Namibia with adventurous boys ages 9 & 10

The first time we went to Namibia our boys were not much older than yours. They loved it! I would strongly recommend hiring a 4x4 with two roof top tents and all camping gear is included. They will think it is a great adventure. Although the 4x4 will cost more to hire, if you stay in lodges you will often have to pay extra for two rooms or family rooms so it balances out.

On our trip we went from Windhoek to Waterberg Plateau for two nights, then Etosha - all three camps (or alternatively I would recommend to start at Onguma Bush Lodge, they are right outside the Namutoni side gate and they have excellent camp sites with their own toilet/shower. You can also use the lodge pool. It is a wonderful place). Halali and Okaukuejo camps in Etosha are worth at least a couple of nights each. Then head towards Swakopmund via Damarland (one or two nights). Swakopmund and Walvis offer lots to keep boys happy from dolphin and seal cruises to quad biking and sand boarding. Then if you have the time you could head on to Sossusvlei to see the magnificent dunes before heading back to Windhoek.

Although I haven't used her myself, I would highly recommend that you contact Gemma Dry of Discover Namibia Safaris. She can organise a great trip for you.

Hi Kirsty,
David here from ATI Holidays, a self-drive specialist, based in Windhoek.

There a number of lodges that are a little more understanding of the needs of kids than others, I incidentally have 2 kids aged 9 & 5, so I know all about the challenges of keeping them happy!

Up in the Central Etosha area I recommend Andersons, a camp set up with the intention of providing a supervised, child friendly environment. Similarly on the eastern flank Mushara Bush Lodge offers a good base from which to explore the park with kids.

At the coast there are a number of great guest houses, our family favorite would be one of Cornerstone's sea front apartments - Atlantik Sicht is very cool! Tommy's Living Desert Tour is a must with children, as is Jeanne who takes Kayaks into the Walvis Bay Lagoon every morning.

Down in the desert I would look at Desert Homestead; it's easy, relaxed and close enough to park gates to avoid a long early morning drive into the park.

There are of course more quality lodges that understand kids - and there are those that don't.... I strongly recommend that you utilize a local specialist agent that can advise, provide support (Evac cover?) and back-up (maybe a local mobile phone) and invariably get you better rates, and certainly improved car hire prices, when booked as part of a package. There are a number of reputable organizations in Windhoek. Check though that they are TASA and NTB registered and be careful with the car hire contract. Insist on tyres, lights, glass and hub-caps, and zero excess insurance.

One other tip - bring a portable DVD player to keep the children happy!

Good luck and I hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday in Namibia,
David

Hi Kirsty,
We spent 3 weeks in Namibia in May with a 6yr old girl and an 8yr old boy, and they both loved it.
We did about 2/3 camping 1/3 lodges. We hired fully equipped Hilux from Budget with 2 roof tents and it was great. Great service all round.

One key thing I would recommend it to spend at least 2 nights at most spots if possible to give the kids some time to just run around and recover from long drives. Most campsites and lodges have a swimming pool and it's great to just sit and relax.
We didn't go to any "child focused" places, all the standard campgrounds and lodges were fine.

Highlights for us were the campgrounds at Sesriem, Sptizkoppe and Okaukuejo in Etosha, as well as Ngepi camp in the Caprivi.
The Solitaire Guest farm was a bit more luxurious but great with kids, they had pet animals, a lovely pool, a cheetah tour and a domesticated Oryx....

I've written some impression on our trip recently (although nothing specific about our itinerary) here if you are interested:
Field notes from Africa

Cheers,
Romain.

Hi,

Camping with a 4x4 is great fun for kids, we travelled as a couple but met a lot of families camping with their kids. The kids will like:
Fotos and review on http://www.edeltrips.com/reiseberichte/namibia/ (in German, hope translation button helps)
Red Dune Camp (camping in the Kalahari Dunes)
Great was the KTP Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park at Border to South Africa
Quivertrees at campsite Mesosaurus Fosil Camp (including dino footprints)
Sossusvlei the big Dunes (Sesriem campsite)
Swakopmund has a lot activities to offer: Living Desert Tour, Kayaking (easy) among the seals in Walvis Bay
Spitzkoppe or Blutkuppe for climbing the rocks