Winter in Namibia has a smell

Take a moment after waking up in your bedroll or rooftop tent as the day breaks. Open the flap of the tent. Then lie back again, close your eyes and take a deep breath. You will smell dry grass, crisp fresh air with a hint of the soil. In the depth of our dry winter there will be an additional element to the smell of the early morning – frost.

By this time the photographers will be up and gone, but if you are not one of them, enjoy the sunrise before you get out of your cosy sleeping bag. Choosing the perfect position for the tent opening, whether on the roof or on the ground, is essential. Always face east towards the sunrise and make sure it is an unobstructed view. 

There is nothing as satisfying as watching the shades intensify on the horizon where the sun is about to appear. Within minutes, those saturated colours are washed out, the sun is full and bright and the moment is over. After such a magical start to the day the choice between snuggling up until the sun warms you, or getting the coffee going is hard. That is, if you aren’t one of the lucky ones spoilt with being handed a steaming mug in your bedroll. Be prepared – you will always have bright sunny days, but when the sun sets it is truly winter and it can be freezing in the desert.

Winter is perfect for camping anywhere in Namibia because it is not supposed to rain during the months of June, July and August. That is except for a small area in the far southwest, south of Aus. The winter rain weather systems sometimes move up north across the Orange River to surprise us. The upside is that after such rain in winter, beautiful flowers follow in spring.  Another footnote: it has even snowed in that small spot on the Namibian map. Nothing to be prepared for and no reason to avoid the deep-deep south.

Seasoned campers and Namibia lovers from neighbouring South Africa are used to the freedom of camping in the communal conservancies of Damaraland and the Kaokoveld in the northwest. They therefore seldom spend more than one or two nights on their winter camping trip en route to their favourite destination in the north. That is until they discover some of the southern jewels. I will not try to convince anybody that Lüderitz is the perfect camping destination even though the camping site is on the beach. You may be lucky to pitch your tent on one of the few wind-free days, but those are not the norm. Be aware that the world speed record for kite surfing is annually challenged on the beach just outside the town. Rather camp at Klein Aus Vista and do a day trip to the erstwhile diamond town. 

There is a perception that camping in the south is not as interesting as in the northwest, because most of the south consists of commercial farms and that camping on such farms is boring, because you drive in and out to the camping site and are not allowed to explore and enjoy the land. Many farms in the south changed to tourism as their main business and to conservation as their future. The farmers came to realise that campers camp because they love nature. They go camping to experience the land and not the facilities. Two of my favourites that may surprise and entice you to stay longer and explore more of the south are Namtib and Koimassis. The landscape is breathtaking and the joy of discovering what lies behind the fences and far from the main road is exhilarating. I never get enough of the gnarled camel thorn trees at Namtib and the strange rock formations at Koimassis. It is worthy as a destination, not a stop-over. TNN

Text  Rièth van Schalkwyk