Wild Camping in Southern Africa
FR

Translated into English.

Original post
MA
Hey everyone,

I’m sharing a slightly unusual travel journal with three goals. To make it work, this discussion should stay in the travel journal section so we can find it easily and keep adding info to existing posts.

This journal is meant to help "newbies" discover these magical places.

We go to Southern Africa not just for the animals, but also for that soft light, the atmosphere, and those incredible wild campsites where you feel so at home... I’d love for you all to share your favorite spots here—those we miss so much.

The last goal is figuring out how to photograph them. Honestly, I’m not happy with my photos because they don’t capture the feeling I get when I’m there or that unique atmosphere.

I’ll start with one of the first spots that, for me, is one of the most beautiful in Southern Africa: Passarge Valley 2 in the Central Kalahari. There, you’re alone—completely alone. The next campsite is over 25 km away, and that’s a half-day of 4x4 driving. In front of you, there’s nothing but the CKGR plains with herds of springboks... absolutely stunning 😎





MV Mvbergen Globetrotter ·
Few photos manage to capture a decent sense of what it’s really like. Between what you see and what ends up in the photo, there’s a whole world of difference—and that’s not just true for Africa...

Michel
MA Max68 Globetrotter ·
Hi Michel,

Between what you see and what’s in the photo, there’s more than just a world of difference—and it’s not just in Africa...

All the more reason to think of it as an exciting challenge 😉

Maybe by sharing tips, we’ll find an interesting lead.

I think we can improve—this one, for example, is already better... 5 years after those from Passargue Valley, which date back to 2014.

Taken in the Algerian Tadrart.
GI Girardinpho Veteran ·
Hello Jean François,

I love your topic—wild spaces are starting to feel like a distant memory!

So, I’ll jump in with one of our many favorites: our campsite near Sowa Pan in Botswana. Kukonje Island wasn’t reachable.

We were completely alone for miles around, and the place is absolutely paradise, with a 360° view.



We were even treated to a stunning sunset over Sowa Pan.



And the sky! Wow!!!! 😮



If this isn’t paradise, it’s definitely the closest thing to it!
EL Ellobo Veteran ·
Hi, these photos are cheating—they're way too beautiful!! I’ll get my revenge next year (I hope!)

Great idea! a+
GI Girardinpho Veteran ·
Jean Francois, your photo of the Algerian Tadrart is stunning—it looks amazing!
CR Creyscampeur Regular ·
Hey JF, Bivouac February 2020 (Rub al Khali - Oman), nobody within a day's drive! Antoine
MA Max68 Globetrotter ·
Hello Nathalie,

I’m really missing those wild spaces

I totally agree.

If it’s not paradise, it’s certainly the closest thing to it

Absolutely, and the photos are gorgeous and inspiring 😎. I think having a "human" or living element (like fire) is a great way to capture a beautiful shot.
DO Doumechris Veteran ·
JF, Besides the stringboks, there are the slipkangaroos!! But let's get serious: A timeless wild camp at the foot of the Meroë pyramids in Sudan. -When playfulness trumps history -No wind allowed!!!
MA Max68 Globetrotter ·
Hi Jean-Pascal,

This wild camping spot is a special shout-out to help you decide. 😉

It’s BBC Camp at Mana Pools, an incredible place where you camp right by the Zambezi River with views of the Rift Valley escarpment and wildlife all around.





You’ve got to be ready for any wildlife encounters!

MA Max68 Globetrotter ·
Hey Antoine,

Yeah, that’s the spirit of wild camping! 😉

I thought we’d focus on Southern Africa first before traveling across the planet, but no worries—dreaming is what counts. To top it off, here’s another shot from the desert (still the Tadrart).

EL Ellobo Veteran ·
It's not very nice to lure me in like that. How am I supposed to decide now? I was kinda leaning toward Kafue over Mana Pools, and then you go and post these photos!

Anyway, the visit you mentioned made me think of a camp in Khwaï, Botswana, near a river too (not the Zambezi, admittedly), but with an amazing view.

There, Babar tried to snatch my pants from the trees. Even though I promised I don’t have a wasp’s waist, I’m sure they wouldn’t have fit him.



In the evening, hyenas tried to knock over the coolers to open them and steal the food. No photos of that, though—I didn’t feel like going out 😉

Okay, I need to think this over! a+
VO Voyajou Globetrotter ·
The weight of the world isn't in the Atlas Mountains but in the Kaokoland, Namibia. I took advantage of my son joining me—we nicknamed him Hercules.

That’s how it is in the Kalahari!
GI Girardinpho Veteran ·
Still in Botswana, a little hidden gem deep in the CKGR: Xaxa Camp, a dream spot!

MA Max68 Globetrotter ·
Hello there, great traveler,

Absolutely two extraordinary bivouacs in regions that are truly worth it ;) :)

Your Breton roots must’ve inspired you to pick a recumbent menhir ;) Personally, I wouldn’t have dared to sleep under one.

As for the Kalahari... how can I put it... it’s the most beautiful place on Earth

In "response":

I didn’t sleep under a menhir in Kaokoland, but under an incredible storm...

It’s somewhere a bit south of Green Drum









MA Max68 Globetrotter ·
If you're getting into it too... long live the CKGR! 🙂 😎 I didn’t know about this camp... I’m jotting it down... jotting it down 😉

Great photo—I’m noting it down too, same vibe with fire + human 😉
MA Max68 Globetrotter ·
Hi Dominique,

Sudan ... 😛 is super high on my wish list too 🙂

Wild camping with the pyramids in the background ... just stunning.

Thanks for sharing this slice of dream 😎
GI Girardinpho Veteran ·
I didn’t know about this 😏camp

It’s located south of the CKGR on the track to Khutse.

Otherwise, your photos from Kaokoland are stunning and give a real sense of total freedom!
RJ Rjulie95 Globetrotter ·
You're making me dream with all your photos! 🙂
MA Max68 Globetrotter ·
Hey Régis,

To pay tribute to your high-altitude feats, I’d recommend one of the most extraordinary places in the world: the Salar de Uyuni, where we camped at 3,700 meters. On a "beach" located on the east side of Isla Pescado.

Our beach seen from above

And the view...

Good night, Régis 😉

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