Namiba trip - June/July 2008

Early in 2007, we made a suggestion to a group of friends to plan a trip to Namibia in 2008 - who can believe how quickly time went, and now only memories remain. For the benefit of others who may want to follow our route, or just read what we did, here is our trip report.

Friday, 27th June 2008

We left our home in Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa so early that I could have left the day before, well at least 4:50am felt like "yesterday"! We were to meet our friends at the Engen One Stop on the N7 at 5:30, but were so keen, we got through there by 5:10am. This was the first leg of 870kms to Fish River Canyon via the N7, B1, C12 and D601 roads. The N7 (tarred) to the border at Noordoewer was very quiet with fewer trucks and cars than expected. One of our group had prepared "survival packs" full of all sorts of goodies, which were handed out during a coffee and muffin stop overlooking Clanwilliam Dam. These created much humour for many hours thereafter! The RSA border post was quick and simple, over in less than 10 minutes, however the Namibian side was far less organised for the first day of school holiday traffic, and we waited for nearly 2 hours to complete our paperwork and to pay for the road permit. (A reminder to keep this handy as it will be asked for at roadblocks, and when returning through the border.) We then drove on to Grunau via the B1, and filled up with fuel. As a matter of interest, we only ever used our South African petrol cards, and had no hassles, even in some of the smaller towns. The C12 from Grunau towards the canyon is a great gravel road, but even so we did lower our tyre pressures to 2 bars (hot pressure). (One car did not, and they were the only folk to later get two punctures, so I would advise on the lower pressures on gravel, which also gives a smoother ride.) The last part of the day's drive to Canon Roadhouse is via the D601, which was also a relatively good road. I should mention that we were all in 4x4's, so the gravel roads were not really an issue, and we never went over 80kms/hour.

Canon Roadhouse (above) was simple but more than adequate for our two night stop. The en-suite rooms were great and the staff very friendly. We decided to have a meal in their restaurant and the food from the varied menu was good. The next day we drove to the canyon on the D601 via Hobas, where entry permits were purchased. (R60 per person over 15, and R10 per car). As there is nothing to see at Hobas, we moved straight on to the main viewing sights at the start of the 85km hike. During our stay for lunch, many walking groups arrived and started the descent to the river for the 5 day hike - rather them than me!

We then drove around a bit to other view points before returning to the roadhouse, where we made a braai for dinner. Just a pointer here, there are no self-catering facilities, so take all your own cutlery and plates with you. We even took our own braai with us, which we used that night, but could have used a braai at the camp site. Much antics took place and our Adidas representative ensured we would all be kept warm by handing out "Jimmy's Juice" (Van Der Hum liqueur) from a calabash, and giving us each an Adidas beanie. These were put to VERY good use later in the trip. Thanks Clive, that was such a nike, oops I mean nice, touch.

Sunday, 29th June 2008

After a good breakfast (included in the R1317.00 rate for 3 people), we headed north on the D601, C12 towards Seeheim, where we stopped for a drink and to buy the famous biltong from the Seeheim Hotel (on left below). Apart from the hotel and railway station, there is NOTHING to "see" at Seeheim, but it is worth the stop.

We joined the tarred B4 towards Luderitz, and then turned off onto the gravel C14 at Goageb, towards Helmeringhausen, where we stopped to fill up with fuel. This is where the first puncture was discovered. The garage owner and assistant helped repair the tyre with a plug while the rest of us put the spare wheel on the car. Great service for a small town on a Sunday. After a roadside picnic just outside the town, we drove on to the turnoff onto the D831 (See below), which was a fairly bumpy and rough road, not nearly as good as the "C" roads, but a more direct route to our next destination. We had made a call earlier in the day to not do the scenic C27 as we had spent more time fixing the puncture, and the rough road was slower in places, meaning that we only arrived just before dark at Zebra River Lodge, on the D850 towards the Sesriem area near Sossusvlei.

Fortunately ZRL (on the left) was full board, so we could get straight into a cool beer just before dinner was served. We had done just on 500kms during the day. The next day we went off walking in different directions - some chose the strenuous 5 hour hike, I chose the easy 2,5 hour hike, some did 10 meters to the pool, and one even drove 100kms to get cell signal! Each came back happy with their choice, and we all joined up for lunch around the swimming pool, with only one poor soul braving the chilly water. Dinner was great, but as it got colder and colder, we retired for the night at about 9pm! The following morning, lunch packs were produced after breakfast for our excursion to Sossusvlei dunes. Unfortunately the same car with the previous puncture got another puncture on the same wheel, but as it was still on the farm, we doubled up in cars and packed the flat wheel for (expensive) repairs in Sesriem. The 90kms to Sesriem on the D850, D854, C19 and D826 is slow as the D roads were very corrugated and rough. At Sesriem, we had the tyre repaired and bought the entry permit (same price as at Hobas) before moving off down the tarred road to Sossusvlei itself.

We stopped off at Dune 45 (45kms from the gate), and after many pictures (the one above), went to the start of the 4x4 only track to the vlei. Parts of this "road" are VERY sandy and although we did not get stuck, I would think many do. An alternative is to pay for a 4x4 ride for this last 5km stretch.

We walked the 1,1kms to Deadvlei to see the dead trees, before returning for a picnic lunch, whereafter we moved on to the vlei itself. We climbed some of the dune overlooking the dry vlei and then drove back over the sandy stretch towards Sesriem, stopping along the way for photographs as the sun set. We left the area after pumping our tyres back up, and only got back to ZRL well after dark, for another great meal. All food at ZRL is brought in from Windhoek (260kms away), which must be a logistical nightmare for the catering team, but they surprised us with fantastic meals at each sitting.

Wednesday, 2nd July 2008.

After a good night's sleep, we woke early and took a 1/2 hour walk to Gail's Cave, a cave on the farm where prehistoric items have been located. Interesting stuff for some, but for others, all the rocks in the area looked like caveman tools, especially after the champagne that Gail pulled out of her bag at the cave! Very interesting to think we were walking where people had survived hundreds of thousands of years ago. Breakfast was then consumed before we packed and set off via the D850, D855 and C14 towards Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. We did stop at Solitaire for fuel and the famous apple pie which was later eagerly devoured at lunchtime, which was another roadside picnic in the Guab river valley. The C14 seemed to go on forever, making the day's trip of 360kms feel a lot longer, and as we approached Walvis Bay, the clouds rolled in. The tarred coastal B2 to Swakopmund was easy and we arrived at the Secret Garden B&B before dark. The accommodation was great, with all our rooms leading onto a "secret" garden area, where we could do a communal braai.

Thursday, 3rd July 2008.

After a leisurely breakfast we strolled into town to do some curio shopping near the lighthouse, and to sample some apple strudel which didn't disappoint us! There was also enough time to visit the crystal museum, which houses the largest quartz crystal in the world. We also stocked up on provisions and drinks for the next few days. After a snack lunch, we headed back towards Walvis Bay where we did an hour of quad biking (R250.00pp) in the dunes. We chose the recommended Dare Devil Adventurers, and our guide Michael took us off on an exciting journey through the dunes, including some high speed drop-off ride. Even the ladies thoroughly enjoyed it. On the way back to our accommodation, we stopped in at the Tug Restaurant for a beer in the bar which is an old tug bridge. Dinner was at the Lighthouse Restaurant, where some of us struggled to get through half of a massive eisbine - delicious!

Friday, 4th July 2008.

The next morning we were up early and headed back to Walvis Bay to go out into the bay on a 3,5 hour bay tour (R430.00pp). The ski-boats picked us up in the harbour and Alan, the skipper, then introduced us to the seals which jump up onto the boat and perform all sorts of antics, for a fish reward each time.

Then came the pelicans and sea gulls which we fed as they flew past on our way to the seal colony. After some special "coffee" (Old Brown Sherry), we ventured around the point of the bay to see dolphins riding in front of the boat, and even had a seal skiing behind the stern between the engines. Alan took us to the bird platform which didn't smell too good at all, but was interesting to see and hear the facts of how it came about. It was then back to the calm waters of the harbour where we were treated to champagne and oysters, and various other snacks and bread rolls. One of the bigger seals kept trying to invite himself for lunch, but we managed to keep him at bay long enough to finish lunch. He eventually got his way onto the boat, but moved off as soon as he realised there were no fish fingers left! The trip was well worth the money and I would recommend Levo Tours to anyone. On the way back to Swakopmund we were keen to do some sandboarding down the dunes, but unfortunately the dunes had not recovered from a large group of school children, and were too rutted for riding. So we headed back home for another braai and relatively early evening.

Saturday, 5th July 2008.

Peter, our host at Secret Garden had advised us against our original planned route up to Etosha via Henties Bay, and so we set off on the tarred B2 towards Usakos, for the 487km day's trip. Peter also recommended taking a detour to view the Spitzkuppe hills and bushman paintings, which were worth the 60-70km detour. Make sure you have some cash to buy curios from the locals who hand make them.

At Karibib, we turned north on the C33 (tarred) and stopped for another roadside picnic. That is one thing I liked about the Namibian roads - many places to pull off for a stop. We pushed on to Otjiwarongo, where we again bought fresh provisions and steak from a well stocked Spar supermarket. The only thing they didn't have was spare CR123 batteries for my camera. The last leg of the day took us via Outjo on the tarred C38 to Etosha Safari Camp which is about 10km from the Anderson Gate at Etosha.

The bungalows here are great and at R440.00pp, are half the price of Etosha itself. The steaks were braai'd and Amarula Dom Pedros were prepared. I have to add that this was most likely one of the coldest nights of the trip, and there we were sipping ice-cream!

Sunday, 6th July 2008.

After another good breakfast, we headed off to Etosha, where after paying the R130.00 entry fee, we drove west to the Okondeka waterhole and then to Leeubron before heading back to Okaukuejo camp, where we had lunch and sat at the waterhole. As is often the case we saw more animals at the waterhole than on the drive. We drove out via Gaseb and the waterhole at Ombika, near the Anderson Gate. Supper was another braai, but no Dom Pedros!

Monday, 7th July 2008. Happy Birthday, Bev, or as the staff at breakfast sang, "heppie heppie birthday". Interestingly there were few people in the restaurant and when the singers sang to another table, we thought they had confused the tables, but not so, there was another chap celebrating his birthday today. This was a couple from Okahandja who have been visiting the park for 25 years, but now sadly cannot afford to stay in the park at the new prices. We drove to the park and chose the Gemsbokvlakte, Aus, Ondongab route to Okaukuejo, which took all morning. We booked in to our chalets and must admit we were impressed at the upgrade, although still feel it is more fancy (and costly) than needs to be. Sundowners were consumed at the top of the tower before we moved on to the restaurant for a buffet dinner, which was not exactly fantastic, but just OK for R150.00pp. Later that evening we put on all of our warm clothes and wrapped ourselves in blankets and scarves as we sat at the waterhole until close to midnight, seeing mainly giraffe, rhinos and the odd springbok. It became so cold that we could hardly keep still, so we packed it in leaving only one brave soul to represent our group past midnight.Tuesday, 8th July 2008.

I had said I didn't want to spend every day out driving in the park, but our waiter at breakfast had suggested that if we wanted to see lions, our best option was up at Okondeka waterhole, so off we went. There was nothing there other than the local zebra's and springbok, and a few ostriches, so we decided to head back to camp. Just before to turnoff to Leeubron, we noticed a few cars stopped on the side of the road, and then we spotted a male lion standing in the veld. We decided to stop and as we did, we saw two lionesses lying low in the grass and watching the zebra. The one lioness was only about 100m from our car, and she kept stalking the zebra for over an hour, ignoring the odd springbok which happened to pass between us.

Eventually she jumped up and charged across the road chasing the zebras. I think it was a mock charge as she didn't put too much effort into the charge and backed off quite quickly. The male and other lioness then strolled over to her as she lay in the road in front of us. We decided to return to camp as bladders were now stretched to the max, but those who waited longer then saw the male mate with the one lioness before strolling off into the grass. What a life! After the usual braai, we kept popping over to the waterhole, but nothing really interesting made an appearance, so we went to bed rather than freezing our breeches off again.

Wednesday, 9th July 2008.

We left Okaukuejo after breakfast on the C38 and headed straight towards Halali. En route, we came across some stopped cars who were admiring a group of lions which we believe were the same group as we had seen the previous day. In my calculation, they were about 45kms from where we had seen them the previous day - not a bad overnight stroll in the park! We watched them for a while and then headed on to Halali. On the way we came across another group of cars and they pointed out a leopard that was stalking a group of zebra and springbok.

Very difficult to see in the long grass and trees, but I did manage to get off a few shots of him/her before a Bedford of foreigners drew up and made enough noise to scare off King Kong. This persuaded us to head for the camp, which has been modernised quite a bit since our 1997 visit, but the camping site is still very dusty, not that we were doing any camping.





We drove to the waterhole, which is about 600m from the camping area. Apart from a single impala, we were alone for a few minutes, enjoying the tranquillity, before the Bedford arrived!

So it was off to Namutoni. We stopped in at Nuamses waterhole, where a few elephant were grazing in the distance. Unfortunately the cars were parked so badly that we could not get any good view or photo's, so we proceeded.

I had heard of the Etosha Lookout on the pan, and decided to take a look. This is a short singletrack "road" that drives about half a kilometer into the pan. Only when you have committed do you realise you cannot turn around, there is soft mud on either side of you, mud in the road, and two American girls in a Toyota bearing down on you from the rear! Fortunately the Jeep just glided through and we were soon at the turning spot. I must admit it is quite a sight to be out in the pan, with flat white sand/mud/salt virtually surrounding you and the horizon not visible.

Quite eerie after being on hard gravel and in the middle of bush for the last few days! I took the journey back over the causeway a little slower, but still the mud turned my dark car into a white one. The next stop was at a demarcated toilet/picnic stop. I was a little surprised that there were no fences and gates here, but assumed it was quite safe to exit the cars and sit at the shady picnic tables under a lapa. I was more surprised when one of our team spotted fresh lion spoor on the road next to us, and it wasn't just one set either!

Makes you start to look around, but fortunately they had either eaten recently, or like me were getting tired of cheese and crackerbread for roadstop lunches! I think the spoor sightings made our stop quite short, and soon we were entering Namutoni.

This camp has undergone serious upgrade, but somehow does not feel the same anymore - there are just too many elevated walkways, and every patio is totally surrounded by stick screens which cut you off from anyone else - maybe that isn't always a bad thing. After a cup of tea at one of the many restaurants in the old fort's courtyard, we filled up with fuel and headed out of the park as the sun was setting. Along this 10km piece of tar we saw rhino, a vulture, dikdik, bushpigs, a giraffe, and probably missed a few other animals. Not bad for the last sightings. The turnoff to Mokuti Lodge is virtually at the exit gate, so we didn't have to travel any distance in the dark tonight. Mokuti is awesome! Our family unit consisted of two bedrooms, with three and two beds, a bathroom, toilet and entrance hall, all beautifully decorated. The main building has a large dining area, pub, snooker and pool tables, fireplaces and a reading lounge. There is another pub alongside the swimming pools, and a huge convention hall with its own lapa where I assume meals are served. We had rightly decided to eat in the restaurant this evening, and just as well as braaing here would not have been the right thing. The meal was slow, but great, and those who opted for the R170.00pp buffet could have eaten until they dropped.

Thursday, 10th July 2008

Before breakfast, I decided to explore the reptile park in the grounds of the lodge. This park is off the side of the camp well away from all other human activity, and in the silence of the morning, I was surprised by a giraffe when it started to move away from me. It could not have been more than 10m away from where I was standing. I am not sure who got more of a fright, but after looking in some of the snake cages, my nerves were a little on edge.

A short while later a small buck dashed past me, scaring me again. The poor thing had somehow managed to find its way into the fenced area and was dashing back and forth. The snake displays are a little run down, but it looks like they are trying to improve them with sponsorship from various organisations and donors. Breakfast was as good as dinner and eagerly consumed by all of us who were now getting used to these served meals each morning. We left Mokuti hoping that future prices will not prevent us from returning, and headed off down the tarred C38 and then the B1 (also tarred) towards Tsumeb.

Someone in the group had read about Lake Otjikoto, just 15kms before Tsumeb. This water filled hole was once a cave before the roof caved in and formed a lake of unknown depth (not sure why they cannot or have not established its depth) and contains some old weapons the Germans threw in there in 1915 to avoid handing them over to Union forces from South Africa. It is interesting to see, but for R20.00pp, the lake, some sick looking caged animals and a few birds in cages may not be worth it for everyone. I wouldn't rush back. We then proceeded on the 453km trip, via the Super Spar in Otjiwarongo, to Okahandja, where we stopped at the massive curio market as we entered the town. This is a massive market, but most stalls sell similar items, unfortunately mostly from Zimbabwe and available at any curio stall in southern Africa. Bargaining is quite fun, and if you ever buy anything for more than half of the original asking price, you overpaid! Most dealers are polite and not too pushy, and so bargaining a R350.00 wooden salad bowl down to R105.00 is not unusual, and you will leave a smiling seller feeling like you too got a good deal. Our bed and breakfast accommodation (Sylvanette B&B) was in a converted house in the town, but very reasonable and clean. They had a swimming pool, and a braai area alongside their kitchen, and both were available for our use. Free wi-fi internet access kept the kids happy too. Unfortunately my first attempt at baking a loaf of bread in the coals was not too successful, but that could be blamed on Bill's coals being so good!

Friday, 11th July 2008.

Our host at Sylvanette B&B had suggested that the curio market we had visited was not the biggest, so straight after another good breakfast, we headed out to buy more curios. The car may have been getting lighter with lower provisions, but the curios were piling up! As usual, we could not find the same thingamagiggy that we had seen the previous night, so back we went to the first market. Fortunately, these towns are small, so a 1km detour across town is not serious, and as we found what we were looking for, everyone, including the trader with far less than he asked for, were all happy. It was now off on the 333km trip to Mariental via Windhoek, where we stopped in at the Wernhil Shoping Centre for some retail therapy. Managed to buy some more curios, before heading over town to Joe's Beer House, a Windhoek favourite watering hole. The meals were great and the venue very interesting. We then started a tour of the town behind a friend of one of the group, only to lose one of our cars due to closed off roads at the state residence while the Nigerian diplomats visit the town. We eventually got radio contact back with the lost and grumpy souls, and were soon back on the road to Mariental. We were all keen to get through there as we had heard much about the Mariental Hotel, which is the biggest and best hotel in town. It is also the only hotel in town! The rooms were OK, but still smelled a little damp from the last floods in 2006 when the hotel was flooded. We took over the lounge area and created a feast of leftovers for supper, much to the amusement of some locals who were coming over for an evening of disco dancing, to music from the 70's (more like the 1870's!). It was early to bed tonight as there is nothing to do in Mariental on a Friday night.

Saturday, 12th July 2008.

Breakfast was OK, and you could have your eggs prepared any way as long as they were fried and in pairs. At least the plastic red roses made the place look bright. What more can you expect for R500.00 for a family of three! The day's trip was 523kms, and we decided to motor straight through to Orange River Lodge, just before the border at Noordoewer (Namibia) and Vioolsdrif (RSA). We were on the long, straight, tarred B1 via Keetmanshoop, where we stopped briefly to buy meat at the local Spar - the loin chops were cut very differently, but not bad tasting at all. We were all pleased that we had made it through to ORL early in the afternoon, as it gave us time to stroll down to the river itself (1km away), and to attempt to throw stones from Namibia into South Africa - mission impossible! The day ended with a great braai using their facilities, and we managed another round of Dom Pedros from the bottle of Amarula. Yet again, crazy to drink the coldest drink available on a cold night, but great taste. Warren, our son decided against sleeping in our 3 bed family room, and took up the option of sleeping in the car - cold, but no snoring father!

Sunday, 13th July 2008

All of us were worried about the delay at the border, so we organised an early breakfast at 6:30am. Unfortunately, the manager had no way of contacting the staff, so we sat around after orange juice and cereal waiting for eggs. These slowly materialised in a LIFS manner - ie last in, first served! But not too bad, and we were on the road to the border checkpoint by 7:15am. Fortunately, this time the Namibian police were on the ball and we were all through both checkpoints in less than 2o minutes - quite relieved. The day's drive of 667kms on the tarred N7 was uneventful, with us only stopping at Garries for a "P" stop, at Vanrhynsdorp for a takeaway sandwich and fuel, and to say our final farewells to the group at Kardoesie Farmstall on the Piekeniers Kloof pass just after Citrusdal. We arrived back home long before dark with enough time to unpack and to was down the car before sunset.

The end of a fantastic trip, with a great bunch of friends, with whom we will discuss this trip for many years to come. Main statistics - 5321 kilometres, R7024.00 spent on 721 Litres of unleaded fuel, at an average cost of R9.83, R18 877.00 spent on accommodation (for two adults & a 15year old), entry fees and other activity cost of about R4300.00, approximately R4500.00 on food, and about R700.00 on curios.