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

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