Namibia

Namibia is a landscape-first destination: the towering red dunes of Sossusvlei, the ghostly dead trees of Deadvlei standing in a white salt pan, and the vast, empty gravel plains of the Namib, one of the world's oldest deserts. Etosha National Park delivers reliable wildlife viewing around its floodlit waterholes, while the rugged Skeleton Coast adds shipwrecks and fog-bound dunes meeting the Atlantic. Self-drive road trips across huge distances are part of the experience here, not an inconvenience.

Why go thereDeserts Safari Nature & landscapes Wildlife Road trips Indigenous cultures Adventure sports Beaches Rural traditions Culture & heritage Mountain hiking

Main destinations

Food & drink to try

Kapana

Thin beef grilled over open fires at the market and eaten standing with spice mix.

Oshifima

Mahangu millet cooked stiff, eaten by hand with meat or spinach.

Potjiekos

Meat and vegetables layered in a cast-iron pot over coals and never stirred.

Main destinations

Other destinations

Comfort in January · by notability

Food & drink to try

Kapana

Thin beef grilled over open fires at the market and eaten standing with spice mix.

Oshifima

Mahangu millet cooked stiff, eaten by hand with meat or spinach.

Potjiekos

Meat and vegetables layered in a cast-iron pot over coals and never stirred.

Biltong

Air-dried beef or game cured with coriander and vinegar, sliced across the grain.

Game meat

Oryx, kudu and springbok served as steaks and sausage across the country.

Omajova

Giant termite mushrooms picked after the first rains and fried in butter.

Mopane worms

Caterpillars dried and rehydrated, fried with onion and tomato.

Vetkoek

Fried dough balls split and filled with mince, sold at every taxi rank.

Oshikundu

Fermented mahangu and sorghum drink, lightly sour and only mildly alcoholic.

Walvis Bay oysters

Oysters grown fast in the cold Benguela current, large and briny.

Matangara

Tripe cooked long with onion, sold cooked at the open market.

Windhoek lager

Lager brewed to the German purity law, a colonial inheritance still followed.

Practical info

Drives on the left

Entry & health

Set your passport

cia.gov iec.ch gov.na

Advisory only — AI + web search, may be out of date. Confirm official sources before you travel.

Tipping & local customs

Service is not usually included in the bill, and a 10% tip is acceptable for good service, or more if you consider the service to have been exceptional at restaurants; tips in bars are the exception rather than the norm, with the loose change from a drink generally acceptable , and for guided safaris a common guideline is around 5 USD per guest per night for guides/staff, often collected via

Always ask permission before photographing local people, especially in rural areas or Himba villages — always ask before taking photos of people, especially in rural areas where some communities have specific beliefs about photography .
Dress and behave modestly at churches and cultural sites — dress modestly if attending a service or visiting a mission church, and don't take photos during services or ceremonies without permission .
Namibia has a fairly conservative dress code overall, particularly in rural and cultural settings, so pack accordingly.
Punctuality matters, especially for business meetings — arriving on time shows you respect the other person's time .
Ask before entering a village, homestead, or sacred site — always ask permission before entering a village or taking photos of locals .
Be aware of sacred sites and traditional beliefs when visiting rural or indigenous communities, and follow guides' instructions on what is appropriate to photograph or touch.

Advisory only — AI + web search, may be out of date. Confirm official sources before you travel.

Before you go

Stay connected

Get an eSIM for Namibia — mobile data the moment you land.

via Airalo

Travel insurance

Cover trip cancellation, medical care and delays.

via EKTA