Prepping for another Namibia trip April 2023

We had visited Namibia in 2019, and knew we would be back sometime.

2023 was the year! Nine months of planning, booking, and compromising. There were small milestones along the way that we accomplished, which made the trip feel so far away. These milestones included the approval of leave, creating a dedicated WhatsApp group, making a deposit payment for accommodation, creating offline playlists, downloading offline maps, and working out the route and budget. These tasks kept us excited. Additionally, having a checklist of all the relevant items needed for the trip was a nice way to see our progress for this well-thought-out journey.

Before we knew it, the time had come. We were packing and getting ready for our 14-day Namibian Etosha trip. Our plan was to camp for the entire trip, except during our stay at Swakopmund, which would be our time to recuperate, clean, and prepare for our trip back to South Africa. With our camping gear ready and our cars packed, we were ready to hit the road. I never take for granted the fact that we were able to plan such an incredible adventure and actually follow through with it.

We were a group of 4 with two cars embarking on this adventure: one Ford Ranger and one Renault Duster. We all departed from the Western Cape.

Month: April; autumn. The weather was warm, with a bit of drizzle every second day. The daytime temperature would reach 26°C, and the evenings would be cooler, dropping to about 12°C. Be sure to pack clothes to protect against the wind, light rain, colder evenings, as well as hot days (especially for days with activities in the sands).

Total planned distance: 5,000km

Total distance covered: 5,400km

Some useful things to take along:

• A walky talky so that you can speak to each other between the cars
• A compressor in case you experience tyre problems
• A fridge to keep your fresh foods and drinks cold

Itinerary:

• Amanzi Trail
• Duwisib Castle
  • Visit Fish River Canyon
• Windhoek
• Etosha National Park
  • Namutoni Camp
    • Etosha Pan
  • Halale Camp
  • Okaukuejo Camp
  • Olifantsrus Camp
• Cape Cross
  • Skeleton Coast
  • Seal Colony
  • Explore the dunes
• Swakopmund
  • Explore the dunes
  • Summit Big Daddy dune at Sossusvlei
• Aus
  • Spot the wild horses