Safari in
Namibia- there's nothing quite like it.
Namibia is a great place to go on safari. Not
only will you see amazing animals — leopard, cheetah and desert-adapted
elephants anyone? — but you can also see shipwrecks on the otherwise empty Skelton Coast, climb red sand dunes, and walk through canyons. On top of this Namibians are amongst the
nicest people on the planet and they love sharing their gorgeous country with
visitors.
One of the
Skeleton Coast's many wrecks.
What you need to bring with you on a Namibian
safari will, of course, depend a great deal on the way you travel. If you are
driving yourself and camping, your needs will differ greatly from if you are
being driven by a guide and staying at the top lodges.
1. Washable multi-purpose shoes
The most useful thing I had with me were
my Crocs. They weren’t the dorky ones — I could get away with wearing them
with a skirt for dinner. They were extremely
comfortable (and I am prone to blisters). I wore them every day except on rocky
hikes. Most importantly I could rinse them off in the shower every night, and
they dried almost instantly. This is extremely important in such a dusty
environment.
You’ll be
thankful for washable shoes if you unexpectedly encounter rhino dung on a
walking trail.
2. A carabiner
A carabiner is always useful to attach your
hat, water bottle, or whatever to your day bag. When you walk up a sand dune,
or walk the 1.1 km to Deadvlei, the carabiner is useful for attaching your
(washable multi-purpose) shoes to you belt or your day-pack.
A carabiner.
It is much easier to move through the sand in
bare feet, especially climbing a steep sand dune before breakfast. Your toes
will help you dig in to the sand so instead of two steps forward, one step
back, you will be two steps forward, 1/2 back. Yes, you could wear your boots,
but on the dunes the sand will leak in, and you won’t get the toe help. And
yes, it is a bit chilly on the sand in bare feet until the sun comes up, but
just dig your toes under the surface a bit to warm them up. Clip you shoes to
your pack and you won’t have to carry them. Nor will you worry that they get
lost at the base of the dune, hidden by blowing sand during your climb.
Deadvlei, in
bare feet.
You’ll probably want the air on your toes to
walk to Deadvlei. There is a mixture of loose sand and hard-baked (but nice and
smooth) salt pan. Most people do this walk around 9:00 – 10:00 in the morning,
when it is starting to get warm. It just feels more fun in bare feet. But under
no circumstances should you leave your shoes in your vehicle — you must carry
them with you (leave your hands free for photos with your carabiner). If you
walk back from Deadvlei after about 10:30 am without shoes, you will burn your
feet on the sand. The guides will tell you the story of the guy who had to take
off his t-shirt, and borrow his friend’s, and tie them around his shoeless feet
to walk back. Don’t be that guy.
3. Closed-toe boots
Also useful are closed toe shoes or boots
— Blundstones in my case. You’ll need these
for rocky hikes, like the Sesriem Canyon in
Sossusvlei and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Twyfelfontein rock
engravings. You’ll also need closed toe footwear in the evenings.
In the winter (June – September), it can get
very chilly at night, and you’ll need the warmth of boots and socks. (And,
despite the chilly mornings and evenings, winter / early spring is when you
want to go to Namibia because the lack of leaves on the trees make it a lot
easier to spot wildlife). Closed toe boots are also essential for foot
protection from mosquitoes, especially in the malarial zones (Etosha National Park
being a main one). Mosquitoes are rarer in the winter, but you may find some at
dawn and dusk.
If you want to
catch the last golden hour
of the day outdoors you'll need to keep warm.
You’ll also want protection from snakes. In the
winter it will be unlikely that you’ll see them — in the afternoons they’ll be
warming up in the sun and in the evenings they’ll be cold and practically
hibernating, under a rock or in a tree. Your chances are only a little greater
at other times of the year, as they are more afraid of you than you of them-
but it is wise not to take chances.
Hiking through
varying terrains makes having appropriate shoes a must.
4. Ziploc bags
Travelling with Ziploc bags is a
great way to keep your stuff clean and organized, whether it be to separate
your dirty socks and underwear from the rest of your clothes, stash your
leak-potential toiletries, or keep fresh that bag of cookies you bought from
the market (and prevent crumbs from getting in your clean underwear). Most
importantly, Ziploc bags are the best way to keep dust out of your
electronics.
There is a lot of dust in Namibia. A lot.
Again, depending on how you are travelling, your dust issues will vary. If you
are driving yourself, you will find yourself in public open safari vehicles to
get to Deadvlei and other 4-wheel drive necessary places. Even if you are
travelling in a Land Cruiser, you will need to transfer to the lodge’s open
vehicle when in private game reserves. And in these open vehicles, any time
another vehicle passes you will get blasted by dust. So, keep your camera in a
Ziploc bag. For these open vehicles, you may also want to bring a scarf or a
buff to put over your nose and mouth too (particularly for the drive to
Deadvlei).
It can get
mighty dusty on the mighty dunes of Sossusvlei.
Ziploc bags are also useful to protect your
camera when you’re climbing dunes (there is a constant breeze of gritty sand),
on the beach along the Skeleton Coast, and for storage in your bag, as the dust
will get everywhere.
5. Moisture
The desert is dry. Dryer than you think. So
bring all the humectants you can fit in your bag — conditioner, moisturizer,
sunscreen, hand cream, chapstick, whatever. Yes, the nice lodges will supply
some of it, but you’ll want the extra strong varieties that you know work for
you.
Elephants have
always known the importance of a moisturising mud bath.
Your safari in Namibia will be spectacular no
matter what. You’ll be especially happy if you bring the above essentials with
you.
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