Namibia

by Chris McIntyre

This new thoroughly updated edition of Bradt's Namibia remains the essential guide for a successful visit to this vast country - more than twice the size of Germany but with less than 3% of the population. Written by expert author and long-standing tour specialist Chris McIntyre, this sixth edition incorporates all the most recent changes, including unrivalled coverage of places to stay and eat, from small, personal guesthouses to classy hotels and upmarket game lodges, and detailed information for self-drivers (including personally researched and checked GPS coordinates) as well as for fly-in and guided safaris. There's also in-depth coverage of wildlife and where to see it, including a new full-colour wildlife field guide section, covering mammals, reptiles and amphibians, marine life and birds.
Two background chapters covering everything from history and politics to people, ethnic groups and culture are complemented by two chapters on planning, preparation, health and safety and two on the practicalities of getting around and camping and walking in the bush (including canoeing). Helping you to discover Namibia in detail, 13 chapters offer a regional breakdown, from the capital, Windhoek to the Southern Kalahari, Namib desert, Swakopmund, Skeleton Coast, Etosha National Park, and the Kavango and Zambezi regions in the extreme northeast, including excursions into neighbouring Botswana.
With sweeping landscapes and empty roads, Namibia has long captured the imaginations of travellers and photographers. Its immense emptiness offers majestic sand dunes, seemingly endless gravel plains, vast tracts of farmland and rugged mountains hiding galleries of ancient Bushman rock art. Add to this the wildlife and the unexpected beauty of the rivers that define the country's northern and southern boundaries, and it's easy to see why Namibia attracts lovers of the great outdoors.

Genres: Travel

554 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1998

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read most of this one in conjunction with a four-week road trip in Namibia earlier this year. We relied heavily on it and while it was very well-organized (super important for a travel guide), well-written, and blessedly free of politics and snark, it really was quite out of date. This isn't really the book's or author's fault as I'm sure there will be an updated version released within the next year or two. But this edition was published in 2019, which means that the information was gathered in 2018. Many restaurants and some accommodations were out of business, and prices for everything had in most cases more than doubled. Obviously covid changed much about travel and tourism and again, none of this is the book's fault, but in 2023 and going forward this one just won't be of much practical use to folks traveling to Namibia. Still, we were glad to have it on this trip - we found the driving advice (types of rental cars, possible routes, hazards to watch out for, points of interest, scenic drives, etc.) particularly helpful.

[David Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Namibia ** Digital version read and referred to before and while traveling in Namibia (May 2022)

[Mojca · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 - 4 ½ stars

[Diana Theobald · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as travel guides to Namibia go, Bradt was my favorite. The others were fine, but this one was the most comprehensive. Version 6 dropped in September 2019.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was by travel guide prior to moving to Namibia for two years. It served me well.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

2015 edition 5