NAMIBIA AND BOTSWANA 2025NAMUTONI ETOSHA PART 1

Friday 2 and Saturday 3 May

Friday

The camp had no water or power at all this morning, so just as well we were heading off. East towards Okaukuejo the game became more plentiful with thousands of zebra on a mini - migration.

We saw a cheetah too far away for good photos and a thicket containing lions that other cars were waiting for glimpse of! There is no fuel in Etosha at the moment so it was a mad dash out of the Anderson Gate to fill up with diesel.  This meant a very rushed good-bye to Mazzie and Mike who were staying in Okaukeujo. For first-timers it's a must; just for the camp waterhole. It's another 2.5 hour drive to Namutoni. The plains a few kilometres outside Namutoni looked like paradise, lush and green with springbok, wildebeest, zebra and more giraffe than we've ever seen.

The camp is the best in Etosha with lots of trees and grass and I think it's the most beautiful part of the park especially with all the pans full of water at the moment. 

Saturday

Up and at the gate 15 minutes before opening. It's been a long time since we have done that. 

It's fun driving over the pan causeway but there were fewer than expected birds. By May all the migratory birds have left.  Mazzie and Mike drove up for a final brunch with us and a proper good-bye.

We caught a glimpse of a lioness under a tree but the other vehicles were very annoying. Once again it's the rental 4x4 drivers who don't know game-drive etiquette and have no regard for other cars. Driving too fast, overtaking at speed, pushing in front of you, blocking the road so that other cars can't get past. We preferred to sip our GnTs at a quieter waterhole.

It's so special sitting around our braai fire every night enjoying our whisky and our bubbly with our  "gourmet" three course dinners. Camping in style.

NAMIBIA AND BOTSWANA 2025 : WESTERN ETOSHA

Monday 28th April to Thursday 1st May

Some of Namibia's roads have deteriorated since our last journey here in 2022. "All Shook Up" comes to mind. On the last trip friends christened our caravan Buckingham Palace..This year with electrical problems and lots of dust getting in it's newly named with an F instead of a B. On Monday we were pretty dissapointed with Conquerer. Your gold standard in off road caravans as well as your maintenance record is pretty tarnished. Hobatere Roadside Camp is well located near the Western Galton Gate of Etosha National Park. This meant an early arrival at Olifantsrus Camp on Tuesday for the pick of the best sites. Once the caravan was connected to mains power and I'd dusted and mopped we were back on our happy track. 

It's amazing to see Etosha so lush and green especially in the West.

2

The downside of this is that the game is very dispersed and hard to spot. I don't mind, I just love being in the bush.  Neil and I sat at a water hole watching giraffe, wildebeest and springbok coming down to drink.  There are plenty of black backed jackal trotting along the road and a friendly little cape fox that visits our campsite at night.

Everyone else in camp is hot footing it 50kms west to Dolomite waterhole everyday in the hopes of seeing the lion pride. Neil and I are happy to have the nearby waterholes to ourselves.  On Thursday morning we had 1elephant, 2 wildebeest and 3 giraffe coming to drink.

We have settled into our camp cooking. Neil is making fresh bread on the fire, Andrew is braaing and Mazzie and Mike did an awesome potroasted pork belly. Hanlie and I keep it all on track and experiment with recipes,salads,sides and desserts. We have a steady supply of wine, bubbly and whisky snuck out of the hidey holes in the cars and caravans. What more do you want in life?

NAMIBIA AND BOTSWANA 2025 : SWAKOPMUND AND ERONGO

Friday 25 to Sunday 27 April

Friday

We all met up again at Solartaire; a well known junction rest and fuel stop. No sooner had we set of on the infamous C14 for the wonderful drive through the Namib Naukluft desert than our Cruiser lost a tyre. Wheel changed with the help of our team, especially Andrew and we were back on the road.

The only cars who stopped to see if we were okay was one South African family and bus of Vietnamese tourists. Most rental 4x4s didn't even slow down! Just saying! As soon as we got phone signal, I called all the tyre shops in Walvisbaai until I sourced a Chinese copy of our tyre. No BF Goodrich All Terrains stocked anywhere other than Windhoek it seems. 60% saving! By 4.30pm we had a new trye.

I found us campsites at Alte Brucke in Swakopmund. A wonderful spot to clean up and repack the vehicle. The others did sunset drinks on the beach and we all had a wonderful German meal at local hangout Aldtstadt. One of my travel mantras- Life is all about how you handle Plan B.

Saturday and Sunday

You can't leave Swakopmund without coffee, sanwiches and cakes from Raiths German Deli! 

We spent 2 nights at Owl Camp at Omandumba Farm in the Erongo Reserve. A beautiful spot. Spitzkoppe without the crowds! Sunrises, sunsets, starry nights and some great camp cooking.