Posts by Titaille

Hello, Yes, indeed, that’s the usual dosage, and you’ve been given good advice.

It’s Atovaquone Proguanil, the generic version of Malarone, which has been on the market for several years now. It’s recommended to take it with dinner and, if possible, with fatty foods (as advised by specialists for this molecule).

Unfortunately, after many trips to high-risk countries, my body no longer tolerates this treatment, so I’ve had to find other strategies, which I mentioned earlier. I still bring this medication along to use as a curative measure in case of an emergency (the dosage is completely different in that case).

Best regards,

Hi there,

My practical travel tips were mainly aimed at Martine, who started this thread.

For the rest, I’m somewhat in the loop, as I also work in a medical environment. Another one of our references is the BEH.

Have a great day,

Hi Loic,

I completely agree with your response—it’s both serious and pragmatic—except when it comes to the Pasteur Institute, which remains one of the references.

I know Namibia well, and the risks are indeed limited (rainy season and the northern region).

Personally, I haven’t been able to tolerate antimalarials for about ten years now. I had to stop preventive treatment after a maximum of 8 days. So, I opt for protective measures, especially soaking our clothes in Insect Ecran solution (which seems effective against flies too!). But I still bring atovaquone-proguanil just in case, for curative use. After all, this preventive treatment can also serve as a curative one "just in case."

It’s highly recommended to use local mosquito repellent products (available in supermarkets, like at Spar), such as Peaceful Sleep, in spray or cream form. Finally, it seems you should avoid wearing dark colors, as they attract mosquitoes! (This is true here too.)

Best regards,

Hi Rachel, For distances and travel times, I recommend buying the Travks4Africa map—it’s very reliable.

As for the rest, if I’m not mistaken, you’ve already received detailed answers on another forum. You should’ve shared your itinerary plan with us to make things clearer. Personally, I think 5 days at Victoria Falls is too much, unless you’re on a 6- to 8-week trip!

Maybe you’d like to tell us more about how your itinerary unfolds from your arrival?

Best regards,

Hi, I stayed at the one south of Etosha—it was pretty good. Large self-standing tent on a mopane hill, with a restaurant and pool at the bottom. You can also find it on Booking where there are lots of options!

But it’s not as good as a night at Okaukuejo with an evening at the waterhole!

See you!

Totally agree! Namibian rates were well below those of neighboring countries (South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania) and hadn't changed in ages. In Tanzania, it's around $70 or $75/day pp for parks like Selous or the Serengeti. And we're still far from Thoiry's rates (34 € pp for ages 11 and up!!!). If it helps better maintain the facilities (camps, etc.) and pay staff more fairly, well then...

Hi Puma,

I see you’ve left the Routard Forum, where you were a long-time regular. I think you made the right call—given that the Tanzania Routard forum is flooded with ads, hundreds of posts from "fake travelers" who come and go, singing the praises of guides and agencies in such a repetitive way that the rare authentic posts get buried. My three travel journals are lost in the noise there.

Kudos on this travel journal—it might be your best yet, with, as always, stunning photos. More and more birds!

We were luckier than you with the African wild dogs and the lesser kudus, but that was in Ruaha. That’s just the way safaris go—full of surprises!

Anyway, I wish you great future trips,

Hi Loïc,

Just two points that seem important to me: - The visa process since April has been causing significant delays upon arrival at the airport, adding about 1 hour to the wait time. So, you can’t really plan to leave Windhoek before around 5 hours (2 to 2.5 hours for airport formalities and baggage + about 1.5 hours for car rental formalities + 1 hour for shopping). Make sure to factor this in for Day 1, and depending on your arrival time, consider staying overnight in Windhoek. (So, doing the Olive Trail the next day might be a bit ambitious!)

- Small detail: In Etosha, the track connecting Okaukuejo to Halali via the pan (and thus passing by some interesting waterholes) is closed until November due to construction. You’ll now pass farther from the pan, making Halali less appealing. The wildlife might also be disrupted by the work...

Best regards,

Hello, I have a doubt about the route from Palmwag to Okaukuejo via Galton Gate: Is this route doable, wise, or too long to do in a day? In your opinion, how much travel time should I plan for? Thanks a lot

Hello, It’s totally doable. Just don’t leave Palmwag too late! It takes less than 3 hours from Palmwag to the Galton Gate entrance (you might want to stop in Kamanjab for supplies). Nice road. And on our last trip, it took us 4 hours from Galton Gate to Okaukuejo, stopping at (almost) every waterhole.

Best regards,

Hi there, In Opuwo, there’s also the Kaoko Mopane Lodge and campsite, a really peaceful spot south of town where we had a great stopover in December 2022.

I can confirm that hitching a ride near a remote village is a good idea. Gifts: rice, sugar, water containers, fruit...

Otherwise, if you make it up to Epupa, the Himba people are in their element there—you’ll cross paths with them and meet them naturally. If you’d like, you can reach out to Thom, a local guide (contact him through your accommodation, like Omarunga Camp or another place). He’s a friendly, English-speaking Himba who can take you to a nearby village.

Best regards,

Hi, I’m a bit disgusted by these personal outbursts and score-settling that are polluting such a great travel journal.

I’ll add that VF isn’t a photo contest site.

All of this is really too bad, but sadly predictable.

Hi there,

I really enjoy organizing and booking everything myself—it gives you way more flexibility and independence in your choices. Accommodations mainly through Booking and Airbnb, sometimes AfricanReservations too.

For your trip, I’d suggest a classic loop for the first part with these overnight stops: Depending on your arrival time: Windhoek, Gecko Camp, or Namibgrens; Day 2-3: Sesriem/Sossusvlei – camping at Sesriem or Oshana Day 4-5: Swakopmund (Airbnb) Day 6: Spitzkoppe (camping at Spitzkoppe or Dputzkopp Tented Camp, or Ameib Ranch, or Airbnb in Uis) Day 7: Twyfelfontein, Madisa Camp Day 8-9: Etosha Day 10: Return to Windhoek, overnight there. If you have an extra night, do Day 10 in Okonjima and Day 11 in Windhoek. It’s a bit fast-paced for my taste, but timing’s tight! You could adjust with hikes in Naukluft NP and Waterberg, but you’d have to cut something else.

For the trip with your son, I’d lean toward the south: head to Mariental for 1 night, then Keetmanshoop, then 1 more night, then KTP for 4 nights or more. If he hasn’t been to KTP yet—wow! But bookings might be tough (SanParks website).

A tour operator can help with tricky reservations. Some folks like Tourmaline too.

Alternative: Southern loop with Mariental – Keetmanshoop – Fish River Canyon (Hobas side) – Aus (1 or 2 nights at Aus Klein Vista) – Kolmanskop – Lüderitz – return via the D707, then back to the B1 to head up to Windhoek.

There you go! Take a look and see what appeals to you.

Safe travels—(I’m heading out again tomorrow!)

Hello again, Sorry, I hadn’t read everything about the camping part.

Reputable car rental companies: Savanna, Asco, Bushlore, Namibia2Go, Africa On Wheels...

What does your son already know?

Hi Marie,

If it's for April 2025, it might be a bit tight, sure, but not impossible! Though April isn’t peak season, there are more and more people around. If you’re camping, it’s easier.

Looking for slightly wild spots with fewer tourists? With animals, or not?

Will you do a loop or a one-way trip? Start by sketching out a short itinerary with highlights, and consider getting help with bookings if needed!

I’ve always booked everything myself (this’ll be my 6th trip), but it’s getting trickier.

See you soon,

Oh, poor you! They’re so cute, though—the little penguins on Granite Island. We went to see them at the Rescue Centre during feeding time. Is the horse-drawn tram still running? No? Well, we didn’t sleep here; we came from Adelaide, crossing the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Yeah, you can’t do it all—there are limits (or boundaries?). But when you push past the limits, there are no more limits (sic).

We’ll *definitely* have to come back for the centre! It’s the heart of the country. Stunning landscapes.

Thanks again for this discovery. It’s so gorgeous there!

We didn’t make it up there 10 years ago because we ran out of time—we’d brought along two friends with limited vacation days. (Big mistake. You’re so restricted in your choices, and sometimes you even have to call a vote…) We had to get to Adelaide as quickly as possible. 😅

Hi there, The drive up north is no problem, especially now that the road has been fixed. Of course, it depends on where you're starting from. I did it 10 years ago with a stop in Opuwo on the way there and no stop on the way back. Over a 3-week trip. A good tip: stay 2 nights in the same place every now and then.

Hi Sophie, The South requires a lot more time than Epupa—you’ll need at least 4 to 6 days starting from Mariental. It’s almost a separate trip to plan, maybe adding a few days in KTP, for example. That’s what we did for our third trip: Keetmanshoop for 1 night (for the quiver trees and fossils), the canyon near Fish River Lodge (optional but stunning), the canyon near Hobas, possibly Ai-Ais at the end of the canyon, then Aus and Lüderitz. Head back via the D707, with an optional stop at Namibrand before reaching Sesriem.

I wouldn’t recommend doing this on your first trip—it’s impossible in 2 days, and it’d be a shame to sacrifice the rest of the country.

Have a great day,

Hi Sophie,

If you decide to go up to Epupa, plan to spend 2 nights there. (It’s a long drive that you can break in Opuwo... if you have the time...) So, save 2 nights elsewhere and adjust the itinerary.

Are you camping, or is it a mix?

I don’t know all your choices (for example, Grootberg: is it for the beauty of the place, or to do some tracking? In the first case, 1 night would be enough).

If it were me, I might consider this (I’d save 1 night at Camp Gecko—even though I love the place—and 1 night at Grootberg): Day 1 Windhoek Day 2 Mariental Day 3 Sesriem Day 4 Sesriem Day 5 Walvis Bay Swakopmund (Direct route via Solitaire) Day 6 Walvis Bay Swakopmund Day 7 Spitzkoppe (Option to do a kayak trip with the seals in the morning at Walvis Bay before heading to Spitzkoppe—it finishes by noon) Day 8 Twyfelfontein Day 9 Twyfelfontein Day 10 Grootberg (only 1 night) Day 11 Epupa Day 12 Epupa Day 13 Hobatere Lodge (just across from Galton Gate, the western entrance to Etosha) Day 14 Etosha west and center Day 15 Etosha center Day 16 Etosha east Day 17 Otjiwarongo: Weaver’s Rock Guest Farm (Visit the CCF along the way before arriving in Otjiwarongo) and Waterberg, rhino tracking the next day—Maybe better to sleep at Waterberg? Day 18 Weaver’s Rock Guest Farm or Waterberg? Day 19 Okonjima Day 20 Return to Windhoek Evening departure.

Not sure if this helps? It’s almost what I did on my first trip 10 years ago (but with an extra night in Swakopmund and 2 nights in Okonjima).

Happy planning,