Namibia Vs Rwanda
Introduction:
Namibia is a special mix of culture, wildlife, and scenery. It is the country where the desert and ocean meet. The desert, Namib Desert is the oldest and driest in the world, and it boasts the highest sand dunes in the world at Sossusvlei. Then there is the Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon on the planet after the Grand Canyon.
Rwanda is called the ‘land of a thousand hills’. There is the Volcanoes National Park which is home to mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, and many more amazing creatures.
Namibia and Rwanda are not neighbouring countries, but both countries promise a great time exploring the wildlife, its landscapes, you name it. No matter what country you end up choosing to visit, you can rest assured that your investment will give you great returns in the form of memorable experiences.
Let’s see how each country holds its own against the other
Best Time To Go:
Here we try to highlight the best time for visiting either Namibia or Rwanda
Namibia
The Namib Desert partially covers Namibia and the country generally experiences a very dry and comfortable. You don’t see those terms used in the same breath, haha. It is a great year-round destination. Compared to the ones further east, Namibia receives only a fraction of the rainfall. The time between December and March will be humid but rainfall is not uncommon. There are often localized afternoon thunderstorms. The central and eastern parts of the country experience such thundershowers but they are unusual in the desert.
April and May are dry but there is freshness and greenery too. The air would be largely dust-free.
From June to August, Namibia dries and cools out more. Keep warm clothes because the nights can get cold and below freezing in some desert areas. The landscape dries so you will find more and more animals gathering in the waterholes. In September and October, the desert warms up and enhances the game-viewing experience. It will be dusty then and the vegetation will have lost its colour by that period.
In November, the weather is difficult to predict. It may be hot and dry or it may rain.
Rwanda
The country in the south of the equator has a pleasant tropical highland climate. Depending on height, temperatures can differ significantly between regions, although they seldom change from month to month within the same area. The average daily temperature in the capital Kigali is 21 degrees Celsius.
The country sees heavy and persistent between March and May. The long dry season is from June to mid-September which is usually the best time for visiting Rwanda. October to November sees a short rainy season and a short summer season follows from December to February.
Both of Rwanda’s dry seasons will have light cloud cover. The temperature is moderate but does not rule out light rainfall.
Budget Travel
This section of the article will highlight how you can Namibia or Rwanda and save the maximum in the process.
Namibia
Namibia ranks high when it comes to cheap places for traveling in the continent. Campsites on average cost 6 USD per person per night. If you are staying in dorm beds and cooking all your meals, your average pocket-pinch would be about 20 to 30 USD per day. However, if you plan on camping and getting outside the main cities. Having your vehicle will result in you spending at least 45 USD and if you are going on a tour, 90 USD per day.
A one-way flight to Namibia would cost about 847 USD and a round-trip would be 1,404 USD on average.
There is no official public transportation in Namibia but the Intercape bus service that specializes in international bus travel. There are also rental trucks such as the Hilux. In the low season, you can rent the vehicle for 85 USD for a day, and in peak season, 130 USD for a day.
Rwanda
Budget hotels and hostels in Rwanda can cost between 20 USD and 50 USD. The country has a sound public transportation system and the cost of a one-way subway or train ranges from 0.50 USD to 2 USD. There are budget restaurants where the usual pocket pinch would be from 5 USD to 10 USD per person. If you want a mid-range experience, then you’ll probably have to pay in the range of 15 USD to 30 USD.
One-way tickets to Rwanda can be between 500 USD to 1,500 USD and 900 USD to 2,500 USD.
The hotels tend to be more expensive in the cities like Kigali, Butare, and Gisenyi. However, if you are looking for places to stay in the towns or the rural areas, the prices will go down and so will the amenities. Expect to pay an average of 80 USD to 120 USD per night in Kigali, and up to 250 USD for high-range ones.
However, hotels in towns or rural areas can be between 50 USD to 80 USD. Luxury hotels are usually within 150 USD to 200 USD per night.
Wildlife:
Africa reigns supreme in wildlife. It is synonymous with the term. Every country on the continent is sprinkled with some of it. Here we highlight the exploits of Namibia and Rwanda.
Namibia
The terrain of Namibia is harsh so kudos to the animals that survive in this unforgiving landscape. Some of them are the oryx, the kudus, the springboks, and of course, the elephants. What’s special about the elephants in Namibia is that they can survive days without water. This is something that the elephants in the other savannahs cannot do. The kudus, or the greater kudus are popular for their long and spiral horns. Discussions about wildlife in Africa will never end so it is safe to Africa is a haven for animals. You can also spot lions and spotted hyenas among other animals.
Rwanda
You can find many primates in Rwanda, the mountain gorilla among them. A trek to see these buffed animals in the Volcanoes National Park will cost about 1,500 USD and people aged 15 and above can take part in this trek. Among the other animals, there are the chimpanzees in the Nyungwe National Park. The golden monkey takes another spot in the list of primates that Rwanda is popular for.
The Akagera National Park is where you will find the big five: lions, buffalos, rhinos, leopards, and elephants. You can see them during the morning game drives. Apart from the big five and the primates, there are antelopes, zebras, giraffes, warthogs, and over 400 bir species across the three mentioned parks.
Conclusion:
All in all, be it Namibia or Rwanda, both are amazing places to experience Africa, so either place would give you loads of memories. You can experience the culture and wildlife in Namibia as well as the desert coast in Namibia. In Rwanda, you can learn about the culture and history. In terms of wildlife, well, you already know that there are primates and big fives you can get to see here among others.
