NAMIBIA
A sensory overload of contours and colors, Namibia presents a spectacular array of cultural and visual adventures. From the arid mountains and valleys of the north, with its clay-covered Himba women, to the rolling dunes and crashing waves of the Atlantic on the west, to the bright orange wind-blown sand and towering dunes of the world’s oldest desert, Namibia is truly a feast for the senses — and one of the most photogenic countries we’ve seen. Namibia offers a wide variety of experiences and accommodation options, from rustic campsites and self-drive options to five-star super-luxe lodges and fly-in safaris. While Namibia certainly has its share of game viewing, for us it was more about the dramatic landscapes and adventure experiences. If it’s a traditional game-viewing safari you’re after, think Tanzania’s Serengeti or Bostwana’s Okavango Delta; but for a great mix of the Big 5 and unique adventures, Namibia is a stellar option.
SUGGESTED ITINERARY: Although it may be the second least densely populated country in the world (after Mongolia), Namibia is vast — and you’ll need to plan your time accordingly. Although it is quite common to rent a 4x4 and self-drive (the sheer emptiness of the country and its deserted landscape are your wins with this option), we opted to fly from stop to stop so we could fit more into our trip — and more importantly, experience the beauty of the landscape from above — which were some of the best moments of our trip. For a relaxed, complete experience, two weeks in Namibia is ideal.
Sossusvlei. No trip to Namibia is complete without spending several days in and around Sossusvlei, the majestic bright rust-colored sand dunes that tower over the Namib Desert. From hiking up Big Daddy, the granddaddy of sand dunes, to a sunrise hot air balloon ride, this is the pièce de résistance of Namibia — the highlight of any trip and likely one of the most hyperbolically Instagrammable experiences of your lifetime.
Skeleton Coast. Endless rolling sand dunes descend directly into the violent crashing waves of the Atlantic, the site of numerous shipwrecks up and down the coast. Walk the beach, hop on an ATV, and go crazy up and down the crests of the dunes and explore all that this severe coast has to offer.
Etosha. If it’s game viewing you’re after, Etosha National Park is your place for the Big 5. Given our relatively recent African game safari in Tanzania and our limited time, we chose to concentrate our trip on the landscapes and therefore not make a stop in Etosha. However, for first-time safari-goers or those with a real penchant for wildlife, a stop in Etosha will round out your circuit.
Hoanib Valley. We chose to begin our adventures with a couple of days in the craggy mountains and valleys of the Kaokoveld. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot the several desert-adapted animals that roam here — elephants, giraffes, and even some lions. But the real highlight is a visit to meet the beautiful women of the Himba tribe in their natural environment, covering themselves from hair to toe in red clay to protect themselves from the hot sun.
Windhoek. Most trips to Namibia begin and end in the country’s capital, formerly the seat of German Southwest Africa. You’ll notice the Germanic heritage in the various colonial buildings. The city itself is uninspiring, but good to fill a few hours. Instead, we’d recommend spending your recovery and stopovers outside the city, at one of the chic new resorts, like Omaanda or Habitas, within driving distance of the international airport.
Other Places We Missed… If time were no object, we would have considered adding the following to our itinerary:
Walvis Bay / Swakopmund. A seaside haven for adventurists, where the high dunes roll directly into the sea, this area is the coastal retreat for Namibians and tourists alike. Walvis Bay has the benefit of having the country’s second international airport - so you may begin or end your Namibian adventure here and fly out directly to Jo’burg or Cape Town. Namibia’s second-largest city, “Swako” is also a visual treasure for those enamored with German colonial architecture.
Kunene River Valley. Up by the border of Angola, this area on a flowing river is much more lush than the deserts to the south.
Fish River Canyon. The Grand Canyon of Namibia, this area in the south certainly warrants a view.
Kolmanskop / Lüderitz. A once thriving mining town, with its own bowling alley and opera, Kolmanskop has since been completely abandoned, when more diamonds were discovered further inland. Fifty plus years later, the empty rooms of the town’s buildings have filled up with sand. A true Wes Anderson experience.
Caprivi Strip. The narrow pencil of Namibia’s northeast stretches east to Botswana and Zambia - all the way to Victoria Falls and the Okovango Delta. If you’re looking to combine a trip to Victoria Falls or Botswana with your Namibian adventure, or are up to see a lush collection of flora and game, head to Namibia’s northeast strip.
HOW TO GET THERE: The truth is: It ain’t easy. When we originally planned our trip, Qatar Airlines was flying direct from Doha to Windhoek, so it would have been a relatively straightforward one-stop itinerary (JFK-DOH-WDH). But of course, flying in a pandemic presents its own challenges, and we had to re-route when Qatar Airlines canceled that route. At present, options for entry into Namibia are via South Africa (Cape Town or Jo’burg), Addis Adaba, or Frankfurt (and be sure to check out COVID testing requirements for entry into each country and reentry into your own country as the rules are shifting almost daily):
While the Frankfurt-Windhoek flight seems easiest (and is operated by a Lufthansa subsidiary), the flight times are such that travel from the US is challenging: FRA-WDH leaves at night, so any overnight from the US East Coast will warrant a half-day layover in FRA. But a good option if you’re connecting from Europe or US West Coast. The return flight, however, leaves WDH in the morning and arrives late into FRA — so would likely require an overnight in FRA.
Ethiopian (a member of the Star Alliance and an up-and-coming African carrier) is flying some new planes (777s and Dreamliners) from Dulles and JFK to Addis. The IAD-ADD flight actually lands you with. a good connection ADD-WDH. Not a bad option from the US East Coast. The direct JFK flight has an operational stop in West Africa on the way. A good one-stop option from Europe.
Otherwise, get yourself to Cape Town or Johannesburg and fly over on South African Airlink, which has comfortable regional jets (Embraer) with varied times throughout the day. If you’ve got the time, we’d suggest a few days in Cape Town on the front end to acclimate and experience this magical city on the bay.
GETTING AROUND: Once in Namibia, if you choose to fly, your travel agent or lodges can help you arrange the internal flights. Many are regularly scheduled charter flights on various degrees of small (smaller, smallest) prop planes. Relax - it’s part of the experience! For the faint at heart, or those who simply want to freedom the roam and plan as you go, rent yourself a 4x4 and hit the open road!
TRAVEL PLANNING: For this trip, we worked with Catherine at Natural High Safaris who helped us book our desired lodges, developed a perfect schedule, and secured ground transportation and flights within the country (including scheduling the all-important COVID test in Windhoek). We had worked with the outfitter previously on our honeymoon trip to Tanzania as well as our trip to Rajasthan so we had great trust in them as a provider. For this trip, we had done our research in advance and had preferred destinations and lodges, and together with Catherine, we narrowed it down to the perfect spots.
We also love Black Tomato, which plans remarkable experiences with some of the best accommodations.
STAY | ONE NIGHT | AM WEINBERG: Because we had traveled 36 hours to arrive in Windhoek, we wanted to overnight there to get some rest before we went on our way to truly start our trip. We spent one night at the trendy Am Weinberg Estate (below), a boutique hotel offering a comfortable and sophisticated stay with several nice restaurants on the property to choose from as well as a pool — the perfect way to get your bearings (and cure your jet lag).
STAY | TWO NIGHTS | HOANIB VALLEY CAMP: The next morning we flew on a six-seater Cessna to Hoanib Valley Camp, a desert lodge set among the mountains, with just six luxury tents that are completely self-sustained and off the grid. The rooms are “glamping chic” and are situated in the middle of the Kaokoveld, where days are spent on game drives looking for desert-adapted rhino, elephants, or giraffes before stopping in a majestic spot for sundowners (safari speak for happy-hour where typically G&T’s are the beverage of choice but in these resorts, anything is accommodated) set up by your expert guide. It’s rumored that Harry and Meghan honeymooned here ,and my theory has always been that if it’s good enough for royalty it’s good enough for me. Two to three nights is plenty here but make sure that you ask the lodge to arrange a visit to see the Himba people — one of our highlights of the trip!
STAY | THREE NIGHTS | SHIPWRECK LODGE (below): After the wonders of Hoanib, we jumped on our plane and headed for the Skeleton Coast, where we were greeted by our amazing guide Ziggy from Shipwreck Lodge. From the lodge’s airstrip, an hour drive down the beach (literally, on sand), stopping to visit the decaying shipwrecks along the coast, brought us onto a narrow sandbar, set up with a white-washed beach barbecue lunch, and finally to our home directly on the beach. With ten cabins that are situated in the dunes of the Skeleton Coast National Park, we were truly in the middle of nowhere, with breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean. This lodge is also self-sustainable, and each of the cabins is built to resemble an old ship on the sand from the outside — but once you’re inside you’ll find all of the comforts of a luxury lodge.
ACTIVITIES: There are several activities that we consider mandatory at Shipwreck. The Quad Bike Activity (below) is not to be missed. We loved it so much that we did it twice: once in the morning and again at sundown. The powerful 4x4 vehicles whisk you through the roaring dunes where the only thing stopping you is the natural cliffs made of sand. We also loved the dune beach walk where you meander from the lodge through the dunes to the mouth of the ocean, traipsing through remnants the river has left behind from the journey downstream from hundreds of kilometers away. Next, the Hoarusib River Excursion takes you in a safari vehicle through the dry riverbed in search of desert-adapted animals as well as to a desert peak consisting of a more rocky terrain than the sand you have already explored closer to the lodge. Each evening your guide can set up a sundowner in a spectacular location offering views of the never-ending desert.
ONE NOTE: Some of us felt a little disappointed that we didn’t see more significant shipwrecks and thought that the name of the lodge was a bit of a misnomer, and should really be called Skeleton Coast Lodge instead of Shipwreck Lodge. While we saw a couple of minor shipwrecks, it certainly wasn’t the focus of the stay at the lodge and some of the more major shipwrecks, like Edward Bohlen, are quite a distance away. As long as your expectations are set in advance, you’ll still have a fantastic and memorable stay at Shipwreck.
STAY | THREE NIGHTS | &BEYOND SOSSUSVLEI DESERT LODGE: Flying high along the Atlantic coast, then across the desert, through the magical blue skies of Namibia, we were able to experience the breathtaking landscape from above and witness the abrupt changes from silky white sand, to arid mountain ranges, and finally—and instantaneously—to the bright red sand of the Namib Desert. We landed at &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge’s private airstrip located on the property (which was quite a welcome relief after the two-hour journeys from the previous lodges’ airstrips). The yellow grass which blankets much of the lodge’s 31,000-acre private reserve paves your path to the red sand dunes and rocky mountains, all creating the perfect landscape to experience the Namib Desert and the Namib-Naukluft Park. Upon arrival, our private Land Rover was waiting with cold drinks and towels to whisk us down the path to lodge—passing right by a giraffe sauntering his way to the watering hole, situated just in front of the main lodge area for perfect viewing purposes. This lodge was one of the most special hotels we’ve had the pleasure to spend time at, set in one of the most spectacular locations we’ve seen. The 10 independent suites exude opulence by any standard, but even more so when taking into account the location, literally in the middle of a vast desert, with each suite boasting its own private pool, indoor and outdoor showers, and butler pantries for the ultimate in privacy. Our favorite room amenity was an all-inclusive fully-stocked bar including refrigerated mixers, an array of gins and vodkas, fresh lemons, and even rosemary-lemon infused icecubes…an attention to detail that did not go unnoticed.
ACTIVITIES: At &Beyond the activities are as adventurous as their rooms are luxurious. The evening we arrived, we experienced their dune ATV ride (left), before our guide set up the chic-est sundowner spread we have experienced (below). When it comes to the sundowner, &Beyond has gotten it right. Look at that selection of beverage options!
The next day we woke up early (!) and took advantage of the inclusive sunrise hot air balloon excursion. Watching the balloons being blown up as the sun is just starting to appear in the cool desert is equally as fun as flying gently through the morning’s burnt orange sky in a colorful balloon. We caught glimpses of springbok and oryx grazing the land below, and glided slowly above the bright red dunes and the hundreds of fairy circles (below middle)—cylindrical spots that dot the grass throughout the Namib, whose origin remains controversial and quite mysterious. It is a truly otherworldly experience. Following the journey, there is a champagne breakfast set up by Namib Sky, a third-party outfitter who runs the hot air balloon excursion. Even if you’re not staying at &Beyond, you can book your hot air balloon journey directly through them. They also run the Namib Sky Community Foundation which started the first primary school in the region. You can see the school and buy trinkets from the school’s store after the hot air balloon journey.
That afternoon we decided to continue with more activities and took advantage of the lodge’s mountain e-bikes. We rode through the trails on the property to a hike to see the ancient rock paintings discovered in the nearby hills. It was fun and adventurous…and those e-bikes can really zip you around quite quickly!
The following day was the jewel in the crown. Another early wakeup call and a dark drive to Sesriem, the gateway to the majestic Namib-Naukluft National Park. This national park is home to some of the most amazingly unimaginable, towering sand dunes. With their red-sand contours and spirals that look small from a distance, they prove to be quite large when you start climbing them. We were told to request to climb Big Daddy—the tallest dune in the park—and then run down the backside down to Deadvlei, an old salt pan that has formed a dried clay/mud white bottom from the remnants of the minerals left behind. The show stopper in Deadvlei is undoubtedly the acacia tree ghost-like forest left behind from around 500 years ago. Due to the dry desert air and lack of termites the trees have not decayed. The climb is brutal but the views are out of this world . Plus, how often do you get to run down a sand dune and end up the remains of a centuries-old dried up riverbed?
STAY | 2-3 NIGHTS | ZANNIER HOTELS OMAANDA: After an incredible stay at &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge and experiencing all that the desert has to offer, we were on to the next location. Our plane was waiting for us right where we left it and took us almost two hours back to Windhoek to Zannier’s Hotel Omaanda. The hotel was started when Angelina Jolie, who has a great connection to Namibia was staying at a Zannier Hotel in Cambodia and mentioned Namibia to Arnaud Zannier, the driving force behind the small hotel group. The property is now situated on the Zannier reserve which partners with the N/a’an ku sê Sactuary that Angelina is also involved with and offers experiences with the animals that live and are cared for on the land.
ACTIVITIES: The activities at Omaanda center around the wildlife on the Zannier reserve and at the N/a’an ku sê Sactuary, practically across the street. Their cheetah walk activity which allows you to literally walk open grounds with the cheetahs during their daily jaunt is a once in a lifetime experience that is not to be missed. We were fortunate to hang with Kovu, a cheetah that had been rescued near birth making him used to interacting with humans since he relies on them food (like being lured back into his cage with a dead bird after his walk with us). Following the cheetah walk we participated in the carnivore feeding tour which takes you on a guided tour and feeding experience with the baboons, caracals, lions, cheetahs, African wild dogs and leopards. Each evening at Omaanda you can participate in a game drive and sundowners on the reserve and search for the animals that roam freely on the reserve.
PACKING INSPIRATION: This trip was not easy to pack for because at some places we expected 100 degree days and 50 degree evenings and some we expected chillier days. We hope the below mood board and curated looks help inspire you and help you pack!
DON’T FORGET TO PACK: Because it can be hot AND cold in the same day (remember you’re in the desert) don’t forget to pack a lightweight jacket. I love the Uniqlo down jacket that packs its own baggie and squishes up into basically nothing. Patagonia and Nobis work well too. The nice thing about the camps we chose was that there is laundry daily so you should really consider that when planning how much to bring. This is a wear and re-wear kind of trip and that is OK! If you’re flying between camps, you are only allowed a small baggage allowance and your luggage must be soft-sided. Seriously consider minimal packing if laundry service is included.
FOOTWEAR: For this trip you’ll need:
A trail-running shoe/hiking boot. Consider one that will protect the sand from getting inside as there is LOT of sand!
A casual shoe for evening dinners at the camps. I wore a suede espadrille almost every night.
A sandal for lounging around the pool.
SHOP SAM’S LOOKS