Namibia travel guide

May–October for cool dry days and Etosha at its best; March–April for green landscapes after the rains. Namibia's dry winter from May to October is cool, clear and the best season for almost everything: Etosha's waterholes concentrate animals, the dunes are comfortable to climb and the nights are cold enough for a proper jacket. Summer from December to March brings heat above 40 °C in the south, thunderstorms in the north and the only green the country sees. The coast is cool and foggy year-round. April and November are useful shoulders with lower demand and mixed conditions.

The places that earn their nights, most important first, with how long each deserves. Nobody needs all of them on one trip.

A hire car is the whole trip. Tarred roads link Windhoek to Swakopmund, Etosha and the south; the loop's core, Sossusvlei, the coast road and Damaraland, is on graded gravel where a high-clearance vehicle helps and a 4x4 is only essential for Sandwich Harbour, the Kaokoveld or the wet season. Fly-in safaris connect remote lodges by light aircraft; there is no useful rail or bus network for visitors.

A mid-range trip usually needs about €80–€200 per person per day, before long-haul flights. Namibia's costs are dominated by the vehicle: a 4x4 with camping equipment runs €90–150 a day, and a 2WD saloon can manage the main loop on gravel in the dry season for much less. Park fees are modest by East African standards and campsites are excellent. Lodges range from simple guest farms to remote desert properties priced like Botswana; the Namibian dollar is pegged to the rand, so food and fuel are good value.

Each of these is a real request you could hand to Menta as written. Change the people, the month and the pace; the structure will hold.