Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Volunteering
Namibia has a good track record for grass-roots projects and community-based tourism.
However, it's seldom possible to find any volunteering work in-country due to visa re-
strictions and restricted budgets. Any organisations that do offer volunteer positions will
need to be approached well in advance of your departure date. Many conservation outfits
look for volunteers with specific skills that might be useful in the field.
The most well-known organisations offering volunteer positions (
Click here
)
are Save
the Rhino Trust, the Afri-Cat Foundation and the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Projects
like the Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation may also offer the occa-
sional post.
Other international organisations which offer volunteering in Namibia include
Project
Trust
(
www.projecttrust.org.uk
)
in the UK and
World Teach
(
www.worldteach.org
)
in
the US.
Women Travellers
On the whole Namibia is a safe destination for women travellers, and we receive few
complaints from women travellers about any sort of harassment. Having said that, Nami-
bia is still a conservative society. Many bars are men only (by either policy or conven-
tion), but even in places that welcome women, you may be more comfortable in a group
or with a male companion. Note that accepting a drink from a local man is usually con-
strued as a come-on.
The threat of sexual assault isn't any greater in Namibia than in Europe, but it's best to
avoid walking alone in parks and back streets, especially at night. Hitching alone is not re-
commended. Never hitch at night and, if possible, find a companion for trips through
sparsely populated areas.
In Windhoek and other urban areas, wearing shorts and sleeveless dresses or shirts is
fine. However, if you're visiting rural areas, wear knee-length skirts or loose trousers and
shirts with sleeves. If you're poolside in a resort or lodge where the clientele is largely
foreign, then somewhat revealing swimwear is acceptable, otherwise err on the side of
caution and see what other women are wearing.
