If you have been following along for a while now, you might already know that this city girl discovered the pure joy of nature only after starting Solo Traveler. And now, I'm going to experience the ultimate in nature travel: Namibia.
While, technically I have been to Africa, my only stop has been Morocco. Culturally, Morocco is more aligned with the Mediterranean and the Middle East than Africa. I consider this a first.
I am truly fortunate as Exodus Adventure Travels is sponsoring me on this trip. That said, all that I share will be based on my personal experience. I hope you'll follow along on Instagram as I share this trip daily from August 23rd to September 6th.
Here's My Namibia Trip with Exodus Adventure Travels
The Exodus trip I'm taking is Discover Namibia – Lodges which includes 12 nights accommodation, travel by purpose-built overland truck (this is important given the desert and dunes Namibia is famous for), all breakfasts, two lunches, four dinners and, of course, amazing guides, stunning scenery, and exotic wildlife. The entire trip is developed through a responsibility lens. Exodus Adventure Travels is a Certified B Corporation, with a mission to improve their social and environmental impact across all trips.
The itinerary starts and ends in Windhoek, the country's capital. The 12 day-day trip includes:
- two full days on safari in Etosha National Park
- climbing the highest dunes in the world in the early morning light
- tracking rhinos with the help of an expert local guide
- hiking to the ancient White Lady rock painting, created by San people
- watching over water holes and stargazing from the lodges
A few words about pricing.
- The current price for 12 nights is CAD$6,170 plus a small single supplement for a total of CAD$7,215.
- Go in December and your trip with private room, at the time of writing, is CAD$4,522.
- In US dollars, this trip starts at $3,150.
You can see the full itinerary here. But let's get on to the preparations. I'll share lots about the actual experience soon.
Preparing for Travel to Namibia: Visas, Insurance, Vaccinations
Communications with the Exodus Adventure Travels Customer Operations Team has been easy. In the Trip Notes I received lots of information so that I could prepare for the journey. Here's what you need to know.
- Passport requirements: I just renewed my ten year passport so that was ready to go. (You need at least six months remaining on your passport before expiry to enter the country and two clear pages.)
- Visa requirements: American, Canadian, British, and Australian citizens, along with those from many other countries, require a visa to travel to Namibia. Get your visa here once you have your flight details. Once all details are entered, go to Track Your Visa, click on Pay, make the payment, then go to Track Your Visa again and click on Paid. You will then be able to download your visa.
- Travel insurance. This was a huge surprise. I got an online quote from CAA (the equivalent to AAA in the US) which came in at $498 for the trip. Through Medi-Quote, my recommended travel insurance broker for Canadians, I paid CAD$233 for an annual plan. Please read Travel Insurance for Solo Travelers: How to Make Sure You’re Protected and Best Travel Insurance for Seniors: How to Find What’s Right for You.
- Vaccination requirements: Here is a detailed recommendation for vaccines from the CDC. I needed to discuss the following with my doctor.
- I needed:
- Typhoid vaccination
- Malaria prophylaxis – 12 tablets daily starting 1 day before entering malaria zone, while in the malaria zone, and for 7 days after
- Traveler's diarrhoea prevention. I was offered the Dukoral vaccine. Since I have been through many other countries without a problem, I chose not to get it. Instead, I have an antibiotic, purchased at home, traveling with me. Note: I've bought a Lifestraw bottle that filters water for bacteria, parasites, and microplastics.
- I don't need:
- Routine vaccines – Chicken Pox, MMR, Shingles, Polio
- Tetanus
- Hepatitis A & B. I had the TWINRIX vaccine 15 years ago. It should be good for another 5 years for Hep A and forever for Hep B.
- Yellow Fever vaccine. The CDC does not recommend this.
- I needed:
- UPDATED – Money requirements.
- Cash: ATMs are available at the airport and some towns but they are not everywhere. If you want to exchange money in advance, it's recommended to get South African rand as they are easier to get. I brought US$500 and will be returning about $450 to the bank. I found it necessary to use ATMs when available to have cash on hand. I mostly used my credit card.
- Credit cards: these are widely accepted. As always, I will travel with three.
- Tipping: Most tipping was done on my credit card but I held cash for guides. The recommendations by Exodus are US$2-3 per day for local guides. I didn't feel it was enough for Shane who was an incredible guide as well as driver for the full tour. I tipped him approximately US$50. 10% in restaurants.
- Electricity.
- Plug type M, the one with three large round pins.
- UPDATED – Communications that avoid roaming charges.
- This became a challenge for me:
- I was unsure of the eSIM so, at the airport, I bought a local SIM card. It didn't work. Not only didn't it work but it also stopped my phone from picking up WiFi. I suspect it was due to my iphone being from North America vs. Europe. That's just a guess.
- I took the local SIM card out and used WiFi at our lodges. It was fine and, as a bonus, kept me off my phone.
- My original plan might work for you so I'm leaving this information here.
- I have been using Ubigi up to this point but when it came to travel to Namibia their site made me nervous. Namibia was not in the list of countries covered yet they had a page that was found by Google to buy data for Namibia. Either the list of countries or the specific Namibia page must be outdated. This led me to look for another eSim.
- I landed on aloSIM as Techradar rated it best for easy installation. It still wasn't clear to me how and when to install so I went to ChatGPT for instructions. I've cleaned up the instructions below to make them even simpler. After you install the app on your phone:
- Buy your eSIM data plan 24–48 hours before departure to ensure your app and profile are ready—preferably 1–2 days before your flight.
- Go to My eSIMs in the aloSIM app, and install your Namibia profile over Wi‑Fi while at home. This process is reliable when done pre‑travel. Installing early helps catch any device compatibility issues before you leave
- Activate the data plan when in Namibia, ideally when you’re ready to use it. Your data package doesn’t begin until the activation step, and you must be in the destination country for the plan to connect and start the countdown. If you activate before arriving in Namibia, time will be wasted.
- This became a challenge for me:
- WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger for staying connected.
- With both WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger you need to have the app installed and be connected to the person you want to call or message who also has the app installed. You can send an invitation to connect within the app.
- VPN for online security.
- I highly recommend using a VPN. I've been using StrongVPN for years. NordVPN is also good. You can read more about VPNs here.
Packing List for Namibia
With the above sorted, next up is my packing list. The weather is typically full sun with the temperature range from 23°C (73.4°F) to 6°C (42.8°F) at night. This is just fine by me.
Start with this post:.Carry-On Packing List: This Is How to Pack Light, with the addition of the following suggestions.
- A camera is valuable. I called the two best camera stores in Toronto and both recommended that Panasonic/Lumix DC-ZS99. That said, our group shared photos on a Whatsapp group that was created when we got there. This meant that phone cameras worked for those without a proper camera.
- I was really happy to have my Celestron 10×25 monocular. As a kit enthusiast on the trip said, that's good kit that can fit in your pocket.
- A compact puff jacket is advisable. We had two nights that were close to freezing. At one point I was wearing two t-shirts, my long sleeve pajama top and a fleece. I was still cold.
- Bring an extra layer of warmth for top and bottom. Silk or merino wool are both good for this. Whatever you do, think in layers.
Finally, I want to write a word about responsible travel. Exodus Adventure Travels is a Certified B Corp and partners with ‘Pack for a Purpose’. They encourage travelers with a bit of extra space to identify items that are needed locally by schools and medical clinics. The Tour Leader can assist with donating the items.
