Cycling in Namibia
On this page you’ll find all the information you need for a bicycle-trip through the dry south west of Namibia. We’ve included information about maps, accommodation and routes. A detailed description of the route we followed. We made this trip in September/October 1996 in the triangle Windhoek, Keetmanshoop and Swakopmund.
Please also check out our travel-update from June 2001; since 1996 a lot has changed in Southern Namibia.
Our route
Maps
The best map available is the free map as distributed by the Ministery of Tourism (scale 1 : 2000.000 ). It shows all roads with road numbers and and gives the correct distances.
A good alternative is the widely available Lonely Planet Travel Atlas of Namibia, Zimbabwe en Botswana; scale 1:2.000.000. It gives roadnumbers and distances for all major roads. It also contains general travel info (bus, train, car, bicycle) for all three countries.
Books
A very interesting book to read is “The Sheltering Desert” by Henno Martin. It’s the story of two German geologists who escape internment during WWII by living two and a half years in the Namibian desert. Or read the report of a short trip by Jan Boonstra.
The roads
Most roads are gravel. Quality varies but generally speaking C-road are better than D-roads. The best maintained roads are graded every 2 weeks. Lesser used roads may see a grader only 4 times a year. A recently graded road can be excellent for cycling.
Gravel road near Keetmanshoop; oncoming traffic is clearly visible!!
Roads mentioned as ‘bad’ in the route-description further down this page will not always be bad. Check with the locals as road quality may vary during a year.
The bicycle – preparations – equipment
Outside Windhoek virtually nothing is available to repair a broken touring bike. There are some bike shops in Windhoek but don’t rely on them for serious repairs. The trip,as we made it, can be done on a strong touring bike with wide tires (we used 37 mm). A mountain bike is not a necessity.
Food and drinks
In all villages we passed small shops are available selling a basic supply of bread, meat, rice, spaghetti, mineral water and canned vegetables. Outside Windhoek and Keetmanshoop fresh vegetables are more than rare. It’s safe to drink water from the tap; although the taste may be not very good.
Accommodations
Camping is the best option. Depending on the distances you want to cover free camping may be necessary because distances between towns, villages and national parks can be large. If you don’t mind cycling more than 100 km’s a day it’s possible to stay on a regular campgrounds every night. Villages and major tourist spots, like Sesriem, will have hotels.
Campground at Duwisib..
A other option are the so-called Rest Camps. Note: although the name may suggest otherwise some of these camps do not offer camping-facilities. Mostly you can rent rooms or bungalows at these camps.
Getting around
It’s possible to transport your bike on the train. After some paperwork our bikes were freighted, on the same train we were traveling, from Windhoek to Keetmanshoop for just US$ 3,-
Busses may or may not take your bike. Depending on the space they have. We traveled from Swakopmund to Windhoek by mini-bus taxi (with trailer). A ticket costs US$ 9,- and the bikes were taken for free in the trailer. Recommended companies here are Dolphin Express and Van Wyks Wal-Wind Express.
Hitchhiking with your bicycle is no problem. We did a several times because of extremely strong winds or impassable roads. Within an hour we got a good ride on a pickup-truck or large truck.
Weather
We made this trip in October in the Namibian spring. Maximum temperatures varied from 25 degrees Celsius to 35 degrees.
A hot day, break in the shade of own bike…
The nights were cool (10 degrees Celsius) and we even had a night with sub-zero temperatures. The wind was causing much more problems. On several occasions it was extremely stormy. These strong winds are caused by cold air streaming from the sea to the warm land. These kind of storms can last up to 3 days! On one day we experienced wind speeds up to 100 km p/h! In the winter, when the Namibian plateau cools down, these stormy winds blow east!