A 100% African exotic, a large number of sunny days a year, a very rich animal and plant world, unusual "lunar" landscapes, a wide choice of quality hotels, lodges and camping sites and excellent conditions for active recreation - all this makes Namibia a popular tourist destination. Numerous guests of the country do not even stop spending money on air travel.
The capital is Windhoek. Popular tourist centers - Namib Desert, Skeleton Coast, national parks.
A full list of interesting cities to visit in the country can be found on the city page and the resorts of Namibia.
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How to get
There are no direct flights to Namibia from Russia or the CIS countries. A possible variant of the flight is transit through Frankfurt (Lufthansa airline) or through South Africa (Emirates, Qatar Airways, British Airways). The duration of the flight is about 14 hours without taking into account the docking.
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Visa to Namibia
To visit the country, citizens of Russia and CIS countries do not need a visa to Namibia.
Customs
There are no restrictions on import and export of foreign currency, the declaration is obligatory. The export of the national currency is nominally limited to 50,000 NAD, but since the currency of circulation does not exist outside the country, it is simply pointless to export it except as a "
Duty-free allowed to import 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco, liter of strong alcoholic beverages, 2 liters of wine, 50 ml of perfume and 250 ml of toilet water. Persons under 18 years of age are not allowed to import alcohol and cigarettes.
It is forbidden to import canned meat products, narcotics and explosives, weapons and ammunition without appropriate clearance. It is strictly prohibited to engage in the independent development and exportation of diamonds and minerals, as well as unlicensed hunting and exportation of hunting trophies without the appropriate permission of the Wildlife Management Department.
Phone Numbers
Embassy of Namibia in Moscow: 2-nd Cossack Lane., 7; tel .: (499) 230-32-75
Russian Embassy in Windhoek: 4, Christian Street, P. O. Box 3826; tel .: (61) 228-671; website
Tourist Information Office (Windhoek): 290-20-92
Telephone inquiry service: 1188/1199
Police and Rescue Service: 101-11, Ambulance: 211-111 (Windhoek), 405-731 (Swakopmund), 205-443 (Walvis Bay)
Transport of Namibia
Urban transport in the country is poorly developed and is represented only by a few bus routes and route taxis. The latter mostly run between the airport and the city center. The main means of transportation in cities is a taxi: they are many and they are cheap enough.
Rent a car
You can rent a car in all major cities of the country. Presented are both international and local companies (prices in the latter are noticeably lower). Rental conditions: availability of international driving licenses, traditional fees plus road tax.
Left-hand traffic, most major roads are in good condition.
Safety of tourists in Namibia
Namibia is considered to be a completely safe country, but it is not worth losing one's vigilance altogether. Documents, money and other valuables should be stored in the safe, which is in most hotels. In public places, especially at the airport, you should not leave your things unattended.
Most of the country does not enter the malaria risk zone, however, malaria cases were found north of the Etosha National Park to the border with Angola, so it is recommended that the course of antimalarial drugs be drunk for prevention beforehand (pre-consultation with a doctor).
Despite the fact that tap water in cities, hotels and other public places is completely safe, it is recommended to drink bottled water. Ice for soft drinks, offered in hotels and lodges, is usually made from filtered water and therefore safe.
The climate of Namibia is
The climate is dry, typical for semi-deserts, where drought occurs regularly. In the daytime it is usually warm or very hot, at night it is cool. Seasons can be conditionally divided into summer (October-April) and winter (May-September). Summer is usually dry and hot, daytime temperatures sometimes reach +40 ° C, and at night it drops sharply to +20 ° C, and the desert even drops to -1 ° C. Winter is very mild, sunny with an average daily temperature of +25 ° C and night +5 ° C.
Due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean in the coastal areas, a cool and dry climate prevails throughout the year. Short rains are possible in the summer from January to April, most often in the morning. In the winter there is no rain.
The most successful period for visiting the country is the summer - from November to April.
Actual information: weather forecast for the main resorts of Namibia for the next few days.
Hotels in Namibia
The country has hotels of different levels, the main type of accommodation in national parks, as well as in other African countries - lodges. Voltage in the network 220 V and 240 V. Sockets three-contact: an adapter is required.
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Money
The national currency of Namibia is equal to the South African Rand (ZAR), which is a legal remedy on the territory of the country. It is impossible to pay other foreign currency in the country.
Exchange currency can be in the exchange offices of the international airport, in hotels, as well as in banks and their branches almost throughout the country. Banks are open from 10:00 to 16:00 from Monday to Friday and from 8:30 to 11:00 on Saturday.
Credit cards of major payment systems (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.) are accepted for payment in most hotels, shops and restaurants in large cities.
Traveler's checks can be exchanged for cash at virtually any city bank, with commission fees charged.
Briefly about the tip: they will be happy, the size remains at the discretion of the client. In restaurants, this is usually 5-10%, if the "tip" is no longer included in the price. Employees of hotels and lodges relies about 1 USD per day.
Shopping and Shops in Namibia
The shopping hours are from 8:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00 on weekdays, and on Saturdays from 8:00 to 13:00. Large shopping centers work a little longer and can even be open on Sundays from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00.
Kitchen and restaurants
For the preparation of meat dishes in Namibia use beef and mutton, as well as meat of antelope, crocodile, ostrich, zebra and other game. In the interior of the country, eggs of almost all bird species and some insects (ants, termites, etc.) are eaten
Most restaurants serve both European cuisine and traditional African dishes cooked on fire or in a large bowl that looks like a frying pan. The restaurants specializing in the cuisine of different countries - German, Arabic, Indian, etc., are widely represented.
Local residents with extraordinary trepidation refer to the beer of the local spill, and each October celebrate its own Octoberfest. Breweries in Windhoek are exporting several popular beers, such as Windhoek Lager, Tafel Lager, Windhoek Export, Windhoek Special and Windhoek Light and Das (Pilsner).
Alcohol is sold only in specialized stores. In some supermarkets you can sometimes buy beer and wine. You can buy alcohol on weekdays until 17:00, until 1:00 on Saturday, and on Sundays these stores are closed.
Entertainment, Excursions and Attractions in Namibia
Damaraland is a desert and beautiful wilderness, located south-west of Otchivarongo. Local "must see": rock paintings (4-2 thousand years BC), eroded Wingerclip forms, "Stone Forest" (a national reserve in which you can see fossilized 300 million years ago trees), dotted with ancient petroglyphs of the White Rock -Lady. The Spitzkopp Mountains (1728 m) and the Pondoks Peak (1692 m) are ideal for mountaineering and trekking.
Luderitz is a small port with many interesting historical buildings in the German style, built during the diamond rush. Nowadays it is the largest center for lobster catching and oyster breeding. In the vicinity of the city you can visit the abandoned cities and diamond mines - Elizabeth Bay, Pomona, Bogenfels and the famous "ghost town" Kolmanskop.
The Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world after Colorado (160 km in length, 27 km in width and 550 m in depth). The best time of year for hiking is the relatively cool period from May to September.
Hrutfontein is a small town in the north of the country, founded by German immigrants at the end of the XIX century. The main local attraction is the place of the fall of the world's largest meteorite Hoba, which is perfectly preserved. A meteorite weighing 50 tons fell here about 80 thousand years ago and was discovered in the twenties of the XX century. Photo of Namibia (175)
Namibia
Maps of Namibia
Skeleton Coast
Visa to Namibia
Cities and resorts in Namibia
Managers for Namibia on "Subtlety of Tourism"
Video about Namibia
Hotels in Namibia
Is it possible to take a single day excursion to Spitskopp from Sosusvlei
Airline tickets to Namibia
Attractions in Namibia
Tours to Namibia
Namib
Photo by Namibia
Windhoek
Weather in Namibia
National Parks of Namibia
Swakopmund
Hunting in Namibia
Fish River