We’ve travelled extensively through Namibia over the years, to be honest a Namibian self-drive is possibly one of our favourite things. There is something about waking up in the middle of these huge landscapes, freshly brewed coffee made over the fire and having the whole day ahead to explore.
These are three of our favourite campsites for self-driving families, and they all have something different. One is wonderfully quirky, one is about as close to sleeping under a billion stars as you can get, and one feels like a whole adventure in itself.
These are also exactly the sort of places that make us want kids to have a travel journal with them. Not just to record what they did, but to catch the little things they noticed, the things that made them laugh and the moments they’ll still be talking about years later.
We always travel Namibia in a 4×4 with a rooftop tent. It’s our preferred way to camp, a bit like being a tortoise, with everything you need travelling with you. But it’s certainly not the only way. We’ve included a fellow traveller’s self-drive trip at the end of this blog, who opted for a proper bed instead. Because whether you sleep on the roof or on a mattress, Namibia never disappoints.
1. Ngepi Camp
Ngepi is one of those places where you arrive and immediately think, yes, this is fun. I was last hear twenty years before and I am happy to report it is still incredible, and maybe even more fun with kids!
We camped here, although there is some fantastic accommodation too, including treehouses and bush huts, so you don’t have to be a camping family to enjoy it. The camp sits on the Kavango River and has managed to combine being properly wild with just the right amount of comfort and, importantly, a very good sense of humour.
Our favourite has to be the caged swimming pool. It’s a floating pool in the river, so you’re swimming in the Kavango while safely separated from whatever might be swimming around outside. It gives you that sense that while it is safe, it is still actually pretty wild, and the WARNING sign confirms it.
And then there are the toilets and showers, which honestly deserve a mention all of their own. They are probably the best and most entertaining campsite facilities we’ve ever come across. Make sure you find The Throne. It really is a loo with the greatest view.
For families, Ngepi is easy to enjoy without planning every minute. There are mokoro trips, boat cruises, village and bird walks and other activities (yes there is also a toilet tour, self-guided ;), but you can just as easily spend the afternoon swimming, hanging around camp and watching the river. We did some campfire baking, reading, clothes washing, relaxing, and the kids made wooden spears and happily ran wild. You are also well located to explore the nearby Mahango and Bwabwata National Parks.
Family tip: bring swimming gear, binoculars and a decent torch, and give yourself time to actually enjoy the camp rather than filling the day with activities.
Planning your stay
Ngepi is on the B8 near Divundu. From the B8, you turn towards the Mohembo Border Post and then follow the Ngepi signs; the final section is a 4 km sandy track..
For direct bookings, email bookings@ngepicamp.com or call +264 81 202 8200. They offer campsites as well as their treehouses and bush huts.
2. Spitzkoppe
Spitzkoppe is well known and for good reason, but even if you think you know what to expect, arriving here adds more magic.
The drive is part of it. You’re driving through this enormous, flat Namibian landscape, and then Spitzkoppe suddenly appears, huge granite boulders rising out of what feels like nowhere. It’s one of those landscapes that makes you stop and stare – and get very excited.
The campsites are simple clearings and have a dry long-drop toilet. There are showers and flush toilets available back at reception, but depending where your site is, that’s a fair walk or drive away. There is also no water or electricity.
BUT don’t let that put you off. What it lacks in amenities it makes up for in that super special Spitzkoppe magical energy.
You can spend the day climbing over the huge boulders and exploring, find ancient rock art, and just enjoy the views. The sunrises and sunsets are incredible, but it is the night sky that really gets us.
Forget five stars. This is twenty billion stars.
Very Zwela: if your campsite includes some big boulders in it, get your mattresses out and sleep under the stars.
Family tip: arrive with plenty of water, food, sun protection and good shoes for scrambling over the rocks. The campsite shop has limited essentials, but they do have cold beer. And if you have younger children, keep an eye on them around the boulders – there is a lot to explore, but plenty of steep and uneven ground too.
The basic facilities are part of the deal. You’re not coming here for the campsite amenities; you’re coming to sleep right in the middle of one of Namibia’s most extraordinary landscapes.
Planning your stay
Spitzkoppe is roughly between Usakos and Swakopmund and is an easy addition to a Namibia self-drive itinerary. There are more than 50 campsites, but you can’t reserve a specific campsite – you book camping and choose your site when you arrive.
For direct bookings, email reservations@logufa.com.
The kids journal entry for Spitzkoppe was wild, it included stories of making “dassie dens” watching sunset, exploring the enormous rocks, sitting around the fire and sleeping under that ridiculous night sky.
3. Epupa Camp
Epupa is a long way north, and getting there involves a fair bit of dusty, bumpy road, but this is one of those places where the journey really is part of the adventure. The scenery includes some gorgeous big baobabs – a nice stop to stretch the legs, maybe see how many people it takes to wrap around its trunk.
And here’s something we think is worth knowing if you’re planning to visit Epupa, there are a lot of camps, many right by the falls, but this stop is so much more than “just the falls” so after a lot of investigating we chose Epupa Camp, Epupa Camp isn’t right next to the falls, so at first you might wonder why you would choose somewhere that isn’t right beside them.
We actually think it’s one of the best things about Epupa Camp.
The camp is about 800 metres upstream from the main falls, and the short walk to the falls takes you through the village.
Take a football – seriously. We ended up having daily football games with local kids, and it became one of those completely unplanned parts of a trip that everyone remembers. Very Zwela.
The campsite itself is insanely beautiful. The sites are spacious and right on the edge of the Kunene River, so you can sit in your camp chair and watch cows crossing the river, water monitor lizards slinking around and all the activity along the water.
The open-air showers are pretty special too, although don’t be surprised if you get a monkey watching you shower.
We also did the rafting and absolutely loved it. This isn’t big white-water rafting – Epupa Camp calls it river rafting, and no previous experience is needed, although you do need to paddle. Our youngest was five when we did it, so we asked all the sensible questions about safety, crocs and what the trip involved. Once we’d got the answers, we booked it – and were very glad we did.
You can go in a two-person inflatable craft (aptly named crocs 😉), or in a larger raft where the guide steers and helps with the paddling.
And talking of crocs…
There are a fair few.
They’re pretty skittish, so there’s no need to panic — just stay in the boat! Paddling along the Kunene with Namibia on one side and Angola on the other is pretty hard to beat. There are a lot of ‘pinch me’ moments, actually. So many that this excursion might just need a blog post of its own.
Epupa Falls itself was beautiful, and we loved the village, but there was another experience here that has stayed with us, and was written about a lot in the kids travel journals, and something we speak about often.
We visited a Himba village with a local guide, just us and the guide one early morning, and it was one of those experiences that felt genuinely special. Epupa Camp’s guided visits are to nearby Himba homesteads, with a guide acting as translator and introducing guests to the family.
For the kids, it was particularly eye-opening. We watched young Himba boys heading off for the day to tend the goats, and our eldest was the same age as them. The differences in their lives hit home.
We felt welcomed rather than intrusive, and it is still one of the standout experiences we remember from Namibia.
Good to know (and you are welcome) – you can organise a massage at Epupa Camp. Their in-house therapist currently offers 30- to 90-minute Deep Tissue and Swedish massages, booked through reception. Now we are ticking all the holiday boxes for everyone! This is NOT a one night stop, we would suggest at least three nights.
Planning your stay
Getting to Epupa is part of the adventure. From Opuwo, Epupa Camp says it’s around 180 km / three hours on the DR3700 gravel road, with a 4×4 recommended during the rainy season. From the camp, the falls are around 800 metres away.
There are eight riverfront campsites and safari-style tented accommodation, including a family tent. The campsites are self-catering and have private facilities.
For direct bookings and current prices, email reservations@epupa.com.na or call +264 81 127 4584. The camp also has a landline on +264 61 237294. Activities such as rafting, Himba visits and massages can be arranged through the camp.
Three campsites, three very different kinds of wild.
Ngepi is wild, quirky and wonderfully fun. Spitzkoppe is all about the rocks, the silence and that ridiculous night sky. Epupa is the river, the village, wildlife, football and adventure all rolled into one.
None of these are just somewhere to pitch your tent for the night, the campsite is part of the adventure.
And that’s really what we love about travelling with kids. It’s often the little things that stay with them: the ridiculous Throne toilet, climbing over the rocks at Spitzkoppe, playing football in an Epupa village, or watching young Himba boys head off for the day, herding goats.
All things worth remembering.
Want to see how another family did it? Bea and her family also self-drove around Namibia and Botswana, but stayed in lodges and tented camps rather than camping. They took their Zwela Safari Journal along too, and have shared their trip, which we think is well worth a read if you’re planning your own Namibia adventure. Read all about their adventures here!
