10%

Namibia - Dunes, Diamonds and Dik-Diks

24 day self driving lodge tour August 2022

Por Beyond All Maps - Portraits of our Planet by Thorsten Mehret

08 de January de 2023

Motivation - Why to Go

My last time in Namibia was 18 years ago. Despite good memories, I had many other travel ideas in mind before considering to revisit. Well, Covid-19 changed everything. Looking for a potential travel destination back in 2021, Namibia was one of the few options with open borders and low Covid-19 figures for many months. We had a lodge trip with a rental car in mind which I organised via Diamir. Few days before the customised trip was ready for booking, the infection rates soared, leading to Namibia being declared a "virus variant region". Being under quarantine for 14 days when returning was no option, so we didn't book and after searching for an alternative for some time, we finally decided for an island trip to Madeira.

Nevertheless, having put all the effort into planning a customised tour, the seed was planted, and after one year of waiting, it finally sprout!

Facts

Population: around 2.3 million
Size: 824,000 km²
Capital: Windhoek
Biggest City: Windhoek, 460,000 inhabitants
Main Languages: English, also many different local languages are spoken
Currency: Namibia-Dollar (NAD), 1 EUR = 18 NAD (11/2022)

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival: Frankfurt - Windhoek (Elegant Guesthouse)
Day 2 - Windhoek - Tsumeb - Etosha (Mushara Bush Camp)
Day 3-5 - Etosha (Mushara Bush Camp; Okaukuejo, Dolomite Camp)
Day 6 - Etosha - Opuwo - Sesfontein (Sesfontein Guesthouse)
Day 7 - Day Tour: Hoanib (Sesfontein Guesthouse)
Day 8 - Sesfontein - Twyfelfontein (Twyfelfontein Adventure Camp)
Day 9 - Twyfelfontein - Erongo (Ai Aiba Lodge)
Day 10 - Erongo (Ai Aiba Lodge)
Day 11 - Erongo - Spitzkoppe - Swakopmund (Meike's Guesthouse)
Day 12 - Swakopmund (Meik'es Guesthouse)
Day 13 - Swakopomund - Walvis Bay - Solitaire - Sesriem (Sossusvlei Lodge)
Day 14 - Day Tour: Sossusvlei (Sossusvlei Lodge)

Arrival in Windhoek

Having followed the chaotic situation at Frankfurt airport during the summer holiday season so far, we expect the worst when we arrive, 3.5 hours before the scheduled flight. To our surprise, everything works fine, the 35 min. waiting at the check-in queue being the biggest nuisance. Security only takes 10 min., our flight with Ethopian Airlines starts only 30 min. late and the transfer in Addis Ababa is smooth as well. When we finally spot our luggage at the luggage belt in Windhoek, I praise the lord, though not being religious at all.

We get our car at Europcar, after having watched a video about safe driving in Namibia, featuring in particular warnings about speeding on gravel roads: 70 kmph should not be exceeded - the death by traffic accident rate in Namibia is 50 times higher than in Europe! The message is clear and it will work, well - ahem - for at least two days I honestly have to admit, more about that later. Our car is an Izuzu Dmax 4WD.

At 16:00 h we arrive at the Elegant Guesthouse. We have a short shower, than drive to the city centre after our host told us not to walk. We have a look at the Church of Christ and Parliament Building....

...then visit the Heinitzburg for a sundowner and finally Joes Beerhouse for dinner, were I have a fantastic skewer with game meat. Springbok and oryx are my favorites, but also zebra and kudu are tasty. As there's no crocodile available, it has been substituted by chicken.

Can be misunderstood ;-)

On the way from Windhoek to Etosha via Tsumeb

After breakfast in the heated (yes we are in Africa) breakfast room, a long 500 km drive on a good tar road brings us to the Mushara Bush Camp, just 10 km away from the Etosha Lindequist Gate. We only stop at a picknick spot and in Tsuneb, a rather green old mining town with a recommended museum. Unfortunately it's closed on Sundays.

Etosha - Mushara Bush Camp

Our hut at the camp looks like a Hemingway safari tent, very tasteful and spotlessly clean - as the whole place. Feels very luxurious!

After a short rest, we visit the park for an afternoon game drive. Entrance is 200 N$ pPpD and 50 N$ for the car. We visit Chudob (good light morning/afternoon), Koinachas (better in the morning) and Klein Okevi following two safari jeeps that suddenly turn on the road, obviously going straight for a sighting they got informed of, but unfortunately without success. Finally, we visit Klein Namutoni watching giraffes in the late afternoon sun.

On the way out, we are blocked by elephants on the road, great to watch but we just make it in time to the gate, which closes at sunset (18:40 h).

At the lodge, we have a rock shanty before dinner. The food is fantastic: tomato soup, orange and ginger chicken and ice cream as dessert. Back in our tent, the bed is already prepared - including a hot water bottle to keep us warm during the night. How cool is that! We have a fantastic sleep and only wake up for a couple of minutes when we get visited by an animal which we can hear close to the tent. A kind of antelope we guess.

Rock Shanty

Not to be missed out after a long Safari day, a Rock Shanty is the classical Namibian sundowner with 1/2 lemonade, 1/2 soda water and some drops of Angostura, a strong bitter herbal liquor. Together with plenty of ice the perfect refreshment. There are also variants, our favourite becomes the Malawi Shanty with Ginger Ale instead lemonade. We will have at least one every day until the end of the trip.

Etosha National Park

The clock rings 6:15 h, as the Lindequist Gate opens at 7:30 h. The temperature is quite fresh and a queue of cars is already waiting for the gate opening when we arrive. Morning and afternoon are generally the best game viewing times, as the animals are more active than in the heat of the day. We visit several waterholes that day, some with more, some with less success. According to the guide book it's 20 % planning and 80 % luck, which describes it very well in my opinion. The landscape is flat, dry and not really appealing during this time of the year. However the advantage is that the animals stay close to the waterholes and are easier to spot than in lush surroundings.

Not much to see at the Namutoni waterhole around midday.

For lunch, we get back to the lodge for some rest and a refreshing dip in the pool, and in the afternoon we try our luck again in the park.

Today, we drive the 150 km to Okaukuejo, of course with some additional detours stopping at several waterholes and at the salt pan outlook, one of the few spots outside the camps where one is allowed to leave the car. We are not the only ones who take the opportunity for some fun pictures.

Highlights of the morning are a huge group of zebras at Goas, a beautiful natural waterhole and a group of elephants that take a noisy bath at Rietfontein, followed by a dust shower. They obviously enjoy it - and we too.

After a rest in Okaukuejo, I go for some afternoon game viewing stopping at Gemsbokvlakte, Olifantsbad and Aus without success. At Nebrowni I see a huge number of cars and people obviously watching something which I can't see standing in the second row.

Etosha - Okaukuejo Camp

Disappointed by this afternoon, I drive back to the camp were the driver with out new car is already waiting for us. Two days ago we got informed by Europcar that our car is way over the inspection interval and needs to be urgently serviced. They will bring us another car coming all the 500 km from Winhoek, they inform us. A bit disorganised I think, but the exchange works flawlessly, and now we have a rather new Toyota Fortuner. The poor driver has to get back the same day, which means a long night drive for him.

Okaukuejo is a huge camp and feels rather anonym. The rooms are okay, as is the food. Nothing special. The only highlight is the waterhole which is lit in the night and frequently visited by all kind of animals. Beside others, we see a group of elephants and a rhino. A couple of years ago a poor guy was killed at night by an old lioness. He was sleeping at one of the benches and the old lioness somehow managed to sneak into the compound. Well, the barriers are honestly not looking too trustworthy but except of the mentioned tragic incident, seem to work.

A long tiring drive of 190 km today. Not many animals on the way. Olifantsrus camp, the only campsite in the western park section, nevertheless is a nice stop. We can get out of the car to stretch the legs and there is a nice hide which can be reached via a bridge. At Okavao we see a huge group of elephants having a bath, a dust shower and finally go straight to the water basins which feed the waterhole to get the best fresh water. Smart beasts and great picture opportunities.

Etosha - Dolomite Camp

The Dolomite camp, built on a hill overlooking the whole area, is in a great location. We need to park at the bottom of a hill. A buggy brings us on a narrow road to the camp, which feels more like a luxurious privat lodge than a state camp. It even has an infinity pool, which is great considering the heat of the day. Each chalet has a nice view. Ours is on the west site, but next time I would try to get one on the east site: even better views and shade in the afternoon for sitting on the veranda. Nevertheless the chalet is better than expected, the staff friendly and helpful and even dinner is tasty. Can't understand the negative reviews on Google.

In the later afternoon, someone says that lions are spotted on the waterhole, so I go for an afternoon drive and indeed 3 lions and 2 lioness are relaxing close to the waterhole. Very cool. The fact that the camp is only 500 m away and unfenced makes the 5 min. walk from the dinner tent back to the chalet in the dark a bit thrilling. Guests are requested to ask for the buggy and driver in the night, but as a South African couple decides to walk, we just follow them, joking the two would be already enough to feed a pride of lions. The chalet is still warm from the heat of the day so we leave the door and balcony open for a while but not without observing the area a bit nervously. Of course we close both for the night as I picture myself a scene telling Mel drowsily in the middle of the night that she has a disgusting breath just to find myself eye in eye with a lion. Anyway, the final result probably would be the same.

On the way to Sesfontein via Opuwo

The way from the Dolomite Lodge to Sesfontein requires a long detour, as the shortcut is a heavy 4x4 track only for the experienced: shorter but not faster. We take the way to the south (370 km) via Opuwo. The road to Opuwo (C35) is completely tarred and we make good progress. Opuwo is a cultural melting pot, including Hereros and Himbas, best witnessed at the local SPAR market which feels a bit surreal. The partly mud clad hair of the Himba women is amazing as is their whole appearance. The hair style symbolizes the status in their society. Many Himbas still live a nomadic life and they are very successful in cattle breeding we were told. However the last drought was so severe that it killed many of their animals, a real disaster. Walking around here as a tourist is challenging, as we are constantly approached by people trying to sell something or just asking for money. Only if the police shows up or a security guy says something they shortly take their distance. We are also told by locals to ensure that all the zips at the backpacks are closed. A rather mixed experience.

A good and scenic gravel road (C43) brings us from Opuwo to Sesfontein. The area is hilly, the road curvy. Occasionally, we see huge baobab trees that stretch their gnarly branches into the air like monsters.

Sesfontein

The Sesfontein guesthouse is basic but clean. Highlights are the friendly local staff and the diverse animals that roam the compound, including a bunch of sweet dogs.

Theo, the manager of the guesthouse, a former hunter, tells us that poaching still is a big problem. Only in June this year, eleven rhinos were killed in Etosha. The horn is smuggled into Angola and sold to Chinese customers. Also missing rain in the last decade was a big problem, but at least the last two year have been good.

Our cook is from the Himba tribe and we learn that the Himba typically choose one of their family to get a proper education and work. Of course it’s expected that he sends money back home later. The food is really good.

Lydia, the housekeeper, makes Melanie an African hairstyle during our stay. Good fun for both and an opportunity for Mel to get some insights of the local life, which is in many aspects not easy.

Sesfontein is a dusty little village, walking around again is a bit challenging. Soon, we are surrounded by kids asking more or less shyly for something, followed by a slightly drunken guy and a woman with a child. They are friendly, not aggressive, but we feel uncomfortable not really knowing how to deal best with the situation. For sure there are many poor people in Namibia, but giving some money to everyone who approaches us of course is not the solution. We make some fun with the kids, try to interact, some even speak a bit of English. At a store, we buy a trink for us and a package of candy which is shared between them. After the interaction, it feels alright. Furthermore, we pay a tin of sardines the drunken guy places on the counter the moment we are paying.

Day Trip to Hoanib

After breakfast, we follow Theo who has an overnight tour with a French couple to the dry Hoanib River. The area is famous for the wild desert elephants and only accessible by a good 4x4 due to the fine and deep sand of the river bed. I’m glad that we do it this way. I can train my off-road skills with the safety to follow an experienced guide in case we get stuck.

The entrance to the Hoanib is 100 N$ per person and per car. Theo checks the tyre pressure, 1.6 bar seems to be alright for the expected sand. In very difficult situations he reduces the pressure even down to 1.1 bar, he says.

The area is beautiful and much more diverse than Etosha. It’s like driving in a desert valley, only the river benches appear green. After heavy rain, the water level can reach up to 1.5 meters.

Driving in the deep sand works better than expected. The basic rules are staying in already existing car tracks (compressed sand), using momentum through deeper sections and only stopping downhill or on hard patches.

We follow fresh lion tracks for quite a while but can't follow them with the car into a rocky secondary valley. Theo believes the lions are close and might have trapped an animal in the valley which has a dead end. A hunting strategy often used by lions here, especially with giraffes. For good reasons, we can't follow further by foot.

The Hoanib is not Etosha and animals are less frequent. Nevertheless we see two desert elephants, baboons, ostriches, a giraffe, oryx and springbok. We make a brief stop at the campsite, which Beatrice and Eric, the French couple, will stay in tonight, then we proceed.

We have picnic lunch on a hill overlooking a moonlike landscape, where the valley opens up. From the distance, we see another elephant approaching an artificial waterhole. We drive a bit further until the edge to the Skeleton Coast NP. "Only" 70 km of mainly dunes are between us and the sea. The area can only be accessed with a special permit.

We drive back to the campsite where we finally separate from Theo, Beatrice and Eric. Although having gained some experience today in the sand and I just have to stay in the river bed, I'm a bit nervous. On the way out, we need to pass an elephant. The sand is soft and I can't approach slowly. The loud engine and fast moving vehicle makes the wild animal nervous, aggressively turning towards us. Fortunately, we are faster. Whew, no good place to get stuck! But this happens 15 min. later when I can't decide to follow a left or right turn track in the sand. A quick decision is necessary, stopping in the soft sand is no option. I first follow left than decide we have to follow the right track to stay in the river bed. Only 10 meters, but enough to get stuck in the very deep and soft sand between the tracks. Forward nor backwards works, damned!!! Most likely there won't be another passing car this afternoon, which makes my adrenalin level slightly rising. I dig the wheels out by hand as good as I can. The sand piles almost to the axles. We do not have a sand sheet nor a shovel, if it doesn't work we are in trouble. I put the 4WD on low gear, press the throttle and very slowly, centimeter by centimeter, the vehicle starts to shovel itself forward. Go baby, go baby, gooooooo!!!! After a felt eternity (time is relative), we finally make it to the more compressed sand on the track. Hallelujah!!!

Fortunately, it's the only time we get stuck, but especially towards the valley entrance I try to perfectly follow the recorded GPS track of this morning, as Theo warned us not to take the tracks that follow the right side of the valley which lead through treacherous extremely soft and deep sand patches. Your car can sink in until the level of your bumpers and only a tractor can get you out there. I still hear Theo’s voice in my head. We make it without further problems and are glad when we are back on the official gravel road. Just the right level of self-driving adventure for me today.

On the way to Twyfelfontein

In the morning, we bid farewell to Cora, Lydia the Himba cook and the bunch of crazy dogs. Theo, Beatrice and Eric are not yet back from the overnight trip. Today, we have to cover 211 km on often corrugated gravel roads.

In Palmwag, we fill up diesel and Mel buys two wooden rhinos from a Himba lady. I take the chance and ask for a picture. I'm totally stunned by the classical hairstyle of the Himba ladies.

Twyfelfontein

In the early afternoon we reach the Twyfelfontein Adventure Camp. The area is scenic and we relax during the afternoon, enjoying the view and our Malawi Shandies.

Twyfelfontein

Considering the price I’ve seen on booking.com, the tents are a bit on the small side as is the otherwise nicely decorated lounge area. The camp started with 6 tents, now having 12 and a huge extension with spacious and luxurious tent chalets including a new restaurant and lounge area is in the building phase.

In the late afternoon, we visit the UNESCO protected stone engravings in Twyfelfontein. A guide is mandatory and Thekla explains the area to us. The fact that also penguins and seals are engraved is taken as proof that people at that time also travelled to the shore 100 km away.

Back in the camp, we enjoy the stunning sunset atmosphere before dinner.

The early morning is pretty cold, a hot coffee/tea just comes to us at the right time. We have breakfast enjoying the rays of the warming morning sun.

Damara Living Museum

We start the morning with a visit of the Damara Living Museum, just a stone's throw away from the Adventure Camp. The living museum is a concept of a non-profit foundation. Its aim is to support local communities by preserving and educating about old customs of the different tribes in Namibia. There are several Living Museums all over Namibia, each dedicated to a specific tribe.

Elma, our dedicated guide, leads us through the village, explaining everything from old hunting habits, the way how to make fire to traditional tools, embellishment and games. Everyone seems to have fun with what they are doing and it does not feel awkward, as I experienced it already on other similar occasions. It’s clear that nowadays they do not live this way anymore. There is also a tour to their real village available, to experience "modern" Damara village life. I like the concept: it's educative, entertaining, allows for some great picture opportunities and supports the local community.

On the way to the Erongo Mountains

On the way to the Erongo Mountains, Google Maps leads us through a village along a narrow and very bad sand track. We don’t trust the navigation and return to the village a bit lost, trying to figure out an alternative way. It feels like no tourist has ever passed here. The first villager I asked doesn’t understand English, but when I stop a passing pick-up, the friendly driver tries to help but is not sure about the right direction. Finally, a police car shows up and the not very police-like dressed guys finally show us the right direction - which, guess what, indeed is the bad route indicated by Google Maps! Fortunately, the road soon becomes much better again.

The Ai Aiba Lodge lies a bit remote, but the scenery is beautiful. Also our chalet, the lounge and pool area look great. We take a free guided sundowner walk that leads us to the top of a hill with stunning views. What a place for a Gin Tonic which Ronny, our guide, prepares.

Again, we can enjoy a stunning afterglow before we go to dinner, to me it never gets boring. The three course dinner is the best food we had so far. The oryx steak I choose couldn’t be more tender.

Beside a one-hour walk to some rock paintings in the afternoon, we just relax in the lodge today. A lazy day.

Spitzkoppe, on the way to Swakopmund

After a sumptuous breakfast, including a delicious fruit and yoghurt pancake, we start our way to Swakopmund, including a detour to the 1,728 m high Spitzkoppe. The entrance is 80 N$ pP and 50 N$ for the car. We visit some rock paintings and a nice arch. A great place for camping. The area offers also good walking opportunities, but it’s already getting hot and we are looking forward to Swakopmund which we now approach on a good tar road while the temperature drops significantly towards the coast.

Swakopmund

We check in at Meike's Guesthouse, switch to warmer clothes and then take a walk through the city, which is well known for its German colonial architecture. Part of the touristic programme is a cake at the historic Café Anton. Not being the most atmosphering place, but getting served a traditional Black Forest cake by a perfectly German-speaking local waiter in Africa is kinda surreal. Nevertheless I prefer an apple cake, which is really good. Dinner we have at Küki's Pub, good but nothing special.

For today, we’ve booked a "Living Desert Tour", which was highly recommended in the guide book. We get picked up by Ansgar, our driver and guide for the tour, who brings us into the dune area just outside Swakopmund. The tour is really informative and Ansgar does a great job finding / digging out the little creatures in the next five hours. We see the Dancing White Lady Spider, a footless skink, the namib dune gecko, the poisonous sidewinder snake and a desert chameleon. We are even able to take great close-up pictures of all of them.

In the afternoon, we walk around the city centre and visit the private Swakopmund Museum, which shows a bit of everything (history of Swakopmund, nature, tribes, etc.) It’s quite entertaining, and the one hour we have until it closes at 17:00 h is not enough.

I take the car in order to drive outside the city for some drone shots in the late afternoon, but it’s far too windy. So I decide to drive 15 km further to a salt plant I’ve somehow marked on the map, which offers some good photo opportunities, including flamingos.

Dinner we have at Gabrielas Pizzeria run by an Italian couple. The pizza is excellent, highly recommended.

On the way to Walvis Bay

Through the thick morning fog along the coast, we drive to Walvis Bay to visit the flamingos at the Lagoon. I’m surprised by the huge number, and we spent much longer in the area than expected.

Walvis Bay

On the way to Sesriem

The road from Walvis Bay inland is rather boring for about 100 km, until the scenery becomes a bit more diverse.

Stop over in Solitaire

On the way to Sesriem, we stop at Solitaire to try the famous apple pie. It’s a bit of a tourist trap nowadays. The Scottish founder of the bakery died in 2014 and his graveyard is right next to the bakery. The cake now is served throughout the day. It tastes good, but honestly I also had better ones. Nevertheless, a worthwhile stop also for the vintage car wrecks which are a great photo opportunity.

Sesriem

The Sossusvlei Lodge is huge and located directly at the park entrance. From the tower there is a great 360-degree view over the area. Dinner is buffet-style. The atmosphere with the colourful sunset afterglow is great but it's also bloody cold and everyone wears jackets. The buffet selection is huge. The salad and entree options are great, the BBQ meat (8 different kind, including different game) mediocre as a bit tough... and the desserts are disgustingly sweet.

Sossusvlei

The gate opens at 7:30 h. When we arrive 7:15 h, there is already a queue ahead of us - and soon also behind us. Everyone wants to see the dunes in the morning light. The entrance fee for the two of us and the car is 350 N$ which can be paid later when leaving the park.

Most people are heading first for dune 45 which gets very busy soon. We stop at another dune before. A bit smaller, but we have it for our own and can take some nice pictures of untouched sand. Passing dune 45, we only stop to take some pictures of the crowds. From the distance, the ridge looks like an ant trail.

To get to the famous Deadvlei, a deep sand section of 5 km need to be crossed, only suitable for 4WD. All others have to take s shuttle. With my Hoanib experience it now feels like a piece of cake. There is already a constant stream of people making their way to the Deadvlei, a salt pan with photogenic dead trees, surrounded by some of the highest dunes in the world. As many people try to climb the Big Daddy Dune first before going or better sliding down to the vlei, it still looks rather empty when we arrive, skipping the dune climb. The area offers plenty of creative picture opportunities, including other tourists posing in every imaginable and even unimaginable way.

Sesriem Canyon

By 11:00 h, we are back at the lodge, rest a while and in the afternoon visit the Sesriem Canyon. Less spectacular than the dunes, but still worth a visit.

On the way to the Namtib Desert Lodge

The long drive on the C27 and D707 today leads through a fascinating and diverse landscape. We see zebras, oryx and a whole ostrich family with 19 chicks on the way. These roads are considered to be some of the most scenic in Namibia - and that for a good reason!

Namtib Desert Lodge

A 12 km side road brings us to the Namtib Desert Lodge. In the afternoon, we do a botanical walk and during dinner, which we have together with all other guest on a huge table, the owners Thorsten(!) and Lynn explain a lot about the farm life which can be hard, especially when there is no rain for years and all the animals need to be sold for a poor price. Nowadays, they mainly live on the five guest bungalows. Stocking up means a 250 km drive to the next bigger supermarket and back, which they do every 4 to 6 weeks. Much of the food is produced right on the farm, like vegetables, meat, yoghurt, jam and cheese. Water comes from a 120 m deep borehole and is of excellent quality.

Klein - Aus Vista

My night was not good, I have some stomach problems and feel week. Fortunately, today it's only a short drive of about two hours to Aus through diverse desert scenery. I do not have a real eye for it and am happy when we arrive at the Klein-Aus Vista Desert Horse Inn. The design of the Lodge is based on the desert horses which roam the area. They are descendants from horses used by the South African Army during WWI which got lost. Even the pool is shaped like a horseshoe. In the afternoon, I mainly hang around and sleep.

On the way to Lüderitz

Fortunately, I feel much better today. After breakfast, we start our day trip to Lüderitz. It's 130 km on an excellent, paved road. We see many trucks, reminding us that this is a mining area. Probably the only thing you can do in this moonlike landscape. Otherwise, there is not much traffic, and in just one hour we reach Kolmanskuppe, 15 km ahead of Lüderitz.

Kolmannskuppe

Today Kolmanskuppe is a ghost town, but back in the 1920th it was probably the most modern diamant mining town at that time. In the middle of nowhere, the Germans built a town with ice making facilities, electricity, gym, bowling alley, casino, swimming pool, etc. Freshwater was brought all the way from Capetown. In 1930, the mining in Kolmannskuppe came to an end, as the mining focus moved to Elisabethbucht. Soon after, people started to leave the place, although the last person only left in the 1960th.

I love this kind of lost places, as they often offer great photo opportunities - and Kolmanskuppe is no exception. Before and after the interesting one-hour tour that is included in the entry fee, I stroll around for hours, hunting for pictures. I especially like how the sand piles up in the buildings, clearly showing how the desert slowly takes back control over the area if not interrupted like in a few maintained buildings hosting a museum, a café and a curio shop.

Lüderitz

After lunch and a short city tour of Lüderiz with its colonial charm, we drive towards Díaz Point, where the Portuguese once landed, searching a navigable way around Africa. The area even looks more dry, bare and moonlike than the scenery on the way to Lüderiz.

Back to Klein-Aus Vista

We are back in Aus just in time for the sunset. On the way back, we look out for the desert horses, but without success.

On the way to the Fish River Canyon

There are two options to reach our Lodge at the Fish River Canyon: East via B4, then south via D462, D463 and 6039 (221 km), or south via D13, then east via D463 and 6039 (270 km). We opt for the longer way, as we have sufficient time and furthermore we have to take the other route anyway partly on our way to Keetmanshoop.

The drive is scenic, especially the D463. The D13 is completely paved and we make fast progress. The D463 is better than expected, only the last 20 km to the lodge are really bumpy. On the way, we meet a French couple with a flat tire on their Nissan X-Trail. The second flat tire in two days they tell us, bad luck. As they are already finished and don't need help, we go on and will meet them later in the lodge.

Fish River Canyon

Around 13:00 h, we reach the lodge. The Fish River Lodge is the only one on the western side of the Canyon, it's also the only one right on the canyon edge. The view that awaits us entering the main building is breathtaking. The building and the chalets perch on the canyon edge like the top seats in an amphitheater, offering the best view over the epic scenery in front of us.

The chalets have ample space, are modern and of course have a great veranda and view. On the other side of the canyon, we can see cars glistening in the sun at the viewpoints of the eastern rim. It's maybe only 5 km across as the crow flies - but 290 km by car 😳!

….brrrrh, the water is quite fresh.

before / after

There are two rim walks. We take the one to the right, facing the canyon, which brings us in 40 min to a viewpoint that offers a spectacular view towards the lodge on the canyon edge.

The way is dotted with quiver trees, which make a great photo opportunity, especially against the sunset. Unfortunately, almost 50% of the trees look dead. A result of a severe drought in the last decade. At least the last two years have brought some normal rain. However too late for many of the trees.

Dinner in the lodge is in a romantic candlelight setting, comes in three courses and is one of the best we had on the tour. During dinner, a guide shows up to discuss the opportunities for tomorrow. We decide to take a full-day drive down the canyon to the Fish River.

Our tour down the canyon starts at 8:00 h. We are only four in the 8-seater jeep, so there is lots of space. Our guide Jerry is from the Himba tribe, coming from the very north of Namibia close to the Angolan border. It couldn't be further away. Returning home takes him three days.

There is only one treck by car down to the river. Well, track is exaggerated. Some parts are bumpy like hell, others daunting steep and very close to the edge. With several stops, it takes us 3.5 hours down to the river, where we have lunch and the brave can go for a swim. Guess what? Refreshing, but honestly the swimming pool at the lodge felt colder according to my toe test yesterday.

In general, we are very lucky as regards the weather today. In 9 out of 10 days it's very windy, we learn from Jerry. In summer it's up to 50 degree celsius and in winter can go below zero. Our day is almost windless and sunny with mild temperatures. Couldn't be better.

The afternoon we enjoy at the lodge, even the Wi-Fi works today, although very slow.

Damn! Approaching the car in the morning, we see that the rear window at the driver's side is broken. A big hole and shattered glass. My first thought is that someone smashed it in to get inside. But the hole is too small and nothing is missing. Anyway, why would someone do that in such a remote lodge? People take all valuables out to the rooms anyway. We can only guess. Coming from Sesriem, we got hit by a stone spurted by a passing car. It was a very loud noise but I could not see anything. Maybe the glass was structurally damaged and the heat/cold between night and day at the lodge finally made the window break. A better idea we don't have.

With the help of the staff the lodge, we remove the rest of the glass and close the window with a cardboard advertising Namibian chicken. Then I call Europcar. I expect they will ask for a repair at Keetmanskop, but instead they are going to send someone with a new car! I'm surprised, but of course I agree.

Keetmanshoop

The way to Keetmanshoop is quite fast, maybe two hours. From outside the Gessert Guesthouse doesn't look too appealing, but inside it has a beautiful garden area. Perfect place to relax during the afternoon.

In the late afternoon we visit the Giant's Playground and Quiver tree forest, which belong to the same farm but are 5 km away from each other. The giant's playground looks like thousands of sculptures built from giant Lego bricks. A path leads around the area in 30 min., but it is not always easy to follow. Best to mark the starting point via GPS, e.g. with Google maps.

The quiver tree forest is especially nice at sunset and offers great photo opportunities. There is a campground right beside it, I would have loved to camp there for a night.

We have dinner at the Schützenhaus. An interesting place, also visited by many locals. It's not the most charming athmosphere. The food is rustic, I take the Cordon bleu and holy cow the portion is enormous! Could easily feed two. No haute cuisine, but tasty.

After an extensive breakfast in the morning, we receive our replacement car from Marcelino, the same driver who brought us already the second car to Etosha. He had to drive again 500 km from Windhoek, now to the south ("I'm always on the road."). We get the same car, a silver Toyota Fortuner. Let's see how Europcar handles the damage, we have full coverage. The service so far is really excellent. Nothing to complain about.

Subsequent entry back in Germany: Europcar didn’t charge anything. Would definitely book again with them.

Bagatelle Kalahari Game Lodge

The drive to Mariental is straightforward on a good tar road. The last part to the lodge is on a good gravel road. Soon the Kalahari landscape, with red dunes and yellow grass, appears.

To pamper ourself the last days, I've booked a dune chalet at the Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch. Six chalets are built on top of a dune, offering stunning views right from the balcony. But the best are the rather tame oryx, springbok, kudus and donkeys that roam the huge area and frequently show up at the lounge area. With some luck, even the two rhinos show up, but in our case unfortunately only at dawn. So I take a morning tour for the cheetah feeding and thereafter to the rhino feeding. The cheetahs are kept in huge enclosures managed in cooperation with the Cheetah Conservation Trust. Breeding is not allowed, I learn. The six cheetahs here would not survive in the wild, as mostly their mother was shot by farmers when they were cubs. A frequent problem, as cheetahs do not kill only for eating, but like wolves follow their hunting instinct and often kill many sheep or goats of a herd at once. Often, cubs are killed in silence as well, but sometimes farmers bring them to the conservation trust. If they have never learnt hunting and staying away from lions, leopards or hyenas from their mother, they would not survive in the wild. Nevertheless, fortunately Namibia is a huge country with a very low human population density, and therefore, of 7,000 cheetahs worldwide, half of them live in Namibia.

On the way back to Windhoek

A rather boring drive of 3 hours brings us back to Windhoek. As there is not much to do on a Sunday, we start late. Back in the Elegant Guesthouse we relax, pack our stuff and afterwards have dinner at Joe's Bierhouse, where I have my last oryx fillet (excellent) of this trip.

Departure day. We have a look around the craft village in Windhoek, before we finally drive to the airport. The car return is a matter of minutes, as is the check-in. The flight starts on time, and from up in the air we have a last look at this country with its harsh and empty but also beautiful and diverse landscape we could explore during the last 24 days. Doing so, I already wonder how neighbouring Angola might look like. Well, maybe another time and another adventure 😉...

The End

Button Label

Story Told With

Start publishing stories like this