Namibia Travel Guide

Social Conventions

In urban areas, western customs prevail; normal courtesies should be shown when visiting someone’s home. In rural settlements, visitors should follow the advice of a local guide.

International Travel

Getting There By Air

The national airline is Air Namibia (SW) (www.airnamibia.com.na).

Departure Tax

None.

Main Airports

Windhoek(WDH)(HoseaKutakoInternationalAirport) is 42km (25 miles) from the city (journey time – 30 minutes). To/from the airport: Shuttle services carrying two or more passengers at a time go to the city. Private taxis are also available. Facilities: Restaurant, bars, snack bar, duty-free shops, post office, bureau de change and car hire.

Getting There By Water

Mainports: There is a modern deep-water harbor at the WalvisBay. There is also a small port at Lüderitz.

Getting There By Rail

TransNamibStarLine (tel: (061) 298 2032; www.transnamib.com.na/Starline.htm) runs a train from Windhoek to Upington, just across the border in South Africa. However, the service is slow and there are no onward trains from Upington to other South African destinations.

Getting There By Road

A tarred road runs from the south through Upington in South Africa to Grünau, where it connects with the tarred road from Cape Town. The Trans-Kalahari Highway links Walvis Bay and Windhoek with Gaborone, Botswana and Gauteng, South Africa. The Trans-Caprivi highway runs through the Caprivi strip and via Botswana into Zimbabwe.

Bus: Intercape Mainliner (tel: (061) 227 847; www.intercape.co.za) runs comfortable overnight services from Windhoek to Cape Town four times a week, as well as services to Johannesburg and Pretoria via Upington. It also runs a service to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (close to the border with Zambia). The Johannesburg/Pretoria route connects with a direct service to Gaborone, Botswana.

Duty Free

Overview

The following may be imported into Namibia by persons over 18 years of age without incurring customs duty: • 400 cigarettes and 50 cigars and 250g of tobacco.
• 2L of wine and 1L of spirits.
• 50mL of perfume and 250mL of eau de toilette.
• Gifts to the value of N$50,000 (including value of imported duty-free items).

Prohibited Imports

Hunting rifles need a permit issued by customs when entering the country. Special authorization is required for the import of endangered species. Prohibited imports include narcotics, illegal drugs in any form, automatic weapons, handguns, unnumbered weapons, toxic and poisonous substances.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

Flying is the quickest and often the most economical way to travel around the country. Air Namibia (SW) (www.airnamibia.com.na) links Windhoek's Eros Airport to all of the major towns in the territory. A number of local charter companies can arrange flights and tours by light aircraft.

Getting Around By Rail

With the exception of its two dedicated luxury services, rail travel in Namibia is not geared to tourism: progress is slow, the network is limited and most trains run overnight. The main routes on the TransNamib StarLine passenger network (tel: (061) 298 2032; www.transnamib.com.na/Starline.htm) are Windhoek-Keetmanshoop-Upington, South Africa, Walvis Bay-Swakopmund-Tsumeb, Windhoek-Tsumeb and Lüderitz-Keetmanshoop. First- and second-class carriages are available and light refreshments are offered on some services. On overnight voyages, seats in first-class compartments convert to four couchettes and those in second class to six couchettes. Local passenger trains run daily.

The luxury Desert Express (tel: (061) 298 2600; www.desertexpress.com.na) runs between Swakopmund and Windhoek, a 19-hour 30-minute journey which includes several stops which give travelers the opportunity to watch game, see the Namib Desert, walk in the sand dunes and admire the stars. A three-course dinner and overnight accommodation are included in the ticket price. The Northern Desert Express is a luxury service to Etosha National Park. Other tourist rail services include the Shongololo Express (tel: +27 (011) 483 0657; www.shongololo.com) and Rovos Rail (tel: +27 (012) 315 8242; www.rovos.co.za). More details on rail services are available from TransNamib (tel: (061) 298 2175; www.transnamib.com.na).

Getting Around By Road

Traffic drives on the left. Roads are generally well maintained but away from the main highways surfaces are gravel or dirt, not tarmac. There are 64,799km (40,266 miles) of road, of which 7,841km (4,872 miles) are tarred. Although traffic is very light, people and animals sometimes walk in the road; driving after dark can be particularly dangerous. If traveling along the Caprivi Strip, stay on the tarred road.

Bus: The Intercape Mainliner (tel: (061) 227 847; www.intercape.co.za) luxury coach service runs from Walvis Bay to Livingstone in Zambia and from Windhoek to South Africa via Springbok or Upington, stopping at major towns along the way.

Car hire: Self-drive cars are available at the airport and Windhoek city center, as well as some other major centers.

Regulations: The minimum driving age is 23 years. The speed limit is 60-80kph (37-50mph) in built up areas, 80-90kph (50-56mph) on gravel roads and 120kph (75mph) on tar roads. Seat belts are compulsory.

Emergency breakdown service: AAN (Automobile Association of Nambia) (tel: (061) 224 201).

Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required.

Getting Around Towns and Cities

There is a local bus service in Windhoek, and taxis are available in all Namibian towns.

Journey Times

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Windhoek to other major towns/destinations in Namibia:

	Air	Road
Walvis Bay/Swakopumund	0.50	3.00-4.00
Odangwa/Etosha	1.30	5.00
Sossusvlei	1.00	4.30