Que voir en Namibie ?
Pour préparer votre futur voyage, un aperçu des principaux sites et lieux à visiter dans le pays (carte).
1- LA CÔTE
Henties Bay : station balnéaire au nord de Swakopmund appréciée également pour la pêche.Lüderitz : c'est la plus ancienne ville du Sud-ouest africain. L'architecture coloniale allemande, avec notamment ses belles villas Art nouveau, y est très présente. A 10 km de là on peut visiter la ville fantôme de Kolmanskop.Oranjemund : à la frontière sud-africaine, cette ville qui vit du diamant a un accès (très) réglementé tout comme d'ailleurs la passage de la frontière entre les deux pays à ce niveau.Swakopmund : station balnéaire touristique à la belle architecture coloniale. Plus que pour les plages ou le surf, on y vient surtout pour les activés sport-nature proposées dans le désert tout proche.Walvis Bay : cette ancienne enclave sud-africaine au sud de Swakopmund est le principal port du pays. Son attrait touristique est lié aux possibilités de pêche, d'observation des oiseaux, d'activités nautiques et de balades sur les dunes des environs.Patrimoine naturel
Brandberg Mountain : ces montagnes du Damaraland proches de la côte sont les plus hautes du pays (2 606 m). On peut y voir des peintures rupestres et y randonner.Cape Cross : au nord de Swakopmund, Cape Crosse abrite une colonie de plusieurs dizaines de milliers d'otaries.Côte des squelettes : c'est la partie nord du Désert du Namib. Particulièrement inhospitalière, cette côte (classée parc naturel) est semée de squelettes de baleines (d'où le nom) et d'épaves de navires échoués.Désert du Namib : le plus vieux désert du monde court sur toute la longueur des côtes namibiennes pour une largeur maximale de 160 km. On y trouve plusieurs parcs naturels (Namib-Naukluft, Cape Cross, Côte des squelettes...) et d'immenses dunes parmi les plus hautes au monde (Sossusvlei, Deadvlei).Namib-Naukluft Park : c'est le plus grand parc d'Afrique et le quatrième au monde. Il est internationalement reconnu pour les dunes oranges de Sossusvlei et de Deadvlei qui sont le premier site touristique du pays, mais aussi le canyon de Sesriem situé quelques kilomètres avant celles-ci. On peut y randonner localement.Spitzkoppe : massif rocheux du Désert du Namib qu'on peut escalader. Tout autour, on découvre diverses peintures rupestre des Bochiman.2- L'INTÉRIEUR
Gobabis : ville étape entre le Botswana (ou l'Afrique du Sud) et Windhoek sur la Trans-Kalahari Higway.Grootfontein : petite ville du nord-est à l'architecture en partie coloniale avec une vieille forteresse. A quelques kilomètres de là, on peut voir une des plus importantes météorites jamais tombées sur terre.Kaokoland : cet ancien banstoustan du nord du pays qui s'étend jusqu'en Angola est le territoire des populations Himbas et Hereros aux traditions encore bien vivaces. C'est surtout une région isolée, semi-montagneuse, et en partie désertique où vivent des troupeaux éléphants.Keetmanshoop : petite localité du sud aux vestiges coloniaux allemands, Keetmanshoop est surtout une base utilisée par les visiteurs pour découvrir les environs (Fish River canyon, forêt de Quiver Tree, rochers de Giant's Playground). Opuwo : cette grosse bourgade de moins de 10 000 habitants est la capitale du Kaokoland. C'est généralement une base pour découvrir les villages Himbas et Hereros des environs.Otjiwarongo : la petite ville du centre-nord sert généralement de point de départ à la découverte du plateau de Waterberg.Outjo : ce gros village du nord est considéré comme la porte d'entrée au parc d'Etosha.Rundu : "grande" ville à la frontière angolaise. Son intérêt touristique se situe au niveau du fleuve Okavango qu'on peut découvrir en canoë, plus l'observation des oiseaux dans les environs.Tsumed : agréable ville minière du nord avec un musée consacrée à cette activité.Windhoek : capitale et principale ville du pays, à 1 700 m d'altitude, elle conserve nombre de témoignages architecturaux de son passé colonial. Juste à côté la Daan Viljoen Game Reserve permet de découvrir la faune par des sentiers de randonnée.Patrimoine naturelCaprivi : cette "queue de poêle" s'enfonce d'environ 500 km en territoire botswanais pour en moyenne 30 km de large. Cette zone plutôt marécageuse est riche en minerais mais aussi au niveau de la faune (éléphants, hippopotames, oiseaux…) qu'on peut observer dans plusieurs parcs dont le Caprivi Game Park, le Mamili, le Mahango ou le Mudumu National Park.Daan Viljoen Game Reserve : petite réserve à côté de Windhoek dans laquelle on peut découvrir la faune par des sentiers de randonnée.Damaraland : c'est une zone désertique située au centre-nord du pays dans laquelle on trouve des troupeaux d'éléphants et de rhinocéros. Désert du Kalahari : ce désert mythique est à cheval sur l'Afrique du Sud, la Namibie et en large partie le Botswana. Dans un décor aride on y découvre de superbes paysages, une faune variée (plusieurs parcs nationaux) et les populations Bochiman qui y vivent.Epupa Falls : une série de chutes d'eau à la frontière entre l'Angola et la Namibie. D'autres chutes similaires plus à l'est avec les Ruacana Falls.Etosha National Park : pas loin de la frontière angolaise c'est un des endroits les plus visités du pays. On y trouve une importante faune avec, entre autres, des lions, éléphants, rhinocéros, girafes, zèbres, gazelles, oiseaux, etc.Fish River Canyon National Park : c'est le deuxième plus grand canyon au monde et le second site le plus visité de Namibie grâce à ses possibilités de randonnées. On peut voir au sud du parc les sources d'eau chaudes de Ai-Aïs.Khaudom Game Reserve : situé à la frontière du Botswana, dans le Kalahari, ce parc difficile d'accès est assez riche au niveau de la faune avec notamment des lions, éléphants et girafes. C'est aussi une région habitée par les Bochiman.Okavango River : entre sa source en Angola et son delta au Botswana, l'Okavango traverse le nord de la Namibie formant d'ailleurs en partie la frontière entre cette dernière et l'Angola. Aux alentours de la ville de Rundu le fleuve offre des possibilités de balades en canoë et d'observation ornithologique.Ruacana Falls : comme Epupa, ce sont des chutes situées à la frontière entre la Namibie et l'Angola. Dans ses environs on peut faire du raft sur la Kunene River.Twyfelfontein : constituée de roches disséminées dans un environnement désertique, ce site d'art rupestre est classé à l'UNESCO. Il est à quelques kilomètres de la Forêt pétrifiée du Damaraland.Waterberg Plateau National Park : dans la partie nord de la Namibie. Ce petit parc un peu difficile d'accès est l'habitat de nombre espèces d'oiseaux, mais aussi de rhinocéros et d'antilopes. On peut y randonner.
3- LE PLUS APPRÉCIÉ...
La côte : Cape Cross; Côte des squelettes; Désert du Namib; Namib-Naukluft Park; Lüderitz; Swakopmund.
L'intérieur : Caprivi; Kaokoland; Désert du Kalahari; Etosha National Park; Fish River Canyon National Park; Windhoek.
Ruacana Falls : comme Epupa, ce sont des chutes situées à la frontière entre la Namibie et l'Angola. Dans ses environs on peut faire du raft sur la Kunene River.
Je ne pense pas que l'on puisse faire du Raft sur la Kunene à cet endroit ???
Les chutes sont actives seulement si le barrage est suffisamment ouvert.
Concernant :
Waterberg Plateau
L'accès n'est pas difficile. Il y a un camping très bien aménagé au pied du plateau. De belles balades à pieds sont possibles.
Concernant :
2- L'INTÉRIEUR
J'ajouterai SOLITAIRE qui est la ville (village) incontournable pour sa célèbre patisserie, et parce que c'est le point de passage obligé vers Sesriem et ses magnifiques dunes de Sossusvlei (dont la "dune 45", qui est parmi les plus hautes du monde).
Concernant :
Otjiwarongo : la petite ville du centre-nord sert généralement de point de départ à la découverte du plateau de Waterberg.
J'ajouterai aussi que c'est le point de passage où dormir pour être à 8 heures le lendemain au CCF (40 km), où l on peut voir et approcher de magnifiques Cheeta en semi-liberté.
Concernant :
La côte : Namib-Naukluft Park
L'accès au Namib et à Solitaire - Sesriem - Sossusvlei ne se fait pas par la côte mais par les terres. Si on arrive par le sud, emprunter la D707 qui offre de magnifiques paysages.
Merci Admin pour ces infos
;-)
Franck
Tanzanie-2010
Kawaza Village
Botswana : https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=2037270
Bonjour, j'adorerai aller en Namibie... j'ai commencé à me renseigner sur les sites à visiter et il y a vraiment de beaux lieux à visiter en Namibie comme le désert du Namib, le Fish River Canyon, Hoba, Etosh... Ça doit être un super voyage !
oui effectivement on pourrait trouver à redire sur ce message, mais le choix en Namibie est tellement vaste.
Au moins un truc à changer, le terme "Bochiman" qui est une insulte pour ce peuple.
En effet cela provient d'une déformation du holandais/afrikans "Bossiesman" qui veut dire, "hors la loi, voyou" (j'ai pas dit Voyajou ! petit salut amical, il est passé me voir avec son def flambant neuf. 10 jours de Kunene vont lui donner une nouvelle patine).
Bushman provient aussi de cette déformation.
A eux de voir.
Pour le CCF j'ai lu que quelqu'un se demandait ce que c'était : le Cheetah Conservation Fund
Protection des cheetahs en Namibie. Si la population des cheetahs est en augmentation en Namibie depuis 20 ans c'est uniquement grace à eux et Laurie Marker.
Et c'est aussi un endroit ou on peut faire des photos sympas.
"Bochiman" vient de l'afrikaans "Bosjesman", "Homme de la brousse", c'est le terme français pour "Bushman".
Il y a quelques années j'avais demandé à un couple de Bushmen (ou Bochimans) près de Ghanzi quel terme il fallait utiliser pour les désigner. C'est le terme "San" qui les dérangeait le plus, "Bushman" leur convenait, ils ne connaissaient pas "Bochiman".
Wikipedia surement pas, le CNRTL je ne sais pas.
L'association San Rise (gérée par des Sans et des hollandais), le musee de Joburg (plus grande collection d'objet San au monde) dont je te joins une copie de leur communication, elle meme reprise par de nombreuses associations en Namibie ou opérator spécialisés sont des références qui ont toutes la même explication.
J'ai eu la chance l'année dernière d'être en contact avec une mission du CNRS dirigée par un chercheur italien.
Elle avait pour but d'emmener des Sans de la région de Tsumkwe à Joburg pour donner des explications sur la collection du musée : les usages des objets, les coutumes, le savoir... Cette expédition était financée par la BBC qui en échange filmait l'ensemble de la démarche. Ils quittaient pour la première fois leur village, prenaient l'avion pour la première fois et ont fait halte à Otjiwarongo à l'aller et au retour. 80 heures de tournage ont été données à l'Afrique du Sud et la Namibie. Un mois plein sur place. Un documentaire. Une archive inestimable d'une disparition en cours.
Le fils qui traduisait les paroles des anciens était Haillom (ancien d'Etosha) mais n'était pas choqué par le terme San qui était simplement générique, un peu comme si on disait à un français qu'il est indo-européen.
Opération émouvante pour un peuple qui mérite beaucoup plus d'attention et de respect qu'il en a actuellement. Ils n'ont pas la médiatisation des Himbas et le Botswana est en train de leur reprendre progressivement les terres attribuées. (richesse minière)
Il se trouve également que j'ai comme jardinier le représentant régional de la communauté San (les région ne sont pas les mêmes que celles de l'administration et il y a plusieurs représentants pour la seule Otjozondjupa) c'est en fait un métis, Albertus de son nom d'état civil. Pas question de lui dire qu'il est bushman ou Bochiman.
Concernant les Sans que tu as rencontré à Ghanzi il y a de grande chance que se soit en fait des Haillom (ou Haiom) déplacés mais aussi peut etre des Gwi, Heikum, Kua, Kung, Kxoe, Xam... qui sont en fait les veritables noms.
Comme dit dans l'article suivant le terme San ne veut rien dire pour eux car les appelations ne dépassaient que rarement quelques groupe de familles. Basarwa au Botswana est le terme généralement employé et pas san. Bushmen est un terme "touristique " synonyme de rentrée financière, Bochiman est un terme de boer et péjoratif d'autres ethnies qui se plaisent à les appeler ainsi ( les damaras du Spitzkoppe par exemple qui exploite un site historiquement San)
C'est pourtant ce terme "San" qui est communément repris (par commodité ?) et aussi par rejet des termes Bochiman et bushmen purement coloniaux.
Demain une photo
Emmanuel
"The San are the oldest inhabitants of Southern Africa, where they have lived for at least 20 000 years. The term San is commonly used to refer to a diverse group of hunter-gatherers living in Southern Africa who share historical and linguistic connections. The San were also referred to as Bushmen, but this term has since been abandoned as it is considered derogatory.
There are many different San groups - they have no collective name for themselves, and the terms 'Bushman', 'San', 'Basarwa' (in Botswana) are used. The term, 'bushman', came from the Dutch term, 'bossiesman', which meant 'bandit' or 'outlaw'.
This term was given to the San during their long battle against the colonists. The San interpreted this as a proud and respected reference to their brave fight for freedom from domination and colonization. Many now accept the terms Bushmen or San.
Like the first people to inhabit other countries in the world, the San have an unfortunate history of poverty, social rejection, decline of cultural identity and the discrimination of their rights as a group.
Yet, the San have also received the attention of anthropologists and the media with their survival and hunting skills, wealth of indigenous knowledge of the flora and fauna of Southern Africa, and their rich cultural traditions.
San people speak numerous dialects of a group of languages known for the characteristic 'clicks' that can be heard in their pronunciation, represented in writing by symbols such as ! or /.
Made up of small mobile groups, San communities comprise up to about 25 men, women and children. At certain times of the year groups join for exchange of news and gifts, for marriage arrangements and for social occasions."
Merci Manu. Notre "guide" (un des seuls habitants parlant anglais) à Omatako Valley Rest camp utilisait le terme San tout le temps, il disait "San people " à chaque fois qu'il nous expliquait une pratique de son peuple... Il n'a jamais utilisé d'autre terme. Mes deux centimes...🙂
Anne-Marie
Carnets : Namibie en camping car, l'Est de l'Afrique du Sud, du KTP au Kaokoland en 4x4, la Norvège en hiver 2x, l'Ecosse en hiver, la Namibie avec remorque, l'Islande en camping car en juin, le tout avec 4 enfants, dans le profil https://voyageforum.com/v.f?membre=Caperam;
voici quelques liens qui sont sur la traduction Bossiesmann=outlaw, dont Museum Africa. elle reprend mot pour mot cet article du musee de Joburg.
http://themuseumafrica.org/south.html
En fait il semble que certains linguistes aient effectivement traduit literalement du neerlandais Bosjesmann le terme. Mais c'est un mot composé de Dutch + Afrikans. De plus elle ne prend aucunement en compte le contexte historique.
Et enfin une photo emouvante, la plupart quittaient leur village (au nord de Tsumkwe) pour la première fois pour aller au fameux musee.
Ils avaient mis leurs plus beaux vetements pour l'occasion.
Tout ça est fort intéressant. Comme le sont ces peuples dont le sort serre souvent le cœur et qu'il est de fait bien difficile de nommer puisque effectivement ils ne se nomment traditionnellement pas eux-même de manière générique.
Although many names have been given to them by others, the ‘Bushmen’ as a whole do not yet agree on any single name to give themselves.
Tous ces noms sont péjoratifs et leur ont été donnés par des colonisateurs, noirs ou blancs.
All the terms commonly used to refer to the Bushman peoples might have pejorative origins.
In the absence of a single term, many have come to prefer the term ‘Bushmen’.
Some Bushmen in Botswana use the term to show their relationship to the ‘bush’, in other words to their land, which is of utmost importance to them. For these reasons, it is the term used by Survival International.
has recently been used as an alternative to ‘Bushmen’, at first only by academics but lately more widely, especially in Namibia, despite its similarly pejorative origins.
(Toutes citations provenant du site de Survival International, lien fourni plus haut).
Bochiman, c'est du français qui sonne très (et effectivement trop) 19è siècle.
Bushman, c'est de l'anglais.
San, c'est du nama.
Comment les Namibiens (non Bushmen/Sans - je sais plus !) les appellent-ils ? "Bushmen" n'a aucune connotation péjorative pour les touristes que nous sommes.
Peut-être que le plus simple lors de leur rencontre, est de commencer par leur demander de quel peuple font-ils partie ? Et de conserver les termes "Bushmen" et/ou "Sans" aux discussions plus généralistes franco-françaises ?
oui tout est compliqué.
Mais je n'ai jamais dit que c'était péjoratif dans la bouche d'un touriste. Pour les colonisateurs il n'en va pas de même.
Le terme le moins employé ici est Bochiman. Si il l'est ce n'est pas par erreur...
On entend beaucoup de "Bushmen" hérité de la déformation anglaise et qui est synonyme de rentrées d'argent car il est le plus explicite : homme du bush est clair a traduire, donne un côté "qui fait réver" donc un bon nom marketing. Pratique aussi pour les agences.
Et pourtant, les Sans étaient une population aussi cotière (pas tous mais beaucoup). Ils se nourrissaient de coquillages, de poissons, ce n'est qu'a force d'être chassés de partout qu'ils ont fini par se regrouper sur des terres dont personne ne voulait : le Kalahari ou vivaient déjà certains mais pas de façon permanente. A Etosha pour les Heillom.
San est le plus employé par commodité, et parce qu'il n'est pas possible de nommer tous les differents groupes.
C'est un terme que les Sans auraient apparement choisi eux-même parmis ceux existants.
Personne ne sait grand chose sur ce peuple. Le plus ancien d'afrique australe ? oui. Depuis combien de temps ? on va de 20000 a 100000 ans et plus.
Une étude génétique démontrerait (conditionel) que ce sont nos ancetres à tous et qu'ils nous rapprochent des origines de l'Homme sur terre.
Leur langue est aussi un mystère. Cette langue a clic (Khoisan) qu'ils partagent (la technique) avec les Damaras. Les clics remplacent certaines voyelles. Langue orale dont il existe très très peu de documents écrits
Pour le khoe-khoe (Damara) et pour ceux que cela interesse, petit lien sur la realisation du dictionnaire Khoekhoe/Anglais pour les enfants, il y a une codification de la prononciation. 1er livre depuis 1948. Traduction par ma fille, réalisation gratuite par Theduck75 (membre VF amoureux de la Namibie et de ses habitants) pour le distribuer aux écoliers les plus pauvres.
http://voyageforum.com/discussion/autre-regard-namibie-remerciement-leur-part-d5796694/
En fait je suis en train de pourrir le message initial de VF. Il faudrait ouvrir un fil spécifique....
En effet le gouvernement du Botswana veut faire passer une loi interdisant la chasse a quiconque en dehors des reserves de chasse.
Les sans sont directement visés et seront donc considérés comme des braconniers. Une honte pour ce pays.
En fait la famille du president botswanais etant particulierement intéressée aux activités chasse et tourisme elle souhaite ainsi se gaver un peu plus.
Il était déjà obligatoire pour certains d'entre eux d'obtenir un visa pour rester dans le village de leurs parents.
Bref malgrè les condamantions depuis 2007 le Botswana continue son entreprise de destruction des Sans.
Ils ont heureusement des soutiens dont le Prince Charles (ce n'est pas anodins) et des avocats anglais. Le Botswana est membre du commonwealth.
la plus longue migration de mammifères confirmée entre la Namibie et le Botswana.
Une nouvelle migration réalisée sur 500 km par un troupeau de zèbres remporte le prix de la
plus longue migration de mammifères de point à point en Afrique.
Jusque la on pensait que c'était des gnous (Serengeti) qui détenaient la palme de la plus grande distance sur le continent africain
Mais la distance parcourue par les zèbres est supèrieure de quelques kilomètres, rapporte le New York Times. Leur voyage entre le Botswana et la Namibie, décrit dans Oryx, a été calculée après suivi de six zèbres femelles équipées de colliers GPS.
Il a fallu attendre plusieurs années (dec 2012 puis dec 2013) car la récurrence de la migration était aussi nécessaire pour la classer comme telle.
Cette migration valide d'autant plus la création du park transfrontalier entre la Namibie, le Botswana, la Zambie et l'Angola : le plus grand au monde +/- 400000 KM2. Il crée des espaces de migrations.
Une merveille de plus découverte en Namibie (bon en Afrique australe d'accord....)
D'abord une source pas facile a trouver en dehors de Namibie le MET (Ministry on Environment and Tourism ) 2 scientifiques namibiens ont participé à cette étude : P. Beytell, et P du Preez
En suite : NEWS - Namibian Environment & Wildlife Society -, la c'est facile on peut s'abonner sur Facebook à leurs publications
Et enfin la derniere pour le reste du monde qui est donnée dans mon premier message : Oryx (the international journal of conservation) de l'université de Cambridge.
Il faut aussi savoir que les journaux "The Namibian" et "Republikein" (en Afrikans) donnent énormément d'infos sur la vie sauvage en Namibie, vous pouvez aller regulièrement sur leurs sites. Je n'ai pas souvenir d'une publication sans au moins une info. En ce moment sujet très préoccupant, le poaching des rhinos en Namibie , 6 cette année et seulement 1 ou 2 en 10 ans avant 2014.
merci beaucoup.
on m'a fait suivre des infos inquiétantes sur l'autorisation donnée par le gouvernement de procéder à l'abattage de 6 mâles éléphants du désert (il n'y aurait plus qu'une centaine de ces éléphants contrairementà ce quies raconté.Tu as des infos sur ça?
+/- 300 éléphants en 1990 juste après une période sombre de poaching et secheresse.
Actuellement les différentes sources (MET et assoc) s'accordent sur +/- 600 éléphants du désert dans la région Kunene, ce qui ne me semble pas impossible car il m'est arrivé de voir plus de 50 éléphants différents en quelques jours.
Le nombre de 100 parait très faible, en effet les groupes ou familles différentes, clairement identifiés et étudiés dans Hoanib, Hoarusib et Huniab sont déjà d'au moins 15.
Concernant les autorisations d'abattre je n'en sais rien. Je sais juste que le MET avait abattu un éléphant en 2011 qui avait attaqué un touriste.
On trouve de temps en temps des carcasses d'éléphants tués illégalement mais il semble que cela soit minime.
Il y a aussi des cas de disparitions, cela ne veut pas dire que l'éléphant est mort mais on en a plus trace.
Ce sont des grands voyageurs. Il y a quelques mois un d'entre eux est venu jusqu'a Omaruru.
Les communautés ont, le droit de demander et vendre un permis de chasse sous des conditions bien définies (animaux qui posent problème....) combien ? Les quotas sont fixés annuellement mais il y a des cas d'exception.
ou il est effectivement question de 6 permis pour des éléphants màles dans les mois a venir.
il faut faire tres attention avec cet article et ses "allegations" vigoureusement démenties par le gouvernement.
De plus cette organisation a du plusieurs fois faire machine arrière sur certains sujets. Ils ont tendance a faire feu de tout bois : humanitaire, animaux, environements, droits de l'homme.... Peut on être spécialiste en tout ? Ils envoient des affirmations à l'emporte pièce, font signer une petition, demandent des dons.
Concernant Avaaz et on peut dire que c'est peut etre le retour du jeu qu'ils jouent, voila ce qu'on peut lire
"les actions d'Avaaz et l'utilisation des dons versés à l'association. Il apparaît que l'organisation appuierait des interventions militaires, notamment dans les conflits libyen et syrien de 2012, et se mêlerait des affaires internes de la Somalie, du Soudan et de l'Iran. Sont aussi soulignés les salaires et dépenses gigantesques de ses dirigeants ainsi que des liens avec diverses organisations et fondations contestées quant à leurs actions"
En 3 mots.
Effectivement on se demande pourquoi la Swapo qui a +/- 70% des votes depuis l'independance viendrait soudoyer les communautés avec de la viande d'éléphant. De plus cette viande est dure et les communautés préfèreraient a coup sur des vaches.
Chaque permis (lions éléphants) délivré a ce jour est uniquement donné pour des animaux qui provoquent des problemes.
"It is of the opinion of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism that the aggressiveness of the elephants and their new migration patterns inland as an indication of disturbance in the Uchab River, probably caused more by irresponsible ecotourism and vehicles than anything else."
Le gouvernement en profite pour rappeler que le nombre d'éléphants en Namibie est au plus haut depuis 100 ans, qu'en 2013 , 5000 problèmes (dont des morts humaines ) ont été rapportés concernant des éléphants, que la plupart de ces problemes sont dues aux ecotouroperateur, qui n'ont aucune autorisation, Quant aux ONG ou pseudo scientifiques , certains n'ont jamais mis les pieds en Namibie... suivez mon regard.
"The Ministry of Environment and Tourism is also aware of specific Non Governmental Organisations and individuals who are working against the wildlife conservation activities of the Government and sustainable utilisation of wildlife resources by rural communities through the Conservancy Programme. This has negative implications to out Community Based Natural Resource Management which has now been widely regarded as an innovative and successful people-oriented approach to conservation. We have become recognised as a leader in this field. We have restored the link between conservation and rural development by enabling communal areas farmers to derive a direct income from the sustainable use of wildlife and tourism activities."
Avec parfois des maladresses ou des compromissions, (permis rhino noir) je pense objectivement que le gouvernement namibien fait énormément d'efforts et obtient des resultats sur la préservation de sa faune. De plus ils ont été transparents sur un sujet très polémique comme celui du permis du rhino noir et ont organisé un debat public et contradictoire sur les quotas de léopards en début d'années.
Je ne fais pas un réquisitoir pour le gouvernement mais il n'est pas toujours facile de concilier humains et animaux et quand on regarde la constitution namibienne, les efforts déployés et les résultats on peut se dire que ça marche plutôt pas mal.
Rappelons que la Namibie est un pays ou le minimum vital est tout juste atteint pour une grande partie de la population. L'équation n'est pas simple.
De plus cette organisation a du plusieurs fois faire machine arrière sur certains sujets. Ils ont tendance a faire feu de tout bois : humanitaire, animaux, environements, droits de l'homme....
merci de tes reponses! je t'apporte juste un complement sur Avaaz. Ce n'est pas une acssociation de défense contre tel ou tel problème.c'est juste un site où n'importe qui peut mettre en ligne une petition.c'est uniquement un support pas une ONG.
Pour vous faire une idée sur la situation sociale et politique de la Namibie vous pouvez lire l'article suivant sur un évènement tragique survenu il y a quelques jours.
Ce qui est interessant est de voir les échanges sur Facebook concernant ce fait divers dramatique car une jeune fille est morte.
https://www.facebook.com/informantenam
On y ressent bien les tensions existantes, les relations compliquées entre un gouvernement, la police, la Swapo et sa population, les craintes sur l'avenir.
Pour info le gouvernement vient de presenter une loi visant a interdire les partis d'opposition représentant moins de 5% des suffrages, pour faire simple tous sauf la Swapo.
Namib-Naukluft Park : c'est le plus grand parc d'Afrique et le quatrième au monde. Il est internationalement reconnu pour les dunes oranges de Sossusvlei et de Deadvlei qui sont le premier site touristique du pays, mais aussi le canyon de Sesriem situé quelques kilomètres avant celles-ci. On peut y randonner localement.
Parc national du Hoggar : 450 000 km²
Parc national du Tassili n'ajjer : 80 000 km²
Parc du Namib-Naukluft : 50 000 km²
😉
"When I saw the Hoggar Mountains, my jaw dropped. If you think of Bryce, or Canyonlands National Park, you're close, but the Hoggar Mountains are more spectacular." David Ball, Empire of sands
"When I saw the Hoggar Mountains, my jaw dropped. If you think of Bryce, or Canyonlands National Park, you're close, but the Hoggar Mountains are more spectacular." David Ball, Empire of sands
Afrique de l'Est et Australe › Namibie / Afrique du Sud · 3 replies
Quelqu'un pourrait il m'indiquer s'il y a des choses à voir sur la route à l'ouest de l'Afrique du sud entre Le Cap et la frontière namibienne? Quelle est le…
Afrique de l'Est et Australe › Namibie · 9 replies
En préparation d'un séjour en Namibie, je compte passer par la bande de Caprivi pour rejoindre Kasane et les chutes Victoria. Je pense que je n'aurai pas de…
Je reviens à la charge après mon histoire de toilette la nuit ;) pour tout autre chose. Nous avons donc loué un 4x4 avec la tente sur le toit, d'après ce que…
Une question me travaille. Nous préparons un voyage en famille en 4X4 en Namibie. En cas de panne ou autre avarie, au milieu de nulle part, ou mieux parmi les…
Afrique de l'Est et Australe › Afrique du Sud / Namibie · 11 replies
J'envisage d'aller faire un tour en Namibie en octobre/novembre prochain... potentiellement j'envisage de faire durer un peu mon séjour d'une ou deux semaines…
Just returned from a three-week family trip to Kenya (with three kids aged 10, 12, and 15), and I wanted to share my experience. Forums were super helpful in planning this trip, especially if you want to get a bit off the beaten path.
First off, Kenya is an amazing destination with incredibly friendly and welcoming locals. It was easy to travel around because you can always find someone to give you directions or help you out.
For practical tips—though you’ve probably read this elsewhere—get a Safaricom SIM card when you arrive at the airport so you can pay via M-Pesa (you can top it up with a credit card using the Wise app) and chat with people on WhatsApp. It’ll make your life *so* much easier (booking trains, buses, park entries, etc.) and save you from carrying too much cash or hunting for ATMs.
Also, we went during the first three weeks of July, which wasn’t peak tourist season.
One thing to note: even if you’re using public transport and budget accommodations, Kenya can still be pricey because tourist attractions add up fast—often more expensive than in France. But honestly, it’s usually worth it!
We started our trip with a 5-day homestay. We were welcomed by a really lovely family in Loitokitok with a view of Kilimanjaro right from their garden entrance (just a heads-up: in July, it’s often shrouded in mist!). To find them, search for Greenfield Homestay in Loitokitok. It was a fantastic experience, especially with kids! On top of transfers, they organized several outings with locals: a hike to the Tanzanian border, a motorcycle ride on the foothills of Kilimanjaro, and a day safari in Amboseli. You can book with them eyes closed! For the safari, Anthony (who’s English-speaking) took us around—he’s from the area and knows the park like the back of his hand. Highly recommend him!
Anthony then drove us to Isiolo, a town in the north that’s just starting to open up to tourism. We wanted to see the Monday livestock market, where different ethnic groups gather to buy and sell goats, sheep, and cows (according to Lonely Planet). We were a bit disappointed and wouldn’t recommend it. We also visited Ngare Ndare Forest, which has a stunning waterfall, an interesting walk with an armed ranger (elephants are common), and a suspension bridge for admiring the canopy. Just make sure to let them know you’re coming at least three days in advance to guarantee a ranger will be available. We also did a second safari day in Samburu—it’s a great complement to Amboseli and totally worth it!
Next, we headed to Naivasha (still with Anthony). We found a place on Airbnb (Jasmine House) at Fischerman’s Camp, a campsite we really loved! You’ll spot hippos, monkeys, and beautiful birds there. We organized several activities: a boat ride on the lake to see birds, zebras, and giraffes; a bike safari in Hell’s Gate Park (the campsite is right by the entrance and rents bikes); and a hike to Crater Lake (departing by boat from the campsite), where you walk among zebras, giraffes, and different gazelles. Naivasha is way more touristy than Loitokitok or Isiolo, but there’s no shortage of things to do.
Finally, we spent our last week in Watamu on the coast. To get there, we took an overnight ENA Coach bus from Naivasha to Mombasa, booked via https://www.travler.africa/. It was comfortable and fast, but you’ll need to call the driver to arrange a pickup spot—the restaurant staff at the campsite helped us out with that! Then we took an Uber to Watamu since we had a lot of luggage (we skipped the matatu).
Watamu is nicknamed "Little Italy" because of all the Italian tourists. When we were there (third week of July), it wasn’t peak season yet, so the beaches weren’t cleaned. But we loved the laid-back vibe and how easy it was to get around. We *highly* recommend the marine turtle rescue center—it’s fascinating (especially with kids) and supports a great cause! We were a bit disappointed by the marine park, though—maybe because of the season? There weren’t many fish, and jellyfish kinda ruined the snorkeling. The mangrove tour is also a must-do.
For the trip back to Nairobi, we took the express train from Mombasa. We booked our tickets when we first arrived in Kenya (since payment is only via M-Pesa). The train is reliable and comfortable, and we saw lots of elephants along the way. Just a heads-up: there are *a lot* of security checks, and we almost weren’t allowed to board with our Opinel knife…
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
All in all, we had an amazing trip—so much variety, great encounters, and the magic of safaris!
My trip to South Africa is getting closer (still 2 months to go 😏), and I’m diving back into my itinerary: from Saturday to the following Sunday around Cape Town, then from Sunday to the following Saturday in Kruger.
For Cape Town, the plan was to avoid changing accommodation every day (we’ll do enough of that in the second part) but still see different landscapes.
I know, I’m missing out on a lot, but you’ve got to make choices, and after all this time, I know what I like—and especially what I don’t (or like less) 😉
Here’s the breakdown:
Arrival Saturday at 11 AM: heading to Hermanus (2 nights). The idea is to stroll along the cliff path in the afternoon, and possibly drive to the Klein River Lagoon. Sunday: Stony Point, then depending on time and weather, a hike in Kogelberg Nature Reserve or Fernkloof Nature Reserve (which seems less scenic but has shorter walks).
Monday: drive to Franschhoek (1 night). If everything lines up, a hike in Jonkershoek NR and a visit to a wine estate.
Tuesday: drive to Mountceder Lodge in the Cederberg (2 nights). I’m thinking of visiting the Stadsaal Caves and the elephant paintings, and maybe one of the hikes listed on the lodge’s site or Maltese Cross.
Thursday: heading to Hout Bay for 3 nights. In no particular order: a classic day trip around the peninsula, half a day at Kirstenbosch Gardens, and half a day at Lion’s Head.
Sunday: flight to Johannesburg.
My questions are mostly about (short) hikes:
Has anyone here done hikes in Kogelberg, Fernkloof, or Jonkershoek?
At Mountceder Lodge (Michel, if you’re reading this… 😉), has anyone tried the hikes (guided or not) offered by the lodge?
There’s still half a day to fill when we’re in Hout Bay—any ideas (not necessarily hikes)?
Lastly, regarding safety: the French foreign ministry (always alarmist, but still) recommends hiking in groups. Is it really risky in broad daylight? (I’m not sure a group of two women counts as a "group"…)
Thanks in advance for your answers, ideas, and comments!
Question: we’re doing a 3-week trip in Namibia, including 5 days for Victoria Falls.
I’ve booked one night in Brandberg, and then I have some questions.
I was thinking of spending 2 nights in Palmwag, then heading to Etosha for one night in Okaukuejo and then 2 nights in Halali.
Alternatively, from Brandberg, I could book a night near Galton Gate and then enter Etosha.
I’m not really sure about the distances, especially with a 4x4.
Same for the return trip: Halali to Windhoek seems long. Maybe it’d be smart to break it up on the way back? (We have 2 days to get back if needed.) If so, where?
Jambo! I organized my trip through this kind of group, so I thought I’d share my experience here. We traveled as a group of four, including two kids aged 9 and 11. After requesting around twenty quotes, I decided to book the safari portion with MAKING MEMORIES IN AFRICA. Ally responded quickly and listened to all my requests—unlike other agencies—such as having a French-speaking guide, the order of park visits (Tarangire, Manyara, Serengeti, then Ngorongoro), and a mix of budget hotels and camping to keep costs down. There were still four agencies in the running, and price was the deciding factor. Even though they were the cheapest, I felt better taken care of than with others. For example, all meals were prepared by a Maasai chef, Louis, who accompanied us throughout the trip, while some others ate meals out of cardboard boxes. Samuel, our guide, explained so many things and answered all our questions. José drove us safely the whole way. Everything was done with great cheer!
At the end of the stay, Ally came to meet us and gave us t-shirts with the agency’s logo—we loved that they took the time to hear our feedback in person. In short, I highly recommend them +++, especially since it’s a local agency that also supports a charity for women and children.
For Zanzibar, I organized everything myself. I hesitated for a long time but eventually booked all four nights at the same place. We don’t like crowds, so I initially considered Jambiani but ended up choosing EVERGREEN BUNGALOWS in Bwejuu. We took their first airport-to-hotel transfer since we arrived at night, and it felt safer. Great value for money, in our opinion. Just be aware that it’s quite isolated—perfect for relaxing and going on excursions. There were very few beach vendors, unlike what I’d read about Zanzibar. We lived with our feet in the sand from morning to night, with a small basin of water outside our room to rinse off. Such a lovely spot!
I had asked for some excursion prices before leaving but ended up booking on-site. Not at our hotel, but at a nearby restaurant that was cheaper. After some thought, since we were based in Bwejuu, I wanted to do Blue Lagoon and Pungume (both departing from the south of Zanzibar).
Blue Lagoon: About 3 hours total, with snorkeling on a small reef full of fish (coral wasn’t great) and a stop at a spot with tons of starfish, plus local snacks, fruit, and drinks.
Pungume: An amazing day with a 50% chance of seeing dolphins (we missed them), a visit to the mangroves, then snorkeling at a spot with some nice coral and, of course, fish. We ended with a fantastic grill (tuna, shrimp, squid, lobster, and fries) on a sandbank in the shade.
Finally, before heading to Stone Town, we visited Paje Cave, which is much less known than Maalum. It’s smaller, but we saw bats, went for a swim, and fed the chickens and rabbits (great for the kids). To finish, we explored Stone Town on our own and had dinner at Forodhani Market.
For flights, we flew with Turkish Airlines from Barcelona to Kilimanjaro and back from Zanzibar—no issues there. However, I don’t recommend the Kilimanjaro-Zanzibar leg with Precision Air. Our luggage didn’t arrive, and according to the hotel, this happens often. We only got it back a day and a half later.
I’m planning a potential trip to Namibia for a classic circuit in April 2027.
I’m surprised by how expensive the accommodations inside the parks are—really steep! Is it possible to stay outside the parks but still close enough to enjoy the game drives?
Do you have any recommendations for more reasonably priced lodging? I’m okay with spending 200 to 250 € per night.
No camping—the friend I’m traveling with absolutely refuses 😉, but maybe upgraded tents would work.
March or May 2027.
Around 15 days in the Western Cape,
then 15 days in the southern KNP.
Arrival either in PE or George.
The pros know I’m somewhat familiar with the area... that I don’t camp... that my accommodations can be simple and remote, self-catering but with basic comforts... that I’m looking for spots that are a bit off the beaten path... in a relaxed mode...
From George:
Late arrival... need some rest... Herolds Bay from George to the N1.
Tsitsikamma is catching my eye (Storms River)... with or without a stop in Knysna.
Question:
What’s the current condition of the pass from Knysna to Uniondale? R339.
And while I’m at it, the condition of the R340.
Tsitsikamma, Knysna, and my questions still apply if arriving in PE.
Is the Swartberg still closed?
Any recommendations for accommodation in Prince Albert?
If I cross the escarpment, I’ll continue via Anysberg NR, Touwsrivier... any thoughts?
From there... Tankwa Karoo or Mount Cedar (or both).
Then heading back down to the coast... the highlands of Hermanus or Kogelberg NR (any opinions on the latter?).
Or,
A more classic route along the coast...
If I arrive (fairly late) in PE... any ideas for accommodation in that little area?
Given that Nyathi Camp is winking at me...
(For context... a while back, I stayed at Riverbend (same Addo sector, private concession)... and I visited the ruins of that abandoned lodge at the time, which has clearly been renovated since... located in a very quiet part of Addo...).
Any feedback from the pros?
Well, that’s about it...
I’m open to any other tips or advice!
I’m reaching out with a question about which park to choose for a 3-day safari in Kenya.
After 20 days in Uganda, I’m meeting up with my dad for a 3-day safari (that works for him). We’ll be meeting in Nairobi and have a full day to travel to a park (preferably the farthest from Nairobi to avoid crowds?) and spend 4 nights there before heading back to the capital for our flight to France.
I’d love to hear your recommendations since I’ve read so many great tips on this forum.
Hi, I'm looking for information on the road conditions in Moremi. We're leaving in 15 days, and from what I've heard, the roads are pretty tough to drive on. Any advice?
Thanks
At the end of July, we’re heading to Namibia with a group of five for a three-week road trip and visit to the national parks.
We’ve read conflicting info about buying entry tickets—either online (where?) or at the gate when we arrive?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the agencies you used to plan your trip to Uganda.
There’s the whole issue of gorilla permits, which need to be booked in advance and involve a significant financial commitment. That’s where I’m at with my trip planning. Between checking lutb.go.ug/ and reading online reviews, it’s hard to move forward with confidence.
I contacted the French Embassy, but they don’t provide any recommendations. I almost booked with an agency that had a really bad review from February specifically about the permit process.
How did you go about choosing your agency? Given the large sum involved, I’m this close to booking through a travel agency in France for this part.
From what I understand, no matter which agency books the permit, you’re ultimately guided by professionals trained for gorilla trekking based on the permit itself? I’m assuming that’s how it works.
Thanks for your feedback, and I’m really happy to see the forum’s new energy—it’s been super helpful to me in the past.
We’re heading to Uganda next summer for three weeks with our two kids, who’ll be 7 and 9 years old.
We’ve been to Southern Africa before but not East Africa, and after a trip to South Africa two years ago, the kids wanted to return to Africa, while we wanted to explore a new region while staying independent... Uganda’s been catching our eye for a while, and with Rwandair offering relatively attractive prices, we’re going for it!
We’ll be traveling in a 4x4 (self-drive) with roof tents. I don’t have any 4x4 driving experience, so it’ll be a first for me, but we’ll manage 😉 No great apes for us—kids need to be 15, and we don’t want to do that experience without them.
I don’t usually ask the forum much for trip planning, but this time, I’d love your thoughts and advice!
First question: Karamoja or not? At first glance, if we want to add it to a "classic" loop in the southwest, it doesn’t seem realistic—too packed, too much driving. We could consider doing the full loop via Kidepo and then heading down to Murchison, but I’m worried the trip might feel less varied and less kid-friendly. That said, the region looks stunning, and I’m struggling to accept not going at all... What do you think?
If we skip Karamoja, we’d do a loop: Murchison/Fort Portal/QENP/Bunyonyi/Mburo, which seems pretty comprehensive and would let us take our time, which is nice. A few random questions:
- How much time should we plan for the Fort Portal area? I was thinking at least 3 days to visit Bigodi Swamp, walk around the craters, and maybe do a community walk (any thoughts on that?).
- Between Murchison Falls and the Fort Portal area, is it worth breaking up the drive? I spotted Lake Albert Safari Lodge on the shores of Lake Albert—it’s not too expensive and looks nice.
- I’d love to do some easy walks/hikes at the foot of the Rwenzori Mountains, ideally without a guide, but it doesn’t seem straightforward. Do you know if it’s possible to do nice walks independently? I’ve read about hikes in the hills near Kilembe but nothing very specific. Maybe staying somewhere at the foot of the mountains, like Ruboni Community Camp, would allow that.
- Lake Mutanda looks really cool, and so does Lake Bunyonyi... Ideally, I’d like to see both, but won’t that feel repetitive? Is Lake Mutanda worth the detour?
Last practical question, since we don’t have experience with this: for the car with kids, would you recommend two tents (a bit more space) or a four-person tent?
I’ll stop here—already a lot of questions...
Thanks in advance for your feedback, and looking forward to exchanging ideas!
Gabriel
We’re planning our second trip to South Africa in July 2026. In 2023, we did a loop from Joburg, Golden Gate, Drakensberg, Hluhluwe, St Lucia, Eswatini, Kruger, Blyde River Canyon, and back to Joburg.
This time, we’d like to go to Cape Town and do a road trip to Port Elizabeth, then fly back to Joburg to return to Kruger. At this stage of my planning, here’s what it could look like:
D1 to D4: Cape Town and Cape of Good Hope (Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, Waterfront, Bo-Kaap, Boulders, Cape Point, Chapman’s Peak Drive). I’ve spotted a few places to stay between Camps Bay and Hout Bay (3 nights).
D5 and D6: Either Karoo NP or Hermanus and De Hoop. Any opinions to tip the scales? I’ll admit I’m already leaning toward Karoo (the "wild" vibe of the landscapes and wildlife encounters appeal to me much more than the seaside, which feels less exotic). If we go for Karoo, where should we stay? Inside the park or in Beaufort West? I’ve seen good reviews for Ko-ka Tsara Bush Camp, but maybe it’s better to stay in the Sanparks cottages to make the most of the park? (2 nights)
Option B is to do Stellenbosch (though vineyards aren’t great in winter) and/or the Whale Route—Betty’s Bay, Hermanus, De Hoop (2 nights near Gansbaai).
D7 and D8: Klein Karoo, Oudtshoorn. Staying at De Cango Guest Farm (2 nights).
D9 and D10: Knysna, Robberg Nature Reserve, Tsitsikamma (2 nights in Plettenberg Bay and 1 night in PE).
D11: Flight from Port Elizabeth to Joburg at 7 AM and drive to Marloth Park.
For Kruger, I’ve booked 2 nights in Marloth Park, 1 night in Skukuza, 2 nights in Satara, and 1 night in Talamati, which we loved. I’ll book the last night in Graskop later since we want to revisit the Blyde Canyon area.
I’d love all the feedback you can give on my itinerary, especially for days 5 and 6.
If you have recommendations for accommodations for 4 people, I’d appreciate those too.
Thanks! 🙂
We’re a family of four (two daughters aged 18 and 21) and we’re planning a three-week trip to Tanzania. Zanzibar would be our main base, but we’d also like to do a safari on the mainland.
Could you share any tips on:
- the ideal length for such a safari, the best place to go during this period (and easily accessible by flight from Zanzibar)
- your recommendations for the most suitable type of stay for a family like ours
- reliable local agencies with reasonable prices that could help us with this plan
Hi everyone, I’m here to get some advice on visiting KRUGER Park.
From what I’ve gathered through my reading, I understand there are two ways to visit the park:
- Independently with your own vehicle
=> Do you drive all day?
- By booking with a professional
=> Safari early in the morning and late in the afternoon. But what do you do in between?
When it comes to accommodations, the options are:
- Booking in one of the park’s camps, where the lodging is basic but functional
- Booking in a private reserve, which is more comfortable but prohibitively expensive
- Booking outside the park, which means entering the park every morning. But if you want to stay for 3 days, that doesn’t seem practical to me.
Do you have any advice for accommodations?
To be honest, I’m really struggling to understand how it all works...
Thanks to everyone for your help.
Bidule 27
Hey everyone!
Heading to Namibia in a few days and I just read that the entry fees for all parks in Namibia have skyrocketed. Increases between 86 and 100%, and this has been in effect since April 1st (no joke). Have any of you heard about this, and if so, do you know if it’s actually being enforced?
For example, the fee for Etosha has gone from 150 NAD to 280 NAD per day per person.
Thanks in advance!
I’m really interested in traveling to South Africa in September 2020. My question is whether I should go on an organized tour or plan my own itinerary. Organized trips are pretty expensive $$$$, but the security aspect reassures me. I’d love to hear your thoughts on safety in South Africa and whether it’s easy to arrange activities like visiting vineyards, Cape Town, and going on a safari on our own. Which is better in terms of cost—booking an organized trip or doing it ourselves? It’s definitely less exciting to follow a group for 10 days. We’re a couple in our 50s who love nature.
😊🦁
We’re heading out in April 2027 with our 4x4 to explore part of Southern Africa. Right now we’re researching all these beautiful countries and deciding where to ship our vehicle. We’re from Le Havre—has anyone here already shipped from that port to South Africa or East Africa?
As for all these countries, is wild camping allowed, tolerated, easy, or difficult?
We’ve already visited a few, but you can read just about anything online, so getting tips from real independent travelers is way better :)
We’re all ears for any hacks, experiences, or spots you’d recommend.
See you on the road with Doddy
Hi,
I’m starting to plan a great trip for the last three weeks of January 2027 (my first time in South Africa).
After spending a few hours (!) browsing this forum, here’s a rough first draft of my itinerary:
D0 Arrival at JNB
D1, D2 Blyde River Canyon
D3, D4, D5, D6, D7: Kruger
D8, D9, D10: St Lucia and surrounding area
D11, D12, D13, D14: Drakensberg + Lesotho
D15 A very long driving day to the south (hope the AC doesn’t break down!)
D16, D17, D18, D19 southwest coast (so far I’ve noted Oudtshoorn, Robberg Nature Reserve, Wilderness NP, De Hoop Reserve, and a bit of the wine route)
D20, D21 Cape Town (peninsula and a bit of the city) + domestic flight and return flight (departure from JNB at 11 PM)
A few questions before refining this:
- Do you see any major issues with this itinerary?
- We don’t have a choice on dates, and personally, I prefer green landscapes to desert ones anyway, but do you really see far fewer animals in January than in the dry season? Five days in Kruger should give us enough time to spot plenty of different animals despite the tall grass, right? As for the heat, we’re from Réunion, so we’re relatively used to it, even though I know it’s not the same type of heat.
- Can I trust the distances and driving times given by Google Maps?
- Picking up the vehicle in Johannesburg and dropping it off in Cape Town: how much might that cost us? I’m thinking it probably won’t be worse (in terms of time or money, since there are five of us—2 adults + 3 kids) than going back to Joburg after Lesotho, taking a flight to Cape Town, and renting another vehicle... but maybe I’m wrong.
- Finally, wouldn’t it be better to focus on just one of the two regions (either the northeast or Cape Town and the south coast)? If it were up to me, I’d stick to the first part and extend a few stops... but not everyone agrees! And we’re thinking that since it’ll be really hot, a second part of the trip that’s a bit """cooler""" would be welcome.
I imagine many of you have been captivated by the Masai Mara park and/or your safari experience with Tony Crocetta/Melting Pot Safari. Still, I’d like to share my perspective.
First, I’m an avid traveler, especially in love with Africa, which my partner and I have explored a bit (Zambia, South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Namibia...).
That said, I want to express my deep disappointment with both the Masai Mara and Tony Crocetta’s camp, Melting Pot Safari, where we stayed last year.
First, about the park: it’s stunning, no doubt. But what a highly touristy place! I can’t find the words to describe the horror of being among 30 4x4 vehicles lined up in front of a lioness hunt, let alone encircling her right after her kill while her prey is still alive in her jaws... no respect for wildlife. The same goes for surrounding a young leopard playing with its small prey, a moment when I counted over 50 vehicles, most with their engines running... sickening. I turned away, both my gaze and my camera. What a disaster to see this natural wonder of Africa turned into a tourist hotspot.
Yes, I loved this place on Earth, but no, I won’t "promote" it anywhere or to anyone.
Next, I also wanted to share my dissatisfaction with Tony Crocetta’s famous camp, Melting Pot Safari: where to begin? We booked a private vehicle for four with two friends, and I have no complaints about the vehicle itself (though it obviously came at a cost). The windows and the vehicle weren’t very photo-friendly, but let’s move on.
The trip between the sisters’ guesthouse (which was fine) and the camp went smoothly, except we arrived a bit too late. Result: "We’ll leave for the safari an hour later today because the driver has to respect his rest hours." Perfect—with park formalities, we only spent about an hour in the park that evening. The safari got off to a great start...
During our 12-day stay, we saw some amazing things. Tony wasn’t at the camp—I don’t know what the atmosphere is like when he’s there, but it was rather cold during our trip. Sylvie, his wife, barely looked at us, never asking how our day, night, or game drive went (I think she spoke to us once during the stay, plus the day we arrived, of course). We felt invisible... (if I were mean, I’d say the money had already been deposited into Melting Pot’s bank account.)
The evening meals, if I may say so, were a joke: not enough dessert (aside from fruit, but the few elaborate desserts—like 10 for 18 guests) for everyone, barely enough meat or sides. If you were unlucky like us and ended up with a group of 15 people who decided to skip the starter, you’d better hurry to get your main course, or there might not be any left—and no refills... We always ate our fill, but sometimes we had to serve ourselves in advance.
Finally, I want to correct something about the quality of the meals: seriously, this buffet was really mediocre and far from the culinary standards I’d read about in my pre-trip research (see their Facebook page).
Anyway, let’s move past the food—after all, the avocados were sublime, and we’re not there primarily to eat.
About the tent: the river views were beautiful, and the beds were very comfortable. No running water, individual showers outside the tent, and dry toilets—but it’s Africa, so we weren’t shocked. However, I’m disappointed that for this "modest" price, I wasn’t warned there’d be no soap (and no, I don’t travel with my own soap—and for the price, a little bar in the tent wouldn’t be a luxury). But let’s move on—the hippo views were fantastic. Oh, and to preserve the Masai Mara’s water (which makes sense) and for hygiene reasons, underwear isn’t washed by the camp staff—fair enough. But then what’s that little sign next to the bed? Oh right, for a hefty sum, underwear suddenly becomes "washable"...
Finally, my biggest gripe is about the essential part: the game drives. In France, they sell you a dream with a "photo safari" (what’s the difference, really? A room with a few more electrical outlets?). They promise guides especially suited for photography (not a given, sorry) and vehicles that can get close to animals and go off-road... but here’s the catch: the guides are bound by park laws and hounded by rangers looking to fine rule-breakers. Result: as soon as a white ranger vehicle is spotted, we have to abandon our spot for a wild chase through the grass. Fun once... The next day, we learned that another group’s guide got caught and had to pay $100 for breaking the rules—a sum he casually asked the travelers in his vehicle to cover... because of course, Melting Pot lures tourists with dreams, the poor rangers try to get close, all while breaking park laws... and they break those laws for Crocetta’s company, which, of course, won’t dip into its profits to pay the fines. Basically, it’s "keep the clients happy, but don’t get fined—or the fines are on you or you’ll have to ask the clients directly." Nice boss! Anyway, there were long discussions about this last year, especially among the guests in the fined vehicle. My partner and I found these practices unacceptable, and we were deeply disappointed by this attitude.
I know many people adore this park and/or this company—maybe you were luckier... or maybe you’re less demanding than we are when it comes to respecting rules, nature, and clients. But after traveling through much of southern Africa, I can tell you we personally came back frustrated from this experience and aren’t eager to return... You’ve been warned.
Here’s my feedback after a recent trip to Ethiopia, organized with a local guide.
Despite a signed quote, months of prep exchanges (over eight months!), and phone calls right up to departure day, the guide didn’t honor the commitments we’d agreed on.
Haile Haftu FANUAILE, manager of the agency www.charmethiopiantours.com—who we’d organized everything with—didn’t meet us as promised when we arrived in Addis Ababa. Without any warning, he sent a different guide to accompany us for the entire trip (with a flimsy excuse).
Several parts of the signed quote weren’t respected:
– Services included in the quote but not provided on-site (meals, water),
– Hotels we’d chosen, booked, and paid for were swapped for lower-category places,
– Visits were canceled because the timing wasn’t calculated properly,
– One stop on the itinerary was dropped without any reason or explanation.
We’d paid a deposit for domestic flights, with a promise to refund any overpayment. A month after returning, 150 € per person (there were three of us) still hasn’t been refunded.
I’m sharing this to warn fellow travelers about the importance of solid guarantees to ensure contracts are actually honored. Double-check everything before committing!
Wishing everyone safe and smooth travel prep—Ethiopia is an incredible country!
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Hello,
Feedback following a recent trip to Ethiopia, organized with a local guide.
Despite a signed quote, numerous preparatory exchanges over eight months, and phone calls right up until the day of departure, the guide did not fulfill his commitments.
Haile Haftu FANUAILE, manager of the agency www.charmethiopiantours.com with whom we had organized everything, did not meet us as agreed upon our arrival in Addis Ababa; without warning us, he sent another guide in his place to accompany us throughout the trip (with a bogus excuse).
Several points in the signed quote were not honored:
– services included in the quote but not provided on site (meals, water),
– hotels chosen, booked, and paid for, replaced by lower-category establishments,
– visits canceled due to lack of time, which had not been calculated correctly,
– one stop on the itinerary canceled without reason or explanation.
A deposit had been paid for the booking of domestic flights, with a commitment to refund the overpayment.
To date, one month after our return, 150 € per person (there were three of us) has still not been refunded.
This testimony is intended to alert travelers to the importance of solid guarantees for contracts that are actually honored, so that everyone can be extra vigilant before committing.
Good luck with your travel preparations, everyone.
Ethiopia is an extraordinary country!
Hello,
With so many agencies out there, we're feeling a bit lost. Could you please share your experience—like recommending your agency if you were happy with them—and tell us why, and if possible, what budget we should expect? Feel free to send it in a private message :)
We’re just the two of us, and ideally, we’d like to go in a 4x4 alone or with another couple, or in a very small group.
Hi there,
I’ve reached out to a few agencies for a week-long family safari next summer before heading to Zanzibar.
So far, the itinerary looks like this:
Day 1: Late arrival at JRO and overnight in Arusha
Day 2: Drive to Tarangire, park visit, and overnight in Tarangire
Day 3: Tarangire, drive to and overnight in Karatu
Day 4: Ngorongoro and overnight in Ngorongoro
Day 5: Drive to Serengeti and safari in Seronera
Day 6: Serengeti and overnight near Lobo
Day 7: Serengeti and overnight in Seronera
Day 8: Flight from Seronera to Zanzibar
On paper, it covers "everything," but maybe there’s a bit too much time lost on the road... Any alternatives?
To simplify (and cut costs), I was thinking:
Day 1: Late arrival at JRO and overnight in Arusha
Day 2: Arusha National Park with a walking safari and meeting the Maasai (?)
Day 3: Drive to Tarangire, park visit, and overnight in Tarangire
Day 4: Full day in Tarangire
Day 5: Tarangire, drive to and overnight in Karatu
Day 6: Ngorongoro and overnight in Ngorongoro
Day 7: Morning in Manyara or Natron and drive to JRO
Day 8: Flight to Zanzibar
Your thoughts and recommendations are welcome...
Thanks
We have the opportunity to spend about ten days somewhere for Christmas, and I’m really tempted by Zanzibar. I’ve been dreaming for a long time about the Spice Island, Stone Town, diving...
Which hotels could you recommend? Not a big "resort"—we’re more into "boutique hotels" or even an Airbnb house. Somewhere quiet (we’re not party animals).
I’m thinking of staying the first few nights in Stone Town and then moving to a beach, preferably one where we can swim regardless of the tides, without ending up in seaweed and mud at low tide.
I’m a bit lost with all the beaches because apparently, the north is very crowded, the south is very windy, and the east has some good and some not-so-good spots, with big tides or not... HELP! 🤪
I’d like to limit myself to a maximum of 2 different places to stay over the 10 days.
I’m reaching out because I don’t understand how Volcanoes National Park works.
I looked at booking for the gorillas, but there’s just the price listed, and the same goes for the Diane Fossey tomb.
So I contacted a hotel in Kinigi, and they told me that for the gorillas, you need a car to get to the park headquarters, and then once you know your group, you need to get from the headquarters to the trekking start point?? Do you confirm this? Is that really how it works? They say the hotel has a driver and it would cost 100 DOLLARS!!
I just found out that on top of the permit, there are other fees??? Uhh…
Are there other options, knowing I don’t want to rent a 4x4 since I’m traveling alone?
And if I don’t get the gorilla permit but just want to visit the Diane Fossey tomb, is it the same issue? From Kinigi, do you need a 4x4? How far is the tomb from the headquarters? Is it a hike you can do alone OR DO YOU NEED A GUIDE, ON FOOT? By car??
If someone could explain everything to me… and is the DF Foundation different??
If I decide to go through an agency, is it possible in Musanze (which would save me trips) or is it mandatory to go through Kigali?
Thanks so much for your help…
Best regards
I’m in the middle of planning a road trip in Southern Africa, and I’m specifically working on the itinerary—especially the distances.
I’ve got the time, but I’m struggling with the transfer days (so much driving just to end up spending the whole day on the road). That’s why I’m trying to analyze travel times, even if it means adding extra stops.
My highlights in Zimbabwe would be:
- Hwange
- Victoria Falls (and maybe Matusadona)
- Mana Pools
- Harare
- Gonarezhou
- Great Zimbabwe
But the distances and travel times seem huge (over 4 hours each time), and I don’t see how to make the drives more chill or shorten them—even if it means adding stops (but which ones?) between each leg.
Would anyone be able to estimate the travel time between these highlights and maybe suggest some nice stops to take breaks?
I’ve been to Rwanda twice before, in November 1991 and December 1993, mostly for solidarity work.
I’m looking into going back this November or December for three weeks, but I’m a bit hesitant when I see the tourist offerings—it’s so far from how I like to travel...
I travel solo using public transport and stay in places like guesthouses (GH), or accommodations run by cooperatives, associations, or religious groups. I love villages, markets, hikes, and local crafts.
So far, my searches for these kinds of lodging options haven’t turned up much.
For now, I’m considering visiting (in no particular order):
Butare: Kibeho, Bisesero, Nyanza
Ngenda
Akagera, Kibungo, Lake Muazi
Dian Fossey’s tomb (with the possibility of seeing gorillas)
Kibuye??? Is the political situation stable there? Or Cyangugu?
So here are my first questions:
-Is French still widely spoken?
-Are there lists of the types of accommodations I mentioned above, or places to find that info?
-Is what I’m planning doable using public transport? From the towns, are moto-taxis still available to get to villages, sites, and—most importantly—back?
-Is it possible to go hiking solo?
-Which are the best markets and what days are they held?
I know that’s a lot of questions already, and I really appreciate any relevant answers you can share.
Looking forward to exchanging more!
I’m planning my next trip in September, and after two self-drive trips to Botswana last year, I’d love to explore Kruger. Since I’m used to camping, I’m thinking of renting an equipped van from Kitted Africa (a small Suzuki van—thanks Safari Expert!) to sleep in a tent and occasionally in a hut.
Here’s my provisional itinerary, and I’d love to hear your thoughts if you don’t mind.
I’ve got 13 nights to plan in Kruger. The rental company is based in Nelspruit.
Entering from the south:
14-15-16.09: 3 nights at Crocodile Bridge or Lower Sabie
17-18-19.09: 3 nights at Skukuza
20-21.09: 2 nights at Satara
22-23-24.09: 3 nights at Olifants
25-26.09: 2 nights at Tamboti or Talamati
Exiting the park on 27.09 via Orpen Gate, then heading to Blyde River Canyon for a night in a hotel or elsewhere.
28.09: Return to Nelspruit, drop off the van, and stay in a hotel.
29.09 (midday): Airlink flight to Johannesburg, then an evening return flight to GVA.
What do you think? Too many nights here, not enough there?
I’ll be traveling solo, I love driving, and I enjoy settling in the middle of nature to listen, observe, and take photos (Botswana was perfect for that).
Thanks in advance!
Nicole
Photo: Baines Baobab, Botswana, April 2025
I’d like to return to Africa and stay in a lodge where I can see animals—not necessarily the Big Five—without needing any transport once I arrive at the lodge, and at a price under $250 per day for two people with full board. The week-long stay is planned for late June into early July. I’m looking for suggestions. Thanks in advance!
