From the moment you collect your vehicle at the Namibian airport of your arrival, you will be on your independent Namibia self-drive tour. Within minutes you're in open country with rolling plains and hills as your roadside companions. There is only one busy road and that is the main trunk road from Windhoek north to the populated rural areas above Etosha where rainfall is a bit more reliable than the rest of the country.

Beyond this main road, which is quiet by any other country's standards, the roads become wonderfully empty of traffic, dwellings or any other signs of civilization. The authorities don't bother you with excessive road furniture either: it's just you, the grass-encroached road and the open landscape.

Driving times are great in Namibia on account of the great distances and mostly gravel roads. This is not a bad thing. Stop often and enjoy the subtle slow changes of the landscape; overnight and explore the area and set off again at your stately pace. In Namibia the journey is the holiday and you've no choice to adhere to this maxim.

Namibia is without doubt the best self-drive destination in Africa. That is a bold statement so we'll back it up with facts:

• Most popular option: about 75% of all visitors to Namibia opt for self-drive tours
• Good roads: mostly gravel/unpaved, the roads are well maintained and make for easy driving
• Save money: self-drive is the most affordable and fun way to explore Namibia
• Low traffic: one car every hour and everyone waves to you
• Back-up service: our car hire partners offer breakdown assistance countrywide
• Off the beaten highway: Namibia is a country of back roads; not a single highway, motorway, expressway...
• Safe: crime is almost non-existent and emergency services cover the whole country
• Easy: there are hundreds of places to stop including campsites, lodges and hotels
• Accessible: all of the lodges and campsites in the country are accessible by road all year round
• Best of both worlds: safari lodges in Namibia have excellent guides who will take you on game drives, hikes, scenic drives, water safaris and nature walks so you won't miss out on the benefits of a professional guide and a proper Namibian safari while enjoying the freedom of a self-drive tour

More information:

• We have a variety of vehicles for hire at competitive rates
• View a map showing approximate driving times
• View a map showing road-trip friendly African countries
• Vehicles can include complete camping equipment for 2 - 4 people per vehicle
• We offer car hire in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe as well

Talk to your Travel Expert now about your self-drive tour of Namibia and southern Africa.