Nguyen Huu Trang (30 years old) is a freelancer currently living and working in Da Nang. She pursues a lifestyle: half a month working and half a month traveling. She has a passion for traveling and often writes a travel diary to share. Some countries Huu Trang has visited: Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Russia, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, China, France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland.
The journey to Namibia lasts from September 23 to October 4, 2022 and follows the following routes: Vietnam – Windhoek (transit in Doha) – Kalahari – Keetmanshoop (Quiver Tree) – Luderitz – Sosusvlei – Swakopmund – Spitzkoppe – Windhoek – Vietnam.
Huu Trang conquered Namibia, Africa in 12 days
Huu Trang said: "I flew from Saigon to Qatar for 35 million VND/round trip ticket and the total cost of the trip was around 150 million VND. Every experience in Africa is valuable and worth the money, so I am the type of person who 'makes the most', overcoming all my chronic laziness to enjoy every moment here."
Namibia is a country in southern Africa. A wild land of towering sand dunes and vast expanses of desert. Namibia receives less rainfall than any other country in sub-Saharan Africa. The desert of Namibia is one of the oldest on the planet, with the tallest sand dunes in the world, some reaching over 300 metres high.
Despite its arid and harsh weather, this African country attracts many tourists because of its majestic, wild nature and rich flora and fauna.
Sosusvlei is home to the world’s tallest sand dunes, stretching across a bed of limestone, where the blackened dead trees have mummified themselves. The Acacia trees lived 900 years ago.
“To explore Africa, you have many options: a reputable tour, or you can explore on your own with many risks, the most haunting is the sudden flat tire on the way because you don’t know where to go and who to rely on. In addition, you can buy a tour from Vietnam, go to Namibia to buy a package tour or do a road trip yourself if you are brave enough,” Huu Trang shared.
As the country with the second lowest population density in the world, there is not a single person on the road, whether the journey lasts 4 or 8 hours, and at the hotel or rest stop you only meet a few people.
Sunset at Rock Arch - Spitzkoppen
“It’s understandable because most of the area here is desert, the rainy season is very short so almost everything is in a barren state. The dream of standing in the rain in Namibia singing Trung Quan’s song Dau Mua, so simple yet impossible to achieve”, Huu Trang laughed.
Each destination in Namibia has its own unique character and experience, making you feel like you are on a “Mars asteroid” on earth, a place that is not real.
The first destination of Huu Trang’s journey was Kalahari, one of the places she regretted the most because she could only stay for one night. The gravel and sandy roads, burnt grass and bare bushes, deer running through the forest and then looking back in bewilderment made her ecstatic.
The flora and fauna in Namibia are diverse and rich.
In Namibia, watching the sunrise and sunset at different places every day is also a wonderful experience, a sunrise spread over the sand dunes of Sosusvlei or a sunset at Skeleton Beach, where the desert meets the vast ocean.
A sunrise in Deadvlei with dead trees from 900 years ago or a sunset sitting next to a leopard and watching the sun together. A sunset walk in the Quiver forest makes me feel like I am lost in a strange planet or an evening lying on a rock in Spitzkoppe watching the Milky Way.
With Luderitz, you can set foot in a ghost town in Kolmanskop, the ruins of a splendid diamond town left by the Germans, or simply sit for an afternoon overlooking the Robert port sipping a glass of Windhoek beer. Just a glass of Windhoek beer or a glass of wine is enough to paralyze people, immerse them in a romantic context, naturally turn them into a lover for simple things.
The town of Kolmanskop in southern Namibia is also known as the devil's village.
Huu Trang at Walvis Bay
For the first time in your life, you will experience living in the middle of nature, being close to seals, seeing dolphins swimming happily, seeing seagulls, playing with flamingos... you will have countless wonderful experiences in Walvis Bay.
As someone who loves "difficulties" and "unique" experiences, facing difficulties is something very attractive and brings conquest to Huu Trang.
As the second least densely populated country in the world, there is not a single person on the road.
Sharing with Travellive, Huu Trang once felt short of breath because of the heat and dryness in Namibia, feeling like her body was not in a normal state but still trying to adapt. There are things that seem difficult when you cannot surf Facebook for 48 hours straight, cannot contact your relatives because there is not even a 3G signal or wifi signal, but in the end she overcame it, a kind of victory over herself that is completely impossible to do at home.
Huu Trang has so many memories that even after 4 days of being home, she still cannot live normally. Because in Namibia, she lives a new life, with new people and like a new planet, the feeling is indescribable and difficult to express in words.
The road here is mostly sand and walking is not easy, but when you get through it, you will have extremely "cool" photos.
“For Vietnamese tourists, exploring Namibia is a memorable experience and not too difficult. With a sufficient amount of money, time to research the schedule and plan carefully, or simply looking for a company with package tours in Namibia, and a little English, you can completely make your trip,” Huu Trang added.
In Namibia, everything is very limited, from restaurants, hotels, service shops, tourist attractions, the distance is very far apart, so be prepared to sit in the car continuously, the journey will be very far and long. Traveling in Africa is completely different from traveling in Europe or Asian countries, so be prepared to have a strong spirit to explore.
Each destination in Namibia has its own unique character and experience, making you feel like you are on a “Mars asteroid” on earth, a place that is unreal.
“Everything has its price. If you want to have things that others cannot have, you have to endure things that others cannot endure. For me, every moment in Namibia is valuable and I will definitely come back in 5 years, as a promise to Namibia and because there are many interesting things in Namibia that I have not touched yet,” said Huu Trang.
