Packing list for Namibia, travel insurance for Namibia, and taking your belongings

To take or not to take to Namibia, leave at home or arrange locally?

Sufficiently insured or not for your activities in Namibia?

Sufficiently insured or not for your trip to Namibia?

What to take with you to Namibia: spotlighted

Featured items:

• Documents: a passport with at least 6 months left until it expires.
• Money: credit cards are accepted in many tourist areas, but for the smaller places it is best to bring some Namibian dollars.
• Care: sunscreen with a high SPF.
• Outdoor and practical: travel cap or safari hat and good sunglasses. Buff, scarf or bandana for more sun protection.
• Clothing: airy, light-coloured (and neutral-coloured), loose clothing (more about clothing for when it is warm). Long sleeves and trousers are nice for protection against the sun and mosquitoes (more about insect and mosquito-repellent clothing). Warm layers (fleece or jacket) for cooler evenings. Especially from May to September.
• Shoes: nice walking shoes for the rough landscape and sandals or slippers for your relaxing moments.
• Medicines and travel kit: a small first aid kit with plasters, painkillers, anti-diarrhea medication and ORS (dehydration is a thing). Mosquito repellent (see also DEET mosquito repellent).
• Technique and equipment: world plug with type D/M (see also world plug or travel plug), a power bank for camping adventures and a headlamp or flashlight for camping adventures and lodges.
• Extra: a good sense of adventure!

What are some other options for packing as well?

• Reusable water bottle with filter, because tap water is technically drinkable, but often tastes strange.
• Quick-drying travel towel.
• Mini binoculars or monocular for your safari.
• International driving license, if you want to rent a car.
• A raincoat if you go between December and March.

What should you keep in mind when traveling to Namibia with your belongings?

• The activities (maybe you should take camping gear with you?).
• The temperatures and rainfall in the season you are visiting Namibia.

Are there mosquitoes in Namibia?

• Tropical Namibia is a paradise for mosquitoes. The “problem mosquitoes” are mainly found in the north. Malaria is common here, especially during the rainy season.
• High-risk areas are Etosha, the Zambezi region, parts of the Kavango and the Caprivi Strip.
• It is therefore important to protect yourself, especially in these areas.

Are there sandflies in Namibia?

• Sand flies – the tiny stinging insects that can transmit leishmaniasis, among other things – are found in parts of southern Africa, but are quite rare in Namibia and are almost never reported as a risk to travellers.
• Your set of mosquito repellents with DEET can provide a solution in combination with covering clothing, good spray, and not sleeping on the beach without protection.

Can you buy DEET, or other mosquito repellents, in Namibia?

• There are mosquito repellents for sale in Namibia, although the choice will be smaller than at home.
• Popular products are “Peaceful sleep” and “Tabard”. You can get these in pharmacies and supermarkets.

Can you buy a joint or weed in Namibia, or take it with you to Namibia?

• In Namibia, things are going backwards rather than forwards when it comes to Cannabis. Cannabis is illegal and the penalties have increased in recent years.
• The use of cannabis, or possession of cannabis, carries a prison sentence of around 20-40 years. So that will be a very long (or expensive, if you talk your way out of it) holiday.
• So you better not take it with you either.

What to take to Namibia: detailed