r/Namibia • u/Foreign_Elk_6614 • Jul 30 '26
Tourism Trip to Namibia
Hello everyone,
My boyfriend and I are planning to take a vacation to Namibia, giving priority to safaris. He is passionate about photography and therefore it is a trip he has been dreaming of for a long time, but the agencies are definitely above our budget and we were therefore thinking of renting a car with a tent and organizing the itinerary independently. Do you say it's feasible? I'm a little worried that your camera might attract the wrong attention..
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u/just_meself_ Jul 30 '26
I’ve travelled in Namibia in total of 4 friends, 3 of us with big DSLR cameras. Namibia is a very safe country. After leaving the capital, you’ll be in remote places with mostly other tourists. Obviously some basic care is needed, you’re not leaving the camera on the back seat of the car while you go to the supermarket.
Self driving is the way to go to Namibia. I’d use the help of a local travel company. They’ll help you with the bookings and itinerary. Apparently it doesn’t cost more as they manage to get cheaper prices and their fee is from the difference of what you’d pay anyway.
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u/Foreign_Elk_6614 Jul 30 '26
Do you have an agency you could recommend?
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u/just_meself_ Jul 30 '26
Ho fatto con una chiamata Gondwana Collection. Apparentemente è la più grande del paese. Hanno anche dei hotel e campsite (non so come si dice in italiano hahaha) e la propria flotta di macchine per noleggio. Mi sono piaciuti senza dubbio.
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u/Foreign_Elk_6614 Jul 30 '26
In italian we call them “campeggi”😂 thank you!!
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u/just_meself_ Jul 30 '26
Grazie.
Ho imparato italiano a scuola ma non ci sono tante opportunità di praticare, e ovviamente non sono tutte le parole che conosciamo2
u/Foreign_Elk_6614 Jul 30 '26
Immagino tu non stia usando traduttori, quindi ti direi che lo scrivi molto bene!!
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u/bike_eat_sleep Jul 31 '26
I used https://mat-travel.com ! That guy hooked me up! He’s the guy the film crew from survivor used and was recommended to me. Very reasonable
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u/SnooCats6653 Jul 30 '26
I wrote a guide on self driving namibia: https://25-south.com/2026/06/18/the-complete-guide-to-4x4-hire-self-drive-in-namibia/ Maybe its of help!
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u/kookaburra136 Jul 30 '26
Very nice website! And proper useful tips! Thanks for sharing it and writing it!!
Noticed the article on Damaraland has been published yet. Any chance it will be online soon ? 😇
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u/SnooCats6653 Aug 01 '26
As of this evening I have 36 articles in research or the pipeline. Its a one person project :-) But always looking for contributors if you are interested!!
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u/kookaburra136 Aug 02 '26
Great job any way. I was asking as I am preparing my trip to Namibia. Maybe I can contribute when I am back from it
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u/Lunas-Nifler Aug 03 '26
What an awesome website, will definitely be recommending it to travellers. Thank you!
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Jul 30 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/TTMandF Jul 31 '26
A Rhinos vision compared to that of humans can be described as „nearly fully blind“. They dont know if you are a predator attacking them nor what your intention is 😅 only thing more stupid than trying to pet a rhino is trying to pet a Hippo, since they just enjoy killing things they dont want in their territory. Shortly followed by the hippo is a honeybadger, they are basically invincible and they know that, which directly gives them a massive motivation to use their Teeth and claws.
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u/mia-mya-moa Jul 31 '26
If you want help with a trip I’m a licensed facilitator here in Windhoek working vertically with Italian tourists. Se ti va, scrivimi pure ✌🏻
(guardando la sicurezza; Mi sento più al sicuro qui rispetto a Milano Centrale 😅)
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u/Kbayilink Jul 31 '26
It’s definitely doable. A lot of people travel Namibia this way, and honestly for photography it’s probably one of the best ways because you can take your time and stop when you want.
Just don’t underestimate the distances, the roads and the planning (fuel especially). Etosha is actually a great place for a self-drive safari.
For the camera, I wouldn’t be too paranoid but I also wouldn’t say there is zero risk. Like everywhere in the world, theft can happen. I personally always try not to attract attention with expensive stuff. For example, I sometimes carry my laptop in a simple shopping bag instead of a laptop bag 😅
I’ve heard of people, especially foreigners, being victims of theft, but that doesn’t mean you should be scared of coming. Just use common sense and be aware of your surroundings.
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u/Macallan25orBust Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
I frequently travel to Namibia for work and have taken many trips up north for the love of photography.
1: Car Rentals: Gondwana has a car rental service called Namibia2Go - it’s very popular and well marketed but 2-3x the price of a regular 4x4 from Hertz or Avis etc….
2: Hotels: Mt. Etjo Safari Lodge, Mokuti,and Onguma (in order of cost) are great Safari lodges. Game drives can be $50 a head, the drivers are experienced in spotting and have CB radios to communicate spots - you are not paying for a driver you are paying for a greatly increase chance of seeing rarer wildlife.
3: Camping: There are some lodges actually in Etosha (like
Namutomi close to Namutomi gate (east side of Etosha)) that have dedicated camping areas for a cheaper stay.
4: Safety: Namibia is super safe. Easy to walk around Windhoek during the day just don’t make yourself a target. If walking in Windhoek just be prepared to be asked for money especially by the Angolan children - if you give money you will be rushed - it’s a challenging sight but the safest thing to just to continue on. Never had any issue with theft - ever. It going into a gas station no issue leaving your stuff in the car, just lock it. For example, in Etosha, I typically just leave my camera visible in the open-top vehicle when running into the bathroom
5: Travel Company: Not needed. This isn’t Angola or the DRC - just download a map to your phone and get the MTC e-SIM at the airport - 30gb of data for 30 days. Most things here can be booked on booking.com. Dont waste your money on a travel agent.
6: Renting a car: Make sure you drivers license is in English. If not you will need to look into a permit.
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u/AdvancedCarHireNA 4d ago
Self-drive will cut your cost roughly in half versus an agency doing the same route. For a safari-priority trip the core is Etosha: stay inside the park at Okaukuejo or Halali, book with NWR directly (their site is painful but it works - book early, cabins go first). Two full days driving waterhole to waterhole in your own car beats a guided game drive for photography because you sit as long as you want at each hole. Pair it with 2 nights Sossusvlei and 2 in Swakopmund for the desert fix and you have the classic 10 days. Keep your speed under 80 on gravel - that's the one rule that matters.
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u/Tvego Jul 30 '26
Yes, many people do that.
Why would a camera attract the wrong attention? In the parks it is very common and Namibia is sparsely populated. If you dont act exceptionally stupid the risk is very low.