Namibia
each of our african adventures is something very special. this time, however, a long-held dream came true: as part of our big adventure journey, we were back in namibia, in our own car, just as we had dreamed of together many years ago.
we started this time trip again in livingstone, zambia, where our old reliable lady Flora was awaiting us. since everything here is already so much familiar to us, it really felt like coming home. especially the warm hospitality of our car’s host family always contributes much to this feeling. within less than a day, we had Flora ready to take-off for new adventures. after driving an already known route over kasungula border through botswana and chobe national park, we easily crossed ngoma border to namibia. we could hardly believe we were back in namibia! who would have ever thought that our big dream would one day become reality! after a beautiful sunset drive on a mirror-like road, we arrived at our first camp site in katima mulilo just after dark, where we spent our first night in our rooftop tent directly at the zambezi river. how much we have missed the chirping of the crickets, the singing of the nightingale, these soothing nocturnal sounds. on a boat trip on the zambezi river, which we started from our second campsite, we were able to observe beautiful birds, each more colorful and graceful than the next. particularly the little kingfisher impressed us a lot. how indescribably beautiful and mysterious nature is!
on the way to nkasa rupara national park, we passed many beautifully maintained farming villages. even though this region of namibia is exceptionally more populated than other regions, the surroundings radiate a unique tranquility, accompanied by an enchanting light.
we set up our camp for the night in the middle of the wild nature of the nkasa rupara national park. the whole environment here reminded us very much of moremi in botswana and we think it is an insider tip for those who love the okavango delta but prefer to be completely alone and without encountering other tourists.
even though we appreciate a good night's sleep, the best thing for us is to get up in the dark of the early morning to go game viewing at sunrise. these morning moments in africa always evoke very special feelings in us. during a guided game drive and boat safari, we spotted a huge herd of elephants, a roaming leopard and five male lions lying lazily under a bush. a unique experience was when we witnessed a herd of elephants swimming across the river. it was great to see them swimming and visibly enjoying the cool water as they palmed themselves. back at our Flora and after a very hot drive, we arrived exhausted but happy at the beautiful kazondwe camp. somewhat elevated on a hill, it offers a breathtaking view over a vast expanse of land. after a long cooling swim in the pool, we set up our camp, and after a cozy campsite dinner and donkey shower we immediately felt asleep accompanied by the sound of hippos and frogs. the next day started early again as we drove to the tiny, beautiful, and very remote mudumu national park, where we could spot elephants, letschwe antilopes, zebras, wildebeests, impalas, kudus, baboons and the first giraffe of this trip. taken the peaceful atmosphere of this surrounding with us and after a proper healthy breakfast, we traversed the entire caprivi strip under a torrid heat until the famous popa falls, where we enjoyed a stunning sunset.
on the next day, which started again very early, we mastered a long drive via grootfontein to the ghuab farm. the 192 square kilometer farm is embedded in a savannah-like hilly landscape and houses a few camping pitches. one aim of the farm is the deliberate reintroduction of wild animals. this includes rhinos and so we were able to enjoy a very impressive and touching rhino game drive on the farm, where we were able to marvel at a 4-month-old baby rhino.
once we had a good night's sleep and had stocked up on diesel for Flora and food for us in tsumeb, we drove on to the edge of etosha national park to onguma, which we already knew well from our last trip to namibia. at leadwood campsite we not only made nice acquaintances with people, but also with an elderly elephant that was drinking at the waterhole just 5 meters apart from us. it was such a breathtaking experience that we will always remember. starting from tambuti campsite, we went on a game drive where we encountered a pride of 10 lions. we watched their behavior and play for hours - what a great experience
at the east gate we started our tour through etosha national park, famous for its diverse wildlife and huge salt pan, which can even be seen from outer space. the poor gravel roads and the merciless heat did not make the journey easy with our non-air-conditioned Flora. but our compassion at the sight of the exhausted animals searching for water made this feeling fade into the background. we have never seen etosha so dry! memories of frolicking herds of springbok and zebra seemed like something from another place.
after a night's camping in okaukejo, where we experienced the atmosphere of a base camp on an expedition, we drove in convoy to western etosha the next day together with our new friends from france. even though the arduous corrugated iron roads demanded some patience and nerves of steel, we were able to spot more animals here than we did a few years ago, despite the drought. the reason for this was that some water holes had been built here for animals in the meantime. after a detour to olifantrus, where there is a great waterhole for watching elephants, we drove on to dolomite camp, which we already knew from before. once again, it was a wonderful place to recharge our batteries after a dry, hot, and very dusty drive and to gaze over the vastness of namibia.
in this vast and varied landscape of namibia, our journey continued to the magical surroundings of twyfelfontein, where it looks as if giants have been playing with large round boulders. the sunsets in twyfelfontein bathe the area in a golden-orange light and the best way to admire this spectacle is to climb one of the rocky hills (kopjes).
the next day we set off in the footsteps of the dramatic car accident we had on the harsh skeleton coast eight years ago. we had a wonderful drive in a scenic landscape and thanks to the fact that for once it was not dreary and foggy but exceptionally sunny here on the coast, our trauma processing was not as depressed as we thought it would be. it was wonderful to dip our feet into the cold and rough atlantic, exciting to marvel at the many shipwrecks and once again impressive to see the huge sea lion colony. it felt as fresh and windy as at the north sea. it was therefore a welcome change to be able to spend the night in the warm bed of the simple but beautiful cape cross lodge. after breakfast and a long walk on the beach, we drove via the dead sea to swakopmund, where we spent a few days doing some maintenance work on Flora and enjoying delicious seafood. on the day of our onward journey, we drove to walvis bay early in the morning to take part in one of the great defender tours to sandwich harbour. sandwich harbour is another magical place in namibia and unique in the world, where sand dunes meet the sea. we enjoyed driving up and down the dunes so much a few years ago and although the weather conditions were not so good this time, it was worthwhile doing so again.
just as we were setting off towards naukluft, we received a phone call from home that led to a change of plans. an emergency with our cat made us decide to cancel our trip immediately and take the next possible flight home. it was once again a race against time to get everything done before the flight departed, like finding a trustworthy shelter for Flora, cleaning her completely, doing laundry, paperwork... but we made it in time. we were very sad to have to end our trip early and not be able to bring Flora back to livingstone, but we were also happy to be with our beloved cat as quickly as possible. Flora would be waiting for us again and we are already looking forward to being able to experience the second part of our namibia trip at some point soon.
