Fair nuff - I had no idea what kinds of prices you'd found for the other car types - when we were there in 2001, in June, there was no rain and the main roads all looked perfectly fine - we drove one short transfer and most other cars on the road were saloons not 4WD.

Hi, all. (I've been out of town for a week, in Montreal. It was lovely!).

Yes, about 5 hours from Windhoek to Etosha. The road is paved, and in May it was being upgraded. There was a lot of roadwork going on, occasionally there was one-way traffic for a couple of minutes. That work will probably be done by the time you get there, so you should have even better driving.

The gravel roads were excellent too, we thought.

Happy driving!

And some more thoughts, Peep.

Driving in Namibia is a lot more like driving in the US or Europe than it is different from it, except that there's way less traffic. The non-paved roads, such as in Etosha, are very good too. A 2WD was just fine, at least in May.

We stayed in Etosha at Halali. It was ok, but only ok. I understand the other two are nicer. I would have preferred to stay at one of the camps near the gates, but they were full when we booked. We really liked Aoba Etosha Lodge just outside the park. But I recommend that you stay in the park at least one night, so you don't have to spend early morning time (when the animals are most active) getting TO the park.

I know you'll love Namibia. We found it just fabulous!

Celia, glad you liked Aoba! I think we're booked there for the 1st night at Etosha and waitlisted for the 2nd.

Peep

Glad to hear you will be staying at Sea Breeze Guest House in Swakop. The owners, Oscar and Giovanni, were great hosts. Make sure to have dinner at De Kelders in town. The best filet mignon we've ever eaten and probably our best meal while in Namibia.

The Seal & Dolphin Cruise in Walvis Bay is a must(if you like boats, seals and dolphins)! I know it sounds touristy, but it's a really fun experience. The seals leap from the Bay into the center of boat right next to you. The tour ends with a champagne brunch including fresh local oysters.

Your itinerary looks good so far- 2WD will be perfectly fine for your entire trip. Too bad Mowani was booked the 3rd night- maybe you can waitlist. Take some time to sit in the lobby area next to the little waterfall and watch the numerous varieties of colorful birds that come to drink. Also, look out for the orange and blue lizards on their grounds.