Experience: Driving From Swakopmund To Windhoek+Rabies Vaccine
Intro
Uh oh. It's time to finally leave Africa 😞. This will be the final post around Africa, as the next two will be dedicated to the lounge at Windhoek and Discover Airlines Business Class from WDH-FRA.
The final portion of this African adventure would see me driving 400-odd kilometers from my accommodation near Swakopmund to Windhoek Airport. Getting around Namibia is a bit of a pain since the flag carrier went out of business. While there is a small boutique airline that operates routes around Namibia (FlyNamibia), there are currently no direct flights from Swakopmund/Walvis Bay- Windhoek. This means when getting from Swakopmund to Windhoek, you have a couple of different options:
Private driver 200-250 USD.
A shared shuttle that departs 2x (once in the morning and once in the afternoon) daily for 30 USD
Seeing as I had to stop and get my rabies vaccine, and the shuttle was sold out, I had no choice but to hire a private driver, which Zandre had arranged the night prior. Basically, plan in advance when you come to Namibia, as getting around at the last minute can be a challenge.
If you are looking for a good shuttle company, I have heard Carlo’s is the best. The link to the company is here
The Drive To Windhoek
The taxi arrived at 10 am to Gecko Ridge well prepared for the 5-hour drive over to Windhoek Airport. Stepping into the taxi, I knew it was going to be a long drive to Windhoek airport, as the airport is actually located 45 minutes to the East of downtown Windhoek.
This is primarily due to Windhoek being surrounded by mountainess terrain, hence I believe they made the decision to build the airport outside of the mountainess terrain.
The first part of the drive was gorgeous. It’s interesting since between the two cities are very few towns. Occasionally, you will stop by a small village with a couple of shops, but most of the drive was looking out over beautiful dunes. I managed to get about 30 minutes of sleep on this first leg until the driver woke me up to inform me we had arrived at the clinic.
The Rabies Vaccine
Arriving at the clinic, I was expecting to find a slow-moving process. Quite the contrary, I checked in at the front, paid the 50$ by credit card for the vaccine, and was greeted by a German doctor. Heck, if I need any treatments done, I am going to Namibia 😉.
Within minutes, the doctor sat me down and informed me he would have to administer the first dosage of Rabivax (an Indian PEP for Rabies). While I ended up having to get another 4 doses in the US, it settled my nerves to get one done before flying. A total of 15 minutes after I entered, I left with a small dosage of rabies in me and documentation proving I had taken the first shot. The headaches are horrible from these shots; it’s not a joke.
The Rest Of The Drive
Finishing up at the doctor's office, we still had another hour and a half before we arrived at Windhoek Airport. The route from Swakopmund to the airport takes you right through downtown Windhoek, and while I had planned to visit, at least I got to see what the city looks like.
Right on the stroke of 3:30 pm, we arrived at Windhoek airport. With a couple of stops and detours, it ended up being 5 and a half hours door to door, which isn’t that bad. Sure, it would have been easier to hop on a 40-minute flight, but they don’t have those anymore 😒.
Final Thoughts
Driving from Swakopmund to Windhoek Airport is a bit of a pain, as I believe they should operate flights. However, it’s not all bad since you get to gaze out over the beautiful landscape of Namibia. If you are planning the same route, look into Carlo’s shuttle, or I am happy to provide a number for a private driver.
But the Rabie Vaccine, that one I don’t recommend 😅.
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