Discovering the joys of camping in Namibia (page 24 of 30)

the nearest water point, we're slightly elevated, and there are Leopards and Cheetahs almost every night when it's not Lions

At Kieliekrankie (pronunciation: kee-lee-krahn-kee) and Groutkolk, the water point is far, and there’s also a local Leopard (a female) and a Brown Hyena. The view is amazing 😎 The three rangers are angels 🙂

It's not the animals that interest me the most, but the atmosphere. 😛 Urikaruus doesn't have it, in my opinion. 😐

and the second best after Grootkolk: Urikaruus—the cream of the crop 😎 Watch out for kids under

12 years old

I'm captivated 😍😍😍

Plus, I need to start my travel journal on Polynesia 😊

I'm going back—it's just too good. Sweet dreams ahead 😴

Myriam

I also need to start my travel journal on Polynesia 😅

Ugh... Polynesia, don’t tempt me like that... Though I’ll have plenty of time to read your journal once mine’s done ;)

French Polynesia, don’t tempt me with...

Don’t go, because after that, it’ll get tricky to choose 😉

You’ll need 3 months of vacation and some serious funds: 1 month on the islands / 1 month in AA / 1 month somewhere else to mix it up (Japan, Myanmar, etc., for example) 😎

French Polynesia, don’t tempt me with that...

Don’t go, because afterward it’ll get tricky to choose 😉

You’ll need 3 months of vacation and, above all, significant financial means: 1 month on the islands / 1 month in AA / 1 month somewhere else to mix it up (like Japan, Myanmar, etc.) 😎

Ugh... I’ve got another solution: we take a sabbatical year and go on a world tour 😂 Well, the vacation problem is solved—just the financial side left to figure out 🤑

Yeah, you need the funds and a job that allows it... and then you’ve got to get back into the daily grind, which might be tough 😉

Yeah, you need the means and a job that allows it... and then you have to get back into the daily grind, which might be tough 😉

Well, we’ll wait for retirement then 😄

I also need to start my travel journal on Polynesia 😅

Ugh... Polynesia, don’t tempt me like that... Though I’ll have plenty of time to read your journal once mine’s done ;)

This is gonna be tough 😂😂😂

Thursday, August 15 : Etosha Namutoni / Cheetah View Lodge

The campsite is really very quiet since there’s no group—just French families around us. It feels like we’re in Palavas-les-Flots, minus the waves.

We’re leaving Etosha Park today for Otjiwarongo, specifically the Cheetah Conservation Fund, which is 350 km away.

This morning, we had to pack everything up in the tent, especially our sleeping bags, since it was our last night camping. We didn’t leave at the campsite’s opening time like we did on previous days, but still before 8 a.m. We’ve become efficient—at the start of the trip, it took us 2 hours to get moving, and now we’re ready in an hour. Plus, folding the tent without the sleeping bags and blankets inside made things a little easier. Though it was still handy not having to take everything out every morning.

Our last zebras and impalas before heading out.





We pass through the eastern gate of Etosha, Von Lindequist Gate, with a little pang in our hearts. That’s it—this part is over. This park, like Kruger two years ago, has enchanted us, not so much for its landscapes but for its incredible wildlife.



The C38 leaving Etosha is paved, and we then take the B1 heading south. We make a quick stop in Tsumeb to fill up the tank since we’ve already used up most of the second one. We put in over 100 liters.

After Tsumeb, the landscape becomes prettier and more mountainous, whereas before it was very monotonous. On the downside, there are quite a few trucks now, whereas we’d barely seen any since the start of our trip.





We don’t waste any time because we want to be at the CCF by 2 p.m. for the cheetah feeding.

Before reaching Otjiwarongo, it’s only 11:30 a.m. when we turn onto a beautiful ochre track.

Small nests are hanging from the trees—we didn’t see their owners.









Then we cross through farms and have to open gates.

"Are you sure this is the right way? Yeah, yeah, look, we’re on the path Maps.Me shows!"







After 20 km, I realize the path Maps.Me indicated doesn’t exist anymore. Actually, we took a wrong turn—we should’ve taken the D 2440 but turned too early onto the D 2433. So, we had to turn around, which cost us over an hour. The atmosphere in the car suddenly got pretty chilly 🤪.

It’s almost 1 p.m. when we finally take the 2440—it’s right at the entrance of the town. Phew! This time it’s well signposted, and luckily the road is good for the 40 km we have to cover.





Along the way, my husband spots a pangolin. By the time we stop and back up, it’s already gone. Too bad!

We arrive at the CCF (Cheetah Conservation Fund) at 1:30 p.m., just in time to grab a snack before watching the cheetah feeding.

In front of us, 12 cheetahs out of the 36 on the site are calmly waiting for their meal.



When they bring in the trays with a piece of meat weighing about 1.5 to 2 kg each, the cheetahs go wild. As soon as the doors open, they pounce on it—today’s menu is donkey meat bought from local farmers. They can’t eat the bones because their jaws are too small, but they don’t leave a single scrap behind. After 30 minutes, they’re full and calm again.









Tonight’s going to be a change from the last four—we’ve booked a stay at Cheetah View Lodge, right next to the foundation. This lodge is new, having opened in 2017, and there are only 5 rooms. Plus, it’s pure luxury—we’ve got a suite with a lounge area and a bedroom with two king-sized beds, plus a terrace that overlooks the waterhole.

We’re a little overwhelmed by all the space—it’s way too big! But no, I’m just kidding; we’re getting used to it really quickly .







From the restaurant, there’s a lovely view of the Waterberg Plateau.







Anyway, we don’t have time to linger right now—at 3:30 PM, we’ve booked a Cheetah Drive. When we arrive at the center, there’s no one else around, so we get a private drive. The reserve covers about 50 hectares for the 36 cheetahs. These cheetahs were rescued as cubs after their mothers were killed by farmers. Most of the time, it’s the same farmers who bring them in because they feel guilty for killing their mothers.

However, they won’t be returned to the wild because they can’t survive on their own. Only 10% of Namibia’s cheetahs are completely free. All the males are neutered because breeding cheetahs in Namibia is prohibited.

When we enter the enclosure with four cheetahs, they have plenty of space to roam, as well as an area to eat.







We see the two females first, lying down not far from each other. Like lions, cheetahs can sleep up to 20 hours a day.

A little further on, the two young males in the enclosure are doing the same. The other cheetahs are spread out in different enclosures.







The CCF is actually a large farm, employing 75 people. In addition to rescuing cheetahs, the CCF has a breeding program for livestock guardian dogs (Kangal or Anatolian Shepherd) to protect goat herds.

"In Namibia, a large part of the herds are protected by guardian dogs from Turkey. The presence of these large dogs is very dissuasive. Cheetahs and leopards usually give up attacking livestock. As a result, farmers are less inclined to shoot or poison the big cats. This is a long-term effort, carried out for several years in Namibia by the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Namibia has the largest cheetah population, with around 3,000 animals. The NGO began importing the first dogs (of the Kangal breed from Turkey) in 1994, and since then, 300 dogs have been placed with farmers. The puppies are placed at 8 weeks old and live with herds of cows and goats. The demand for these dogs is very high, and the program has been so successful in Namibia that the organization is being asked to replicate the same initiative in Kenya."

So we go see the dogs—there are currently 10 females for 2 males. They raise the puppies with the goats to get them used to them, then sell them to farmers for a nominal sum to protect their herds.











They also make products from goat’s milk, like cheeses and ice cream.





Back at the lodge, we take advantage of having plenty of space to fully unpack our suitcases. Yes, our departure is near.

We’re distracted by the comings and goings of animals in front of our terrace—a warthog, a common duiker (not a dik-dik), a female kudu, and another bird with a cute little crest, it’s a Go-away bird or lourie.

When we see this spectacle, we really don’t want to leave :(.









We wait for the sun to set before having our meal at the lodge’s restaurant.



Even more cheetahs here

Hi Isabelle, wow, I would’ve been over the moon with all those cheetahs 😎—what a wonderful day, apart from leaving Etosha!

I was at Waterberg where Verreaux’s Eagles (Black Eagle/Verreaux's Eagle) nest, and Damara Dik-Diks kept "peeking" around the lodges.

It’s not a Dik-Dik—they have a longer snout. I think it’s a Common Duiker/Grimm’s Duiker.

The bird is a Go-away-bird (grey lourie), a uniform-colored turaco... I had a moment of hesitation with that gorgeous sunset 😛

thanks again and again

Hi Anne Marie, You're in for a treat with the cheetahs tomorrow—we're going to see even more of them! 🙂 Thanks for enriching this travel journal with your knowledge.

Thanks Isabelle for this lovely and charming travel journal about Namibia that I’ve been following from the start—it’s been such a dream and brought back memories of my trip there in 2013. I didn’t keep a journal myself (a bit lazy... 🤪).

I’d love to go back, and it’ll happen soon—retirement is just around the corner!

Great job, and thanks again! Happy future travels! 🙂

Thanks Gilles for joining us on the Namibian roads 🙂. I think it doesn’t take much to make you want to go back, and when you retire you’ll have even more time to enjoy it 😉.

Isabelle, You didn’t mention the sociable weaver nests—though you did take a photo of one. Typically, they’re huge and can house up to 500 birds. I loved your post! Like many, I was too lazy to write one after our trip to Namibia and Botswana in July/August 2018. The only one I’ve written dates back to 2009 when we traveled with our kids (11 and 13 at the time). Thanks again, and maybe see you on the slopes of Les 7 Laux this winter!

Isabelle, You didn’t mention the sociable weaver nests, but you took a photo of one. Typically, they’re huge and can house up to 500 birds.

Oh, but I *did* mention them—you must’ve missed it, Dominique! 😛: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=9757367;a=9757367

I loved your post! Like many, I was too lazy to write one after our trip to Namibia and Botswana in July/August 2018.

Too bad—I’m *really* interested for summer 2021! 😉

Thanks again, and maybe see you this winter on the slopes of Les 7 Laux!

Ah, yes—Les 7 Laux! Maybe, though it’s not my favorite resort 😮

Isabelle, At Les 7 Laux, I’ve had an apartment for 38 years now!!!! It’s the only resort truly accessible from Paris for a weekend. I’ve even managed to ski up to ... 48 days in one season while still living in Paris.

Back to Southern Africa: last summer, my wife and I traveled through Namvic—we sent out a request for proposals to several local tour operators, and they gave us the best offer. Madiza didn’t bother responding, and Tourmaline wasn’t as interesting. We ventured a bit off the beaten path, wanting to see Purros and the desert elephants. Our main goal was the Caprivi Strip and Botswana. We had a budget that allowed us to do the circuit in lodges. Departure and arrival in Windhoek (WDH). We did quite a few game drives on our own but didn’t take the risk of driving from Kasane to Maun. Instead, we took the detour via Nata. We stayed 3 nights in Maun to visit the Okavango and Moremi, where the tracks are manageable without too much hassle for a driver not used to handling a 4x4 in deep sand. The trickiest spot was Mudumu in the Caprivi Strip, especially since we didn’t encounter anyone all day on the tracks.

What still surprises me in the travel journals I read—whether camping or lodge-based—is that these places are 3/4 empty, yet we’re always told to book almost a year in advance. Except for Palmwag, which had some people in both the lodge and campsite, but it was far from full.