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Our honeymoon in Namibia!


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Deadvlei, the postcard of Namibia (without filter!)


Our honeymoon was unexpected and sudden. We had originally imagined that we would fulfill my childhood dream of taking the Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian railways from Moscow to Beijing, via Mongolia. We had made our wedding list on Zankyou around this travel project, in a humorous way. But the war in Ukraine started a few months before our wedding which took place in two steps (first civil, then secular) in May 2022, which made it impossible for us to live this special trip partly in Russia. Fate decided otherwise... Destination: Namibia, without regret!

 

SUMMARY

  1. The reasons for choosing Namibia

  2. A first for us, the booking through a Namibian travel agency: Wild Wind Safaris

  3. Our journey from Brussels to Windhoek and the administrative formalities on arrival

  4. Our 22 days itinerary in Namibia

 

1. The reasons for choosing Namibia



At the time of our wedding in May 2022, we did not know where or when our honeymoon would take place. The idea was born a month after our wedding because we both had to change jobs in September 2022 and we had long leaves to take that would ensure the perfect transition between our old and new jobs. Namibia, which had been in the back of our minds for a while, quickly became THE destination. I'll tell you why.


Thus, going to Namibia meant that it would be our first time in Africa, in order to get to know its inhabitants, their culture, the immensity of its multiple landscapes and the variety of its wild animals. Moreover, we had the historical curiosity to discover the still visible traces of the German colonization which lasted about thirty years in Namibia, until 1915. Finally, English is the official language, the country is safe and well organized for tourism. It is also a very family destination!

 

2. A first for us, the booking through a Namibian travel agency: Wild Wind Safaris



It should be known that we usually organize all our trips ourselves, from A to Z. Our honeymoon is an exception to this rule as we had less than a month to organize this trip and as the fact of leaving on the African continent for the first time and to drive a lot of kilometers (7000 in total in our case!) was also a little bit scary, we won't lie. But, the purpose here is to share with you our experience on the spot and our advices because I think afterwards that it is quite possible to go to Namibia by yourself, whether alone, as a couple, with friends or with family, as long as you prepare yourself well in advance. I believe that Namibia is the ideal destination for a first time in Africa!


First of all, we booked our plane tickets ourselves with Eurowings Discover, low-cost and leisure subsidiary of the German group Lufthansa, which ensures the only direct night flight from Europe, and more precisely from Frankfurt, to Windhoek, the Namibian capital, in 10 hours. We made this choice for practicality and also because I have a phobia of flying (I'll come back to this in another article) and therefore, the less take-offs there are, the better it is for me. The airplane budget was very high for us (in economy class), but we booked only one month before leaving, and moreover in summer, the European high season to go to Namibia (the ideal season to go there is between May and September). It is therefore quite possible to have more accessible flight prices by booking in advance and/or by choosing flights with stopovers. Prices can then start at around 600 euros round trip.


Then we decided to use a very serious local travel agency found on the internet, which had many excellent reviews and varied and comprehensive itineraries, Wild Wind Safaris, giving them our flight dates and the agency then provided us with a 22-days tailor-made itinerary proposal, following which we decided to book with them. The price is high, but the program includes an experienced driver/guide from the beginning to the end of the trip, all the time, the accommodation in the range you want, with half or full board, a good part of the activities and, finally, the possibility of a supplement in order to benefit from a private tour, which we did since it was our honeymoon and we wanted to live all these moments together.

 

3. Our journey from Brussels to Windhoek and the administrative formalities on arrival



On the day of departure, we first took the three-hour ICE train from the Brussels-Midi station to the Frankfurt airport station. This train is not fast, but it is convenient because it arrives directly at the airport. Then we checked in and it was time for the big departure!


Just before boarding, we tried at the counter to say "it's our honeymoon", hoping for an upgrade or something, but without success, the flight was unfortunately full. We didn't get any attention from Eurowings Discover, which I recommend for the quality of the flight, but certainly not for the quality of the services offered, which were among the worst I've ever experienced (poor quality food and too little quantity, a very limited choice of movies, the obligation to pay for a blanket or even low quality headphones on a long-haul flight...). Moreover, despite the fact that I mentioned my phobia of flying when I got on the plane, I didn't get any special attention from them, not even a "how are you doing" during the flight. Fortunately, the outbound flight was calm (except for the go-around at the arrival in Windhoek because of the wind, which personally finished me off after 10 hours of flight :-) ). But, the arrival was sublime, with the sunrise, already transported by the landscapes, and it was only the very beginning of the Namibian magic...


At the administrative level, entry into Namibia does not require a tourist visa for European nationals (except in case of a tourist stay exceeding 90 days). On the other hand, you must be able to present a passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of the end of the stay, and also having at least two blank pages for stamps. Finally, you need a return or onward ticket.


As far as vaccinations are concerned, at this time (July/August 2022) it was only necessary to be able to certify that you were in order of COVID vaccination, for example through the QR code received after the last vaccination. In addition, for travelers coming from a country where yellow fever is endemic, a vaccination certificate must be presented. For the rest, no other vaccine is mandatory. Malaria in Namibia only affects certain areas of the country, especially in the far north.

 

4. Our 22 days itinerary in Namibia



Here, based on the itinerary proposed by Wild Wind Safaris, was our program in Namibia for 22 days (with a passage in Botswana and Zimbabwe, up to the Victoria Falls, before returning by car in the opposite direction to Windhoek for the return flight to Europe) :


- Day 1: Windhoek & Kalahari Desert (game drive)


- Day 2: Quiver Tree Forest & Fish River Canyon (second largest canyon in the world)



- Day 4: Kolmanskop (ghost town) & Sossusvlei



- Days 6 to 7: Swakopmund & Walvis Bay (cruise) & Sandwich Harbour (4x4 in the dunes)


- Day 8: Cape Cross (fur seal colony) & Twyfelfontein (archaeological site)


- Days 9 to 11: Etosha National Park (game drives in the nature reserve)


- Day 12: Hoba Meteorite (largest visible meteorite on earth) & Divundu (Caprivi Strip)


- Days 13 to 14: Caprivi Strip (two game drives)


- Day 15: Chobe National Park (Botswana game drive) & Chobe River Cruise


- Days 16 to 17: Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) & Zambezi River Cruise


- Days 18 to 19: Caprivi Strip (two game drives)


- Day 20: Traditional Bushmen Village (meet the Bushmen)


- Day 21: Waterberg Plateau (short hike)


- Day 22: Return to Windhoek with a stop at the Okahandja Mbangura Woodcarvers Craft Market

 

I will come back in future articles dedicated to each step of our itinerary in a detailed way with the visits to discover absolutely and our return of experience concerning the places where we stayed.


See you soon... in Namibia!


Zimbabwe - Ciel - Sky - Bleu - Blue - Palmier - Palm - Tree - Vert - Green - Jaune - Yellow - Zambèze - Rivière - River - Zambezi - Eau - Water - Arbre - Tree - Lumière - Light - Coucher - du - Soleil - Sunset - Rocher - Rock - Soir - Gris - Grey - Croisière - Boat - Cruise - Solara - Blog

 

=> I hope that this article has helped you in the preparation of your stay in Namibia and, if you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate, I'll be happy to get back to you!


Don't hesitate to consult my other articles dedicated to inspirations for a unique wedding proposal, as well as for the decoration of your wedding reception hall, but also for original rituals if you plan a lay ceremony. Finally, if you dream of a made-to-measure wedding dress, I have the right address for you: Annabé Créations Singulières!

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