Destination: NAMIBIA
An annual average of 300 sunny days makes Namibia a most desired target for holiday makers. The country is named after the vast Namib Desert. The most familiar picture of Namibia: Massive sand dunes under a clear blue sky.
Capital: Windhoek
Namibia is located in South-West Africa, a large and mainly arid country. To the west is one of the most desolate and lonely coastlines in the world. Along its entire length, the vast shifting sand dunes of the Namib Desert spread inland. In the far northwest, the Kaokoland Mountains run along the coast. Further inland is the Etosha Pan (a dried-out saline lake), surrounded by grasslands and bush which support a large and varied wildlife. The Etosha National Park & Game Reserve is one of the finest in Africa, to a large extent, free of human influence.
Kalahari
In the interior, the escarpment of a north–south plateau slopes away to the east and north into the vast interior sand basin of the Kalahari. The climate changes from extreme drought in winter to extreme cloudbursts in summer, turning the savannah into a net of rivers and lakes.
Kalahari.
Travel Tips
Electricity
220 volts AC, 50 Hz. Outlets are of the round three-pin type.
Time Zone
Summer time: GMT + 2 hours from the 1st Sunday in September to the 1st Sunday in April.
Winter time: GMT + 1 hour from the 1st Sunday in April to the 1st Sunday in September.
Physical Infrastructure
5,450km – tarred roads
37,000km – gravel roads
Main harbours: Walvis Bay and Lüderitz
Rail Network: 2,382 narrow gauge
Travelling 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, which was completed in 1998, links Walvis Bay and Windhoek with Gaborone, Botswana and Gauteng, South Africa.
Traffic drives on the left side of the road. Roads are generally well maintained. There is a local bus service in Windhoek, and taxis are also available. A luxury bus service exists between Windhoek and all major centres in Namibia and South Africa. Self-drive cars are available at the airport and Windhoek city centre, as well as some other major centres. An International Driving Permit is required.
Telephone
Mobile telephone roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone operators. Coverage is limited to urban areas. Mobile communication system: GSM.
Currency Information
The Namibian Dollar (NAD; symbol N$) is in note denominations of N$200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of N$5, N$1, 50 cents, 10 cents and 5 cents. It is linked to the South African Rand (R) on a 1:1 basis (South African Rand = 100 cents). The South African Rand is also legal tender in Namibia, although the N$ cannot be used in South Africa.
Traveller’s cheques can be exchanged during normal banking hours at any of the commercial banks, or at bureau de change offices. A better rate of exchange can be obtained on travellers cheques than on cash.
Credit / Debit Card Information
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are accepted. Credit cards are not usually accepted at petrol stations.
Travellers Cheque Advice
To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller’s cheques in US Dollars or South African Rand.