Exploring Fascinating Namibia on a Small Group Tour
There are nine of us, plus our guide, Shane exploring Namibia on this small group tour over 12 days. There are two couples and five solos. Seven from the UK, one American, and me, a Canadian.
This morning we did a 5 km hike to the White Lady Paintings. This 5 km was a little more demanding than most and I’ll write about it soon. This afternoon, we made the three-hour drive to Gondwana. I’m writing this while sitting on the front porch of my lodge at the Damara Mopane Lodge having had a shower and feeling oh so clean, watching a short row of corn grow in my small yard, and listening to the quiet and the birds.
Tomorrow we will enter Etosha National Park and begin the safari part of this trip. On this afternoon for relaxing, I want to give you a sense of this trip to date.
I have Exodus Adventure Travels to thank for support on this trip. In the first week of October I’m going to do an “Ask Me Anything” event on Zoom to share all the details about my experience in Namibia on a small group tour. Make sure you are subscribed to our newsletter to get the invitation.
There’s a Lot of Ground to Cover in Namibia
The scale of Namibia, from many perspectives, has come up over and over again during my time here. Let’s start with the fundamentals.
It is important to understand that the map of the world we commonly use is not to scale. The Mercator Projection is a map of latitudes and longitudes designed in the 16th century to help with navigation. It has done that well ever since.
However, it does not represent the relative size of the countries well. If you look at this map, Greenland is huge and overstated while Africa and the nations within it are smaller and understated.
Africa, and Namibia, are much larger than this map would suggest. This is why the African Union has a campaign to promote the Equal Earth projection map that better represents the relative size of the various countries and the significance of Africa.
To give you some perspective, the land mass of Namibia is 22% larger than Texas, 25% larger than Alberta, and 3½ times the size of the United Kingdom. It is about the same size as Germany and Spain put together. With a population of just 3 million, it is the magic of nature that brings one here.
So, from the top, I’ve been surprised by the size of Namibia. It has taken many hours of driving through deserts, mountains, semi-arid and Atlantic ocean roads—few paved and most wash-boarded—to visit the various sites. Here’s a link to the itinerary of this trip. We are currently on day seven.
Road Tripping through Namibia – My Recommendation
I am a road trip person. I love road trips and I am typically the driver. The longest was 20,000 km, the shortest, anywhere out of my city. In Namibia, I am very glad to have joined a tour rather than taking this on myself.
I estimate that 80% of the roads we’ve been on have been gravel and sand. Sometimes, more sand than gravel. This is not easy driving. Shane was sometimes on the left and sometimes on the right of the road as he sought the least wash-boarded path. As he called them, these good African roads give you a free massage. The jostling is constant.
In addition to finding the best part of the road to drive on, Shane was always on alert for dust being thrown up by oncoming cars in the distance. This is the early sign of traffic, of which there was little, but enough that it could have been problematic.
As important as our safety, Shane was also our spotter for animals. I learned to ignore the rocks and trees that I thought were animals and relax and wait for when he would point them out, stop in a safe place, and give us time for photos.
So, four reasons I’m happy not to be the driver on this trip through Namibia:
- The roads are a serious challenge.
- You must constantly be on the lookout for traffic that may be approaching as you are driving in the wrong lane to minimize the jostling.
- You’ll miss animal sightings – guaranteed.
- The significance of geography, geology, history, and the unique vegetation will be lost as you fly by it.
That said, there are many traveling Namibia independently. Out of curiosity, I explored one of the many four-wheel drive vehicles being rented to see how they are equipped. Tent on top, fridge in the back, storage drawer, space for bags. They seat two.
Enjoying New Friends in Namibia On a Small Group Tour
I have been on a number of tours before. From China to Sicily to Morocco, people travel to these destinations on tours for a variety of reasons. This tour of Namibia is different.
The notion of traveling with like-minded people is truly put into action on a tour that involves so much nature and wildlife.
We have two very avid and talented photographers, Alex and David. We have some who are focused on seeing specific animals and others who simply revel in the magnificence of this amazing country.
The nine of us have gelled very well. There’s a WhatsApp group where everyone shares photos. We take all meals together and spend most of the days together yet, there is still time, like that I’m taking right now, when it is possible to be alone. Everyone is very respectful, checking not to leave anyone out but also not wanting to impose on anyone’s desire for alone time.
This is truly an experience of traveling solo without being alone.
Stay tuned for more. I am already formulating posts (sometimes waking in the middle of the night, writing in my sleep, and recording the words on my phone) on the many highlights and will publish soon.
For more on preparing for a trip to Namibia on a small group tour, see Planning Travel to Namibia: How to Get the Details Right.
You can follow along on my trip on Instagram as well.
Last updated: 3rd September, 2025
