The ultimate Namibia 4x4 Safari Guide [Traveller Story - Steve Conradie]

Recently our co-founder and Managing Director, Steve Conradie, who is a number one fan and expert of 4×4 safaris, took to the offroad to Nambia to shoot video reviews of some of best of what we have in 4×4 vehicles.
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Often times work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Steve’s passion for Southern Africa has no man to match. On top of this he enjoys travelling to remote destinations to find the best products for our clients. For this purpose, with (how many of his friends?) he took 3 of our best vehicles (name them & ad links) from Cape Town to drive off the beaten track of the kalahari desert through to Namibia.
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This 17-day adventure, though work related, took as much time, effort and dedication to prepare as any 4×4 African sef-drive. First up, we had our admin hard at work branding our 4×4 safari gear so that our clients could recognise our logo when they watch the video reviews of the vehicles . When all the admin was out of the way, all cross border papers ready, the crew all briefed up and their cameras ready and shopping for camping groceries done, everyone was good to go.
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To tell the story better, we had a chat with Steve to tell us what it takes to prepare for any type of 4×4 road trip safari no matter what time of year or what region you’re offroading to. Now who better to tell the story than Steve himself?

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Preparation stage

Planning for a 4×4 safari

Consider your accommodation camp site. There is a lot that goes into the planning of a 4×4 safari and other than depending on your budget, it also depends on the size of the group and the extent of the exercise. For instance, if you’re travelling as a big group you would need to split up to stay in more than one campsite and when you are travelling as a smaller group (say of less than 10 people), it is easier to set up camp in one area. Other important things to consider include your schedule for your itinerary, how and where you will be spending your time. Also know the road trip conditions of the track you will be driving along as the terrain changes as you drive along and be prepared for any punctures as you will be traveling on a very rough, dirt road (off road), at night.
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Plan your stops very carefully during your planning stage. Knowing the best times to stop will save you unnecessary inconvenience. Always allow for extra time and use time to calculate distance and not miles or kilometers. For example, it takes 7 hours 6 minutes from Cape Town to Vioolsdrift border post which makes it 677 kilometres. As you can see, distances are long and using time as a metric makes it easier to time your stops along the way. And because you are driving along the beaten track, the conditions are not that good, hence going with the 4×4 to enhance your experience.

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Consider 4×4 season

Do your homework. Know the best time to visit for yourself as the time of year you travel also plays a role on how you get ready to travel in terms of planning your itinerary, campsite and tracks to travel. In Southern Africa during the summer months (between September and February) the north, which comprises of Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique itis predominantly wet because of the regular short, heavy rains making animals very scarce as they disperse because food and water is plenty. But it is also during this seasonthat the fauna and flora is in abundance. All terrain vegetation growas beautifully, the grass is green and long which makesit the best time to visit for fauna and flora lovers. Winter, which is between June and July is fairly cold but also very dry. Wildlife during this time is bountiful and they gather around together for water which is scarce during this time because of lack of rain. If you’re a wildlife lover, Winter is your best time to visit Southern Africa and the best game drive of your life.

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What to take with you – From meals to camping gear

Being away from home on a camping holiday for a long time means being out of home comforts and luxuries. You have to be completely self-sufficient as there are no regular stops along the way, no take-aways restaurants or shops, not even garages so your tank must be more than full. Make sure you are at and be loaded down with food, drinks and water, firewood, camping gear and fuel. When doing groceries buy food in cans, tins and plastic containers. and plan your meals according the days you will spend and according to the size of the group e.g. Steve and his friends spent 17 days, so they divided their meals accordingly. There are no facilities to buy food as often as you want. In your 4×4, there is a small bar/ box fridge that you can either set it as a fridge or a freezer. It can not freeze food and be on the normal fridge at the same time. So vacuum pack your meat and wrap eggs tightly to preserve them for longer. Also pack extra tupperware containers for leftover food to keep it out of dust and never use glass containers as they will break from all the movement driving in the rough, dirt road. Even though the 4×4 comes with water for hygene and showering, it is wise to pack an extra container of water, in case you run out especially if you are a bigger group. The currency in Namibia is the Namib dollar which is equivalent to the South African rand and what is nice is that South African Rans are welcome. But note that there are not many facilities to buy food and essentials as often as you want to.

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Pack the correct camping gear selection. Temperatures drop dramatically in the night so be prepared by packing a warm jacket or sweater. As much as we dread the thought of it, be prepared for a tyre burst and punctures as an accident can happen at anytime especially when driving in the night. Should anything like this happen in the night, be prepared to set up camp on the side of the road.

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On the road: The journey to Namibia

Important to know when crossings the border

Steve, his friend and the (what?) crew crossed the Vioolsdrift Border Post which is safe and operational 24/7. For any border crossing, it is important to remember to check that all your paper work is up to date. Your visa must be up to date. No carrying of any illegal substances. Abide by the rules and the law, be friendly and courteous to the officials and never, ever offer or take bribes.

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Getting around

When you need to ask for directions, speak to locals . Learn atleast five words in the local language Swahili. Steve knows (which 5 words? list them & their meanings…) Take a guide book on local greetings and other everyday, simple words. Be friendly and courteous to the locals.

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Steve’s highlights on his Namibia 4×4 Safari

Steve and his group spent two days at Etosha National Park where Steve advises that when you get here, enjoy the nice background of nature, the wildlife, dried up lake and the landscape. In the North Western region of Namibia is the Huab Conservancy where there are desert-adapted elephants, giraffes and lions. Judging from the exhilarated look on his face, you can just see how in awe he was about the animals that run freely on the wilderness area not owned by anyone. He was amazed to see vast land full of nature and wildlife that has not been commercialised in Africa. Steve’s advice is to stay inside the vehicle until it is safe enough to get out and view the wildlfe, respect wildlife and ppreciate it.

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As much as this 4×4 safari was for our clients, Steve learned a lot that any traveller can use and learn from. The porpose of the trip was to test-drive the 4x4s and share his experience in film and inspire fellow future travellers. Planning a 4×4 trip can be a hussle, we want to make it better for our travellers and give them the best of a 4×4 safari has to offer, and more. Stay tuned for when the footage of the reviews had been edited.

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