Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
B&BS
Bed-and-breakfast (B&B) establishments are mushrooming all around the country. As
private homes, the standard, atmosphere and welcome tends to vary a great deal. Gener-
ally speaking, B&Bs are a pleasure to frequent, and can be one of the highlights of any
trip to Namibia. However, in some places in Swakopmund and Windhoek, readers have
complained of unpleasant racism. Some places don't actually provide breakfast (!), so it
pays to ask when booking.
For listings, pick up the
Namibia B&B Guide
or contact the
Accommodation Associ-
ation of Namibia
(
www.accommodation-association.com
)
, which also lists a number of
self-catering flats and guest farms.
BOOK YOUR STAY ONLINE
For more accommodation reviews by Lonely Planet authors, check out
http://hotels.lonelyplanet.com
.
You'll find independent reviews, as well as recommendations on the best places to stay. Best of all, you can
book online.
CAMPING
Namibia is campers' heaven, and wherever you go in the country you'll find a campsite
nearby. These can vary from a patch of scrubland with basic facilities to well-kitted-out
sites with concrete ablution blocks with hot and cold running water.
In many of the national parks, campsites are administered by Namibia Wildlife Resorts
(
Click here
)
, and need to be booked beforehand online or through its offices in Wind-
hoek, Swakopmund and Cape Town. These sites are all well maintained, and many of
them also offer accommodation in bungalows.
To camp on private land, you'll need to secure permission from the landowner. On
communal land - unless you're well away from human habitation - it's a courtesy to
make your presence known to the leaders in the nearest community.
Most towns also have caravan parks with bungalows or
rondavels
(round huts), as well
as a pool, restaurant and shop. Prices are normally per site, with a maximum of eight
people and two vehicles per site; there's normally an additional charge per vehicle. In ad-
dition a growing number of private rest camps, with rooms and campsites and well-ap-
pointed facilities, are springing up in rural areas and along major tourist routes.
