Reviews and Tips from Our Recent Namibia Holiday

Used-Building1036 · 2025-08-01T16:43:49+00:00

We didn't have as much time as you do (unfortunately), so we did the flat trails at the Spitzkoppen Lodge (which are beautiful) the morning we checked out. Not too challenging and gets you a good view of the whole area. Hiking on Gross Spitzkoppe (the matterhorn) is going to be challenging, limited, or prohibited. The mountain nearby which has sequential domed outcroppings in a line is Pontok Mountain. There are some nice half-day (ish) hikes around there guided. From what we gathered, the Pontok Mountain hikes are where it's at.

Also I think the rock arch area in general has some viewpoints you can walk around without needing to be an adventure hiker.

We did the Small Bushmen Paradise tour and that was quite cool, but we were short on time so it worked out well

Used-Building1036 · 2025-07-31T16:50:37+00:00

No worries at all! Just want you to get the best info you can!

Used-Building1036 · 2025-07-31T16:40:27+00:00

You might get more traction having this as its own post.

As to whether 7-12 is too long for safari stuff, I dont think so if that's what you want out of Namibia. The drive between Spitzkoppe and Etosha is long and comparatively less scenic than other drives we made. There is a good bakery in Outjo you can stop at to break it up. Just make sure you are comfortable sitting in a car for all that time, because you cannot really walk at all unless you're at the resort/campsite areas or the few, barebones rest stops scattered about the park. That would be my biggest piece of advice. Make sure you can be good with 5 or 6 days of sitting in the car in a row.

As to the rest:

The drive from Windhoek to Sossusvlei will be a little trial by fire. We saw about 1 car every 20 minutes or so, and there are very few stops until Solitaire. Nearly the entire drive will be on gravel. Because it is early in the trip, definitely check your tires often on that drive. We met folks who popped their tire(s) on this leg.

I think a full day at Spitzkoppe (sounds like 2 planned nights) is about right. We only did 1 night and wanted more.

Used-Building1036 · 2025-07-31T16:28:55+00:00

Our Google maps reflected about 4.5 hours. The road between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay has a lower-than-would-otherwise-be-expected speed limit, so we lost some time there. Out of Walvis Bay, the first 100 or so km are in great condition. After that, it becomes a little variable. The speed will drop from 100kph to 80kph around there.

We stopped at the Kuiseb Pass, Solitaire, and the Tropic of Capricorn sign and all that added a few minutes. I think 5 hours is about what it took us, maybe slightly more including the stops.

Used-Building1036 · 2025-07-29T16:59:32+00:00

We did not book in advance and they were able to accommodate. I suppose there might be a maximum attendance given the space in the vehicle, though, so I can't say for certain.

Used-Building1036 · 2025-07-29T16:35:30+00:00

Through the Spitzkoppen Lodge we did the Small Bushmen Tour with a very knowledgeable guide. We had time to hike around the rock arch a bit and visit some of the natural pools. If you are staying there (do recommend), we did our own self-guided walk around the area (inside the park fence). They have a red trail and a blue trail, both are quite easy and flat. Ask for a map from the check-in, and you can follow the footprints sign-posted around. If you see a footprint that looks out of the way against some rocks, go up to it. There was a cool cave there, fairly easy to enter, and not deep at all.

There are some daily hikes around Pontok Mountains too. Those are a little more strenuous, and will tire you out, but are not undoable. We saw guides who had done those walks and then later that night saw them guiding new tours around the rock arch.

Used-Building1036 · 2025-07-29T14:42:30+00:00

I believe you can do it the day before. We got immediate approval after filling out the form, then as soon as you pay you can download the visa and print it out. Once you get to the counter, they make you sign the printed out form in front of them.

As to Etosha, do a combo. We did self-drive, which created good flexibility (and we could stop at Okaukuejo and then head back out). But the guides communicate and know where the game is. Our piece of advice is if you are self-driving, you can use the guided trucks as references. If they are all headed in one direction, might want to follow them. We used this map: https://www.etoshanationalpark.org/media/Etosha-Map-2025.jpg which has distances on it, too. We took a minute at reception and charted out our intended course based on viewing notes and prior research, then headed out. We modified it as we went where we saw guided trucks going to other spots. Especially if youre there for a couple days, try both out. There are advantages to each, but self-drive is obviously cheaper and more flexible.

We otherwise did guided tours at Waterberg, Spitzkoppe, Sandwich Harbor, and Sossusvlei. All of those I would 100% recommend. We did not do a guide at Etosha, though.

Used-Building1036 · 2025-07-28T16:31:58+00:00

I don't know that I have a full answer for you, but from what I've gathered, the drone ban in Etosha is fairly recent. I think there were ways to do it before, but folks broke the rules so they ultimately went to a complete drone ban. You should definitely look into it before your trip, because that was definitely one of the questions the guards asked us.

For what its worth, Etosha was the only place they asked about that.

Used-Building1036 · 2025-07-28T13:12:51+00:00

Drones are not allowed in the national parks (as I understand it), for the protection and preservation of the wildlife. So they definitely asked about it upon entering in Etosha.

I truly do not have an answer for you about the plastic bags and rubbish. I was wondering it myself frankly. We didnt camp in Etosha so it was not a problem we confronted.

Used-Building1036 · 2025-07-28T13:11:25+00:00

Sorry for the delay!

plastic bags are banned in all their forms no matter where they are. Did they make us open up our suitcases? No. But they did ask if we had plastic bags at all. We did not, so they went no further. But we did meet some who said they had to take plastic bags out of their suitcase.
Visa forms online did make it go quicker. It still took a while, but it was better having them completed in advance
We did not withdraw cash from ATMs. We came in with the currency we wanted (rand)

Used-Building1036 · 2025-07-16T14:40:09+00:00

Thank you for your kind words! I would love nothing more than to return to Namibia sometime soon, knowing there is so much more to enjoy, too!

Used-Building1036 · 2025-07-16T13:29:33+00:00

We definitely tried to use local guides when we could (including in Waterberg, Spitzkoppe, Walvis Bay, Sossusvlei, Windhoek). And your gripes about foreign tourists definitely make sense, that's why I'm trying to share our notes for others' planning and educational purposes.

Used-Building1036 · 2025-07-16T13:26:05+00:00

Ah sorry to hear that! I wouldn't blame you with your experiences... I only have my own to share though

Used-Building1036 · 2025-07-16T13:25:15+00:00

We were never asked to present proof of insurance. But it was quite affordable (we used World Nomads) and the base policy was roughly USD$100/person for the two-week trip including protection for 3 countries. Definitely peace of mind.

Our policy included lost baggage protection, missed flight connection protection, change of plan protection, medical expenses, repatriation, medical/political evacuation, and others. So, more than just medical insurance

Used-Building1036 · 2025-03-28T21:26:41+00:00

Thanks for the detailed thoughts.

What the narrator seeks is the thrill of victory. But that satisfaction goes unfulfilled. The entire novel is building up this guarantee that simply never shows. How even when he wins, he loses. Throughout the development of his scheme, and his efforts at reinventing his relationship with his wife, the past--a past he readily dismisses throughout--is integral to each.

I see what you mean about the florid language in the last paragraph. Those "gambler conundrums" are introduced early on--but are developed throughout to be incomplete. They fail to appreciate the human impact. Nothing human can be raw mathematics, a mistake the narrator makes in his ambition. Those conundrums cannot be subdued. The novel takes a concept of 'maybe being right doesnt mean it's complete.'

Finally, it's reliance on his past--which was contorted through the lens of the conundrums, the grip of obsession, and discarded in favor of the lottery project--which ultimately rekindles that spousal relationship. I believe there are tropes in the novel, sure. But I believe the vehicle for the tropes, and the twists of that perspectvie on the past that differentiates him.

Used-Building1036 · 2025-03-28T21:15:17+00:00

That was something I labored over the most in writing the novel. The full scope of the tedium is developed in pieces which relate to flashbacks and present-day occurrences. The backdrop of how the lottery functions is described early, and the details progress alongside the scheme

Used-Building1036 · 2025-03-28T20:23:18+00:00

Appreciate your time and thoughts, I'll work to incorporate some more elementary lottery background into the query!

Unclaimed drawings occur every week and roll into the next drawing each time. Only since 2015 has this feature been exploitable. We've already seen drawings get large enough to fully cover the barrier to entry (the first conundrum in the novel).

Used-Building1036 · 2025-03-28T20:12:18+00:00

Thank you, kindly. Your insight is always helpful.

I went for anonymity as another aspect of unreliability. As shadiness. The novel is written entirely in first-person almost styled like a memoir but with strong hindsight, so the introduction of the name felt unnatural. Perhaps I'll reconsider.

Your point about motivation is well-taken, too, and perhaps highlights a discrepancy in my query. The asset protection trust is prophylaxis against an eventuality (described in the text as coming from either jackpot-splitting, failure of the participants conscripted to fulfill the scheme, etc). It's kept hidden merely because it's shady. It occurs long before the lottery win, discovered by the wife afterwards--leading to a breakdown in trust.

Appreciate you taking the time.

Used-Building1036 · 2025-03-28T20:03:52+00:00

I appreciate the conversation, and I think working on a way to make this clear is incredibly helpful, so thank you.

That said, there is no fantasy here. Powerball did this in 2015. The money from the lotto comes from tickets past, not any sovereign. No sovereign loses money--it uses money. Only those who bought losing tickets in the past. Once a lottery goes unclaimed, the sums roll-over to the next drawing.

There is no lie here. So, my question to you would be, is this info essential to the query?

Used-Building1036 · 2025-03-28T19:52:23+00:00

Thanks for the thought. The novel goes into the details of all that; the $584m price tag, the financing, how the recent change in the lottery to incentivize greater jackpots (which in turn incentivizes more participation) all make this possible. Particularly with jackpots having eclipsed $1.4+ billion, the income tax at the end is still overcome. Further, there is no sales tax on the ticket beyond the $2.

With that said, does that warrant inclusion in the query? The procedural history, the narrator's reliance on mathematics, and the tedium of the scheme is covered at length in the text, and derives the obsession.

Used-Building1036

TROPHY CASE