Discovering the joys of camping in Namibia (page 29 of 30)

Hi Nathalie, I really enjoyed writing this travel journal, and if it brings back good memories or helps with planning a trip there, that’s awesome! 😉 Yes, the drought is truly a disaster for Namibia 🙁, I hope the rain comes soon for the people and the animals. A lot of us are waiting for Jean Luc—he’s gonna be called "Désiré" if this keeps up 😛.

I'm still looking for the title...😉🙂😉

I'm still looking for the title...😉🙂😉

If you want... we can help you out 😏😏😏

Thanks Isabelle for this lovely travel journal that can only make you want to add Namibia to your next trip list. Such beautiful images that inspire dreams. What bothers me about this destination is the need to plan things a year in advance!...

Yes, Namibia is truly a magnificent destination, and I’m glad I inspired you to go! ☺️

I think for high season, you need to book well in advance. However, if you go in October, for example, it’s not always necessary. Of course, if you *really* want to go to Namibrand, for instance—since there are only three spots—it’ll be trickier! 😅

When we left Windhoek, at the guesthouse, there was a young couple arriving who had only decided to come to Namibia 15 days earlier! 😮 So, you never know...

Oh yes, the ideal would be to go off-season, but for now that’s not compatible with my work!.........It’ll be easier once I’m retired 😉

Oh yes, the ideal would be to go off-season, but for now that’s not compatible with my work!.......

Yeah! Unfortunately, a lot of us are in the same boat 😢, so we’ve got to plan ahead 😄.

It’ll be easier in retirement 😉

True!😊 Hopefully we won’t be too old to do this kind of trip by the time we get there 😌.

I'm discovering this travel journal as I read along... since we're heading to Namibia for 3 weeks next summer (alternating between lodging and rooftop camping).

So, I was really waiting for the answer to this question, and darn, no answer yet 😏.

For me, the psychological aspect works the opposite way—less I can do, the more I want to do it 😛.

I'll keep reading because the cool nights aspect intrigues me too :D (we'll be there in July).

Anyway, great start to the journal, I love it and I'm already hooked !

I’m discovering this travel journal as I read along... since we’re heading to Namibia for 3 weeks next summer (we’re alternating between lodgings and rooftop camping)

Welcome, Laura, and happy reading 😉. Yep, being able to switch between solid lodgings and camping is the best! 😇

So, I was really waiting for the answer to this question, and darn, no answer 😏

Which question? If I can help...😊

For me, the psychological side works the opposite—less I can do, the more I want to 😛

Awesome! That’s how you push your limits 😏

I’ll keep reading because the cool nights aspect intrigues me too :D (we’ll be there in July)

Make sure to pack good sleeping bags—we only got cold in the south at the end of July/beginning of August. Up north, we even found it warm 😎. But from one year to the next... it’s not always the same.

Anyway, great start to the journal, I love it and I’m already hooked!

Thanks 😊 Don’t hesitate if you have any questions.

Isabelle, "When we left Windhoek, at the guesthouse, there was a young couple arriving—they’d only decided to come to Namibia 15 days earlier 😲—go figure..." Yeah, but the real question is: how much did they pay for their flight tickets? What route were they taking? How were they staying? If they’re open to blank-check spending, everything’s easy.

No, I don’t think they were "open-ended" for the flight tickets—I don’t know about that—but they were camping with a tent on the roof. The route was pretty classic; in fifteen days or even three weeks, you can’t do much more 🙁. All I know is that their itinerary was planned based on availability, but I think they managed pretty well 😉. I’m not saying you shouldn’t book way in advance, but like some have already mentioned, spots open up last-minute. Though I wouldn’t risk it either 😛

Hi Jean-François,

Just catching up on your message a bit late:

You can easily get by with a quick wash for several days in a row.

Absolutely—and actually, many doctors, including mine, advise against showering even once a day, let alone multiple times, not for ecological reasons but simply for health (it strips away sebum).

Hi Isabelle,

If you read all the comments and make remarks on each one, you’ll be up all night

Well, I’m finally catching up after leaving you hanging for a while (sorting photos, a quick edit, and starting my own—dust-free—travel journal 😉.

it seems that when we saw each other, you were still missing some essential items

Yep, no vacation without an apéro 😎. And as mentioned in the travel journal, we found the rest at the Metro and its shopping arcade.

we’re leaving at 8 AM from Swakopmund. It’s not warm this morning—5 degrees—but the weather is beautiful.

We’d already talked about this in Londiningi, but I just checked our notes: we had 18°C at 8 AM when we left Swakopmund.

Henties Bay, then we turn onto the D1918 or M23 toward Usakos to head to Spitzkoppe

This is where Maps.me had its first meltdown 😇—it insisted on routing us through Swakopmund for almost the entire trip.

the landscape is pretty monotonous

I was starting to think we were the only ones who thought so.

The campsite is okay, but no water or restrooms

No water, fair enough, but there were dry toilets at least. And unless I’m mistaken, there were showers (unused) at the campsite entrance.

the Bushman paintings

You did "Bushman’s Paradise"; we did "Small Bush..." Both are pretty faded, and our guide—nice as he was—kept touching them 😠. Not great for preservation!

we chose an isolated spot (number 20) at the back of the campsite

Funny—we picked the neighbor, number 21.

Actually, our spot is right in front of a watering hole, so the camp is an elephant crossing

I saw that spot, but for us, it was dry. Still, what an amazing encounter.

Alright, I’ll stop here for today—I’m starting to catch up on my backlog 😎.

Hello Isabelle,

Finally, I’m catching up on my backlog 😉.

I open the door and slam it, so he gets scared and runs off.

Wow! I’m discovering (a bit late 😉) this orange story I didn’t know about.

Lions Rock because I’ve seen photos of it. So, we don’t know where it was since we didn’t see it—it must be recognizable, right? No!

Yeah, it’s always the same with these natural rock formations—everyone sees what they want in them.

a grader is more than enough to lift the 4x4

Brilliant, what a great anecdote.

ostriches... there’s even one that tries to race us

We saw it too 😉 and it also raced us, except at the end, it suddenly crossed the track and nearly ended up on the BBQ 😎.

We arrive at 3:30 PM in Opuwo and look for a station to fill up

Didn’t you spot them in advance? Since I’m extra cautious, I had the GPS points for most of the stations along our route.

Opuwo... We didn’t like this town at all; we didn’t feel comfortable there

Same feeling here.

Opuwo Country Lodge... The lodge looks really nice; the reception makes you want to stay... No, tonight, it’s camping for us. We shouldn’t get any ideas about luxury, after all.

You might not have been wrong; here’s (a sneak peek) our take:

Gorgeous lodge at the entrance, but the rest leaves something to be desired—cracked cement everywhere, stairs with uneven steps. Room and bathrooms clean; we had to unplug the TV to use the hairdryer. Wi-Fi is spotty at reception, Skype works just okay, but impossible to send even a single photo. Dinner and breakfast were hearty.

the road is a bit tough with some tricky river crossings.

I’ll talk about it in my travel journal (won’t spoil everything here), but yeah, a bit tough.

we set off for a walk upstream, but barriers stop us from going too far, and we didn’t dare cross them.

We went down into a dry riverbed and kept going without any issues, but didn’t go too far (same old story).

The overall view near the falls is a bit disappointing; with a little more water, it’d probably be better.

Since we went after you, there must’ve been even less water. But since we’d been warned there was nothing left (a couple we helped—blown tire), we were happy anyway.

But once again, with a little landscaping, the site could be really beautiful

I don’t agree with you there 😇. If we start landscaping, it’ll quickly turn into concrete and...

I think driving all those kilometers just for the falls isn’t worth it. Most people come here to visit a Himba village too, which we didn’t want to do from the start.

I don’t know what to say. For the Himbas, same feeling. Even if it’s unpopular, I don’t want to go to a human zoo!

Still, driving all that way just for mini falls is long, but what a campsite! One of our favorites.

Looking back, we should’ve kept going with just one spare tire.

Even though I’m extra cautious, I think I would’ve done the same as you.

on the way, we see zebras, giraffes, and springboks.

After the lions from the day before, this is paradise.

Hello Alain-Pierre, Well, it rained in Brittany today, so you got back to reading 😏.

we found the rest in the Metro and its shopping mall

Yes, I noted the address... for next time 😉.

This is where Maps.me had its first meltdown

We got a bit tricked by Maps.me too—you can’t always trust it, but thankfully, paper maps still exist 😇.

a grader was more than enough to lift the 4x4

Brilliant, what a great story.

I think it would’ve taken us ages to change the tire without their help 😕.

she suddenly crossed the track and nearly ended up on the BBQ 😎.

Cool, ostrich BBQ is so good—just without the feathers🙂

Lovely lodge at the entrance, but the rest was disappointing—cracked cement everywhere, uneven stairs. Room and bathroom were clean, though; we had to unplug the TV to use the hairdryer.

You stayed in a lodge in Opuwo... amateurs 😉

Then, driving just for mini waterfalls—it’s a long way, but what a campsite! One of our absolute favorites.

Yes, we loved that campsite too—it would’ve been a shame to miss it🙁

Have a great evening and see you soon 🙂

Hi Isabelle,

As you guessed, a few gentle showers 😉 are "allowing" me to catch up a bit.

We were made to throw away practically all our plastic bags because they’re banned in the park.

I’d read that too and prepared a little, but we’ve never been hassled in any park.

What a beautiful introduction to Etosha Park

What more can I add? We felt the same way.

We’re so happy—our first lions

(Had to take a screenshot 😠.) So happy—no surprise there!

we’re already getting picky...

It’s true—you get spoiled fast 😉 ; oh, more giraffes; oh, more rhinos; oh, more lions: Stop, I never said that!!!

a lioness arrives while another was already drinking. She hides and pounces on her when she gets close

Amazing.

The landscape in Etosha is pretty monotonous—flat and all gray

Yes, totally agree.

Okaukuejo at 12:30, and we take our spot—we’ve got number 6. It’s not exactly great

We had the same one, and yeah, not great—constantly crossed by people heading to the toilets who couldn’t be bothered to take a detour 😠.

I look, thinking that if there’s a leopard, it’d be there

We’ve stared at so many trees searching for a big cat, whether in Etosha or elsewhere—but nothing... Well done to you.

Kori Bustard or Kori Bustard and Northern Black Korhaan or White-quilled Bustard

Lovely.

Until next time.

Hello Alain-Pierre,

We were made to throw away practically all our plastic bags because they’re banned in the park.

I’d read that too and prepared a bit, but we were never hassled in any park.

Yeah, I get the feeling it depends on the ranger on duty, how many people are entering at the same time, the age of the dairymaid…😉

Our first two days at Etosha were truly magical—we were spoiled with lions and at the waterholes, it was like real Noah’s Arks 😎

The landscape at Etosha is pretty monotonous, flat, all gray.

Yeah, totally agree.

Luckily, we’re not going to this park for the scenery but for the *zanimals*—you can’t have it all

See you next time.

Cool!

Hello,

The little shade available is taken

😎

In Chudob, ... The waterhole is nearby and pretty with the reeds in the middle

That’s a lovely waterhole indeed; we had a strange feeling when, while moving the car, we spotted (on the right of your second photo) an elephant that had been hidden by the greenery.

The campsites are better, there are trees so a bit of shade and some grass, so much less dust.

Totally agree, and Isabelle loved the grass. Goes to show, when you want something...

A family of warthogs

Indeed, we saw quite a few in that area too. But I think it was even drier where we were.

All in all, your "haul" at Etosha is amazing.

See you soon (gotta get back to my travel journal 😉).

Yes, yes, I’m waiting for the rest of your travel journal because there are so many places we’d love to go 😊... Botswana among others 😍

Hi Isabelle,

Our last zebras and impalas before leaving

Didn’t you feel like doing the Dik-Dik again before heading out?

we took the wrong turn instead of taking the D 2440, we turned too early onto the D 2433.

That’s why I enter the daily route into Maps.me (prepared at home), which can help avoid some issues (but definitely not all ;)). A KML file, tweaked as needed, and you’re all set.

We’re a bit lost in all this, it’s too vast

You almost need a car just to get from one bed to another! 😎

livestock guardian dog breeding (Kangal or Anatolian Shepherd) to protect goat herds

I didn’t know about that; why don’t our French farmers do the same with bears and especially wolves, which are smaller than your big cats? ;)

Cheetah Run

Nice, great photos.

Most of the guests are French-speaking, which makes it easy to chat with those arriving and those leaving, isn’t that right, Alain Pierre.

Sure is 😎—it was a pleasure.