Posts by SimonL

Namibia forever—or our 4th trip to this stunning country. A few surprises this year: brown hyenas, lots of rhinos, and a desert that was almost lush with oases. From Okonjima to the Ongava Reserve, through Damaraland, the incredible lights of Spitzkoppe, the dunes of Sossusvlei with water, the nearly green NamibRand Reserve, and ending in the Kalahari. That’s the hearty journey we just completed between August 26 and September 14, my wife and I, with 3,500 km of tracks in this amazing Namibia. We’re regulars and totally crazy about stays in Southern and South Africa, and we’ve returned to Namibia for the 4th time. Not sure this will be the last! We’ll present two parts. The first part is a video showcasing our trip, hosted on our travel channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lolodetoul54 Namibia 2026 video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db9StdkERPs&t=4404s The second part will recount the journey day by day once my wife finishes sorting through our thousands of photos from our two cameras and our smartphones. So many photos! Gone are the days of film when we shot sparingly. Today, it’s a photographic feast. Our Namibia 2026 journey: We decided to switch things up by doing a counterclockwise loop around Namibia. Okay, it’s not a groundbreaking choice since you start with more wildlife-focused areas and end with landscape regions. Our itinerary: Frankfurt-Windhoek with Discover Airlines, direct flight, then 18 nights: - Okonjima: 2 nights - Mushara, east of Etosha: 2 nights - Okaukuejo in Etosha: 1 night - Ongava: 2 nights - Damaraland at Grootberg: 2 nights - Damaraland at Spitzkoppe: 2 nights - Namib: 1 night - Sossusvlei: 2 nights - NamibRand: 3 nights - Kalahari: 2 nights Then back from Windhoek to Frankfurt. Very soon, I’ll share this Namibian journey day by day. Patience!

For wildlife photography lovers, I’ll remind you about the 29th International Festival of Wildlife and Nature Photography in Montier-en-Der (52) from November 19 to 22: https://www.photo-montier.org/

Hi Jean-Pascal,

Reading your post brought back almost identical memories (minus the ankle, sorry) of the same adventures:

https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=10653586#10653586 Day 10 Hike for the chimpanzees in Kibale Forest**** A moment shared with my wife this time. About ten groups of around ten people each were formed at the start. Each group had a guide (a female guide for us) and one or two rangers. After an hour of walking through dense forest, we came across a group of chimpanzees, rather scattered (nothing like the still, clustered gorillas), moving through the trees. Contact was pretty easy, and we got some great photos. Toward the end of our hour with the chimps, an incident occurred. A chimpanzee walking ahead of the group suddenly turned around and bolted in the opposite direction. Our guide and the rangers instantly sensed danger. We were told not to move and to stay put with the guide while the two rangers moved forward into the forest. A few moments later, we jumped at the sound of several gunshots. The guide explained there was a forest elephant nearby. These are known to be dangerous at times since they’re not used to humans. They tend to charge. Another round of gunshots told us the stubborn one hadn’t changed direction. About ten minutes later, everything calmed down. Our return was much quieter. Hike in Bigodi Swamp* – how to get scammed? You buy two tickets for a guided tour of this swamp, rich in different monkey species and birds, then head off with a guide. Ten minutes later, she explains that actually, we’ll just walk around the swamp without going in because it’s impassable—the paths and even the bridges are flooded... too much water. Okay, we paid but didn’t see much. A few monkeys, though. Night at Isunga Lodge***

Our Uganda video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-Kl-1cxB1A&t=32s The chimpanzee encounter in Kibale is at 32'33"

Looking forward to hearing the rest of your adventures. Uganda was such a beautiful memory. To be continued, Loïc

Hi Chris,

Without any controversy and because only travelers' safety matters, I confirm that I don’t use the Institut Pasteur (IP) website. Far be it from me to disparage my colleagues at this prestigious institution. The most important thing in preventing infectious diseases is how quickly knowledge is updated. We’ve just seen this with the Ebola epidemic in the DRC and a bit in Uganda. Where the IP website falls short is in its slow updates. For the DRC fact sheet, the last update was on... Last updated January 30, 2024.

https://www.pasteur.fr/fr/centre-medical/preparer-son-voyage/republique-democratique-du-congo When I teach at the medical school, I always emphasize this crucial point: the need to keep epidemiological data up to date, as it changes daily. The work of the Haut Conseil de Santé Publique is updated at least once a year, which is the bare minimum when health risks emerge or evolve. Don’t hesitate to look for updated info online, but don’t fall into paranoia that would make travel impossible. Looking forward to exchanging more.

Hello, I’m planning a trip to Namibia for three weeks in November: should I protect myself against malaria, which medication should I take, when should I start taking it, and are there any side effects? At the end of my trip, I’ll spend 5 days in the north near the Angolan border and in Etosha National Park. Thanks for any travel tips and advice! Martine

Hi, I’m a healthcare professional and I know Namibia well. I’m heading back there in a few weeks for the fourth time. The French High Council for Public Health publishes annual travel recommendations, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs then adopts. Ignore the Pasteur Institute’s advice.

Here’s what the 2026 update says, which you can read in full at the following link: https://www.hcsp.fr/explore.cgi/avisrapportsdomaine?clefr=1528

Malaria and prevention measures: Key points Malaria during travel Any trip to a malaria-risk area exposes you to the disease during your stay and up to 3 months after returning (excluding relapses). Malaria can be serious or even fatal, especially from *Plasmodium falciparum*, and requires appropriate prevention based on the risk level. Risk areas (see table 16) The main malaria-risk zone is sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa (except the eastern and northeastern border areas, including Kruger Park), Lesotho, southern Namibia, and Botswana.

Translation based on my experience: The malaria risk in Namibia is extremely low—even nonexistent—during the dry season due to the lack of mosquitoes. However, during the wet season and/or in the Caprivi Strip, there’s a seasonal or moderate risk. In such cases, using mosquito repellent (check the same recommendations for which products to use?) is sufficient and doesn’t require antimalarials. Note: this isn’t a prescription but an informed opinion, not a definitive one.

Namibia is a very safe country health-wise. Very safe doesn’t mean zero risk. Safe travels! Loïc