Travel Tips for travelling around Namibia

PASSPORTS
All travellers are required to have a valid passport with at least 4 blank pages for any visas required and for entry and exit border stamps. Your passport should be valid for 6 months after the end of your safari. If you have two passports, you are required to only travel on one of the passports for the whole duration of your tour.

VISAS
It is the sole responsibility of the traveller to ensure that they have the required visas to visit the countries as per itinerary travelling. If you are a passport holder of the following countries; Australia, Belgium, Britain, Germany, New Zealand and USA, you do not have to require for Visa for Namibia, South African and Botswana.
Passport holders of other countries not mentioned above should check with authorities regarding visa requirements for visiting Namibia and neighbouring countries.

TRAVEL INSURANCE
Travel Insurance is mandatory for all passengers travelling with Mother Africa Tours. Clients should take out Fully Comprehensive Travel Insurance covering cancellation, medical expenses, and emergency travel with repatriation assistance and personal accident.

Money
We use the Namibian dollars(N$). The currency is linked to the South African Rand, which may be easier to hold of before traveling to Namibia. They all have the same value and South African rands are freely used here.

For security reasons, never carry to much money with you in person, but have a little bit of cash for times when credit cards don't work.

Power
Power in Namibia is 220 volts. If you come from a country, such as the US where power is normally 110 volts, this can be an issue for you. Be sure to bring appropriate converters.

Power outlets are normally the large, round, three prong variety (AC Type M). See this link for more details. The plugs are the same as those used in South Africa.

Don't make any assumptions about what batteries you'll be able to get. Its advisable to buy while there. You dont want to pend time running around trying to find them.

Towns
Don't let your map deceive you. Most places marked as towns on maps are either really small towns, or they are more like a collection of houses and one small shop. Namibia really has very few people. In towns, be most careful of the really quiet areas… as this is where you are most likely to become a target for crime. Windhoek is the capital city, but it is hardly a city, with only about 300,000 people. It is a good place to start out your trip. On a self drive tour around Namibia, leave yourself a day or so for supplies in Windhoek.

Water
Most water is drinkable, but may bother your stomach if you aren't accustomed to it. When traveling, take lots of bottled water with you. You may want to buy a box of 340ml bottles and just keep it in your car. When in doubt, ask lodge managers about the water in their lodge.

Driving
Driving on gravel roads can be very dangerous. Take it easy, especially when you are still getting to know the feel of driving on gravel.

Namibian's often drive rather fast. Don't assume that this is a good thing to do… take it easy.

I am often amazed at how many travelers have trouble with spare tires. When you pick up a rental vehicle, ask where the spare tire and tire spanner is. Aside from making you dirty, it isn't actually that hard.

Fill up your tank each time you see a filling station. Be careful with fuel, roads are long and fuel stations are few.

Safety
Namibia is a peaceful country and it is safe to travel throughout the country. Just as a precaution it is recommended that visitors adhere to basic safety tips: When traveling by road keep your vehicle locked at all times. Visible articles in the car should be placed out of sight. Lock valuables in a safe place. Be aware of handbag snatchers or pick pockets.

Clothing and Personal Care
It is recommended to wear sun block at all times.
Bring a hat and sunglasses - Namibia has sunshine through out the year.
As Namibia has a typical semi-desert climate with hot days and cool nights, warm clothing is necessary no matter what part of Namibia is visited. When visiting during the summer it is advisable to pack cotton clothing.
Points for electric shavers (electric current 250VAC) are available at most hotels, rest-camps and resorts