Wise spending does not always mean closely watching your bank account to assure you make it through your trip without breaking the bank. More importantly, wise spending means carefully choosing where and with whom you are spending your money, especially while on safari in Namibia.
Namibia offers countless ways to get your money in the hands of those who need it most. This means purchasing locally. The Namibian people are artistic in their ancient crafts and artistic skills. When hunting for the perfect souvenir, shop at markets or craft centers where the craftsmen are selling their crafts personally. Also don’t hesitate to ask how much they are receiving. There are some stores, especially in Windhoek, where the store owners are taking the largest percentage of profit, leaving the actual craftsman with little to nothing. These are the practices we all should shun upon and choose not to support. It’s not easy to know who is conducting such practices when traveling, so throughout the book the stores and markets mentioned are, to the best of our knowledge, owned by the craftsmen themselves or give back to the Namibian people in one way or another. When uncertain, look for the Namibia Based Tourism Assistance Trust or NACOBTA logo. NACOBTA is a non-profit organization striving to support communities to ensure profitability and more importantly sustainability. NACOBTA works with tour operators, craft centers, and places of accommodation.
Budget conscience travelers care more about where and how they spend their money than any other kind of travelers. However, don’t fuss over pennies. What’s a few Namibian dollars more for a taxi ride or a souvenir? Is it worth arguing over? Who’s going to benefit from the transaction more and will your extra dollars be going to a loaf of bread which will feed hungry small children? Let us broaden our horizons and think of the bigger picture before making a stink about what are essentially pennies and won’t affect your travels whatsoever.
Curious to how much a safari to Namibia costs?
