Travel tips

How to make your gliding holiday a stunning success ...

Travel tips

Do you have everything with you? Is your passport still valid? If you find out at the airport that your passport is no longer valid or that you have not taken out travel insurance, you might have a rocky start to your holiday. That's why we have put together some helpful tips for your trip to Namibia. 

Our tip: You can easily navigate through the country with Google offline maps.

The first day of flying

For your safety, no flying is allowed on the day of arrival in Namibia. Due to the large temperature differences, it is important that you acclimatise before taking off.

Regulation according to SSN (Soaring Society of Namibia): If the time difference between Namibia and your point of arrival is less than four hours, you need a rest period of 24 hours. If the time difference is five hours or more, you may not fly within the first 48 hours.

The evening before your first flying day, you will take over the aircraft and familiarise yourself with it. The next day, after the briefing, you take off on your first flight.

Required entry documents

All visitors to Namibia must have a valid passport for at least six months after the date of entry, and have sufficient pages for entry and exit stamps (at least two blank pages for the entry and exit stamps).

In addition all visitors must have a valid return ticket. Some countries of the European Union must have a visa to enter Namibia. Please find the overview of the list of countries here.

Entry requirements Covid-19 (as of 10/2022): Namibia has removed all Covid-related entry requirements. South Africa has done the same, which makes it easy travelling via Johannesburg. Please enquire about the exact entry requirements before departure. If a negative PCR test is required for entry into your home country, we can help you with the organisation.

Pick-up service

We are happy to arrange a Shuttle from and to the airport.

The airport is the last opportunity to obtain local currency, phone SIM and maybe a bottle of water for the about two hours drive.

SIM card Namibia

To avoid any unpleasant surprises, it’s best to switch off roaming (data & voice) on your mobile phone when entering the country. Both can cause enormous costs. You will typically find free Wi-Fi across lodges in Namibia. The connection is typically strong enough to accommodate make phone calls via messenger.

Alternatively, you can buy a Namibian pre-paid SIM card at the airport from a local provider such as MTC You can use it on your round trip to go online outside of Wi-Fi coverage, make reservations and bookings on the spot or provide a hotspot to others.

Money

The Namibian dollar (NAD) is the official currency of Namibia. The exchange rate is pegged 1:1 to the South African Rand (ZAR), so you can also pay in Rand. At the airport or in Windhoek you can withdraw money from ATMs with your EC card or exchange euros for a small fee. No cash is required at the lodge. Items can be added to your room bill during your stay and can be paid for at check-out.

If you want to buy unique pices at the art gallery or woven carpets; visit one of the neighbouring farms or leave a tip for our staff, you will need Namibian dollars.

Please note: Check beforehand whether your EC card and credit card are activated for payments and cash withdrawals outside Europe.

Vaccinations and health

You do not need any special vaccinations for a holiday in Namibia and Kiripotib. However, we recommend tetanus and hepatitis A+B.

If you are planning a safari in northern Namibia between September and May, you can find out about the required vaccinations from your doctor or a tropical and travel medicine consultant.

With the exception of the north, Namibia is malaria-free. You will find that throughout the country the hygienic conditions are very good.

Travel insurance

We strongly recommend to sign a private travel health and accident insurance for your stay at Kiripotib, including travel cancellation and Covid-19 coverage. The insurance should also include trip interruption protection.

We also recommend travel insurance with Covid-19 coverage and travel cancellation inclusive luggage insurance.

Infrastructure

Kiripotib has 220 volt electricity, Wi-Fi access and mobile phone reception. A modern flight office awaits you, where you can use PCs and Wi-Fi free of charge. Thanks to the OGN receiver, the positions of the aircraft can be tracked while our weather station provides you with the latest weather data (wind and temperature) via app on your smartphone.

Clothes

In addition to swim suits, you will need long trousers, sturdy shoes and a jacket on cooler days. During the day, you are well equipped with shorts, a T-shirt and closed shoes. In direct sunlight, we recommend wearing a long-sleeved shirt and a good hat. Don't forget sun screen with a sun protection factor of at least 30!

Gliding equipment

The planes are fully equipped and ready for take-off. You only need your personal belongings:

  • Please upload your pilot papers on our Online-Plattform before departure and take the original with you.
  • Sun hat
  • Long-sleeved shirt (from 5,000 m it gets cool)
  • Sunglasses with good UV protection
  • Sun screen with a high sun protection factor (min. 30)
  • possibly nasal cannula (also available at Kiripotib)
  • drinking bag with 2-3 liters volume
  • Arrangements for the emergency toilet
  • Headlamp
  • Powerbank for your cell phone
  • SD card and USB stick

(no guarantee for completeness)

Packing List Namibia

Are you ready for your trip? Here are a few tips for your packing list:

  • Valid travel and entry documents
  • private travel health and accident insurance, including travel cancellation and Covid-19 coverage.
  • Check beforehand whether your EC card and credit card are activated for payments and cash withdrawals outside Europe.
  • Sun hat or cap
  • Insect protection for skin and clothing
  • Sturdy shoes: Flip flops and sandals are not suitable for the desert floor
  • Airy garment made of cotton to protect against the sun
  • Long trousers, long T-shirt and jumper or jacket for the evening
  • Adaptors for power sockets are recommended when touring (mains voltage is 220 V at a frequency of 50 Hz). European sockets are available in all rooms on Kiripotib.
  • Binoculars (Game Drive)
  • swimsuits

(no guarantee for completeness)

Safaris

African Wanderers has been offering itineraries and safaris in Namibia and Botswana for over 20 years. We are happy to put together safari itineraries for you and make the bookings for lodges, camps, rental cars, etc. Discover distinctive landscape and fascinating wildlife of Africa.