bay is a tease. The ever changing views are stunning, but the ruts and potholes at times are bad enough to make a car full of people very murderous. The Sandwich Harbor tour needed its own story (click HERE), the Omaruru Game Lodge smelled spectacularly bad, and one of the chefs at Okutala used a single pair of tongs on raw and cooked meat. No one got sick, but I spent a very sleepless night convinced I'd be forced to drive through Etosha with watery insides. Etosha is not a place to get sick at. Drop toilets are few and far between.
Besides those hangups, the trip was perfect. I miss them dearly. Great friends like that are so rare. For those who are still reading, below the photos are the pros and cons of all the places we stayed in. To sum up: would I do this animal and sand filled trip again? Absolutely. Would I make lodge change? Oh yes.
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| Ten days, nine lodges, 2,016km. |
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| Dune 45. |
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| Gondwana Namib Desert Camping2Go. |
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| Gondwana Namib Desert Camping2Go: gang of oryx. |
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| Along the road to the Gondwana Desert Grace. |
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| The folks who bring such sweetness into my life. Sandwich Harbor |
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| Sammy at Omaruru Game Lodge |
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Mount Etjo Game Lodge
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| Mount Etjo Game Lodge with Egyptian geese and zebra. |
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Mount Etjo Game Lodge
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| Okonjima/AfriCat and a hyena on the Leopard Game Drive |
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| Okonjima/AfriCat Leopard Game Drive |
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Okonjima/AfriCat Leopard Game Drive.
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| REST: Amos the pangolin |
Pro: it's a Gondwana and it's fancy camping! Like really, really, fancy camping.
Pro: super comfortable beds with all the kitchen fixings you could ask for. Just bring food, booze, and matches.
Pro: views, silence, oryx, and a convenient drive to Sossusvlei.
Con: check out is always a confusing time for the Gondwana employees. It requires more patience than I usually have to give.
Would I go back for more: no doubt.
Pro: excellent option for experiencing how intimidating and spectacular the Namibian coast is.
Pro: if you like roller coasters, champagne and oysters, this adventure is for you.
Pro: beautiful flamingos.
Con: if you have already done the epic Skeleton Coast tour, this is a let down.
Con: weird-ass tour guides.
Con: Atlantic weather is unpredictable, so it is possible that your pricey tour will be cut short.
Con: solitude is rare.
Would I go back: nope.
Pro: it's a Gondwana!
Pro: buffet breakfast with champagne and oysters.
Pro: awesome rooms and beds.
Pro: good customer service.
Con: it's in Swakopmund. But then again, MOST people like Swakopmund and I am just weird like that.
Would I go back: yes, of course!
Pro: you can feed elephants, giraffes, rhinos, zebra, eland, ostrich. Bring multiple bags of apples for the elephant game drive if you are into it.
Pro: elephants will snot on you mid-grab.
Pro: delicious dinner.
Con: you can feed elephants who are 100% bullies. They may steal your phone, and they will snot on you. And they are terribly dangerous.
Con: the rooms and the outside smell like gangrene and I don't know why.
Con: if you prefer wild animals to stay wild, don't come here.
Would I go back: Maybe. If they can get rid of the smell, then I'd be happy to stay. But only for one night, tops.
Pro: educational blowout on animals who are getting rehabbed and there is always something different with each visit.
Pro: you get to see a pangolin!
Pro: the excellent and dedicated staff are a breath of fresh air.
Con: none noted.
Would I go back: for sure. They are a non-profit organization and all of the tour fees go directly back to them.
Pro: it's a catch-rehab-release lodge. They have many rhinos, banded mongooses, and porcupines.
Pro: they have a HIDEY HOLE (bluff) at the level of the watering hole and you can watch the animals super upclose.
Pro: great beds and soft sheets and there is door you can lock in the family room if your children get unruly (just kidding).
Pro: superior customer service and very child friendly.
Con: food poisoning possible.
Would I go back: yes.
Pro: it is a lodge that has everything. Pool, spa, reptile park, nightly bon fires, huge dinner buffets, good customer service with beautiful rooms.
Pro: they have grass!
Con: the beds are meh.
Would I go back: totally. Okutala is on the east entrance of Etosha, so it is much farther to drive to than the more frequently used south entrance.
Pro: historically significant lodge. Mount Etjo was the place where Resolution 435 was signed which segued into Namibian independence.
Pro: SO MANY ANIMALS all shapes and sizes.
Pro: they have grass.
Pro: huge, delicious dinners and bon fires.
Con: crappy and expensive drink selection.
Con: taco beds.
Would I go back: yes.
Pro: high end lodging with high end customer service and high end wine.
Pro: beautiful setting, beautiful rooms, beautiful cats (do NOT miss the leopard drive).
Pro: hiking trails.
Con: you might need to sell a kidney if you want to stay for more than one night.
Would I go back: yes, if I had the money.
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