NAMIBIA
COUNTRY CONTEXT
Size: 318,261 mi²
Languages: English is the country's only official language — and for most places you go, especially the tourist sites, signage and interactions will all be in English. However, it's spoken by just 3% of people as their native language. The country is quite linguistically diverse, with Oshiwambo and Afrikaans being the most widely spoken and understood languages by the local population.
Currency: Namibian dollar (N$ or just $); the Namibian dollar is pegged to the South Africa rand at par, and rands are also widely accepted
Something You Should Know: Namibia is the second least densely populated country in the world — you will drive for HOURS on end without seeing anything or anyone. Keep a full jerry can + food and water on hand at all times!
OUR TRAVEL SUMMARY
We spent just over a month road-tripping through Namibia in September of 2022. Public transit is near nonexistent, so we rented a car. This is basically the only way to get around (unless you opt for much more expensive private charter planes between the major sites). We focused our travels near exclusivley on the country’s nature, hiking through and visiting various national parks and community conservancies, as well as enjoying some amazing rock-climbing.
Our tent was our primary abode in the country (it even made it through an infamous desert sandstorm). We mainly bought groceries and cooked — eating out wasn't too expensive, but there often aren't many (of any) restaurants around the destinations we visited.
Between the cost of a car rental, high campsite costs, and hefty entrance fees to the major sites, Namibia is one of the more expensive places we've visited. It's also a place that requires some more intensive pre-planning if you want to make the most of your time there. However, don’t let this deter you: it is an absolutely MAGICAL place, so if you have the budget, time, and patience to navigate faulty reservation sites and many-a-dirt-road, we cannot recommend it enough. See below for our experience-specific guides!
