You know Africa is a beautiful continent and my travelling aspirations are fully centered around discovering it and exploring it more. So, in October of 2023, with the help of our friends at Roadtrippers travel, we took a five-day escape to a desert country that is somewhat closer to us as South Africans than we thought.

A gem, right on our door step.

So, I know, many people are crazy about Dubai – the lifestyle, the sand, the glitz and experience it provides and I don’t hold anything away from that because it sure is granted as a classic tourist destination of choice for many, but I think there’s a lot close by to explore and shine about, than we think.

This country borders South Africa towards its most North Western corner, Botswana to the country’s East and Angola to its North and has a Western coastline that is along the Atlantic Ocean. It also has some portions, the Zambezi region, sandwiched in between Zambia and Botswana. You may get a glimpse of this when exploring the beauty that is the majestic Victoria Falls one day. Now, I am certain you’ve already predicted the location and Sub-Saharan African country I am talking about here…

It is named after the famous desert, The Namib desert, which is also the oldest desert in the world. South Africa shares a close history with Namibia from its former colonialization with the Germans since the 1880s. Namibia was first known as German South-West Africa and then South-West Africa before attaining independence in 1900. It is also known as the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa. I recently travelled to the Northern Cape province as part of my adventure to explore South African and Namibia is a clear continuation of that uniquely beautiful part of the continent and that’s where my desire to visit and see Namibia started.

We had an early flight that departed from OR Tambo International at 06:30 am – one of the earliest flights we have had to catch but somehow, we always manage to meet this deadline that comes a huge cost should it be missed. We drove from Rustenburg at midnight all the way to OR Tambo and we were parked at the airport at 02:45 am on the day of departure. It was a 2 hours and 15 minutes long flight using SA Airlink to Windhoek. Our welcoming airport on the other side was Hosea Kutako International and travelling by air to Namibia was a breeze.

We later learnt that we were not allowed to take images at the airport for security reasons. As soon as we landed, we got into our bus, which was going to take us to the place where we had booked for the night in Windhoek. We had only one night to spend in Windhoek as part of our itinerary from Roadtrippers travel and luckily, we landed early in the morning which enabled us ample time to fully explore the Capital City. As we drove to the lodge, Arebbusch, we had some unfortunate mechanical issues with our bus which saw us taking a temporary stop at Windhoek CBD, where we used this as an opportunity to see the City and get some food. Thankfully, alternative transport got arranged and we were back on the road in no time.

There were so many things about the City that resembled South Africa and it felt like an extension of Mzansi to be honest – garages like Engen, Shell, supermarkets like Checkers (they had no idea what a Checkers Extra saver rewards card was all about and I could not make use of it but alas…) and fast food joints like Steers were some of the familiar sights in Windhoek. It was like we were at home. And the people around us were speaking Afrikaans. If that was not proof enough that Namibia and South Africa are closely related, I am not sure what else would suffice.

The rand currency is also widely used in Namibia and we did not have to worry that much about exchanging the cash. The only shocker was when change would be issued to us and most of the time, it was the Namibian dollar notes, which were a pleasant sight and surprise. I still have plenty of them kept as memorabilia.

We then went on an interesting tour of the city with a guide by the name of Selma, from Mountain View Tours and Safaris who really gave us a thorough look into Windhoek and its rich history to give us a finer appreciation of the place we were visiting. It’s parts like these, whenever I visit a new country, that get me excited. Our first stop was the famous The Christuskirche, a Lutheran church designed by Gottlieb Redecker in 1990 is one of the most popular sights to see in Windhoek with interesting architectural elements which are signature to the German influence. Here, we appreciated the rich diversity that Namibia has and we were told that the country has 30 different tribes.

We then moved on to the iconic Honourable Dr. Sam Nujoma’s statue just at the footsteps of the Independence Memorial Museum. Nujoma is known as the founding president and father of the Namibian nation. Dr Sam Nujoma is an anti-apartheid activist and politician who served three terms as President of Namibia from independence to 2005. He is what I resemble Nelson Mandela was to the South African nation in terms of prestige, significance and honour. The 94-year-old former statesman is still alive to this day and is from the Oshivambu tribe. What a living legend!

We also got a sight of the heroes’ monument for the victims of the Herero and Nama genocide of 1904-1908. This genocide was an ethic extermination to serve as punishment for the Herero and Nama tribe people of Namibia and led to the deaths of 24000 to 100 000 Herero people and about 10 000 Nama people.

After the sombre genocide monument tour, we then proceeded up the museum to have a better look and view of Windhoek with the scenic mountains that surround the city – a must-do activity and sight i the area for sure. There’s also a restaurant at the top where one can enjoy their local beers – Windhoek Lager and Tafel beer. We also made our way to the Parliament building which is a walk away from the Independence Memorial Museum, which was also appreciated and pleasant.

After a long day touring at Windhoek, we then headed back to our hotel for a quick refresher shower and rest before heading out to the popular Joe’s beerhouse for our dinner that evening. I had a lovely and filling fillet meal and enjoyed the ambiance of the area overall. Our evening in Windhoek ended off on a high, with song and dance both inside and outside, at this must-see and visit beerhouse in Windhoek. You will not regret it. This is how we concluded Day 1 at Windhoek.

Day 2 saw us waking up early to catch breakfast at the lodge and prepare for our long drive to Sossusvlei. This took about 7-8 hours including the stops along the way. The long drive was really not much of a bother because the wonderful company inside the bus, which was really warm, friendly and worth being along the drive. I recall a moment where we even prayed together in the bus for our safety during the long drive and that was intimate and moving. Our bus driver as well, Slyvester was a real gem in this trip, he was filled with so much knowledge about the country and freely shared it with us along the journey and was like our father throughout in looking after all of us.

As soon as we got to Sossusvlei, we checked into the desert camp and oh man, what a uniquely spectacular place this was! Right in the middle of nowhere, not even a main road close-by, ideal for resting and taking the moment in fully. We got a lekker braai on that evening, courtesy of our host and then got to watch the stars as we saw the night through. We saw a couple of jackals at the desert camp, but they were harmless but scary. The rooms were really stunning and nicely designed. I also liked that there was not TV in the rooms which added to the peace and quiet feel of the area.

Then day 3 came and we woke up for breakfast and we then headed out to conquer the deserts in the afternoon. We went to do a half day trip into Sossusvlei nature reserve- Deadvlei as part of our itinerary package. We got to climb the famous Big Daddy Dune which is 325 m height, located between Sossuslvei and Deadvlei. Big daddy is one of highest dunes in the Sossuslvei area but not the highest in the Namib desert. This was one of the highlights for me in this entire trip – spectacular scenes and really a good work out. I really underestimated the climb, thinking it would be a breeze, but it got me heavily breathing and at times out of breath because there was a lot of strength and energy required to walk up the dune. The sun was scorching hot and that did not make matters any easier for us. I would suggest that people do this task earlier on in the morning as opposed to the later in the afternoon because the sun works against you while on the dunes. Also, make sure you have a hat and sunscreen, it gets hot up there. The sand gets too hot as well so some comfortable clothing will do, in case you land on the sand. Some closed walking shoes are also a requirement.

Not all the people we came with conquered the dune and our bus driver led us up the summit and he was really a pro in guiding us to the top. He also showed us methods to use to go down the dune with ease. At the top of the Big Daddy Dune, one gets a spectacular view of the Deadvlei. When we got to the top, we slid down the sand into the iconic Deadvlei and there again, a lovely experience and moment awaited us to witness. This area formed 900 years ago and was a river that dried up and cut off by the dunes with the climate subsequently drying up. The Deadvlei then was created because the area, which had trees and vegetation around it, died because of not getting enough water in them but could not decompose and disintegrate into the ground. Those trees, over 1000 years old, are still present and can be viewed in the vlei and that is what makes this area a world treasure. Caution, no hanging on or sitting on the trees allowed and no flying of drones also permitted in the area.

Then after conquering Big Daddy, we then went by bus to Swakopmund, our last City in Namibia for the trip, a drive that took about 6 hours. Along this drive we saw the Tropic of Capricorn latitude marker boards and the rocky Fish River canyon. This is how our Day 3 came to an end – we were singing and dancing together in the bus while en route to Swakopmund – priceless moments I really enjoyed connecting with everyone in the group.

We also took a pitstop at a small, quaint town of Solitaire where we filled up and grabbed some lunch. Our accommodation at Swakopmund was at the centralized Swakopmund Plaza hotel. Of all the places we got to stay at throughout the trip, this was by far the best one. The rooms were plenty for all of us as a travelling group, spacious, with a unique interior design and decorations to the individual rooms. The room was lovely, and we had a balcony view. We spent three nights at Swakopmund.

Swakopmund offered us that city vibe close to the desert feel and this is where we also did two activities over two days that are worth considering when you’re there. These were included in our package and were done on Days 4 and 5. We were minutes away from Desert Explorers, where we did the camel rides and quad biking in the sandy desert. We did the camel rides first which are an experience on their own and I feel I learnt that the two most important things with camel rides are, holding steady when it goes up and when it also comes down as well because these are the two parts in the camel ride experience that are the most dangerous if you’re not holding securely. Besides that, it was scenic having to ride camels into the desert and I am glad to have ticked that experience off on my list. The following day, we did the quad bikes, and it was absolutely breathtaking and spectacular having to ride the bikes in the desert.

On the day we did the quad bikes, one of our friends Rylisha was having a birthday and we took the time to wish her well at the pitstop right in the middle of the desert. It was a memorable moment, and I am sure one that Rylisha will not forget -celebrating your birthday in the middle of the desert comes once in a while. On the days we were free, we got the chance to move around the beautiful City to take in the architecture, restaurants and food that we got to enjoy. On one of the days, we got to see the Dunes Mall where we got some lunch along the way, we got to check out the pink flamingos and some salt manufacturers and mines near Walvis Bay.

Swakopmund had a number of bars and clubs around, with our hotel located at the heart of the city and they were a stone’s throw away. The South African music that was playing in the bars was a pleasant surprise and made the bar hopping experience, memorable for us. Our hotel was located 38 minutes from the Walvis Bay international airport, which was where we were to catch our departure flight back home. The airport is quite small and intimate but the people there were very friendly and welcoming. Before getting off our bus at the airport, we clubbed in some money as a group as a form of gratitude to the drivers who were with us along the trip. This trip involved a lot of driving and safety was at the heart of it all. I mean, South Africans are all about such warm and Ubuntu conduct wherever we are, and this gesture really moved me.

One adventure we really wanted to do but could not get to on our stay at Swakopmund was to visit the Sandwich Harbour – a scenic experience where one gets to see the Namib desert dunes meeting the cold Atlantic Ocean forming a picturesque lagoon. The next time I get to come to Namibia, which is soon, this is something I really would want to do fully. Google this place, it’s really something worth seeing and doing while in Namibia.

I love the treatment and experience that is always offered by Roadtrippers travel and they always do their best to live up to each experience and I am glad we got to explore Namibia with them. It’s a local travelling agency based in Durban, KwaZulu Natal and I would highly recommend them. They made Namibia, for us, another memorable trip with the fantastic group of people we travelled with and got to meet with the interesting itinerary that was presented and offered to us. For any travelling needs you may think of, both locally and abroad, they will handle it seamlessly for you. Do give them a shot, I promise that you won’t regret it.

Move aside, Dubai, for Namibia of course! Oh, what a hidden gem!

Our next African adventure awaits…