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In Swakopmund with
Mondesa Cultural Tours
you can get an authentic and partly depressing insight into the living circumstances of
black people in todays Namibia. The excursion leads into the township Mondesa and also into the
shanty town "DRC". Meeting people that are living there will leave a permanent impression.
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In the National Parks (Waterberg, Etosha and Namib-Naukluft at Sesriem)
you should stay overnight in the national resorts (alternatively at Sossusvlei
in the new Sossus Dune Lodge), since this gives you the permit
to stay in the park between sunset and sunrise, which is a good time for watching
animals or viewing the dunes in the Namib Desert.
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In Sesriem you should be at the inner gate exactly at 5 am. Only that way you
will arrive before sunrise at the vleis, which are 60 km far away from the gate.
(At Sossus Dune Lodge, which is situated inside the park, i.e. behind the gate,
you only have to start early enough.)
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Days are very short in the Namibian winter (sunset appears very rapidly and long before 6 pm).
Bear that in mind while planning your travel distances.
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Drive carefully on the gravel roads: The gravel surface here and there
acts as clear ice! In 2003 we made good experience with a normal sedan with front-wheel drive.
In 2008 we had a 4WD car, but we never needed the four-wheel drive.
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Outside bigger towns mobile phones don't work, and Namibia is one of the fewest populated
countries on earth. Consider to take along a satellite phone. We rented ours at
satrent.de. The iridium device
had good reception at all time and at any place. It is useful not only in emergency cases
but can also be used for e-mail communication.
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At the end of our 2003 trip in Namibia we couldn't give back leftover N$, since we didn't
preserve the receipts from bank or ATM. Preserve those receipts!