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Touring By Public Transport: Public transport in Namibia is
considerably better than in most African countries.
Should you take this option your travelling will be
limited to the major towns. You will not be able to
visit the game parks (e.g. Etosha) or the other
attractions of Namibia that are situated in 'out of the
way' places. However should your destination be any of
the coastal towns you could make your way there by bus
or rail and then take daily guided tours to visit the
attractions of the local area. It all depends on where
you want to go and what you want to see. Don't
underestimate this option. It's much cheaper to bus it
from Windhoek to the Victoria Falls than driving in a rental
vehicle. If you have already decided you don't want to
rent a vehicle and have opted for this option of travel
you should go to:
Touring With Rented Vehicle: Namibia is
a big country with its major tourist attractions positioned far from each other,
so your self drive tour of Namibia will entail a lot of time behind the wheel,
much of which will be spent on gravel roads. You must choose the places
and sites that you want to visit and also decide on
the most suitable vehicle for your purposes and budget.
Namibia's tarred roads are amongst the best in
Africa. The Namibia gravel road system is extensive and usually of a
good surface. Many self-drivers rent sedan cars which are less
expensive on charges than pick-up trucks and 4 x 4s. It should be
understood here that a 4x4 vehicle is only as good as the driver's
experience and even the best of off road drivers can get stuck in
sand or meet some other obstacle that requires an amount of hard
labour to get the truck back on track. Driving in soft sand requires
a good amount of experience plus the truck must be equipped with the
necessary recovery tackle. Most of your driving time will be spent
on roads, and the larger diameter wheels of a 4x4
or pick-up truck will help to 'smooth out' road corrugations and the many 'bumps'
that you will encounter in the roads. Your ride will be more
comfortable than in small car and you will have plenty of luggage
space. You will be driving on commercial tyres which less
susceptible to blow-outs than the average small car tyre. Several of the 4x4 rental companies do offer vehicles along
with the camping equipment that you would need for a
holiday 'in the bush'. These advantages and extras all come at a
cost, so it's up to you to decide how much you want to spend on
vehicle rental.
Please Note:
- You cannot just drive off road anywhere in
Namibia. Many of the areas that you will be passing through
while driving on gravel roads will be in National Parks and you
may not leave the road for eco reasons.
- The coastal gravel desert is home to delicate
lichens which are protected by law. Should you drive off road in
these areas you will damage the gravel surface and will leave
ugly vehicle tracks that will remain visible for hundreds of
years. It is an offence to drive in these areas.
- Should you plan to drive into off-road areas
you should make arrangements to make a contact person or
authority aware of your planned route along with stop over
places and time table. The have been cases where tourists have
become disorientated or ran low on fuel and or water and have
died as a result before the alarm that they were considered to
be lost had been raised.
- Whatever vehicle you choose, if you are
planning to drive on gravel roads you should ask the rental
company to provide you with 2 spare wheels. Plus you should
carry an amount of emergency supplies.
- During the rainy season (November to
April) you will find that certain gravel roads may have suffered
from wash-away caused by flash flooding.
What is the most suitable type of vehicle for driving
on Namibian Roads?
You should give
careful consideration as to the type of vehicle that you intend to
rent when planning your tour of Namibia.
Namibia's tarred roads are amongst the best in
Africa. The Namibia gravel road system is extensive and usually of a
good surface. Many self-drivers rent sedan cars which are less
expensive on charges than pick-up trucks and 4 x 4s. It should be
understood here that a 4x4 vehicle is only as good as the driver's
experience and even the best of off road drivers can get stuck in
sand or meet some other obstacle that requires an amount of hard
labour to get the truck back on track. Driving in soft sand requires
a good amount of experience plus the truck must be equipped with the
necessary recovery tackle. Most of your driving time will be spent
on roads, and the larger diameter wheels of a 4x4
or pick-up truck will help to 'smooth out' road corrugations and the many 'bumps'
that you will encounter in the roads. Your ride will be more
comfortable than in small car and you will have plenty of luggage
space. Several of the 4x4 rental companies do offer vehicles along
with the camping equipment that you would need for a
holiday 'in the bush'. These advantages and extras all come at a
cost, so it's up to you to decide how much you want to spend on
vehicle rental.
- Sedan Car
- 2 x 4 Single Cab Bakkie (Pick-up truck with
canopy)
- 4 x 4 Single Cab Bakkie (Pick-up truck with
canopy)
- 4 x 4 Double Cab Bakkie(Pick-up truck with
canopy)
- 4 x 4 Station Wagon (Land-Rover -
Land-Cruiser - Jeep - some equipped with camper)
The Costs Involved When
Renting A Vehicle In Namibia:
Below is an indication of the costs you
will have to make when renting a vehicle in Namibia. The insurance excesses can
be quite high owing to the amount of tourists who crash or damage their
vehicles. Your chosen rental company will explain exactly what is involved and
the detailed costs involved.
- Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)
- Theft Loss Waiver (TLW)
- Additional Collision Damage Waiver ACDW)
- Excess - The Deposit Required For (CDW)
- Reduced Excess - The Deposit Required for
CDW+TLW+ACDW
- Rental Charge -Rates vary depending on
duration of rental
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