Aan al ons Afrikaanse vriende en familie,...
ek skryf in Engels aangesien ek dit met 'n wyer 'gehoor' wil deel.
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| I seem to like sunsets and palms (and women and men with ponytails) - these are are early 1980s pics,... i promise to post MUCH better pics soon |
few days to go - 25 April the wheels are turning
Trip to Namibia
25 April to 19 May 2016
After 20 years of not going on holiday, Marie and i decided the time has come. More than time has come, i also got a new bakkie (Ford Ranger XLS 2.2D) and when i spinned it around, it pointed to Namibia. In about January we decided on a date, and it worked out to be from 25 April 2016 to somewhere in May. We realise that the time period is too short, but i want to see a lot of places. Some areas i have seen before, others never!
I hope to post pictures on the scenery, conditions of roads and of accommodation, the general vibe...friendliness of locals, prices, etc.
The Planning
The Route
We start from Knysna, where we live, and travel north. See the map below. |
| Trip north |
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| Trip south |
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| Bueno, Cassie, Pembi (Moya and Seun did not pose) |
Accommodation
Camping: We initially strongly considered camping . We got the impression that the main benefit of camping is the price. As we aren't regular campers we don't have the equipment and how much camping may sound idyllic, it is expensive to get all you need and it really is a bit of a pain for me. Camping sites go for around R150.
Accommodation: Accommodation types vary so much that naming prices are not very practical. We had two criteria when searching for accommodation: it must be in a rural setting and as cheap as practically possible. We, after a lot of searching, is paying just under R800 per night for two people. Some of these include breakfast. Total cost for accommodation will be about R15 000. Accommodation was not always easy to come by. At quite a few places we could not get two consecutive nights at the same place, and in others none at all. That's where Kamanjab came from! Nothing available in the Bergsig - Palmwag area, or then in our price range. Booking two months ahead is almost too little time ahead.
Uncertainties
All the normal things had to be considered.
Are visas needed (no)
Passports? Yes, Home Affairs was very efficient. Less than two weeks from application.
Documentation: Passports, letter from bank to allow you to take vehicle over the border, proof of insurance, vehicle registration, ZA sticker.
No firewood, 2 liters of wine (ouch), limit on cigarettes, etc. I never heard of someone losing their booze, however.
Seems no special vaccinations needed if you enter from RSA. We opted to not taking malaria pills. Will keep you posted on our return. We will however self-medicate with gin and tonic as well as cover up somewhat and using the normal sprays (Tabard and Peaceful Sleep).
Security? Don't know.
Fuel? Diesel seems to be cheaper in Namibia, we'll see. I looked all over the internet and although it seems that fuel is normally available and as we will be off the beaten track sometimes, we travel will 25 liters of diesel in a can. Also 25 liters of water, and probably as much beverages. We hope not to use the 25 liters of diesel at all. I take two spare tyres (which i also hope not to use).
Connectivity: Roaming seems to be very expensive (Vodacom) so we looked at Namibian 'sim cards'. The price of data bundles are of particular interest. MTC looked promising, we'll see.
Our 'reminder list'
This is the list of things we take with. It may be of interest to someone. We also take a 12V fridge.
Vehicle
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| Nose in the air...as i fitted bull bar. |
It has its stock Continental tyres (255x16). I am warned that they are prone to side-wall punctures. We'll see. My second tyre is a old Isuzu rim, but it fits the Ford studs perfectly. It is 15" however! But i hope not to use it.
The Trip - on the road, and off the road
I am not scared to leave the tar road....ok, not at 120 km/h.
We are leaving on 25 April. I'll fill in details and pics after each day.
Day 1
Travelling from Knysna, via Oudtshoorn, Beaufort West, Loxton to Carnarvon.
Day 2
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| Approximate route to N10 |
Carnarvon to Riemvasmaak Hot Springs. The highlight is that you'll see Marie in bathing apparel...ja...not bikini...bathing apparel. Another highlight will be driving a road i have no idea of the quality, from Riemvasmaak to the N10. I have drawn it on the map. Google Maps shows the road, but i cannot zoom into it to cut while seeing RVM and the N10. It's sandy, see below.
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| What the route looks like (photo from GE, Panaramio) |
Day 3
Riemvasmaak to Keetmanshoop. Entering Namibia from RSA. I report on what the border crossing was like, red tape like. Time will be spent buying provisions in KMH, specially the things we 'may not' take over the border, e.g. fire wood, beer, wine, but also meat, sim cards and data, etc.
Day 4
Keetmanshoop to Swakopmund. This promise beautiful and varied landscapes.
Day 5
Swakopmund to Kamanjab. This will be an interesting day mostly 'along the coast'. I don't eat fish much, but hope to buy a fish to braai!
The places indicated in red is where we would have preferred to overnight but we could not get suitable accommodation (suitable = not camping, <R1750, lice free). The bottom red circle indicates Palmwag. I understand meat may not travel south past Palmwag, dead meat, i mean. Not 100% sure of taking meat past here, north, is allowed.
Kamanjab is reported to have fuel, supermarkets etc. Ruacana seems to be not that well stocked according to the 4x4 forum forum http://www.4x4community.co.za/forum/
We'll buy whatever we need for the next few days.
Day 6
Kamanjab to Ruacana, via Opuwo, Etanga, Okangwati. This will be a very interesting day, with probably be the most natural, rural, of all the rural areas we are going to see. All of our drives are too long, this one is too long and slow. This is where i hope not to use my extra spare wheel, extra diesel, or extra water. Opuwo also have shops, but also reported not to have stock, often.
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| This is Aug 1981 |
I hope to visit the Omarumba Mission Station, 'just SE' of Opuwo (-18.255584° 13.895884°). We stayed there for about 2-3 weeks, in three houses (Aug 1981). This house on the photo was the one i shared, with about 30-40 people. And now i wonder, 'did i take the pic from the house i lived in?' I hope to post a 'then and now' photo.
Day 7
Spend the day in and around Ruacana Falls area.
Day 8
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| Baobab at Ombalantu (Feb 1982) |
Travel from Ruacana, SE to Halali in Etosha. This is one of the most densely populated of the 'rural areas' of Namibia and in many areas well developed. I'll pass many familiar places like Ombalantu (Outapi), Oshivelo, Ondangwa, Okatope. Then into Etosha. Accommodation in Etosha was 'difficult to find' and we had to take what was available at R1 600 per night. The online service was good.
This tree has a large opening into the trunk and was used from church to pub; elephants ate it and bats roost in it. We'll visit the tree and see how its surroundings came to life over the last 30 years.
Day 9
Driving Etosha
We hope to see maaaany animals and beautiful landscapes and will post pics.
Day 10
Travel from Halali to Tsintsabis. From Tsintsabis i want to drive straight north on the 18 degree latitude for about 130 km. I am not sure that this is possible all the way, but we'll see. Visit a spot or two, turn east, drive pat Mpungu Vlei, on to Rundu where we stay at n'Kwazi lodge. The price was cheap, i hope the lodgings look expensive ;-)). For interest sake, we could not get two nights; all booked.
The landscape should change dramatically, much greener, more trees.
This photo dates from Nov 1981. ±10 km west of Mpungu Vlei. I hope to see some beautiful thunder clouds, but i think it'll be too late in the season for those.
Day 11
Traveling from Rundu to Katima Mulilo (KM). These two days i believe to be one of three highlights, the other two are from Opuwo to Ruacana, and the trip along the coast when passing Henties Bay going north. I think, and hope that this will be 'true Africa'. I hope i am not disappointed by too much tourism effects. But i don't think so.
Day 12
Exploring Katima Mulilo area.
The voices in my head scream 'go to Victoria Falls'. I've been there...however. The voices also say, 'You can be in the Guinness Book of Records by having a 15 000 km service and 30 000 km service in two consecutive months'. I never wanted to be famous (for stupidity). But then again, i am on a service plan.
No!
Day 13
Driving back from Katima Mulilo towards Rundu and sleeping over east of Rundu. It will be high priority not to drive the same road twice so the return trips between Rundu and KM will be planned in detail. I like trees, i like water, i like swamps...these will be high on the priority list. Road conditions will be low on the list.
Day 14
Rundu to Okahandja. The holiday is over...or so it feels for me. We are turning south, back home, seriously. But we are still going to visit areas that other people aspire to visit, that may be 'their north, their destination'. So i must change my mind, and enjoy what lies south.
We are on our way to Kgalagadi National Park, so need two sleep-overs. We both have time (2 days) and mega-kilometers. I really do not want to sleep over in a city (e.g. Windhoek) so we decided on Okahandja. It was difficult to get 'rural sleep-overs' in this area. If i can have lice-free with a view, it's good enough for me.
Day 15
Okahandja to Gochas, via Windhoek. Goggas? or whatever. We'll tell you the pronunciation when i find out. We pass Gochas to Red Dunes. I actually think this is going to be very nice. I want to smell the smoke from dry Kalahari firewood. Of course we'll post pics.
But:
When driving through Windhoek, i want to visit the Namibian Breweries. I, over years, accumulated shares in this brewery and want to cash in ;-)).
I hope we can taste, i hope i can buy.
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| Copied from of Namibian Breweries website |
Okay, i'll come clean. Urbock is brewed in May, i travel through 'Urbock country' late May. No coincidence? I planned this whole trip around this date.
Urbock: For me: If you ever collected wild honey...i taste that wild honey's taste in Urbock, and i love it, it captures a part of my life.
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| From desert to forest, perfect, everywhere. |
Day 16
Gochas (Red Dunes)...Rooi Duine to Kgalagadi National Park
I really don't know what to expect. As a child i read Laurens and PJ vd Post's books of the Kalahari. I always had a longing for this area (i'll take extra Lip Ice)... But i love vegetation, plants...masses of plants, green plants. But i love plants, and even the small ones give me joy. Of course i like animals, the big five, but also the small ones, etc. And i look forward to see lions, giraffes, etc. It is going to be special. If i see an elephant in Kgalagadi, or even Kaokoland, ... wash my undies. I just know it.
Day 17
We still cruise Kgalagadi, but south. We'll see this, and more.
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| From Google |
And back into RSA. What pains are there entering our wonderful RSA?
Day 18
South. Twee Riviere going south to Augrabies, more 'desert' but hopefully we see the waterfall doing its thing...there are diamonds down there!
Day 19
Augrabies to Hondeklipbaai.
We want to experience the West Coast of South Africa.
We cross over to the west coast to the first town with a name resembling our dogs... Hondeklipbaai
hond = dog
klip = stone
baai = bay
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| Kreef...Lobster |
Day 20
Destination unknown, somewhere small, west coat.
Day 21
Driving to Cape Town, reconnecting with our daughter Jean.
Day 22
Visiting family and friends in Hermanus.
Day 23
Driving back home, outside Knysna.
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