2020 Travels: Self-Drive Across Namibia + Ethiopian Airlines Business Class
Mar 5, 2021, 8:03 am
#16
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: SE U.K.
Posts: 123
We fly into WDH, pick up the car, spend one night in town (not very far from where you stayed - Olive Grove Guest House) and then drive to Swakopmund. 2 nights there before moving on to to Etosha for 2 nights, visiting the Cheetah Conservation place on the way. Long drive that day (600Km +) means an early start. Next we head up to the Angola border and stay at Rundu (2 nights) before heading east along the Caprivi Strip staying at another 2 places along the way. Cross the border into Botswana, drop the car at Kasane airport and spend 2 nights at Garden Lodge, Chobe. After that, shared transport across the border this time into Zimbabwe to Vic Falls. Final 4 nights are at the Victoria Falls Hotel itself - a bucket list item ever since I was a little kid. Finally we fly back from Vic Falls airport to LHR via Cape Town. Sadly, only transiting in CPT not staying as we would have been away 18 nights in all, bit of a blow out but I will be celebrating a significant birthday during the trip.
We decided not to go too far south to Soussvlei and rather than scenery we are concentrating on wildlife instead, especially as I am walking disabled and cannot walk very far, up sand dunes/mountains/etc.
I am loving this TR and hope to contribute my own when we return. As I said, I am lapping up every detail especially the gravel roads bit as we will be doing some of that so the pictures are very informative to me in the absence of any Google street view! Thanks for the report, looking forward to the next chapter.
We decided not to go too far south to Soussvlei and rather than scenery we are concentrating on wildlife instead, especially as I am walking disabled and cannot walk very far, up sand dunes/mountains/etc.
I am loving this TR and hope to contribute my own when we return. As I said, I am lapping up every detail especially the gravel roads bit as we will be doing some of that so the pictures are very informative to me in the absence of any Google street view! Thanks for the report, looking forward to the next chapter.
Mar 5, 2021, 3:32 pm
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Stockholm
Programs: SQ, SK, QR
Posts: 386
DAY 3, AN EMPTY DEADVLEI
Just after sunrise Enos and I began on our way to Sossuvlei, a 65km drive from the Sesriem Gate. When researching this part of the world prior to arriving, I was somewhat confused on the difference between Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. I thought they were just two words for the same place. The answer, it turns out, is both simple and simply complicated.
Sossusvlei refers to an area just one kilometre away from Deadvlei. Both words contain a mixture of two languages, and both words have the exact same meaning. But they're different places. In the same rough area.
Go figure.
Anyway, it was a chilly morning with a few drops of rain lingering around. A first in over a year, I was told.
We were greeted with a beautiful full rainbow.
The road to Sossusvlei is surrounded by tall dunes on either side. Unlike dunes in other parts of the world, these ones don’t shift much due to having a solid core beneath the sand.
We stopped by Dune 45, “the most photographed dune in the world”, named after its distance from Sesriem. A few early birds were already making an ascent along the ridge.
Dune 45
Approaching Sossusvlei we made a quick stop to deflate the tires. The last 5km are on soft sand notorious for trapping tourists, which was one of the reasons I chose a guided tour over driving myself. Enos pointed out a section where he’s previously seen five cars lined up, all stuck in the sand.
I of course asked whether Enos himself had ever managed to get stuck. His response was a confident
“Never.”
...
Not thirty seconds later we hit a soft spot and broke his perfect record. This may sound unbelievable, but I do have photos and a witness in the form of an oryx, who looked rather unimpressed.
The "2x2 car park" just before the last 5km to Sossusvlei
Stuck in the sand
My trusty witness
With the help of some sticks and further deflated tires, we made it out of the sand and onwards to Sossusvlei. More oryx awaited, with one posing nicely on the flats in front of a dune.
Oryx posing on Sossusvlei
We set up a table beneath what I believe was a dried out camel thorn tree, for a wonderful breakfast in nature. When the food came out so did the free-loaders, with a jackal making its presence known. The friendly little canine laid just a few metres away whilst we ate, and only left once our leftovers were packed away into a box.
Breakfast with a jackal
Patiently waiting for for some scraps...
From Sossusvlei we began our walk over the salt pans to Big Daddy, the tallest dune in the area. White salt pans with an orange backdrop sure make for a nice picture.
Big Daddy in the background
I’d consider myself decently fit – despite excessive milkshake consumption – but was surprised by the difficulty of ascending shifting sand. I was very much out of breath by the time we climbed the first 50 metres. For face-saving purposes, I will note that the temperature was 30C+ already.
Not too many animals can survive the scorching environment of the Namib-Naukluft, but the shovel-snouted lizard has adapted pretty well. Enos picked one out of the sand whilst I recouped oxygen.
Shovel-snouted lizard
It took around 1.5hr to reach the peak, where 360 degree views of the surrounding orange and white landscape awaited.
The lovely thing about sand dunes is they are stupidly easy to descend. And stupidly fun. Enos showed me how it’s done, sprinting down the face without a care in the world. I followed suit, unashamedly shouting a few “Whooo”s whilst at it. Not a single other person was around – apart from ant-sized tourists quite some distance away on the ridge – and the world famous Deadvlei awaited below us. What an experience.
Pre-sprint posing above Deadvlei
I had taken my shoes off at the top of the dune, which needed immediate correcting once down on the pan. Deadvlei is HOT.
We walked towards the dead trees, spending a good hour exploring and taking photos. Enos sauntered off into the shade on the sand for a bit, leaving the entirety of the pan to myself. This time any other year, it’d be hard to get a photograph without another person in the background. Today, there wasn’t a single other person around. Wow.
I spent some time laying down, soaking up the once in a lifetime experience. I felt incredibly lucky to be there, and incredibly lucky that I was somehow able to make this trip happen given the state of the world.
Eventually we drove back toward Sesriem, where I enjoyed lunch at Sossusvlei Lodge before heading back to Desert Quiver Camp. It was time to take advantage of the pool, and I spent the afternoon swimming and reading in the heat. Today, I was the only guest occupying any of the 24 rooms.
As the sun started to set, a lone wildebeest was kind enough to provide me with company. He nommed on the lawn whilst I tried to judge how friendly he was. It appeared the answer was quite friendly - he had no issues with me standing two metres away. That may seem brave and/or stupid of me, but a large rock stood between us in case anyone got shifty.
At some point a staff member noticed the moocher eating up the lawn, and shooed him away. Bye bye, friend.
What a fantastic day and fantastic place.
Just after sunrise Enos and I began on our way to Sossuvlei, a 65km drive from the Sesriem Gate. When researching this part of the world prior to arriving, I was somewhat confused on the difference between Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. I thought they were just two words for the same place. The answer, it turns out, is both simple and simply complicated.
Sossusvlei refers to an area just one kilometre away from Deadvlei. Both words contain a mixture of two languages, and both words have the exact same meaning. But they're different places. In the same rough area.
Go figure.
Anyway, it was a chilly morning with a few drops of rain lingering around. A first in over a year, I was told.
We were greeted with a beautiful full rainbow.
The road to Sossusvlei is surrounded by tall dunes on either side. Unlike dunes in other parts of the world, these ones don’t shift much due to having a solid core beneath the sand.
We stopped by Dune 45, “the most photographed dune in the world”, named after its distance from Sesriem. A few early birds were already making an ascent along the ridge.
Dune 45
Approaching Sossusvlei we made a quick stop to deflate the tires. The last 5km are on soft sand notorious for trapping tourists, which was one of the reasons I chose a guided tour over driving myself. Enos pointed out a section where he’s previously seen five cars lined up, all stuck in the sand.
I of course asked whether Enos himself had ever managed to get stuck. His response was a confident
“Never.”
...
Not thirty seconds later we hit a soft spot and broke his perfect record. This may sound unbelievable, but I do have photos and a witness in the form of an oryx, who looked rather unimpressed.
The "2x2 car park" just before the last 5km to Sossusvlei
Stuck in the sand
My trusty witness
With the help of some sticks and further deflated tires, we made it out of the sand and onwards to Sossusvlei. More oryx awaited, with one posing nicely on the flats in front of a dune.
Oryx posing on Sossusvlei
We set up a table beneath what I believe was a dried out camel thorn tree, for a wonderful breakfast in nature. When the food came out so did the free-loaders, with a jackal making its presence known. The friendly little canine laid just a few metres away whilst we ate, and only left once our leftovers were packed away into a box.
Breakfast with a jackal
Patiently waiting for for some scraps...
From Sossusvlei we began our walk over the salt pans to Big Daddy, the tallest dune in the area. White salt pans with an orange backdrop sure make for a nice picture.
Big Daddy in the background
I’d consider myself decently fit – despite excessive milkshake consumption – but was surprised by the difficulty of ascending shifting sand. I was very much out of breath by the time we climbed the first 50 metres. For face-saving purposes, I will note that the temperature was 30C+ already.
Not too many animals can survive the scorching environment of the Namib-Naukluft, but the shovel-snouted lizard has adapted pretty well. Enos picked one out of the sand whilst I recouped oxygen.
Shovel-snouted lizard
It took around 1.5hr to reach the peak, where 360 degree views of the surrounding orange and white landscape awaited.
The lovely thing about sand dunes is they are stupidly easy to descend. And stupidly fun. Enos showed me how it’s done, sprinting down the face without a care in the world. I followed suit, unashamedly shouting a few “Whooo”s whilst at it. Not a single other person was around – apart from ant-sized tourists quite some distance away on the ridge – and the world famous Deadvlei awaited below us. What an experience.
Pre-sprint posing above Deadvlei
I had taken my shoes off at the top of the dune, which needed immediate correcting once down on the pan. Deadvlei is HOT.
We walked towards the dead trees, spending a good hour exploring and taking photos. Enos sauntered off into the shade on the sand for a bit, leaving the entirety of the pan to myself. This time any other year, it’d be hard to get a photograph without another person in the background. Today, there wasn’t a single other person around. Wow.
I spent some time laying down, soaking up the once in a lifetime experience. I felt incredibly lucky to be there, and incredibly lucky that I was somehow able to make this trip happen given the state of the world.
Eventually we drove back toward Sesriem, where I enjoyed lunch at Sossusvlei Lodge before heading back to Desert Quiver Camp. It was time to take advantage of the pool, and I spent the afternoon swimming and reading in the heat. Today, I was the only guest occupying any of the 24 rooms.
As the sun started to set, a lone wildebeest was kind enough to provide me with company. He nommed on the lawn whilst I tried to judge how friendly he was. It appeared the answer was quite friendly - he had no issues with me standing two metres away. That may seem brave and/or stupid of me, but a large rock stood between us in case anyone got shifty.
At some point a staff member noticed the moocher eating up the lawn, and shooed him away. Bye bye, friend.
What a fantastic day and fantastic place.
Mar 5, 2021, 4:05 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Stockholm
Programs: SQ, SK, QR
Posts: 386
Great first day in Windhoek with the car rental and desert drive. Nice milkshake.
I’ve never seen a car that needs driver to be further away from car before it locks. In San Francisco, I’m keeping the car locked even when pumping my own gas (petrol)! I lock the car with the key lock button as soon as I’ve closed the driver door.
ps how did the 15 milkshakes compare to what you have in Sweden and please post pics or flavor names of the milkshakes.
I’ve never seen a car that needs driver to be further away from car before it locks. In San Francisco, I’m keeping the car locked even when pumping my own gas (petrol)! I lock the car with the key lock button as soon as I’ve closed the driver door.
ps how did the 15 milkshakes compare to what you have in Sweden and please post pics or flavor names of the milkshakes.
Milkshakes were all very basic haha - chocolate or vanilla. Most restaurants in Sweden don't have them so I pig out when overseas
Also cost around $2.00USD in Namibia vs $10 in Sweden.I'm absolutely loving this trip report, AJ747M! Love the photos and above all the witty writing. A great respite from a day of plan amendments & reporting.
100% agree. I had lots of fun in Chile, especially considering that I had a well-beaten Nissan pick-up with so many gravel impact points that made it clear that AVIS had given up on caring about them!
100% agree. I had lots of fun in Chile, especially considering that I had a well-beaten Nissan pick-up with so many gravel impact points that made it clear that AVIS had given up on caring about them!
We fly into WDH, pick up the car, spend one night in town (not very far from where you stayed - Olive Grove Guest House) and then drive to Swakopmund. 2 nights there before moving on to to Etosha for 2 nights, visiting the Cheetah Conservation place on the way. Long drive that day (600Km +) means an early start. Next we head up to the Angola border and stay at Rundu (2 nights) before heading east along the Caprivi Strip staying at another 2 places along the way. Cross the border into Botswana, drop the car at Kasane airport and spend 2 nights at Garden Lodge, Chobe. After that, shared transport across the border this time into Zimbabwe to Vic Falls. Final 4 nights are at the Victoria Falls Hotel itself - a bucket list item ever since I was a little kid. Finally we fly back from Vic Falls airport to LHR via Cape Town. Sadly, only transiting in CPT not staying as we would have been away 18 nights in all, bit of a blow out but I will be celebrating a significant birthday during the trip.
We decided not to go too far south to Soussvlei and rather than scenery we are concentrating on wildlife instead, especially as I am walking disabled and cannot walk very far, up sand dunes/mountains/etc.
I am loving this TR and hope to contribute my own when we return. As I said, I am lapping up every detail especially the gravel roads bit as we will be doing some of that so the pictures are very informative to me in the absence of any Google street view! Thanks for the report, looking forward to the next chapter.
We decided not to go too far south to Soussvlei and rather than scenery we are concentrating on wildlife instead, especially as I am walking disabled and cannot walk very far, up sand dunes/mountains/etc.
I am loving this TR and hope to contribute my own when we return. As I said, I am lapping up every detail especially the gravel roads bit as we will be doing some of that so the pictures are very informative to me in the absence of any Google street view! Thanks for the report, looking forward to the next chapter.
). That being said, the driving is quite pleasant so I don't think it would've been too strenuous. I'm guessing you'll have a travel companion as well, making things easier.Wildlife was the main reason for my trip as well, so I don't blame you for deciding against going south. I'll note however that it's possible to reach Sossusvlei entirely by car, and Deadvlei is about a 1km walk on flat ground from there.
I'll definitely be looking out for your report in the future! Appreciate the kind words and thanks for reading.
Mar 5, 2021, 6:57 pm
#20
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 179
I stayed there in November 2019, and it was a nice experience. Definitely not high end, but comfortable, good breakfast, and the location is quiet. Joe's Beerhouse is a few minutes drive away, and is a great option for dinner.
Mar 5, 2021, 7:17 pm
#21
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 179
Thanks for sharing this trip report. I've been to Namibia twice (2016 & 2019), and had a fantastic experience both times. I'd love to return again, as the scenery alone is worth the return trip. Its a huge country, and there's a lot to see, with very few people (relatively speaking) to get in the way.
Mar 6, 2021, 12:31 am
#23
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: SE U.K.
Posts: 123
PS forgot to mention that on their website, Joe's Beerhouse offer a shuttle service within a 3-5km radius for a small fee which is added to your bill. Win-win situation!
Last edited by bigbadjoe; Mar 6, 2021 at 2:19 am
Mar 10, 2021, 2:44 pm
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Stockholm
Programs: SQ, SK, QR
Posts: 386
DAY 4, TO SWAKOPMUND
Next on the itinerary was a 340km drive to Swakopmund, a small town approximately halfway up the coast of Namibia. I started early in the morning with breakfast at Sossusvlei Lodge, accompanied by some noisy guinea fowls.
Like the outbound journey to Sossusvlei, I stopped at Solitaire again for a meal and a browse around their gift store. I picked up “Solitaire: A Home in the Namib Desert” by Ton van der Lee, which ended up being a fascinating read.
Highlights of the drive included the crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, snaking through Kuiseb Pass and spending hours on end surrounded by endless barren desert. Driving through the Namib is an awesome experience.
Not sure if this was covid-19 related
Kuiseb Canyon
Things got interesting when exiting the desert. There was traffic and construction in the area, and I moved slowly behind a large cement truck. Turning right onto a small road, a young man wearing a high-vis vest waived down both the truck and myself. The truck slowed down only a little before continuing, and I came to an almost complete stop. Feeling a little bit suspicious I asked the man if the road was closed. He answered nervously and muttered something that made no sense to me. Very quickly I realized this was no official traffic warden.
In a hurry, I closed the window and started to speed off. The second I did this he made a grab for the door handle. Luckily it was locked and he didn’t try to hold on.
I’ve had one similar experience before in Romania, so whilst my heart was pumping I wasn’t completely crapping my pants this time around. Nonetheless, I sped straight to my hotel without stopping.
Arriving in Swakopmund I checked in at “The Delight”, a hip hotel decked out in a lot of blue and red. I really liked the place – it was fresh, clean and spacious.
Lobby at The Delight
Room 56
With only a few hours left till sunset – where I was advised to not go out walking alone – I went for a stroll through town and onwards to the pier. It was super windy and a little cold.
Walking back from the end of the pier, two local girls struck up a conversation with me. Asking why I’m alone, where I’m from, if I’m single, so on and so forth. I’m not sure whether they were being friendly or up to something else, but I was feeling a little nervous after the earlier incident so shut down the conversation asap and headed back to the hotel.
Swakopmund, which felt very German
Beach from the pier
For dinner I drove over to “The Tug” right next to the pier. It’s a cozy restaurant shaped like a boat, and I enjoyed a Springbok cordon bleu along with some calamari. And a milkshake of course.
The Tug, with a nice vanilla milkshare
I can’t really say I recommend Swakopmund. Whilst it’s a pretty little town, there’s nothing particularly interesting there, and I didn’t feel too safe walking around. That being said, it was a convenient stopover point between my destinations and I did have a great dinner at The Tug.
Next on the itinerary was a 340km drive to Swakopmund, a small town approximately halfway up the coast of Namibia. I started early in the morning with breakfast at Sossusvlei Lodge, accompanied by some noisy guinea fowls.
Like the outbound journey to Sossusvlei, I stopped at Solitaire again for a meal and a browse around their gift store. I picked up “Solitaire: A Home in the Namib Desert” by Ton van der Lee, which ended up being a fascinating read.
Highlights of the drive included the crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, snaking through Kuiseb Pass and spending hours on end surrounded by endless barren desert. Driving through the Namib is an awesome experience.
Not sure if this was covid-19 related
Kuiseb Canyon
Things got interesting when exiting the desert. There was traffic and construction in the area, and I moved slowly behind a large cement truck. Turning right onto a small road, a young man wearing a high-vis vest waived down both the truck and myself. The truck slowed down only a little before continuing, and I came to an almost complete stop. Feeling a little bit suspicious I asked the man if the road was closed. He answered nervously and muttered something that made no sense to me. Very quickly I realized this was no official traffic warden.
In a hurry, I closed the window and started to speed off. The second I did this he made a grab for the door handle. Luckily it was locked and he didn’t try to hold on.
I’ve had one similar experience before in Romania, so whilst my heart was pumping I wasn’t completely crapping my pants this time around. Nonetheless, I sped straight to my hotel without stopping.
Arriving in Swakopmund I checked in at “The Delight”, a hip hotel decked out in a lot of blue and red. I really liked the place – it was fresh, clean and spacious.
Lobby at The Delight
Room 56
With only a few hours left till sunset – where I was advised to not go out walking alone – I went for a stroll through town and onwards to the pier. It was super windy and a little cold.
Walking back from the end of the pier, two local girls struck up a conversation with me. Asking why I’m alone, where I’m from, if I’m single, so on and so forth. I’m not sure whether they were being friendly or up to something else, but I was feeling a little nervous after the earlier incident so shut down the conversation asap and headed back to the hotel.
Swakopmund, which felt very German
Beach from the pier
For dinner I drove over to “The Tug” right next to the pier. It’s a cozy restaurant shaped like a boat, and I enjoyed a Springbok cordon bleu along with some calamari. And a milkshake of course.
The Tug, with a nice vanilla milkshare
I can’t really say I recommend Swakopmund. Whilst it’s a pretty little town, there’s nothing particularly interesting there, and I didn’t feel too safe walking around. That being said, it was a convenient stopover point between my destinations and I did have a great dinner at The Tug.
Mar 10, 2021, 2:52 pm
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Stockholm
Programs: SQ, SK, QR
Posts: 386
Thanks for sharing this trip report. I've been to Namibia twice (2016 & 2019), and had a fantastic experience both times. I'd love to return again, as the scenery alone is worth the return trip. Its a huge country, and there's a lot to see, with very few people (relatively speaking) to get in the way.
Yes, very lucky to have had this experience!
Mar 10, 2021, 5:20 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: GM on VX, UA, AA, HA, AS, SY; Budget Fastbreak
Posts: 27,610
Wow, freaky about the dodgy folk after exiting the dessert.
the orange and yellow sand dunes are really stunning.
nice about the vanilla and chocolate milkshakes. The vanilla milkshake at The Tug looked like it had caramel or banana syrup.
I’m still freaked out about scammers.
the orange and yellow sand dunes are really stunning.
nice about the vanilla and chocolate milkshakes. The vanilla milkshake at The Tug looked like it had caramel or banana syrup.
I’m still freaked out about scammers.
Mar 11, 2021, 1:55 am
#27
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: SE U.K.
Posts: 123
Thanks for the update and especial thanks for the picture of the road near Kuiseb Canyon. We will be taking that road from Windhoek to Swakopmund as the scenic route option and, knowing that it was gravel, I wanted to see what it was like. Interested also to see that you ate at The Tug - that place is on the cards for dinner on one of our two nights in Swakopmund. Very much looking forward to the next episode!
Mar 11, 2021, 7:08 am
#29
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 4,286
These incidents happens often in lots of places around the world even in developed countries.
Those ladies/girls chatting you up most probably were trying to get some "business" from you - so a good point to close it down. These are sadly some of the cons of travelling especially alone - just at times difficult to separate the genuine friendly local folks to those that are trying to rip you off just because you are a tourist. My worst experience was the driver I had in Madagascar ripping me off at the end of the trip even though treating him well during the whole trip...
The rest - seems to be a great report so far - I too would like to visit Namibia in the near future. Looking forward to the rest of the report.
Cheers!
Mar 11, 2021, 7:30 am
#30
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,237
I guess most probably just trying to grab the bags from passenger seats. Anyway on this, at least my experience is most of the cars that I rent, after a certain speed, doors will auto-lock - and if not I will always make it a point to make sure all doors are locked. Even if I have roll down my windows to talk, I try and keep it as high as possible.
These incidents happens often in lots of places around the world even in developed countries.
These incidents happens often in lots of places around the world even in developed countries.