When you think of travel in Africa, you probably think of the same few destinations. Seeing the Big Five on a safari in Kenya, visiting the Blue City in Morocco, or hiking Table Mountain in South Africa. Recently, Conde Nast Traveler made a list of the top places to visit in Africa and not a single one of these made the list (though they are all destinations well worth visiting). Instead, they highlighted hidden destinations like Gabon, Angola, and the one we were personally most excited about, Namibia.
We recently took a week long road trip through Namibia and we were blown away. Though barely even the size of Texas, this underrated country is filled with more unique landscapes and brighter stars than you’ll find almost anywhere else in the world. And with a population of only 3 million people and far fewer tourists, you’ll be able to explore most of the sights without a crowd in sight.
Here are some of the experiences we had while in Namibia:
1. Stargaze at NamibRand Nature Reserve
Namibia is home to Africa’s only International Dark Sky Reserve, NamibRand Nature Reserve. Situated right on the reserve is the Dune Star Camp, a luxurious adventure camp. The highlight of the camp are the cabins where you can roll your bed onto the balcony to sleep right under the best stars in the world. When the sky goes dark, you can expect to see an incredible view of the Milky Way and more shooting stars than you can count. During the day, the camp provides a variety of other amenities like free breakfast, hot air ballooning, and quad biking.
Did we have to survive a at camp to see this? Yes. Will we remember it forever? Also, yes,
2. Watch a beach sunset in Swakopmund
Drive down the inhospitable Skeleton Coast, past shipwrecks, piles of animal bones, and the flamingos in Walvis Bay and you’ll eventually reach the desert oasis of Swakopmund. Pick one of the seaside restaurants and sit down for a meal of Namibian oysters and champagne. As you dine, you can watch one of the town’s wild sunsets. The sun gets smooshed against the horizon and just sits there for way longer than seems possible. If anyone knows why the sunsets here last so long, we’d love to know. And if you’re feeling up for it, you can even camp on the beach!
3. Stop to see Sossuveli’s 900-year-old trees
If you told me every movie filmed on Mars was filmed in Soussuveli, I’d believe you. Probably Namibia’s most famous attraction, Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan right in the middle of the red dune Namib Desert. That may not sound too exciting, but once you see the trees in Deadveli, you’ll understand. About 900 years ago, the valley’s waterthorn supply was cut off, leaving the camelthorn trees to dry out completely. Ever since then, the trees have been standing frozen in time, scorched black by the sun. Before you leave, climb one of the nearby dunes for sunset and bring along a bottle of wine or your favorite snack!
4. Grab a slice of Namibia’s famous apple pie
Do Namibians even eat apple pie? We don’t have an answer for that, but we do know where to find maybe the only apple pie in Namibia. In the tiny town of Solitare (approximately 4 buildings in the whole town tiny), is McGregor’s Bakery. The bakery is owned by a Dutch immigrant to the region and sells sandwiches, meat pies, and soft drinks alongside its famous apple pie. Now, the pie is nothing mindblowing, but the novelty of eating apple pie in Namibia is entertaining, and it’s a great pit stop on the way to Sossusvlei. In fact, it’s the last place to stop for gas before you hit the park.
5. Go on a safari at Etosha National Park
If the idea of going on a safari without massive crowds sounds appealing, then Etosha National Park is the place for you! You can book a guided safari, but in our opinion, the fun of coming here is testing out your tour guide skills on a self-driving safari. It’s so fun to rent a car and then drive around as long as you want, looking for elephants, zebras, lions, and Pumbaa from The Lion King. At night, you can book one of the park’s campsites, and if you’re lucky, a wild ostrich may go running past your camper van.
Namibia was raw, beautiful, and chaotic in ways we never expected. If a road trip across Mars, with life-changing sunsets and the occasional elephant meandering past your car, sounds like your type of fun, then you definitely need to add Namibia to your bucket list.
Not convinced yet? Check out our Namibia road trip video below to see our full experience.