Are lowered motorbikes also available?
Yes, the seat height is then approx. 83 cm. Please indicate this on the registration form!

Can I hire motorbikes from Gravel Travel for my own tours?
Unfortunately not. We only make our motorbikes available for our guided tours. For safety reasons in particular, it is irresponsible to rent motorbikes to self-drivers in Namibia. For example, just one flat tyre or a broken chain in the desert can lead to major problems.

Can we ride two on one motorbike?
Yes, but this can be quite strenuous for both of you, as it often makes sense to ride standing up on the gravel tracks. However, the co-driver could ride part of the way on the motorbike and the rest in the support vehicle.

Is my individual riding ability suffcient?
A very important question! You can find more information under the following link on the subject of ‘Riding ability’!

What road conditions can I expect?
We offer a lot of photos of our tours and routes on our website, which give you a pretty good idea of what to expect. Time and again, we experience that riders come to us who have never really ridden on loose surfaces before... most of them can cope to some extent after a few days, but not everyone... and this familiarisation process is also associated with a certain risk of falling. 
Of course, we don't want to scare you and we don't ride in difficult terrain (except on the Kaokoland tour), but we do want to protect you from unpleasant surprises and false expectations and enable you to enjoy riding on our tours with a minimum of risk.

In general, it can be said that the tracks are mostly in very good condition, as they are frequently groomed. However, this condition can vary from region to region depending on the weather conditions. After heavy rain, for example, you often come across sandy washouts and ruts, which can frighten the absolute gravel novice... so it is simply better if you are already familiar with driving on loose ground.


Training courses:
It is important to make sure that you can ride well enough on gravel tracks to be able to control the motorbike safely even in sudden dangerous situations (e.g. emergency braking) before starting the tour. If you are not sure whether you have enough experience for Namibia's gravel tracks, we strongly recommend taking part in an enduro course (e.g. Enduropark Hechlingen). Here you will learn the basic mechanics of enduro riding and considerably reduce your risk of accidents. We recommend to join an Enduro training before traveling with us.

Gravel Travel also offers riding training courses, ideal for beginners as well as for long-time enduro riders who rarely have the opportunity to ride off-road. These training courses take place in the Lüneburg Heath (Lower Saxony). For 4x4 drivers, the ADAC Hansa Driving Safety Centre in Lüneburg offers off-road vehicle and SUV training courses. Please be sure to read our article on ‘Driving skills’.

Clothing: It is summer in Namibia and South Africa when you are travelling. A few short and long-sleeved shirts or shirts, shorts and long trousers as well as one light and one sturdy shoe will get you by. A warm jumper/fleece or jacket for cooler evenings is a must. Fine evening wear is best left at home. Tip: Of course, swimming trunks should be included in your luggage - and it's best to keep them in your rucksack when travelling by motorbike!

Luggage: Please bear in mind the luggage restrictions of your chosen airline - including motorbike clothing. If you take a medium-sized, robust sports bag as a guideline, you will have no problems transporting your luggage on the tour. The sports bag you pack may have a solid base and wheels. If possible, we ask you to avoid using suitcases or hard-shell suitcases on the tour.

If you still wish to fly with a hard-sided suitcase, you can leave it at the lodge during the tour and use the travelling bag you have brought with you. However, this is not possible on the Windhoek-Cape Town or Cape Town-Windhoek tour. (Luggage transport requires flexible bags).

Heavy or bulky items of clothing will reduce the load on your luggage if you put them on during the flight. We recommend taking your motorbike helmet with you as hand luggage and not checking it into your luggage, unless your airline requires otherwise.

Photo equipment: Namibia and South Africa are very tempting for photography. However, please bear in mind that it can get very dusty. Protect your valuable equipment accordingly, e.g. by additionally packing all parts of your equipment in poly ZIP bags.
Polarising, UV or skylight filters are recommended.

Don't forget to take along:

• good sunscreen with a high sun protection factor!
• UV-safe sunglasses
• Mosquito repellent
• Hat/cap/headgea
• scarf
• Sunglasses: preferably with tinted lenses
• Small backpack with drinking system or water bottle/thermos flask (unbreakable) for drinks during the journey
• Head torch or small hand torch (with fresh batteries)
• Small container for packed lunch
• Rain suit or rainwear

Motorbike clothing and specific equipment:

• Helmet: Enduro helmet with integrated chin guard and goggles or full-face helmet. The flip-up helmets (Schuberth, Caberg, BMW) have proved particularly popular.
• A bandana is also recommended
• Gloves: light summer gloves suitable for enduro riding, e.g. ‘namib’ from Held.
• Jacket & trousers: light enduro clothing and kidney belt (no leather), preferably light colours, trousers with knee protectors, protectors (simple or as a mesh shirt), e.g. the ‘sakai’ or ‘dakar’ trousers and the ‘hakuna’ jackets from Held.
• Plastic knee pads.
• Boots: Enduro boots if possible, but definitely ankle-high, joint-protecting footwear, e.g. army boots or trekking boots. Windhoek’ boots are available from Held.
• Drinking: A hydration system that allows you to drink while travelling is highly recommended (‘Camel Bak’), also available as a rucksack. The optimum capacity is 2 litres!
• Backpack: As the motorbikes have plastic tanks, a magnetic tank rucksack cannot be used.
  The motorbikes are equipped with a luggage rack for rear bags (not suitable for suitcases or side bags)
  Suitable rucksacks or luggage bags must be brought along; you can find them at Enduristan (duffle pack / rucksacks / tank bag), for example.
• Rain suit. The company Held from Burgberg also offers suitable rainwear, e.g. ‘flint & tempest’.
• your personal motorbike ‘first aid kit’

How’s the board & lodging looking like?
Our tours povide an amazing profile of Namibia and South Africa’s Western Cape. We selected our accommodations carefully, they are unique and of very various kind, thus you will experience so many different people and arts of living. We’ve choosen familiar guesthouses, private farmsteads with a personal flair, but also luxury lodges and hotels, so the adventure of lodging and boarding is very colourful. Friendly african hospitality and great, delicious food will get you enthusiatic about it.

As we know from experience, a rich lunch doesn’t match good with riding when being well-fed. That’s why we emphasise to have a rather good breakfast and an extended dinner in the evening, only taking a light lunchpack along from the breakfast table.

Drinking water (mineral water) is always available at the lodges before we start the stage.

Vaccinations & prophylaxis:
There are currently no compulsory immunisations for direct flights/entry from Germany to Namibia or South Africa. We recommend checking your immunisation status, especially with regard to tetanus, polio and hepatitis. You should also discuss with your family doctor or a tropical medicine specialist whether you wish to take malaria prophylaxis. It should be noted that no commercially available medication offers absolute protection against the various types of malaria and some people may experience significant to severe tolerance problems. Exposure prophylaxis is therefore paramount and increased awareness of symptoms in the months following the trip is highly advisable, regardless of medication prophylaxis.

Sun protection:
UV radiation is very high in Namibia all year round. Sun protection such as covering clothing, hats, sunglasses and sun cream with a high sun protection factor are therefore essential to protect the skin and eyes. Sun protection also includes staying well hydrated, which is why it is necessary to take a hydration system or a practical rucksack for carrying drinks with you. Headaches, lack of concentration, nausea, sunstroke or even heatstroke can thus be avoided. You should be familiar with this typical symptoms to be alerted and act early.

First aid
Despite protective clothing and a careful riding style, a certain residual risk and therefore injuries cannot be ruled out.For this reason, our tours are accompanied by trained staff who provide first aid and initiate further measures.Motorcyclists should also carry their own motorbike first aid kit.It is also a good idea to brush up on your own first aid skills before travelling.

If something serious should happen, our support vehicle is equipped with a satellite phone and GPS, so we can immediately contact Med-Rescue (medical assistance by aeroplane or helicopter) from almost any location and initiate the rescue. Hospitals and medical care in Namibia and South Africa are of a high standard.

International health insurance
Please check your health insurance to make sure that you are really covered for your motorbike or off-road trip.If not, you should definitely take out international health insurance.It is important to carry your insurance certificate with your personal insurance details with you when travelling.

Get valuable travel tips at your governments travel recommendations

I have registered for a trip, what about the flights? Y

You will first receive a travel confirmation. You then book your flight yourself. You will also be informed of the exact outward and return flight details in the travel confirmation.

When do I have to fly out?

Our tour dates indicate the first and last day of the tour on site. As the vast majority of flights from the EU to Windhoek or Cape Town are overnight flights, you must fly out (at the latest) the day before the tour starts. You will then usually land in WDH or CPT the next morning or at midday - in time for the start of the tour. The specified last tour day on site is your earliest return flight date from Namibia (or South Africa). Please let us know your flight details as soon as you have them.

Can I plan a pre- or post-extension if I cannot find a suitable flight?

Yes, in principle this is not a problem. If the desired flight dates are not bookable, you are welcome to arrive earlier or depart later if you do not want to add on a relaxing time anyway. Please let us know your flight details as soon as you have them so that we can include/confirm your extension in our room allotment at the lodge. The current accommodation rates at our Windhoek Mountain Lodge can be found here. If you like to extend your stay in South Africa, you may book your own extension nights at the base Hotel in cape Town.

Will I be picked up from the airport?

Yes, all travellers in a group will be met directly at the airport.If you arrive earlier, you can take a taxi of your choice from the airport to the lodge or order a shuttle from us in advance.Please let us know in advance.
I am already travelling in the country: If you are already travelling in the country, please organise your own arrival at our lodge (or hotel in CPT) for the regular tour start, unless you can use our regular transfer from the airport to the lodge (e.g. after returning the rental car/airport).

Will I be taken to the airport?

Yes, all travellers in a group will be taken to the airport. If you depart later, you can take a taxi from the hotel/lodge to the airport or order a shuttle from us. You will pay for both directly on site.

What does a shuttle from/to the airport cost? If you arrive outside the usual tour dates, the airport shuttle to Windhoek Mountain Lodge currently costs around €65/vehicle. The journey takes approximately 1 hour. The journey from Cape Town International Airport to the hotel takes approximately 45 minutes. You can pre-book hotel shuttles (approx. €30), or you can choose directly on site.

Which airports should I choose?

For Namibia book Windhoek WDH (Hosea Kutako International), for South Africa book Cape Town CPT (Cape Town International)

What power supply is existing in Namibia and South Africa? The network runs on 220/240V AC. Both countries use the 3-pin plugs „BS 546“. Adapters for Europlugs are often provided from lodges and guesthouses. Some hotels even have Euro (CEE) sockets available.

Is there cellphone and internet connection available in Namibia and South Africa? Yes, the cellphone and mobile data network in South Africa is almost everywhere quite good, the coverage of cellphone in Namibia is also well developed, the mobile data (3G or 4G) usually works only close to towns. But latest the lodgings provide WiFi. Only on the Kaokoland Tour your expectations should be lowered as this remote regions often have bad or no connection.

Are there single rooms available on tour? We usually reserve available double/twin rooms. Our selected lodgings are often smaller and have a limit of rooms available. If you wish to have a single room you need to book so with us for a €50 extra charge per night, we recommend to book well in advance however we cannot guarantuee to get a single room everwhere.

Can I book a single room at Windhoek Mountain Lodge? You’re welcome to make a request for a single room at our lodge for additonal charge of € 20, as long as available.

Can I book to share a double room as single traveller? Yes, you can. 80% of our customers are single traveller. The room partners come together easily and usually the first day at the lodge.

May I get a namelist of tour participants? Because of privacy law we do not publish the namelists, however you may exchange contacts with others during the tour.

Can I extend my stay at Windhoek Mountain Lodge before/after the tour? Yes, you can, please send us your request with the extension dates for us to check availability, we then include the booking with the tour.

Can I extend my stay in Namibia or South Africa otherwise? If you like to extend your stay for additional travel time we surcharge € 50 to book your ticket accordingly. Air Namibia flights are almost daily available from Namibia to Germany, same valid for South Africa from Cape Town.

Will I be picked-up at airport? As participant of our tour group, you will get welcomed at the airport and transferred by our tourguide with no charge. Those customers travel individually or coming earlier than the tour travel date, may book a shuttle from us well in advance and pay this directly on site. There are also taxis available and hotels often provide shuttle services in case you extended your stay somewhere else before.

Will I be shuttled to the Windhoek or Cape Town airport? Yes, all participants of our tour group will be brought to airport by our shuttle. Those who extend their stay or take other flights than those booked by us, may take an individual shuttle from our lodge against surcharge. Please inform us well in advance if a shuttle is needed.

How much is the shuttle from/to the Windhoek airport?
 The shuttle from/to Windhoek Mountain Lodge is about 40,-€ (N$ 595,-). It’s about 1h drive. The shuttle from/to our hotel in Cape Town is about 20,-€ (N$ 320,-). It’s about 45’ min. drive. 


NAMIBIA:

From 1 April 2025, visas will be required for nationals from the following countries, among others:

Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Liechtenstein, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, Finland, France, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Canada, Iceland, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States of America, Australia.

The visa can be applied for and issued on arrival. Or you can use the online portal to apply for the ‘E-Visa’ by this link. Costs: NAD 1,600 (approx. € 80).

To apply online, you will need your passport and flight ticket number in addition to your personal details. After checking the data, you will receive an ‘Aproval Notice’ requesting your credit card payment. You will then receive the actual ‘e-visa’ as proof of payment and with all the information you still need to provide for entry (documents/proof to be carried).

If you apply online, print out the paid E-VISA and take it with you (digital proof on your mobile phone is not accepted).

You must have the following documents with you for the ‘Application on arrival’ (VOA):

• Your valid passport with 6 months validity and 3 blank pages
• Proof of booked accommodation/travel (or itinerary)
• Confirmation of health/travel insurance
• Return flight ticket
• ‘Sufficient funds’ for the duration of your stay will be evidenced by the payment of your visa with a credit or debit card

Until further notice, we assume that the appropriate form will be provided for the application on site. As soon as we have new information, we will update this page.

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SOUTH AFRICA:

Visa-exempt countries in Europe for tourist entry are:

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, United Kingdom & British Islands and overseas territories, Sweden, Switzerland

A free tourist visa is issued directly upon entry. Please also check the current status at South Africa Toursim info page.