There’s no doubt that one of the best ways to explore Namibia’s stunning landscapes is by renting a 4x4 and driving across the country. But where do you start when planning such an adventure? Naturally, the first step is choosing the right car rental company.
After countless hours of research and planning, I chose Namibia2Go, a car rental company operated by Gondwana, one of the largest lodge collections in the region. In this guide, I’ll share my experience, discuss the pros and cons, and explain why Namibia2Go might be the best option for your car rental needs in Namibia.
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. I covered all expenses myself, and everything shared here is based on my personal experience driving over 4,000 km across Namibia with Namibia2Go over 15 days.
Quick Summary: Renting a Car with Namibia2Go
If you are short on time, here is a quick summary of the pros and cons of renting a car with Namibia2Go and staying in Gondwana Lodges.
- Save Time and Money
- Provides a variety of cars and lodge options
- Smooth pick-up/return experiences
- Offers top-notch customer service
- Some lodges are located far from key tourist attractions
- The quality and amenities of the lodges can vary
My Experience Renting a Car with Namibia2Go
When I first began researching my trip to Namibia, I came across Namibia2Go, a relatively new car rental company backed by the reputable Gondwana Collection. Gondwana owns several stunning, albeit pricey, lodges across the country, and they have been around since 1995.
Namibia2Go is one of the few companies that offers self-drive tours, which include car rental, insurance, accommodation, and a suggested itinerary to guide you throughout your stay. This was perfect for me, as I was already overwhelmed with planning another trip to North America, which I intended to visit before heading to Namibia.
On their website, Namibia2Go provides a clear list of suggested itineraries with varying durations to choose from. They also offer a comprehensive list of included lodges and the total price for each package, which is incredibly convenient. After comparing with other operators, I decided to go with Namibia2Go because they were the most transparent about their offerings and pricing, all of which are clearly available on their website.
After reviewing all their self-drive packages, I decided to go with their GO BIG Collection, which takes you from Windhoek to Fish River Canyon in the south, all the way up to Etosha in the north, with plenty of time to explore the attractions in between. I emailed them, and they responded promptly. Over the course of a couple of days, we worked together to customize the itinerary to fit my plans. It only took a few days of email exchanges before we finalized everything with them.
We settled on a 13-day itinerary, jumping straight into the adventure without spending a night in Windhoek. The car we received was a Toyota Fortuner, a reliable 4x4 with full-coverage insurance, and we stayed in mid-tier lodges throughout our trip. Since there were two of us, the total cost of the tour, including the car, accommodation with breakfast, came to 84,040 NAD (4,476.64 USD), or 42,020 NAD (2,238.32 USD) per person. While this is on the higher end of my typical trip costs, Namibia is not a budget destination, and considering the quality of the lodges, I thought it was a reasonable deal.
When we arrived at Windhoek Airport, the staff greeted us right at the gate. Along with a few other travelers, I was then taken to their office in Windhoek, a journey that took about 45 minutes (they now have a new office closer to the airport, so the trip will be much quicker). Upon arrival, we were welcomed with a refreshing drink and given a briefing on our itinerary, road rules, and important safety tips, such as avoiding driving at night and speeding. We were also shown how to change a tire, trust me, you're going to need this information! Within about an hour, we were on our way, heading into the desert.
The whole experience went smoothly. The Toyota Fortuner I received was in like-new condition, with a full tank of gas, ready for me to hit the ground running. After driving over 4,000 km, I had no issues with the vehicle, except for one flat tire because of the notorious gravel roads in Namibia. However, what's great about going with Namibia2Go is that they also operate the lodges, and all of them have service stations where you can get the tire fixed for free.
There was one accommodation where our names weren’t on the list because they had us booked for the wrong date, but they handled the situation quickly and resolved it without any issues. The office in Windhoek even called me to check in and see how everything was going, which really highlights the excellent customer service they provide.
Here are all the lodges we stayed at during our 13-day trip across Namibia:
- Kalahari Anib Lodge: An excellent lodge set in the desert, featuring a nature reserve with elands and ostriches, as well as scenic walking trails. The stargazing here is incredible!
- Canyon Roadhouse: A charming, quirky lodge featuring old cars, a garage-style bar, and stunning stargazing at night. Oryx roam freely in the garden here.
- Klein-Aus Vista: Great hiking trails and restaurant. The room is a little old, but still in great condition.
- Namib Desert Lodge: My favorite lodge out of all. The room is right in front of a watering hole where animals come to drink throughout the day. The restaurant is lovely, serving some of the best game meats I've tried. However, it’s a bit too far from Sossusvlei.
- The Delight Hotel Swakopmund: A great new modern hotel with spacious rooms and cool amenities, located right in the center of the city. It’s a refreshing change from the more remote lodges on this list. They even offer unlimited oysters for breakfast!
- Damara Mopane Lodge: A very nice lodge with a large swimming pool and a lovely sunset bar on the side of a hill. It’s a great spot to break up the journey through Damaraland.
- Etosha Safari Camp: Our least favorite lodge on this list. The room was quite a distance from the facilities, and the AC didn’t work very well. The restaurant had a fun vibe with live music, but the food was rather bland compared to the other lodges.
When we returned after our 13-day trip across the country, we dropped the car off at the newly opened office near the airport (not the same place where we picked up the car, as this office wasn’t open at the time). They checked the car for about five minutes, found no issues, and then shuttled us to the airport just in time for our flight. Everything went very smoothly, both when we picked up the car and when we returned it, something I can’t always say about other rental companies I’ve dealt with in other countries.
All in all, I had a fantastic time in Namibia thanks to Namibia2Go. They made the whole experience smooth from start to finish. The car we received was excellent and reliable, and the lodges were great, though there were a few caveats I’ll discuss further below. Overall, I truly enjoyed my time with them.
What I Like about Namibia2Go
Save Time and Money: One of the main reasons I chose Namibia2Go is the fact that they offer a variety of pre-arranged self-drive tour packages that also include accommodation, making the planning process much easier for me. I was able to select the one that best fit my schedule and then customize it to my liking, which is much faster than starting from scratch.
At first, I thought that choosing a pre-arranged package would keep us in tourist hotspots the whole time. However, since it was a self-drive tour, we had the flexibility to adjust our itinerary. We ended up venturing off the beaten path several times and visited many places that weren't even included in the suggested itinerary.
I also did the calculations and found that opting for a car rental plus accommodation package saved me both time and money compared to booking the accommodation separately. Accommodations are the most expensive aspect of a trip in Namibia, and by going this route, we were able to save about 10–15%. That’s a good deal in my book!
Provides a variety of cars and lodge options: Namibia2Go also has a slew of options when it comes to the types of cars and accommodation you want. If you want to save money, you can rent a car that comes with a tent on top, and you can camp at campsites around the country for less than 20 USD per night.
Looking for the most luxurious experiences in Namibia? No problem! Gondwana, the parent company, offers a wide selection of lodges of varying quality you can choose from. Their Secret Collection properties are some of the most luxurious and unique accommodations you'll find in the country. They come with a hefty price tag, but if you're willing to splurge and want the best, Namibia2Go has you covered.
Want to rent a car from them and choose your own accommodation? No problem! They offer a wide selection of 4x4 vehicles, with prices starting as low as 1,000 NAD (50 USD) per day for two people, all the way up to a 4x4 van for 3,845 NAD (200 USD) per day that seats 7–10 people. You can check out all of their available fleet here.
Smooth pick-up/return experiences: The entire pick-up and drop-off process was seamless. They picked us up directly from the airport, waited while I got a local SIM card, and then took us to their office to brief us on everything we needed for a smooth trip. They also showed us how to use the car, where all the tools were located, and how to change a tire, something I really appreciated.
After driving on some of the most rugged roads in Namibia for 15 days, I returned the car to their new airport office. It only took them five minutes to check the condition of the vehicle, and then we were shuttled back to the airport to catch our flight home. Everything went smoothly from start to finish, which is exactly what I could hope for when renting a car abroad.
Offers top-notch customer service: Namibia2Go also provides excellent customer service throughout the trip. They have a call center you can reach during work hours in case something happens during your trip, like when I had a problem with accommodation, and they sorted it out for me and called to confirm that everything was okay. I definitely appreciate it.
Gondwana Lodges also have in-house service stations, so when I discovered that my tire had gone flat overnight due to a puncture from driving on rugged roads, I was relieved to find that they had a mechanic and service station right at the lodge. They were able to fix the tire in less than 30 minutes, for free. They also deflated my tires further to prepare for more rugged terrain ahead, and I didn’t have any flat tires after that.
What I Dislike about Namibia2Go
Some lodges are located far from key tourist attractions: Since Namibia2Go is a subsidiary of Gondwana Collection, you’ll primarily stay at Gondwana lodges. While these lodges are top-notch and I hardly have any complaints, some of them can be quite far from key tourist attractions, due to how expansive some of the properties are.
For example, the Namib Desert Lodge, which was probably one of our favorite lodges, is located almost a 40-minute drive from Sossusvlei, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Namibia, known for its dead trees and orange-colored sand dunes. As a photographer, and since Sossusvlei is best seen at sunrise, I had to wake up earlier than those staying closer to the site and rush through rugged gravel roads to make it in time.
Although I really liked the lodge, I did wish it was a bit closer to the attractions. When the desert heat became too much during midday, we had to retreat to the lodge. To return to Sossusvlei for sunset would have meant another 80-minute drive both ways, so we ended up staying at the lodge the entire afternoon instead of going back.
The quality and amenities of the lodges can vary: Overall, Gondwana lodges were excellent, but there were some that were a little bit disappointing due to their dated amenities and facilities. For example, the lodge we stayed in near Etosha (Etosha Safari Camp) had a very underwhelming food selection for dinner, the room was far from the restaurant so we had to drive, and the air conditioning was having trouble trying to cool the room down during mid-day, so much so that I had to sleep on the floor to be directly under the air-con.
Renting a Car with Namibia2Go: Was it Worth it?
Based on my 13-day experience driving over 4,000 km across Namibia with Namibia2Go, I can confidently vouch for this company. They are highly professional and extremely well-organized. I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly everything went, from renting the car, staying at their accommodations, to returning the car. I couldn’t have asked for a better company to help manage my trip in Namibia, and just to clarify, I’m not even getting paid to write about them 😅. Count me as a happy customer!
I love that they offer a variety of options to suit different budgets, both in terms of car rentals and accommodations. You can rent a car with a built-in tent and camp around the country for as little as 20 USD per night, or opt for premium accommodations at some of the most beautiful and uniquely located lodges in the country with their Gondwana's Secret Collection.
They truly have everything covered for you, no matter what type of traveler you are. In fact, they even offer packages that include a driver if you don’t know how to drive! The best part is, they handle all the logistics, from preparing the car to booking accommodations throughout your stay. This ended up saving me more money than if I had booked everything separately. If you are planning to visit Namibia, I highly recommend Namibia2Go.
Quick Tips for Driving in Namibia
- Rent a 4X4: About 70% of the roads you’ll be driving on are gravel, so you’ll be glad you opted for a 4x4 with high clearance instead of a regular sedan. Fortunately, Namibia2Go only offers 4x4 vehicles in their fleet.
- Go with a Car + Accommodation Package: If you’re not keen on camping, I highly recommend opting for Namibia2Go's car and accommodation package. You’ll save more this way than if you were to book accommodation separately. Plus, you can choose from Gondwana’s vast collection of lodges in Namibia to match your travel style.
- Follow the Speed Limits: Stick to the speed limits which is basically 60 km/h in cities, 120 km/h on paved roads, and 90 km/h on gravel roads.
- Learn How to Change Tires Beforehand: While Gondwana has service stations at their lodges, you might still encounter a flat tire while you are on the road. Knowing how to change to a spare tire will help you get to the nearest service station for repairs.
Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:
Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.
Further Reading for Namibia
If you are looking for more articles about Namibia, here are a few articles that might help you plan your trip:
- For a complete itinerary to Namibia, check out: 2 Weeks in Namibia: A Road Trip Itinerary.
- Feeling a bit overwhelmed with planning your trip to Namibia? Check out this easy-to-follow guide: Namibia Bucket List: 10 Must-Do Experiences.
- Planning to visit Southern Namibia? You gotta stop by Luderitz! Here are the 9 Best Things to Do in Luderitz.
- Who wants to visit an abandoned ghost town in Namibia? Kolmanskop is the famous ghost town often featured in many mainstream media and here is A Complete Guide to Namibia’s Ghost Town.
- You can’t visit Namibia without exploring Sossusvlei, home to the surreal sand dune landscapes the country is known for. To help you plan your trip, check out: The Ultimate Travel Guide to Sossusvlei.
- Out of all the cities I visited in Namibia, Swakopmund is hands down my favorite. To get the best out of it, be sure to check out: A Guide to Swakopmund: 10 Best Things to Do and More
- Want to visit Sandwich Harbor but not sure where to begin? Check this out: A Complete Travel Guide to Sandwich Harbor
- Spitzkoppe is one of the most surreal places to visit in Namibia, and it would be a shame to come all the way to Namibia without seeing it. Here's a complete travel guide to Spitzkoppe.
- Have you ever dreamed of going on a self-drive safari in Africa? Well, you can do that in Etosha National Park in Namibia. Here's A Complete Self-Drive Safari Guide to Etosha National Park.
- If you want to see a real authentic Himba village and interact with the Himba people, here's a travel guide for you: Visiting the Himba Tribe: A Complete Guide.
- Planning to rent a car and drive in Namibia? You might wanna check this out: 11 Things I Wish I Knew Before Driving in Namibia.
- To see all articles about Namibia, be sure to check out our Namibia travel guide page.
- Looking for more travel guides for Africa? You will find more over at our Africa page.
- For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.