South Africa / Botswana / Namibia travel report april/may 2004

Friday 9 april

Finally D-day. Almost 3 months after we booked our tickets we left Groningen at 5am to arrive in Johannesburg in the evening. In the plane the stewardesses must have thought that Johan was a Newcastle hooligan because of the lumberjack shirt. In JNB we called the hostel where we also stayed in 2 years ago and they picked us up. Surprisingly quiet in the hostel at easter weekend. We went to the small bar for a few beers and took the first pictures.

Saturday 10 april

Got up at 7.30 and we were at the airport again at 9 to pick up the rental car. This time we got a VW-polo with 25000km on the odometer. Not the best car but it did the job quite well. Fortunately a big trunk that easily fitted 3 backpacks with tents. The moment we left the parking garage we were fined because Johan did not wear his seatbelt in the backseat. We had to negotiate about the fine (R.300). A great way to welcome tourists in a country that needs them so badly.

We continued our way to Botswana without problems until we switched drivers. Johan was the new driver and after a few km’s he was fined again. This time for speeding. Fortunately fines are lower than in Europe so we took pictures and had a good laugh about this one (R.200). At around 1pm we arrived at the Botswana border. Things went smoothly and shortly after that we were in a new country. This night we would stay in Mokolodi. One of the many great wild parks in Botswana. Due to a cancellation we were very lucky to stay in this park during Easter weekend which is after Christmas the busiest period in Botswana. Mokolodi turned out to be a great park for us. We had a campsite in the middle of the bush for ourselves. The campsite had a braai, shower and toilet. We setup the tents and went for a late evening drive. We saw a few animals like gemsbok, springbok and a few elephants very close up. At the restaurant we bought meat for P50 pp. and some firewood, I picked up a bag of elephant mite instead of firewood but fortunately a ranger pointed out the error. As soon as it got dark we lighted the braai, which was quite a problem because we only had a lighter and the wood was a little wet. But our pyromaniac Johan is a professor in this field and after about 1.5 hours we had a stable fire which was a relief otherwise we couldn’t eat and we were very very hungry. The meat was great and very well spiced by the cook at the restaurant. A gastronomic highlight. Beer, meat and the best campsite I’ve ever seen guaranteed a memorable evening. An incredible amount of stars in the sky, no mosquitoes and a perfect temperature. Welcome to Africa.

Sunday 11 april

We got up early today, a long day ahead of us. Mokolodi has had a lot of rainfall the last few months so the roads were quite bad especially for a 2wd. Most of the trails were off-limit for us. Even driving on the main road the car was in trouble sometimes with the deep pothole and dense jungle environment. We saw some bok’s and warthogs but the best was 2 rhinos with a puppy on the road (someone at the restaurant tipped us where we could find them). There are very few rhinos in Botswana so we were very lucky to see them. At 10.30 we left the park to drive to the north. In the capital Gaborone we stopped to pin some money. The city is very boring and we tried 3 atm’s but they refused to spit out the pula’s. Eventually I had to use the visa card to get money. Bankpasses just don’t work here. On the road again Luc was the next one with a fine, also for speeding (P.200). The main road in Botswana is in good condition, tarred and almost not potholes or traffic. The landscape is quite boring, flat and not much to see, the few villages are not much more than dust holes. Grab a bite, fill up petrol and go. When the sun went down we arrived at a campsite near Nata sanctuary. A beautiful camping with a restaurant and a bar. Most campsites and lodges in Southern Africa have a buffet and this one was no exception. After dinner we hang out in the bar which closed early.

Monday 12 april

Today we only had to drive a short distance to Kasane. Magnificent landscape along the road, like driving in a wild park. We saw an elephant a few metres from the road. Early in the afternoon we arrived in Kasana. Also a dust hole. We checked out two campsites. One was flooded due to heavy rains, the other was really unattractive. We decided to stay at pre-erected tents, which was quite comfortable. Walking over the campground you can see some wildlife. Monkeys, warthogs and birds. The water in the Chobe River was quite high and a big part of the camping was underwater. At the ticket office we booked a tour to VicFalls in Zimbabwe for tomorrow. A braai and beer took us through the evening and we went to bed early as usual.

Tuesday 13 april

A day I had been looking forward to since I had ever heard of the VicFalls. At 7 we were in a minibus and at 10 at the VicFalls entrance. We could see the spray of the falls km’s before we were there. Lots of hawkers at the parking place with little statues and raincoats and umbrellas. We decided not to hire raincoat/umbrella which was quite stupid as we would soon find out. When we entered the park it was raining because of the spray. The closer we got to the falls the worse it got. At the viewpoints we got drenched within seconds! The only place to really see something of the falls was from the left side where it was dry. It is a great sight to see all that water falling down and the roar of the falls is incredible. The main (and best) viewpoint were almost unreachable but we tried anyway. Bags under an umbrella (that we found) and walking fast we managed to get to some viewpoints but didn’t see anything, it was just a blur, like walking through clouds. With water pouring down (like being under a bucket shower) and not a single piece of cloth dry anymore we turned back. Luc was ahead of us and managed to get to the Zambezi bridge. But he had to pay the price for that. His expensive camera fell out of his back and he lost the batteries and broke the battery holder. Furthermore almost everything inside his daypack was wet (fortunately the passport and money were still dry). We found a very depressed Luc at the entrance and left the park. We were unlucky that we saw so little of the falls, it had rained too much the last months. Anyway, been there done that. Outside the park a perfectly blue sky again and no spray. We went to a giant Baobab and visited Victory Falls town. Lots of hawkers here and no fun at all walking around. A guy in a camera store was able to repair the camera (for free !). Not much to see here and almost no other tourists. Most people now go to the Zambian side even though the Zimbabwean side is supposed to have a better view. At the end of the afternoon we drove back to Kasane.

Wednesday 14 april

An early start again. Today we wanted to go into Chobe NP so at 8 we were at the entrance. But they told us that we were not allowed to go in with a 2wd. The roads are all sand and we would certainly get stuck there. A big disappointment because Chobe is a must see. We had the options to go on a tour, hire a 4wd or go to Namibia. For the first 2 options it was already too late, we would miss the early morning hours. So for that we had to wait a day and hang around at the campsite and lose a day. With lead in our shoes we decided to go to Namibia. Two thumbs down for lonely planet, we were convinced that the park is accessible in a 2wd. We shopped in Kasane and took the transit road through the Chobe park. At least 40km through the park but we did not see much wildlife (an elephant and some bok’s). 2 days ahead of schedule we crossed the Namibia border which was a breeze just like the Botswana border. In a village 30km further away we paid the road tax and changed our leftover pula’s at the bank for Namibia dollars. Roads are excellent in Namibia with almost no traffic, very easy to drive long distances here. The only problem sometimes is that in the proximity of villages people walk on the road. After only a few km’s in Namibia we saw a big snake on the road. Unfortunately it disappeared in the grass so we couldn’t take a picture. When I drove I hit a small bird and near a small village Luc hit a dog at 120kph. After 500 km we stopped at a camping in a beautiful setting near a national park. At the end of the afternoon we went to the park and an official told us that we had to turn back the clock 1 hour. The park itself is gorgeous. A real African wildlife park where we did not see a single other tourist. This is the only park in Namibia where you are allowed to get out of the park. Strange as there are lions walking around. We didn’t see much wildlife here. The usual bok’s and birds and giant termite mounds. The hippos were very well hidden, we could only see their giant footprints. A bit dangerous walking through hippo territory, these guys are the deadliest animals in Africa. We ate at the restaurant are went to sleep at 8, totally exhausted.

Thursday 15 april

Ahead of schedule we decided to go to the Waterberg plateau first instead of Etosha. A long drive and the last 150km is gravel. But the gravel roads in Namibia are very good but dusty. Soon the car was full of dust and it would stay that way until Capetown. The last part of the road is not so good, full of potholes and shallow riverbeds. At 4 we arrived at the campsite and were stunned by the view. After putting up the tents we sat down and drank Windhoek beer. No mosquitoes and a perfect temperature. Life could be worse. In the restaurant halfway the plateau we ate game steaks and drank some more beer.

Friday 16 april

After breakfast we did a few hikes on the plateau. The first one was a short climb on the plateau with a great viewpoint. The other hikes were just under the plateau and were of little interest. Hiking through the high grass is not much fun unless you like insects. Because of the disappointing hikes we booked a wildlife tour for the afternoon. The tour is on the plateau and the roads are really wild. Definitely No terrain for a 2wd. There was not much wildlife besides giraffes and bok’s but the tour was very nice because of the landscape and rough terrain. After the braai we went to bed early. Long day again tomorrow.

Saturday 17 april

We drove the 300 km to Etosha in 3 hours. Two thumbs up for the roads in this country. Etosha is one of the greatest wildlife parks in Africa so we were all very eager to get here. Especially after the great experience 2 years ago in Kruger and Hluhluwe. When we arrived at the gate we were surprised to hear that it was really quiet in the park so accommodation would not be a problem. The distance between the gate and the first camp is short but we already saw lots of animals. In Namutomi we booked a bungalow and stayed there for a few hours. A beautiful bungalow with airco and a veranda. Also very close to the waterhole. At 15.00 we started the late afternoon drive. We saw lots and lots of animals and we were thrilled. The camaras just didn’t stop clicking. One special animal worth mentioning was a springbok which refused to go off the road. We drove next to it for quite a long distance. The springbok was speeding because it was running 70kph (!!!) and was not even at full speed. We had a very special encounter just about when we were to return to the camp (there are strict regulation that you have to be inside the camp before 18.00), we spotted a lion. This was for me one of the main reasons to return to Africa. It was a female lion and it was pregnant. An unforgettable sight. We made some unbelievably good pictures. One where the lion is drinking from a waterhole with a giraffe standing nearby and a few close-ups. Just after we saw the lion we saw an elephant standing near the road. Now we were in a hurry because of the 18.00 rule. All kinds of animals jump on the road this time of day. A jackal just in front of the car got so nervous that it took a dump on the road. At sunset we made some more great pictures. Just before 18.00 we were inside the camp, just in time. In the evening we went to the restaurant for the buffet. The buffets here have lots of game. You can eat for example springbok, gemsbok or ostrich. Good stuff and cheap as well. Just like in Kruger days in a wildlife park are exhausting so the lights went out very early.

Sunday 18 april

Woke up at 5.30 and we were on our way at 6.00. We decided to drive the beginning of the route we took yesterday just because we saw so many animals there. Under a tree far from the road we saw a pride of lions. 2 males, lots of females and lots of puppies. We watched them for a while but they were too far away too see much. A few km’s later we saw even more lions. A female with 3 puppies. They were very close and eventually crossed the road. When we turned back we stopped again to look at the pride under the tree. The moment we stopped the car they started walking. As if they had been waiting for us. The car was exactly in the right spot as the lions walked directly towards our car. The lions were just meters from our car and we couldn’t believe our luck. The male lions didn’t even look at us but the puppies seemed curious and were playing around the car. After 30 minutes the whole pride had crossed the road and disappeared into the bushes. An unbelievable experience and for me one of the best wildlife experiences ever. We went back to the camp to do some shopping and pack our bags. We went to the next camp in Etosha which is Halali, 70 km further west. On the road to Halali we made some detours. We saw the world’s smallest antilope, the dik-dik. Etosha is dry and flat but the rains have been heavy the last few months so the grass was high and there are lots of prey animals with their young. On the road to Halali we only saw these prey animals. The further we went to Halali the less animals we saw, which is weird as Halali has the most predator sightings in Etosha. In the afternoon we arrived in Halali and checked in. At 15.30 it was time for the late afternoon drive. This was very disappointing, we saw almost no animals. After a bump the front left wheel made a strange noise. We had to get out of the car to check it out. After we removed the wheel and put it back on it was magically fixed. Probably a small stone between the brake and the wheel. Fortunately not a big problem. You don’t want to have car trouble here. We searched for wildlife until the very end (which is 18.00) but did not see a single animal. This evening we didn’t go for the buffet but braaied our own meat. We checked out the waterhole, only zebras here.

Monday 19 april

At 6 we were in the car but again, didn’t see much wildlife. Halali should be the place to see rhinos and leopards but they were very well hidden. A reason could be because of the heavy rains in the past months. Plenty of water and food for the animals in the whole park. Halali was such a disappointment that we decided to cancel the 2nd night here and move on to the 3rd camp Okaukuejo. Close to this camp we started to see wildlife again. Zebras, springbok, wildebeest and gemsbok. These animals are the most common in Etosha and sometimes you see literally hundreds of them We stayed in a nice bungalow here opposite the waterhole. The afternoon drive was not that special, besides the most common animals we didn’t see much. Sometimes a bird or a jackal not much variety. In the evening 2 elephants and some lions visited the waterhole, a great sight.

Tuesday 20 april

As the previous days an early morning and a late afternoon drive. Today we had some luck, we saw 3 elephants, a snake a female lion and loads of springbok and zebras. Close to the pan (which is like a desert) thousands of springbok and zebras were on their way to a waterhole. Incredible sight to see that many animals. Africa at its best. Just before 18.00 we saw a black rhino. Fortunately there were no other cars around. The animal was scared of us because it ran away every time we came close so we had to turn around a few times. Eventually the rhino didn’t run away and we had a good sight at it. Black rhinos are smaller than white rhinos but make that up with aggressive and antisocial behavior so it can be a very dangerous animal. Shortly after that we saw the snake and the female lion.

Wednesday 21 april

One more short drive through the park before we left the park. We saw a few jackals, elephants and hartebeest on this final drive. All in all Etosha is a great park but I guess the end of the dry season is a much better time to spot wildlife. Compared to kruger, Etosha is less spectacular. Kruger has much better scenery with rivers and hills and in Kruger you see a greater variety of animals. Unfortunately In Etosha we didn’t see hyenas or leopards. There are no Buffalos and Hippos in Etosha but that is made up by the 33 lions we saw and the incredible amount of zebras, springbok en gemsbok. And especially the gemsbok is a beautiful animal but after seeing the 1,000th gemsbok you become a little blasé. We left the park at 7.30. A really long day ahead of us as the goal for today is Swakopmund with a detour through Damaraland. Two words for Damaraland : “Spectacular Scenery”. The best I’ve seen in Namibia. Here started the unpaved road we had to drive for about 1500 km. The first part of the road is in bad condition but luckily it got much better later. It was extremely hot here in the desert. We didn’t have a thermometer but I would say at least 40 degrees Celsius. We stopped for a few highlights like the petrified forest (we didn’t go in), twijfelfontein (too hot to walk) and the organ pipes. But the real highlight was driving through this magnificent landscape, awesome. Driving on gravel with the windows open, the dust started to settle again inside the car. Sometimes it became so dusty that is was difficult to breathe. This part of Namibia is quite remote. Almost no villages, parks and tourists. We went along brandberg and stopped in a dusthole called Uis Myn to get some much needed cold drinks. After that we drove straight through the Namib desert to the coast. It’s like driving on the moon in this part of the desert. Absolutely nothing to see but sand. Only 3 colors here; blue sky, yellow desert and gray road. Unreal. At the end of the afternoon we arrived at the coast. The Namib desert stretches out until the coast so it’s really weird to see villages here in the desert along the coast. Again unreal. Eventually we arrived at Swakopmund after a long long day of driving. Quite cold here during the day and in the evening it gets so cold that you have to wear a jacket. We checked in into a cheap hotel and went straight to the bar, very thirsty. After dinner in a wildwest restaurant (big steaks) we went out. Our first party night this holiday. We made some new friends in the bar and we went to the local disco. We became very drunk and crashed in bed at 3 am.

Thursday 22 april

Fortunately Windhoek is a very good beer brewed according to the rheinheitsgebot so only a minor hangover. Today is a rest day, we washed clothes and hung around the city. Swakopmund is almost like a German town. They even speak German here. At night we ate pizza and went to the bar again for a few beers but didn’t make it very late this time.

Friday 23 april

Today we also stayed in Swakopmund. We were a few days ahead of schedule because we skipped Chobe. Instead of hanging around again we did the Welwechsia drive near the town. It’s a drive through the desert. As soon you get inland the temperature rises and it gets very hot. The drive itself is beautiful as is the Namib desert. The Welwechsia drive is quite touristy, we even saw a bus full of people. Uncommon sight in the desert. It is a bizarre landscape, again like standing on the moon. The first part of the drive is also called ‘moon landscape’. At the end we saw the welwechsia’s, plants that survive without water (just dew) and can live for up to 2000 years. What those plants must have seen… We also saw lichen, plant nor animal. We left the drive through an oasis where actually people live. In the evening we went to a bar and the disco again. One girl in a bar was very drunk and jumped on Luc. He was not very pleased about that and eventually she was removed from the bar. The bars here in Swakopmund are not much fun. Really bad music and the locals are not exactly party animals.

Saturday 24 april

We left Swakopmund after breakfast at the supermarket and filled up the car with petrol and water. The road to Walvisbaai is paved and runs along the ocean with white sand dunes on the left. A surreal sight, white on the left, blue on the right and above. After 30 minutes we arrived in Walvisbaai. Not a very interesting town but quite big for Namibian standards. We continued on a gravel road and were on our way to Solitaire. Solitaire is a town in the middle of the Namib desert. Ton van der Lee lived here for 2 years and wrote a book about it. This book is a masterpiece and I was very thrilled to see the place that I’ve read about so much. 300 km later after a very dusty but beautiful drive we were there. Immediately we realized that Solitaire had changed a lot the last few years. It's now a busy stop with even a resort. At least 100 people live here now (in the book maybe 5-10). We had something to drink on the veranda and in the restaurant that was built by vd Lee. At 3 pm Moose arrived, one of the main characters in the book. He looked exactly as I expected him to look. After dinner in the restaurant we drank a few more beers and talked to Moose. A lot of Dutch people know him from the book. He told us that sometime ago a bus full of Dutch arrived and half of them were carrying the book. I can imagine he's quite fed up about it. But despite that he's a very friendly and easygoing guy. We also talked to the new Solitaire owner, a pensioned woman that invested $4M. But that was money well spent as Solitaire is booming business now. We stayed at the campground built by vd Lee, pure magic as moose said.

Sunday 25 april

Got up early and left the holy place. Only a small distance today to the greatest tourist attraction in Namibia. The sand dunes near Sesriem. The (enormous) campground was full but we could stay at the overflow next to the pool. No braai here but also no meat in the store. First we checked out the nearby canyon which was nice but nothing special. Besides that it was so hot that walking in the sun was almost impossible. Later in the afternoon we went to a dune close to the campground. We got stuck in the sand with the car but were able to push it out. We climbed the dune and walked around it. Spectacular sight these red sand dunes in the middle of a desert landscape. For dinner we made a reservation at a nearby lodge. This was relatively expensive but worth every cent. A buffet with great food. The best meal I've ever had in Africa.

Monday 26 april

We woke up at 4.15 to see the sunrise at sossusvlei. At 4.30 we went through the gate and in the dark we had to drive 70km across a terrible road. It is a tarred road but with huge potholes. The potholes are so deep sometimes that it’s easy to break down here. And this is Namibia’s number one tourist attraction, probably the worst road in Namibia that loads of people drive in complete darkness every morning. After 60 km the tarred road stops and you have to park the car and get a ‘taxi’ in a 4wd. Walking is also possible but that can hardly be much fun. We climbed Sossusvlei and saw the sunrise. A spectacle not to be missed in Namibia. Slowly the dunes become brighter and eventually turn red. We walked around the dunes for a couple of hours and were amazed at the sights. We took lots of pictures. However, the wind was getting stronger and stronger and suddenly it became a sandstorm. Not good for visibility so we turned back. Driving back we stopped at dune 45. Another beauty. Back at the campsite Johan’s tent was gone. The wind blew it next to the pool. My tent had collapsed but all 3 tents had survived. At 11.30 we left Sesriem to get as far to Fish river as possible. After 200 km or so we were driving on a tar road again. We stopped in Maltahohe where everything was closed. A very depressing town by the way. We stopped for the night in Keetmanshoop. Another dusthole. Towns in Namibia are very unattractive. We stayed in a comfortable hotel with a good bed. A well deserved long night rest.

Tuesday 27 april

Back to the unpaved roads. The road to Fish river canyon is good but we had to cross a small river which was not a problem. We were at fish river at noon. The viewpoint is quite spectacular if you’ve never seen a canyon before. I’ve been to the grand canyon and that is really incomparable. Also the Blyde canyon in South Africa is nicer. For the night we went to the camping in Ais Ais. A really nice camping in the middle of great scenery. Non aggressive baboons were walking on the camping and the place is wonderful for a game of klaverjassen near a shop with beer.

Wednesday 28 april

Last few hours in Namibia. Just before the border we changed a tire, this tires looked pretty beat up. After 2 more stamps in our passports we were back in South Africa. Still empty roads and nice scenery. We drove on until 5pm and stopped at a campground near Clanwilliam. A very cheap camping along the olifantsriver. Quite a nice view. We put some meat on the braai and drank the last (hot) beers we had left in the trunk.

Thursday 29 april

In the early morning we drove through the national park. Again on the gravel roads we had to breath dust. The park is amazing. Great scenery and harldy any tourists. We even saw some wildlife here, like baboons and antilopes. This park is so typical for Southern Africa, there are so many great parks in this part of the world that some of them just get no attention in the guidebooks or tourist brochures. After we left the park we took 2 mountain passes which are always a pleasure to drive. After the 2nd one we saw a very big snake on the road. Again it was gone before we could take a picture. Early in the evening we arrived at Stellenbosch. A very nice student city that we also visited 2 years ago. We went to the same hostel and booked a dorm. As soon as the 5 was in the clock we started drinking beer on the terraces in the city. At night we went to some more bars and the disco. One of the few party nights this holiday. The people here however are very young and the music they like is horrible. We stayed until like but actually it was hardly worth it.

Friday 30 april to tuesday 4 may

After Stellenbosch we went to our final destination this holiday, Capetown. We stayed in a hotel at Seapoint. An incredible room, with 2 bedrooms, tv, fridge, kitchen and a balcony with seaview. A good place to spend the remainder of our holiday. In Capetown we went to the usual touristy places. Driving around the peninsula is always a hit. In the national park it started to rain so we couldn’t climb to Cape Point. We spent a lot of time at the waterfront, and visited the Belgian restaurant where 2 flemish guys ended their Brussels – Capetown trip. We returned the car at the Holiday Inn, 7000 km were added on the odometer. The car took a beating and I feel sorry for the people who rent this car after us. and Monday night we flew back to Holland. Fascinating countries, even after 2 holidays I’m still not finished with this part of the world. Hopefully Zimbabwe will be more accessible in the future.