Exploring Namibia: Orange Mountains and Rugged Coast
by guest writer Steph Gregerson
Africa had always been a dream that seemed so far out of touch for me. I didn’t leave the United States until I was in my late 20s. When I pictured a trip to Africa, I pictured jungles with luxury treehouses like the ones they always feature on reality shows. It seemed like a millionaire's trip, far from becoming a reality for me.
When my husband and I made the life-changing decision to leave our jobs, sell all of our belongings, and spend a year traveling to places that are much too far to get to on a weeklong vacation from the US, the reality crept a bit closer.
We flipped through the Lonely Planet book that features every country in the world. We marked the ones we knew we had to visit and made a secondary wishlist. When we got to the African continent, we decided that climbing Mount Kilimanjaro was the thing we wanted to accomplish. It would be the biggest challenge of this year-long adventure, and we’d train and prep, but it would be an unforgettable experience.
We loosely plotted a course and decided we would try to get to Africa by September. Closer to our departure, we went to the doctor to get all the necessary vaccinations and found out that the Yellow Fever vaccine was required, but there was an extreme shortage, and it would not be available to us before we left. This vaccine was required for Tanzania and Kenya, so Kilimanjaro was off the table.
Back to the drawing board, we gave the countries in the southern part of Africa a second look and instantly became intrigued by Namibia's bright orange sand dunes. With more research, we learned that it’s one of the least densely populated countries in the world (after only Mongolia and Greenland.) With national parks in the North, you could spot many animals that call Africa home, offering a little bit of everything. We were instantly obsessed and started reading everything we could find.
We worked with a small travel organization a few months before our trip to plot our course. Planning your trip to Namibia is possible without help, but it’s hard to understand what you’re dealing with if you've never been there. Campsites and lodges don’t have websites, so you have to make reservations over the phone, which can be tricky when you are on the opposite side of the world. Research is required.
Namibia: The Most Magical Country We Had Never Heard Of
After spending two weeks there, Namibia was the best introduction to the African Continent. Each day was an adventure filled with jaw-dropping moments and emotions. It exceeded every expectation we had.
The Animals of Etosha National Park
Our first two nights of camping were on reserves, offering game drives with a guide through the reserve. It was a good warm-up because it felt like we got the amenities of a fancy resort while still sleeping in our tent. The guides are incredibly knowledgeable, and we learned all about termites, warthogs, and some of the lesser-known creatures that call Northern Namibia home.
Meanwhile, the guides worked with other drivers in the park to track animals, which allowed us to spend 20 minutes watching some female lions hunt. It was magic to enjoy our first sundowner with others who were as much in awe as we were. The term “sundowner” describes the moment when the sun is setting, and you enjoy a cold drink with the people around you and pause for gratitude.
Our next few days of camping were right outside of Etosha National Park. Once you pay the entrance fee, this park is open for people to self-drive. We spent hours on dirt roads in the park navigating around herds of zebras, waiting patiently for elephant parades to cross the road, and even spotting two sleeping cheetahs thanks to the girls who pulled up next to us and offered their high-end binoculars.
It still seems hard to believe that you can just cruise around in a national park filled with wild animals I had only ever seen at a zoo. If you have to take a bathroom break, you pull up to a fenced-off area where the brave passenger gets out, runs to the gate to allow the truck to pull in, and then shuts the gate.
You know, so wild animals don’t bother you while you use the restroom.
Orange Mountains of the Namib Desert
By now, most people have likely seen photos on their Instagram feeds at some point of Deadvlei and the Namib desert. This region is unique because the bright orange sand dunes tower over the road, constantly blowing and shifting in the wind. At the end of a long dirt road, you can visit the dried-out trees spread across the salt pan, and on a sunny day, you’ll get the most incredible blend of blue, orange, and white.
We encountered a pretty intense sandstorm there, so we didn’t see the trees, but we did battle our way up the side of an incredibly steep dune. We also watched several Oryx with the backdrop of the most serene sunrise. The colors of this area were so much brighter in person.
The Incredibly Rugged Skeleton Coast
South Africa is famous for its beautiful beaches and coastline, but Namibia offers something completely different. The Skeleton Coast is a rugged stretch of unsettled coastline. The San People who have lived in the area for thousands of years call this region “The Land God Made in Anger,” and sailors have referred to it as the “Gates of Hell.” While it might be terrifying for boats, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen on land. The land is miles and miles of coast where the sands run into the sea, broken up only by the skeletons of whales and ships that have run ashore.
Excursions are available for the bravest surfers who want to check this off their bucket list. We spent a day exploring some spots with access from a road. The fur seal colony at Cape Cross was unreal. Walvis Bay was a dream come true with bright pink flamingos. I had never seen these majestic creatures fly.
Plenty of Solitude
I mentioned how sparsely populated this country was, but it’s worth reiterating. We could go hours driving without seeing another car. We always try to take the backroads, but this country has only backroads. Many towns look deserted. If you pass people on the road, they all wave, not just politely, but in a way that makes you wonder if they haven’t seen someone pass by in days—big, huge, friendly waves.
It made the evenings feel a little extra special. After hours of exploring, you’d get to a campground and gather around a stranger's fire, swapping stories. We were the only people we met who didn’t have to swap a tire out–our vehicle came equipped with two full-size spares.
Wild Waves of Emotion
You should prepare yourself for emotions if you're anything like me. I cried when I left the airport and saw my first warthogs, even though I eventually learned they are EVERYWHERE in the country. I cried when I saw my first giraffe, enjoyed my first sundowner on the reserve with lions roaring in the background, and watched a flamingo take flight.
There were also moments of fear. I still get flashbacks to one terrifying stretch of deep sand on the road where I wasn’t sure if we would get stuck. As with any country in 2019, I wasn’t sure what they thought of Americans and was a little hesitant to share where we were from with others.
And finally, the laughter just seemed more substantial. One morning, we woke up to a hornbill (like Zazu from Lion King) tapping so hard on our windshield that I thought he would crack it. The day we experienced the fur seal colony felt like every 5th grader's dream situation. Every noise sounded like the loudest fart or burb. We thought we could eat a picnic lunch there, but it stunk so bad. The giggles were infectious.
Namibia is the Perfect Introduction to Africa
I have not stopped talking about this country and plotting our return since we boarded our flight in Windhoek. You get deserts, coastlines, all the famous animals of Africa (and some that you didn’t even know you’d love.) The people were kind and welcoming. I still hope to summit Kilimanjaro in my lifetime, but it was the most remarkable change of plans.
Steph Gregerson is a Seattle-based writer who uses her newsletter The Cozy Chill to share travel stories, recommendations, and random thoughts on the world. After spending a year traveling around the world, she’s still organizing photos, and when not snacking in front of the computer, she’s hiking, playing with her dog, or trying to keep up with a growing stack of library books.
Find her on Instagram, Substack, or visit her website.
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