Namibia itinerery question
Feb 24th, 2007, 07:22 AM
#1
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Namibia itinerery question
We are planning 3 weeks to see South Africa, Botswana, and Victoria Falls.
We are also interested in Namibia, but won't be able to spend much time there. We don't want to spend more that 3 nights, preferably 2.
I was wondering if the following is possible:
Flying in to Windhoek, Walvis Bay, or somewhere else. Then going to Sossusvlei to see the sand dunes.
Can this be done with driving? Flying necessary?
Stay a night at the dunes or return to our origin?
How much time would it take to drive?
Please excuse my ignorance, but I am not able to find the answers elsewhere, and I don't know if this is a practical or reasonable trip.
I have seen some tours by go2africa and others, but I hope to get more info here. Thanks.
We are also interested in Namibia, but won't be able to spend much time there. We don't want to spend more that 3 nights, preferably 2.
I was wondering if the following is possible:
Flying in to Windhoek, Walvis Bay, or somewhere else. Then going to Sossusvlei to see the sand dunes.
Can this be done with driving? Flying necessary?
Stay a night at the dunes or return to our origin?
How much time would it take to drive?
Please excuse my ignorance, but I am not able to find the answers elsewhere, and I don't know if this is a practical or reasonable trip.
I have seen some tours by go2africa and others, but I hope to get more info here. Thanks.
Feb 24th, 2007, 08:13 AM
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Hi Jed,
You can do it by flying into either city - assuming there's an airport at Walvis Bay, altho' I don't know of one -and then driving to Sossusvlei.
Last year on "The Great Namibian Journey", we drove from Windhoek to Sossusvlei, and then from Sossusvlei to Walvis Bay/Swakopmund, with a full day at the dunes in between.
Both drives took the better part of a day, with lots of stops for photo ops. The drive from Windhoek to Sossusvlei was spectacular. Out of Walvis Bay, for about an hour the scenery was monotonous and unremarkable (the ONLY place in Namibia where that was so), but the rest of the drive was beautiful. So yes it can be done by driving either way.
I will say that after seeing just a small part of Namibia you will want to return and see more. It's a spectacularly beautiful country which deserves much more than 2 or 3 nights.
Here's a link to my photos. The first album is Namibia. You can get an idea of the scenery.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-evbqvu
You can do it by flying into either city - assuming there's an airport at Walvis Bay, altho' I don't know of one -and then driving to Sossusvlei.
Last year on "The Great Namibian Journey", we drove from Windhoek to Sossusvlei, and then from Sossusvlei to Walvis Bay/Swakopmund, with a full day at the dunes in between.
Both drives took the better part of a day, with lots of stops for photo ops. The drive from Windhoek to Sossusvlei was spectacular. Out of Walvis Bay, for about an hour the scenery was monotonous and unremarkable (the ONLY place in Namibia where that was so), but the rest of the drive was beautiful. So yes it can be done by driving either way.
I will say that after seeing just a small part of Namibia you will want to return and see more. It's a spectacularly beautiful country which deserves much more than 2 or 3 nights.
Here's a link to my photos. The first album is Namibia. You can get an idea of the scenery.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-evbqvu
Feb 24th, 2007, 01:59 PM
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Gorgeous, gorgeous, spectacular pictures. Mouth watering.
Do you have a trip report? About the picture of Kulala Tented Camp, are the structures one or multiple units? How many are there? (Sorry to say, but I don't find them attractive on the outside.)
Do you have a trip report? About the picture of Kulala Tented Camp, are the structures one or multiple units? How many are there? (Sorry to say, but I don't find them attractive on the outside.)
Feb 24th, 2007, 04:30 PM
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Jed.
I believe that one night in sesriem is really just not going to cut it. Sincerely if you can squeeze two full days you would do much better.
If your budget allowed you can do a light aircraft flip from the Namin rand down the coast to Luderitz, pack a few hours into the town of kolmanskop before flying over the canyan and back to seriem. Well worth it.
If my memory is still serving me, drive from seriem to windhoek is somewhere around 4 -6 hours.
I believe that one night in sesriem is really just not going to cut it. Sincerely if you can squeeze two full days you would do much better.
If your budget allowed you can do a light aircraft flip from the Namin rand down the coast to Luderitz, pack a few hours into the town of kolmanskop before flying over the canyan and back to seriem. Well worth it.
If my memory is still serving me, drive from seriem to windhoek is somewhere around 4 -6 hours.
Feb 24th, 2007, 06:06 PM
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Thank you, Jed. Here is a link to my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34821348
About Kulala Tented Camp, I think there were about 6-8 tents, no more than that, and they were individual. I think there was one double tent, the one in the foreground in the picture.
I didn't give much thought to the exterior of the tent, but the inside was very comfortable. The stone part of each tent, which was the bathroom, has an outdoor sleeping platform on the roof, and all the tents have large verandas with forever views. I loved it there. It was about a 45 minute ride from there to Sossusvlei.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34821348
About Kulala Tented Camp, I think there were about 6-8 tents, no more than that, and they were individual. I think there was one double tent, the one in the foreground in the picture.
I didn't give much thought to the exterior of the tent, but the inside was very comfortable. The stone part of each tent, which was the bathroom, has an outdoor sleeping platform on the roof, and all the tents have large verandas with forever views. I loved it there. It was about a 45 minute ride from there to Sossusvlei.
Feb 24th, 2007, 07:57 PM
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Jed,
With the very limited time you have I would suggest you skip driving altogether and just fly into Windhoek and then take one of the small charter flights to Sossusvlei and stay at one of the lovely camps there for your 2 nights.
We did this the first time we went to Namibia because we had limited time as the bulk of our trip was spent in Botswana and ending in Cape Town. In Sossusvlei we stayed at the Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp which you might also want to consider.
We have since been back to Namibia ( June '06 ) as we wanted to spend much more time seeing this wonderful country. This time we had 3 1/2 weeks to devote and spent 2 1/2 weeks driving and then 1 week flying into 2 remote camps in the north.
Had a fabulous time as the country offers a lot of diversity with landscapes etc. For a first trip and a taste of Namibia I think you should see the dunes as they are spectacular. Another accomm. which is wonderful along with Kulala and the Wilderness Camp, etc. is the Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge where we stayed on this second trip.
Even a short visit to Namibia is a great addition to an African vacation.
With the very limited time you have I would suggest you skip driving altogether and just fly into Windhoek and then take one of the small charter flights to Sossusvlei and stay at one of the lovely camps there for your 2 nights.
We did this the first time we went to Namibia because we had limited time as the bulk of our trip was spent in Botswana and ending in Cape Town. In Sossusvlei we stayed at the Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp which you might also want to consider.
We have since been back to Namibia ( June '06 ) as we wanted to spend much more time seeing this wonderful country. This time we had 3 1/2 weeks to devote and spent 2 1/2 weeks driving and then 1 week flying into 2 remote camps in the north.
Had a fabulous time as the country offers a lot of diversity with landscapes etc. For a first trip and a taste of Namibia I think you should see the dunes as they are spectacular. Another accomm. which is wonderful along with Kulala and the Wilderness Camp, etc. is the Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge where we stayed on this second trip.
Even a short visit to Namibia is a great addition to an African vacation.
Feb 24th, 2007, 08:38 PM
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DJE,
If you were at SML in June 06, then perhaps we met as I was the visiting astronomer at that time.
By the way, the Kulala Tented Camp is now called Kulala Wilderness Camp (KWC in Wilderness lingo).
George
If you were at SML in June 06, then perhaps we met as I was the visiting astronomer at that time.
By the way, the Kulala Tented Camp is now called Kulala Wilderness Camp (KWC in Wilderness lingo).
George
Feb 24th, 2007, 09:24 PM
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tuckeg ( George ),
Yes we did meet you and your wife and very much enjoyed your enthusiastic and informative showing of the stars. You were very active with the laser.... Definitely one of the highlights of our stay at SML. Hope to return again.
Yes we did meet you and your wife and very much enjoyed your enthusiastic and informative showing of the stars. You were very active with the laser.... Definitely one of the highlights of our stay at SML. Hope to return again.
Feb 25th, 2007, 07:58 AM
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Hi panecott- Just read you trip report. Sounds wonderful.
You said that you were in a group of 6. Did you go with a tour group with a set itinerary?
DJE - We are torn between flying which seems very expensive and would miss the scenery on the way, and driving which would decrease our time at the camps. Perhaps one way each would be a consideration. Still a lot of thinking to do.
You said that you were in a group of 6. Did you go with a tour group with a set itinerary?
DJE - We are torn between flying which seems very expensive and would miss the scenery on the way, and driving which would decrease our time at the camps. Perhaps one way each would be a consideration. Still a lot of thinking to do.
Feb 25th, 2007, 03:34 PM
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Jed,
Yes, I took the Wilderness Safaris "Great Namibian Journey", a two week tour of Namibia that started in Windhoek, then Sossusvlei, Swakopmund,Damaraland, Palmwag Rhino Camp, Etosha, and the Skeleton Coast. We drove everywhere but the Skeleton Coast, which can only be reached by air.
There is a maximum of 8, but the guide told us they try to limit the tours to 6. Our group was ideal. I heard from our guide a month or two after our trip and he said he'd just finished a tour with just 3 participants.
Yes, I took the Wilderness Safaris "Great Namibian Journey", a two week tour of Namibia that started in Windhoek, then Sossusvlei, Swakopmund,Damaraland, Palmwag Rhino Camp, Etosha, and the Skeleton Coast. We drove everywhere but the Skeleton Coast, which can only be reached by air.
There is a maximum of 8, but the guide told us they try to limit the tours to 6. Our group was ideal. I heard from our guide a month or two after our trip and he said he'd just finished a tour with just 3 participants.
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