Looking for a two week Namibia itinerary? Then look no further! Here’s part two of our two week road trip in Namibia. Part one is available here – and stay tuned for part 3 for our two week Namibia itinerary!
Day 5: Exploring Swakopmund with Kids.
There’s plenty of things to do in Swakopmund with kids, but here’s our day by day guide. We packed up the tent and truck and headed towards the ‘Mole’, the lighthouse. It offers decent views of the town, beaches and sea but this is a no swim zone. Its micro-climate means Swakopmund and its sea isn’t warm, and the sea has strong currents, although there is a more sheltered bit on the public beach. We were just put off by the cold and cleanliness.
After the Mole and brunch at ‘Farmhouse Deli’ (pancakes for the kids), we headed into Swakopmund museum. This is a really cute and interesting place and cost £2 for an adult and £1 for the kids. It has everything from old machinery, the history of Swakopmund and Namibia, geology, stuffed animals, sea creatures, reptiles, random 1920s architecture and Aboriginal artefacts and music. We spent a good hour in here and all enjoyed it more than I expected.
Outside the museum is a park as well if the kids needed to blow off some steam.
Given it was Easter weekend we then spotted some inflatable event in the distance and headed there for the afternoon. There’s some permanent food trucks, grass to lie on, a beach walk and a park for the kids, so even if there isn’t an event on, it’s worth a mosey up there.
We then checked into our apartment – an amazing 2-bedroom place in the centre with lounge, kitchen, bath and washing machine! It was time for a bit of space and cleanliness after 3 days camping and a whole load of dust!
Day 6: Living Desert Tour, Swakopmund
We pre-booked this tour with Tommy’s Living Desert Tour. We were picked up at 8am, driven for 10 minutes into the desert on the outskirts of Swakopmund, and enjoyed 5 hours in the desert with our guide and 5 other guests.
This was a highlight of our trip. We were searching for the ‘little five’: chameleon, gecko, snake, spider and lizard. We only found 2 of them but we learned so much about the desert, did a bit of dune bashing and jumping and thoroughly enjoyed it all. The price included a drink and some snacks and there was thankfully a toilet in the middle of the desert, half way through the trip. The views of the Dorab desert were amazing and it made us realise we maybe hadn’t missed out on too much by opting to not do the sandwich Harbour tour (which would have cost another £400).
Total cost for the Living Desert Tour was just under £150 for us all, £50 for the adults and £25 for the kids. Our guide was so knowledgeable and passionate in what he did – he really made the trip. Take a jacket as it isn’t as warm as you think! Alicia was even cold!
On arrival back in Swakopmund, we headed to Trading Post for an incredible lunch. It was so good we headed back for some deli boxes to take with us when we left. Lunch for the 4 of us, with drinks was less than £40. It also has a great little shop with some lovely items.
We then chilled in our apartment before heading to the jetty for sunset!
Day 7: Kayaking with seals, Walvis Bay
Another absolute highlight of our time in Namibia. If you are visiting Namibia with kids, this is a must do activity.
The kayaking we booked with Eco Marine Tours, and met them at a drop off location in Walvis bay, a 45-minute drive from Swakopmund. This meant a 7am departure. We then climbed into their dune buggy and let them drive us to Pelican Point. It is cheaper to self-drive but honestly we are glad we paid the extra. The guide told us so much about the wetlands, salt mines, Namibian culture etc. that we learned so much we wouldn’t have learned had we driven ourselves there. The drive took around 45 minutes and we saw so much wildlife before even arriving with the seals.
And then the seals came – thousands of them. It was something I can’t describe. Colony after colony on the beach. There are also visible dead pubs on the beach as you drive past, and jackals are roaming to scavenge what’s left, so a good lesson in the food chain for the kids!
We got out of our trucks, there were c. 20 people on our tour – and got kitted out. We were provided with splash proof trousers and jackets and lifejackets. There were sizes for the kids too. Then after a short briefing session off into the sea we went. The sea is calm and there are thousands of seals around you, playing with the oars and jumping. It’s not a case of going out to find them, they are just everywhere. We spent an hour on the water and it was magical.
On returning we realised how non-waterproof the splashproof gear was (take a change of clothes with you!) and enjoyed sandwiches, pastries and tea/coffee on the beach. Once again, the guides were passionate about what they do, their wildlife and their country. This trip was c. £220 for the 4 of us but worth every penny. Adults cost around £60, and the kids around £50. The self-drive option was about half of that but we enjoyed being driven and learning as much as we did.
We were back in Walvis Bay and picking up our truck by 1pm. Worth noting that as I went to give the car park ‘security’ his tip, he pointed out how he had washed the car and so expected more! He wasn’t pushy, and we were happy to pay with the remaining small change we had, but just something to be aware of.
It’s also worth noting that I probably wouldn’t recommend staying in Walvis Bay. It felt a bit edgier and is a lot more industrial than quaint Swakopmund.
On returning to Swakopmund we headed to the Crystal Gallery museum on a recommendation. For the £1 entrance fee it was worth the 30 minutes we spent in there. The kids enjoyed learning about the different gems and minerals. Then we headed back to the park for a play and an ice cream (£2 for huge ice creams with toppings), and then Stef and Nyle visited the Snake Farm whilst Alicia and I did some errands. They enjoyed the snake farm a lot and if you have time to kill then it is worth a visit.
Our final evening in Swakopmund, we ate at a great Italian restaurant in the centre, Gabriele’s. 3 pizzas, gnocci and a pasta, 2 tiramisu and 2 ice creams and drinks cost us less than £50 – and it was so good! Definitely visit here is you are in Swakopmund.
Day 8: Swakopmund to Damaraland
After brekkie, packing up, and doing a grocery run, we were back on the road for 2 more nights of camping in Damaraland. Google said it was a 4-hour drive, it took us nearly 6 as we stopped for lunch, to see the shipwreck and at various other points along the way.
Heading north out of Swakopmund is Zeila Shipwreck. It’s on the way and worth of a stop – there will be people there trying to sell you gem stones. Just be firm and say no thanks and maybe give them a 20NAD for the bit of history they will share with you (unprompted!)
The long and very straight road from the shipwreck to Uis is newly tarmacked and the temperature started climbing again, from 22 to 35 degrees within 30 minutes of heading inland. You’ll drive towards Brandenburg (Namibia’s biggest mountain).
Around 10km from Uis you’ll start to see ‘stalls’ on the side of the road. We stopped at one and they are selling gem stones, handmade jewellery and other trinkets on an ‘honesty box’ basis. There is no one manning these stalls, but you can see the huts a few hundred metres away. We obviously spent too long at one as a boy came running over. We passed him the cash we had put in the box and he asked for some food as well which of course we handed over happily.
Turning left just before Uis takes you to Damaraland – and here the road worsens considerably for the next 2-3 hours drive! The landscape also changes significantly, you pass himba villages with people trying to pull you in, more stalls including some selling firewood, and warning signs for elephants (we spotted none).
What is really noticeable here is how the landscape shifts so quickly from grass and bushland to orange mountains of boulders – we later learned these were sand dunes and some geology event changed the sand dunes to rocks. It’s very impressive.
We arrived into Mowani Camp around 6pm and this place in incredible. We had a private pitch with shower and toilet, kitchen and electricity. But’s it’s the views and back drop that are something else. Behind you are these enormous boulders – great for rock climbers like Nyle – and in front of you huge plains for miles ahead. After a quick dinner and splash in the pool, we then had one of the most magical moments of our trip. We spied the Milky Way!
Day 9: Twyfelfontein and Damara Living Museum
This was purposefully a no/low drive day! From Mowani, it’s just a 20 minute drive to Twyfelfontein Visitors Centre and the home of 6000 year old rock etchings. We had been a bit slow off the mark that morning, and we had detoured through the plains after spotting fresh elephant dung on the road (we did not find them). This meant it was nearly midday as we started our hour tour with our guide. It was hot. But we all found it really interesting and our guide was great and once again very passionate.
It’s a 10-minute walk to the first site and then around 40 minutes to see them all and hear the info, and then 10 minutes back. Good shoes are recommended as there is a bit of clambering, and of course water and SPF. It was toasty! The museum gives out a small amount of information. There are toilets but no cafe / refreshements.
10 minutes drive from Twyfelfontain is the Damara Living Museum. We very nearly didn’t go into here as it looked so unassuming from outside. But we are so glad we did.
For £22/23 for us all, we got an hour (with a guide) in the museum and learned so much about the local people. We saw how they make clothes, beer, fire and jewellery. We learned to play their game and see them dance and sing. And we understood how they used medicinal plants and made weapons! The kids (and us) were fascinated and it was very much a worldschooling day! of course there is a shop at the end (a little over priced we thought) but there is no pressure to buy anything.
On returning to Mowani campsite we headed straight to the pool, enjoyed pizzas (£10 each) and slushies, and climbed up to their sundowner point to watch the sunset whilst sitting on cushions on top of a boulder-like hill!
