“If you do get lost in winter, remove the seating material to make a fire if you don’t have wood. It will keep you warm and may alert people to your whereabouts.”

Early Namibian holidaymakers were an incredibly hardy breed. They traveled carrying large amounts of water, guns, ropes, pulleys, spare engines and transmission systems, medical aid kits, compasses, maps, wives, children, friends and pets. The maps they used did not show the roads upon which they traveled, mainly because there weren’t any roads upon which they traveled. In those days, ‘getting away from it all’, really meant getting away from it all.

Rumour has it that the bleached bones of some of the early travelers can still be found at certain secret places in the Namib Desert, surrounded by drifts of faded post cards upon which are scrawled the desperate words, “Having a great time. Wish you were here.”

All that has changed. Today there are decent maps with lots of roads on them, many of which are even tarred, and most of the really great places can be safely reached with a small, 1,3 liter sedan. Just make sure that you use your common sense, have enough petrol and don’t try anything brave that might lead to people laughing about your optimism late on a Friday night in some or other bar.

Public transport is not ideal, although there are some long distance buses of varying sizes, one luxury tourist train and a comfortable train that travels the route from Windhoek to northern Namibia. The problem is that once you arrive somewhere, you will probably still be a long way from whatever it was you came to see. For instance, you may reach the town closest to Etosha with some ease but find that it is still a hundred odd kilometers away from the nearest camp in Etosha. And do you really want to visit Etosha just to stay in a camp?

If you aren’t traveling on a guided tour, your visit will be vastly improved by a car. Even so, it might not be as easy as you think, and you may still have the opportunity for adventure. Don’t worry! As long as you drive cautiously, find out about the road conditions before you set off and follow the route and the map, you will live to tell the tale without needing to use your travel insurance.

The most common adventure that most travelers have is changing a tyre, especially if they come from the sort of country where changing a light bulb requires the services of a qualified electrician. Changing a tyre is a lot simpler than Lego Technics, as long as you follow the manual, but it involves more physical exertion.

The second most common adventure is crossing a river. The fact that Namibia is an arid country does not mean that it doesn’t have water, just that it has less bridges, particularly on gravel roads. When it does rain, the rivers are not gentle streams but more like raging torrents that need to make up for all the lost time while they were dry. The normal, sensible strategy is to wait for someone else to take a chance and see how they fare. If you can, call ahead to your destination and ask if they can collect you. Otherwise, roll up the windows and catch up on some reading. It may save your life, and will probably spare you the embarrassment of hysterical laughter as some seasoned Namibian driver pulls you out of the river.

The most dangerous adventure is getting lost, especially if you don’t have water in the car and warm clothes during the winter season. If you are driving off one of the tarred routes, let people know to expect you so that they can worry if you don’t arrive. If you do get lost in winter, remove the seating material to make a fire if you don’t have wood. It will keep you warm and may alert people to your whereabouts.

Namibia is an adventurous country, but the general idea is to have fun. Whatever you do, be cautious and don’t overdo it.

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