Namibia

The main thing to do in Namibia as a tourist is a road trip around the Namibian desert.

Last minute 8-day itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Windhoek – Stay at Protea Hotel by Marriott Windhoek Fürstenhof
Day 2: Drive from Windhoek to Sesriem – 8-9 hours – Stay at Desert Quiver Camp
Day 3: Visit Sossusvlei – Stay at Desert Quiver Camp
Day 4: Drive from Sesriem to Swakopmund – 8-9 hours – Stay at A La Mer Hotel
Day 5: Drive up the coast – Stay at A La Mer Hotel
Day 6: Explore Swakopmund – Stay at A La Mer Hotel
Day 7: Drive from Swakopmund to Windhoek – Stay at Tenbergen Pension
Day 8: Leave Windhoek

Sossusvlei: Desert area surrounded by sand dunes and my personal highlight
Deadvlei: Beautiful ancient dead trees
Dune 45: Climbable dune
Big Daddy Dune: Another climbable dune
Swakopmund: Coastal town by the sea
Walvis Bay: A flamingo lagoon
Solitaire: a great fuel stop between Sossusvlei and Windhoek/Swakopmund, well known for apple pies

Food: The Stellenbosch in Windhoek, Village Cafe and The Tug Restaurant in Swakopmund

Zeila Shipwreck: Local hustlers will try to sell you stones
Cape Cross: The sheer number of seals is amazing and a memorable experience, but the smell, cries and corpses make it unpleasant

Rent a car at Windhoek airport and book well in advance to get an automatic 4WD because most cars are manual transmission. We booked last minute and could only get a manual 2WD.
Majority of roads are very gravelly, so get a 4WD and additional insurance for tyres, rims and underneath the car for peace of mind
“B” roads are tar roads while “C” and “D” roads are mostly gravel
Fill up your petrol tank when you can, because you don’t pass another petrol station for hours. Petrol stations are full-service, so an attendant will fill your vehicle and offer to clean your windscreen. It’s customary to give a small tip (we would give around N$10-15)
Don’t forget to purchase snacks and water for the long car trip
Don’t rely purely on Google Maps – make sure you do some research on the routes beforehand. We made a couple of wrong turns and ended up in some scary places
Punctures are relatively common so know how to change a tyre