go! Namibia

If there’s one country I wouldn’t mind spending a lockdown in, it’s Namibia. In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, I couldn’t help but think that Namibia would be just the place to maintain a social distance. Sparsely populated and with huge, empty spaces and lots of fresh air, Namibia is a great destination now that we can travel again. I had a lump in my throat while working on this guide – I thought about all the Namibians whom I’d met over the years, whose main source of income was tourism. How desperate do you feel when you only see a handful of tourists for six months? The chalets, rooms, campsites… all empty. But even though some places closed their doors during the pandemic, most are still open…

How was the border crossing? When I went through at Vioolsdrif/Noordoewer in April, it was quite simple: I did a Covid-19 test at Pathcare in Hermanus a few days before my departure. It cost R850 and the result was available within 24 hours. The (necessary) Covid measures add about five minutes on the South African side of the border, and about a 20-minute wait on the Namibian side. On the way back to South Africa, I did a rapid test (about R350) on the South African side. The result was available within 15 minutes, but bear in mind that there’s only one test station, so if you’re behind a bus full of people it might take all day. How did the bumper rainy season change the landscape? It didn’t rain everywhere – the area…

Ispent hours poring over maps and reading articles about the Fish River Canyon – studying the dos and don’ts, the tips and tricks, survival guides and personal stories of triumph and trial. That is, after I got home from my first attempt at hiking it… Rewind three months: My friend Hayley had booked four spots on the trail. The crew consisted of me, her, her colleague Jenny, and Jenny’s fiancé, Max. I feel comfortable in the wilderness but none of the other hikers were particularly fit, and none had done a multiday hike before. I was concerned about their abilities but I’m always up for a new adventure, so I agreed. The next two months blitzed by. No training and minimal planning had been done. After some lastminute gear shopping, we crammed into…

SESRIEM CANYON ADRI BRUWER, WINDHOEK My husband Gerhard and I were both born in northern Namibia – in Otavi and Tsumeb. We live in Windhoek these days, close to the popular restaurant, Joe’s Beerhouse. The river at the bottom of our street came down in spate several times this year. Big trucks use this street to drive through Windhoek from east to west – they couldn’t get through the river. By now we know that if we hear trucks reversing and turning around, the river is in flood! The easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions coincided with the summer rain and made it so much more enjoyable to hit the road. It was the first time in my life that I’d seen Namibia so lush and green. On 16 January 2021, we drove to Sesriem…

My dad didn’t teach me everything he should have, but he did make sure to impart practical wisdom: I know how to make a fire without a firelighter, I know how to read a map and follow my nose, and I can travel without fancy camping gear. I was always sceptical when he tried to give me advice about relationships, but he taught me to love the veld. My dad was happiest next to a fire in the bush, where he was able to shrug off the dark despondency that often shrouded him in the parsonages where we lived. He told stories about Namibia, his favourite place on earth. After four years of studying theology, he had taken a break to ramble about – he visited Namibia on hunting trips during…

COMPULSORY STUFF PASSPORT. It needs to be valid for six months or more from the date you plan to leave Namibia, and it should have at least two blank pages. BIRTH CERTIFICATES. All children under 18 need an unabridged birth certificate to cross the border unless they have a new passport with their parents’ names listed in the back. DRIVING LICENCE. Your South African licence is valid in Namibia – keep it at hand. VEHICLE REGISTRATION DOCUMENTS. Bring the original or certified copies of these documents. Remember the papers for the trailer or caravan. LETTER OF AUTHORISATION. If you’re still paying off your car, you need a letter of authorisation from the bank. If the car you’re travelling in doesn’t belong to you, you need a letter written by the owner giving you permission to…