Real Namibia

“When booking lodges for a summer visit, try and find those that have air-conditioning or at least a fan. You will only truly appreciate this advice when you have experienced a Namibian summer.”

Livingstone never planned his journey to Africa. Nor did Stanley or any of the other European explorers of the African continent. On the other hand, none of the European explorers arrived expecting to rent a car, have a hot bath, catch some sleep in a hotel room and make the return flight in time to get back to work.

If you don’t plan, your dream holiday could turn into an adventure holiday. Sleeping in the bush under the African stars is one thing, and sleeping on the pavement under a fast food franchise sign is another. So no matter what you think about personal freedom and the romance of Africa, do a bit of planning in advance.

The first thing you need to know is that most people visit Namibia between early July and late September. This is known as the ‘tourism high season’. It has nothing to do with drugs. During this period Europeans have their summer holidays and arrive in high numbers. Interestingly enough, this is midwinter in Namibia. Spending your summer holidays in the middle of an African winter might not make a lot of sense, especially if you forget to bring triple layers of jerseys and extra socks, but there are benefits.

The first benefit of a winter visit is that it is not hot. A hot African summer is not easily forgotten. In fact it is the sort of thing that you look back and laugh about. A normal Namibian winter is usually hot by European standards, except at night and in the early morning. On the other hand, it has been known to snow in southern Namibia, so plan to bring warm clothes.

The second benefit is that it doesn’t usually rain in Namibia during winter. This means that the animals will drink at waterholes that are constructed close to roads and camps, not the natural ones in the bush. During winter you will see animals.

The problem with the high season is that everyone follows this advice and available rooms and car rentals are scarcer than African wild dogs, which is really scarce.

If you come during the European winter or Namibia’s high summer (round about Christmas), you may have a different set of problems. Most Namibians go home for Christmas, so some lodges in the more remote areas are closed. As there aren’t many tourists, other lodges choose to do their renovations and repairs in this period.

When booking lodges for a summer visit, try and find those that have air-conditioning or at least a fan. You will only truly appreciate this advice when you have experienced a Namibian summer.

All this points to one thing. You need to plan, and book, in advance.

You can plan a holiday over the internet but you may also want to speak to a tour operator. Contrary to expectations, tour operators are often cheaper than planning and booking your own holiday as they receive ‘commission’ from lodges and vehicle rental companies. Get some quotations and do the math.

Tour operators know a bit more about the country than you do, so they can advise you on how far to travel in a day and the best possible routes. They will also get worried if you don’t arrive at the lodge on time and call out search parties if necessary.

I know it is tempting to ‘experience the romance’ of the unplanned journeys of the early European explorers, but remember that they came back with ‘really good stories’ and scars as proof.

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