Etosha National Park, Namibia

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Travel to Namibia

Flying to Namibia

The national airline is Air Namibia (SW) (www.airnamibia.com.na). Direct flights from London to Windhoek no longer operate. Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com) and South African Airways (www.flysaa.com) are the main carriers. Most flights from the UK involve a quick change in South Africa or Germany. Flights from New York to Windhoek also tend to demand a brief stop in South Africa.

Flight times:

From London to Windhoek direct is 10 hours 15 minutes.

Departure tax:

None.

Travel by rail

TransNamib StarLine (tel: (061) 298 2032; www.transnamib.com.na/Starline.htm) runs a train from Windhoek to Upington, just across the border in South Africa. However, the service is slow and there are no onward trains from Upington to other South African destinations.

Driving to Namibia

From Cape Town, the N7 freeway runs all the way up the Western Cape into Namibia, crossing the border at Vioolsdrift (also known as Noordoewer). From Johannesburg, follow the N14 to Upington and connect with the N10 freeway leading to Grunau in Namibia, brushing past the Augrabies National Park en route. The Trans-Kalahari Highway links Walvis Bay and Windhoek with Gaborone, Botswana and Gauteng, South Africa. It’s also possible to enter Namibia from Botswana via the Mata Mata gate in Kgadigadi National Park, provided that you plan to spend at least two nights within the park and stop for immigration at Twee Rivieren. The Trans-Caprivi highway runs through the Caprivi strip and via Botswana into Zimbabwe. An entrance fee of N$110 per vehicle applies to passenger cars will be payable at the border, and trailers are charged $N70.

Getting to Namibia by boat

Main ports: There is a modern deep-water harbour at the Walvis Bay. There is also a small port at Lüderitz.