Safety Tips in Namibia

4 more images

Too much water? Other than a flood, have you ever heard that as a problem? I was told that it might be unnecessary by a fellow traveller in Namibia. We had set off by car across the dune sea. We were leaving the car in a remote area with no facilities for an all day walk across the dunes. He suggested 2 litters of water per person in our group. That meant 8 litters in our band of 4 for the day in 4 backpacks. I suggested 16 litres. ‘Too heavy’ and ‘we will not need that much’ I heard in reply.

We drank every drop in 3/4’s of the day and became very thirsty. Fortunately my car had another 20 litres inside (I plan well) and we still had a long drive to a place with water available. Had our car broken down on the way to the roadless dune sea or back, we would have been in real trouble.

Also, have 10-20 litres of water in your car (additional) at all times. Namibia is a vast desert and they do sell water in large 10-litre containers at about any good-sized grocery store.

On my journey north-south we came across a van driver who was broken down., He had reported it to the break-down agency he belonged to 123 hours before and he was still waiting. We offered him water, but he had plenty. He did ask for a cigarette!

The moral of the story is this: Water is heavy, but it lightens the load when you drink it. In most of Namibia there are few other things you need to pack other than sunscreen and sunglasses. Water will keep you alive to make sure that the sunscreen and sunglasses were worth the effort.

Double your water!

I know I’ve already mentioned this on my introductory page and in my Transportation tip, but you really can’t be too careful when driving in Namibia! Most of the roads, even major routes, are gravel, but because they’re wide, straight, very quiet and mostly pretty smooth, it’s easy to start to relax and let your speed creep up above the recommended 50 MPH. This happened to us one day while Chris was driving - not that I’m passing the blame ;)

We were on the fairly good stretch of road heading towards the coast from Solitaire to Walvis Bay. Unnoticed by either of us our speed was increasing. Suddenly Chris spotted a larger-than-most stone in his path and swerved to avoid it – the one thing you should never do, but a natural reaction in the circumstances. Next thing we knew the car was spinning wildly and all we could see was flying gravel. Luckily (but not unusually in Namibia) there were no other cars around for us to hit, and equally luckily all four wheels stayed on the road. We’d be warned that on average one tourist car a day is flipped on its side, and for a while there I was sure we were going to be that day’s statistic. So please be careful – but don’t let this tale put you off, as it really is safe if you stick to the rules!

So you are in a Namibian town on city and are thrilled that you can park for free on the street. There are no parking meters!

Not so fast, there are "car guards", and for $N3 - $N5 per hour they will watch your car. They do have a quasi-uniform (jacket or vest) that identifies them as an official car guard.

While under their watchful eye, nothing ever happened to our car or it's contents, so I figure the system does work.

1 more image

Namibia is in many ways two separate countries. The south that has commercial agriculture and industry and the north the supports traditional lifestyles, including traditional susistance agriculture and herding.

In order reduce the rist of animal diseases being transferred to the farms in the south, there are animal control checkpoints along all the roads. There is no issue when travelling from south to north, but when travelling back to the south from the north, your vehicle will be inspected. No unprocessesed meat is allowed to cross this control line, even if you bought it in a supermarket.

The other warning is that the veterinary inspectors at two of the control points tried to get bribes.

2 more images

This is a warning to those peope that do not have any experience in driving on gravel and sand roads. SLOW DOWN!

I saw too many people driving these as if they were the Autobahn or some other western superhighway. They are not and even though the speed limit is normally 80 km/hr and in some cases higher, you can't do it. Sand and gravel do not give you the same grip as asphalt or gravel and stopping and turning distances are far greater than you are used to. Roll overs are frequent and a lot of people get flats and in some cases the tires are so badly damaged that they have to be replaced.

Try to drive towards the centre of the road, that way you won't damage your tires (sidewall damage that can't be repaired) and move over to the left when approaching blind hills or curves you can't see around.

Animals, can dart out unexpectedly and your first reaction is to swerve to avoid them. If it something small like an impala or warthog, just hit it; it's safer. Larger animals; elephants, kudu, giraffes should be dodged.

Another problem is domestic animals, especially as you get into the north. Cows and goats often wander across the road in great masses. Cows are predictable and don't do anything too quickly, but goats will often cut across quickly. Donkeys are unpredicatable as well, but far less common than goats and cows.

As they say, when it rains, it pours. The sand and gravel roads turn from acceptable driving surfaces to soft mud very quickly and you will have very limited control of your vehicles. If you are an experienced ice and snow driver things will feel very familiar to you! Most people will probably visit in the dry season, but if you are there during the little rains or rainly season, please take note!

SLOW DOWN! Deep ruts can develop very quickly and your car will follow these rather than where you want to be. Take it easy of the gas (spinning your tires will throw mud around and you won;t have any control) and don't try to brake too hard as you will just slide like on an icy surface.

If you are driving a 4x4, consider switching into 4x4 mode; low or high, depending on the conditions.

The paved B roads can be driven with normal vehicles, but the C and D roads may be problematic.

If you are planning to drive on any unpaved roads, consider getting a 4x4 with high clearance. This applies to Etosha National Park as well. The main roads are fine, but the side ones, especially during rainy season can be problematic if you have a slow slung vehicle and front or rear wheel drive only.

There are some areas on main roads (C and D roads) where you might frun into deep sand. The last part of the drive to the sand dunes near Sessriem and the road up to Nhoma are two places we ran into this.

If you are not an experience deep sand driver (or if you are used to driving in very snowy areas, many of the same skills apply). You can get stuck. If in deep sand, try to drive through it slowly and try to not stop! Don't drive too quickly and you can easily loose control and get stuck. If in a 4x4, switch into 4x4 mode (low) before driving through the deep sand.

Watch where other vehicles have gone and follow the tracks that have gone through the shallowest sand, don't get into the deep stuff if you can avoid it!

If you do get stuck:

1. Try to rock your way out by switching between 1st gear and reverese.

2. If you get really stuck and rocking does not work prepare to dig your way out. Make sure that your front wheels are straight and not turned. If your vehicle has a shovel, great, otherwise use any other tool (bucket, pot, pan, even your hands if the sand is not too hot!) and dig a trench that is 0.75m - 1m / 2ft - 3 ft long as deep as your tires are buried in front of all 4 tires. When done, get into a low gear (4x4 mode if you have it) and drive straight ahead. This should get you going.

3. If all else fails, wait for someone else to show up!