Self Driving in Namibia

Our adventure started at Windhoek Airport where we were met by Charles who took us over to the Avis Counter where we picked up our hire car. We had chosen a mid range saloon car rather than a 4x4 as we didn’t feel we would be going off-road anywhere. On balance if the budget would allow, I would go the 44x4 option next time as there were a few places that we would have explored had we had the right vehicle. We did opt for a 2nd spare tyre as a back up, but never needed either.

Charles gave us the personalised Travel Digest that contained all of our travel directions for each leg of our stay. Not only did it include detailed directions, but distances and also how long to allow for each journey, so we could gauge when we needed to leave each day. It is also included local information and some suggestions of places to stop.

Roads in Namibia are well maintained and sign posted and for the most part really quite empty. They drive on the left as we do in England, so it really couldn’t have been easier. Petrol stations are marked on maps and it is important to fill up at regular intervals as distances can be quite far with little in between. The petrol stations have toilet facilities and double as a mini-mart with cold drinks and hot & cold snack food.

Next time, I would pack a collapsible cooler bag to store some cans/water for long journeys. The petrol stations often have an ATM where you can use a UK debit card to draw Namibian Dollars.

Pre 2010 it was not possible to pay for petrol with a credit card. This has now changed but in more rural locations be prepared to have to pay cash, or at least check first.

We spent 2  weeks touring and even self-drove in the Etosha National Park on one of the days. The whole trip was a wonderful experience, we felt safe at all times and the directions were spot on. Hire car companies now offer GPS navigation as a standard feature, giving additional peace of mind, but I would still opt for the Travel Digest with its maps and written directions.