Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
invalid if you have an accident while drunk. Driving without a licence is also a serious of-
fence. The legal blood-alcohol limit in Namibia is 0.05%.
If you have an accident causing injury, it must be reported to the authorities within 48
hours. If vehicles have sustained only minor damage, and there are no injuries - and all
parties agree - you can exchange names and addresses and sort it out later through your
insurance companies.
In theory, owners are responsible for keeping their livestock off the road, but in practice
animals wander wherever they want. If you hit a domestic animal, your distress (and pos-
sible vehicle damage) will be compounded by the effort involved in finding the owner and
the red tape involved when filing a claim. Wild animals can also be a hazard, even along
the highways. The chances of hitting a wild or domestic animal is far, far greater after
dark, so driving at night is definitely not recommended.
Hitching
Although hitching is possible in Namibia, it's illegal in national parks, and even main
highways receive relatively little traffic. On a positive note, it isn't unusual to get a lift of
1000km in the same car. Truck drivers generally expect to be paid, so agree on a price be-
forehand; the standard charge is N$15 per 100km.
Lifts wanted and offered are advertised daily at Cardboard Box Backpackers and
Chameleon Backpackers Lodge in Windhoek. At the Namibia Wildlife Resorts office, also
in Windhoek, there's a notice board with shared car hire and lifts offered and wanted.
Hitching is never entirely safe in any country; if you decide to hitch, understand that
you are taking a small but potentially serious risk. Travel in pairs and let someone know
where you're planning to go if possible.
Local Transport
Public transport in Namibia is geared towards the needs of the local populace, and is con-
fined to main roads between major population centres. Although cheap and reliable, it is
of little use to the traveller as most of Namibia's tourist attractions lie off the beaten track.
Motorcycle
Biking holidays in Namibia are popular due to the exciting off-road riding on offer. Un-
fortunately, however, it's difficult to hire a bike in Namibia, though the bigger car com-
panies generally have a couple in their fleet. Note that motorcycles aren't permitted in the
