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Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe - November 2021
Firstly, a disclaimer. I wish to let it be known that when I quote specific companies or organisations (sometimes with links to their websites), I do so only because I have received good service from them and they deserve to be recognised. I have not received any form of recompense/kickback from any organisation during this trip.
The planning for this trip was started over two years ago in order to celebrate my 60th birthday in Africa, the continent of my upbringing. There are no pictures of the inside of planes, nor are there any of airline lounges, there only some pictures of meals consumed on the journey but plenty of the road conditions, the wildlife and scenery. The main point of this report is to give other potential travellers a flavour of what to expect. I am walking disabled so there will also be some information with regard to disabled access. If none of this is of interest to you, please look away now. This trip was organised through Expert Africa (EA), a company that provides a wide set of templated tours in not just Namibia but across Southern Africa in general. They offer Self-drive tours, guided tours and Fly-In trips. You may choose any of their tours and customise it to include whatever diversions you want. We used a modified version of the “Sable self-drive tour” with an extension to visit Swakopmund. EA include car hire and transfers in the final price. You may also ask them to include flights to the country of your destination or arrange these yourself. We chose to arrange the flights ourselves, booking via Expedia with the following routing LHR --> JNB --> WDH … (driving) ... VFA --> JNB --> LHR. British Airways for the LHR - JNB - LHR segments and Airlink - 4Z/LNK to WDH followed by Comair (a BA franchise holder) from VFA. Due to the COVID pandemic, Southern Africa was on the UK’s “red” list for a long time and this meant that it would have been impossible for us to go. At the end of September we got the news that we were hoping for – Southern Africa was off the red list and we were able to proceed. What a relief! Flights taken on this trip: https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a86062f394.gif Image courtesy of Great Circle Mapping The eagle-eyed among you will see that the routing in the above map does not reflect our original plans. Keep reading on to find out why! Date: 9th November 2021 British Airways BA55 LHR – JNB Aircraft: B777-200ER G-YMMU Scheduled: 18:20 - 07:25 (+1) Actual: 19:41 – 08:19 (+1) Seat: 14B (World Traveller Plus/Premium Economy) The day got off to a bad start as I found out from FR24 that we would be travelling to JNB on an old, un-refurbished B772, one of about 5 left in the fleet at the time to be done up. We boarded on time and left the gate on time but while taxying to the runway, we came to a complete halt. After several minutes, the captain stated that the SatCom system was on the blink and that, travelling over uncontrolled airspace in Africa, he did not want to take any risks. We returned to the gate and an engineer climbed into the avionics bay presumably to carry out a shutdown and restart – that good old Microsoft advice! A short time later we were away again, this time for good. After a G&T was served, dinner was a choice of Lamb Hotpot or a veggie dish. The Lamb turned out to be delicious and we were each given 2 little bottles of wine to drink with our meal. The IFE was rubbish, so bad that I did not even bother to unpack the headphones. I watched the moving map and read my book for most of the way. Sleep was almost impossible. Breakfast came in the form of a freezing cold cellophane wrapped cheese and ham croissant with coffee or tea. We landed in JNB less than an hour late which was no great deal as our original layover was more than 3 hours. I know that we didn’t buy PE seats for anything more special other than a bit more legroom but I couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed by the whole BA experience. The transfer process at JNB was a little long but uneventful. Fortunately the Special Assistance that I booked was able to take most of the strain out of the process. After leaving the plane, I was pushed in a wheelchair through passport control where I received a transit stamp, to the baggage reclaim. We retrieved our suitcases and then went to the International Transfers desk which appeared to be at the far end of the terminal. After a check of our PCR test results, we were able to check into the next leg of our flights on Airlink and send our suitcases on. Finally, I was taken back through the whole length of the International terminal to gate A26 on the ground floor to await our flight to Windhoek. For those of you who have difficulty walking long distances, be warned – JNB is just like any other airport in the world: everywhere that you need to get to seems to be at the opposite end of the terminal where you are. So, allow at least two hours to transit. Next chapter to follow shortly..... |
I remember you telling me about your planned journey when I wrote a TR on my trip to Namibia last year. Very happy to see you made it down there! Looking forward to your write up, and fingers crossed the recent travel bans didn't mess up your holiday!
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Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe - November 2021 - Part 2
Date: 10th November 2021
Airlink 4Z124 JNB - WDH Aircraft: E190 ZS-YAM Scheduled: 10:40 – 12:50 Actual: 10:45 – 12:38 Seat: 06D (Economy) The next leg of the trip got off smoothly with a trip from the gate to the aircraft in an AmbiLift which is a vehicle whose body can be hydraulically raised to the level of the aircraft doors. The aircraft was positioned at the Domestic side of the terminal so this involved a longish ride in the AmbiLift. My wife and I were permitted to board the aircraft with a couple of other Special Assistance passengers before the “normal” transit bus arrived with the remaining Self Loading Cargo. Nothing really memorable about the flight, we were served a snack of a sandwich on board and after landing, we were parked on the far western side of the apron. Next to us was a Eurowings Discover A330 which would be returning to FRA later that evening. Guess where the entrance to the terminal was? You guessed it – the far eastern side of the apron. Once again, I was thankful for the Special Assistance which was a manual wheelchair. The lady who was assigned to push it had to stop several times during the 300m or so walk across the apron as the temperatures were well in excess of 30 degrees Celsius. Once inside the terminal building, PCR test results were checked, a thermal scan of our foreheads was taken and a Namibian entry form collected. After that, a painless border experience and a short wait until the bags appeared. We had made it! Inside the Arrivals hall, we were met by a representative of Wilderness Safaris and also a rep from Namibian Car Rentals (http://www.namibiacarrental.net/). The Wilderness Safaris people actually have a lounge in the Arrivals hall for their customers where you can get a cold drink and gather your thoughts. We received a map and some other documentation before heading over to the MTC shop. MTC is the largest cell phone provider in Namibia and I bought a SIM Card plus some airtime to cover the 10 days in Namibia. Total cost £6.90. I also visited the ATM in the terminal to withdraw some Namibian cash. Although I had been told that the Namibian Dollar (NAD) and the South African Rand (ZAR) are on a par and exchanged on a 1 for 1 basis, I was not aware how intertwined they were until I saw what came out of the ATM. I requested NAD2000, the receipt said NAD2000 but out of the ATM came ZAR2000! This was the only time that this happened, other ATM visits resulted in NAD being dispensed. Useful tip here: don’t bother trying to get hold of Namibian Dollars before you arrive in the country, just get some freely available South African Rand. You can use either in any shop/petrol station/restaurant. Most likely, your change will be in NAD and the coins I received were always in NAD. If you find you have NAD left over at the end of your trip, smile sweetly and ask nicely at any shop, they should be happy to change them into ZAR for you. Peter, the NCR rep, then took over and escorted us to his minivan in the carpark outside. We were to be taken to their offices in Windhoek (about 40 mins) where we would collect our car. On the way, Peter explained about driving in Namibia – what to expect in terms of roads, etc. and what dangers to look out for in terms of animals. IMPORTANT TO NOTE: We were told that it is law in Namibia that, outside of main urban centres, you must drive with your headlights on dipped beam during daylight hours. After taking us via our accommodation for the night in Windhoek to show us the route from the NCR offices, we took delivery of our vehicle – a 2018 Toyota Fortuner 2.4 Diesel Automatic. Peter carried out a very thorough review of the existing damage (limited to a few paint chips) and explained the process of placing the vehicle in 4 wheel drive mode should we get stuck in soft sand. I was also pleased to see that the tyres on the vehicle were almost brand new and very rugged. There was a spare wheel under the vehicle as well as a second spare in the trunk of the car. Also included was a compressor, tow rope and tools necessary to change the wheel. The compressor was there because you need to lower the tyre pressure when travelling through sand and then pump them up again when back on a harder surface. I signed the paperwork and received the cover letter for taking the vehicle into Botswana. We then loaded up our suitcases and made our way back to the Olive Grove Guest House. |
Dear Joe, this trip report is already fantastic and you have barely gotten started! Thanks very much for writing this: I love your detailed descriptions!
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Originally Posted by bigbadjoe
(Post 33777059)
After several minutes, the captain stated that the SatCom system was on the blink and that, travelling over uncontrolled airspace in Africa, he did not want to take any risks.
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Great TR - looking forward to more :-)
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Originally Posted by david7031
(Post 33782426)
Dear Joe, this trip report is already fantastic and you have barely gotten started! Thanks very much for writing this: I love your detailed descriptions!
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Originally Posted by lamphs
(Post 33783230)
Enjoying the report so far; a part of the world that continues to elude me. That said, I've never thought about 'uncontrolled airspace in Africa'. Does this mean that an airplane is on its own over some of the African continent? (Whereas in the US, for example, airplanes are handed off to the next ATC region.)
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Originally Posted by gaobest
(Post 33783363)
Great TR - looking forward to more :-)
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Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe - November 2021 - Part 3
The Olive Grove Guest House, Windhoek (https://olivegrove-namibia.com/)
We received a warm welcome here and assistance in parking our Fortuner in the small but secure carpark. We were allocated room 10 which is in a small block away from the main building together with room 11. The guesthouse is located in the northern suburbs of Windhoek, just past the Ambassadors row where all the foreign embassies are located. It is also conveniently located near Joe’s Beerhouse – one of the finest establishments in town. Being built in a very hilly part of town, the guesthouse is not level access throughout so bear this in mind if you are in a wheelchair – sadly, it is not suitable for you. Other than that, the rooms were comfortable, clean and spacious. We had a quick drink on the patio and shot off to a nearby supermarket to get emergency water and snacks for the next day’s journey. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...129958c607.jpg Room 10 - excuse the mess https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ee9f98c376.jpg Bathroom https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d1c57062b7.jpg Bathroom - good shower ! https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ab6c641853.jpg Fridge, kettle and tea/coffee making facilities Dinner was a long awaited event at Joe's beerhouse, a must when visiting Windhoek except maybe if you are vegan. The emphasis here is on meat and a wide variety of it. They also offer a shuttle service if you are staying in the neighbourhood and the cost (NAD40/USD2.50/GBP1.90 pp each way) is added to your dinner bill. It seems a very buzzy, happening sort of place and it is easy to see why booking is strongly advised. We arrived for our reservation at 18:00 because we knew that we would be tired from the journey and had an early start the next day. We were not disappointed with the food – I had the Bushmans Sosatie – described as “A selection of loin cuts of zebra, kudu, oryx, springbok and crocodile, served with a chili bean, Namibian beer sauce, mieliepap cakelet and a stuffed gem squash”. It was very tasty indeed. I even had a little help in the form of a stray cat who seemed to take a liking to the Zebra meat! We had the dessert of champions – a Dom Pedro which is basically melted vanilla ice cream with a shot of whiskey. Total Dinner cost (inc. shuttle and a souvenir baseball cap) was NAD1,097/USD68/GBP54) – paid for on a credit card. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8dcaac0b47.jpg Welcome to Joe's! https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...bd685ed175.jpg Look at the feet of the mannequin - a contented cat! https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...28cfb4d618.jpg Outdoors eating area https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f86d67c480.jpg Indoors eating area https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...aaf8027b7d.jpg Indoors eating area https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...cec454349e.jpg Bushmans Sosatie https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8c4b3ad623.jpg My little helper Just as we were finishing off paying the bill there was a flurry of WhatsApp and text messages from home. We hurried back to the Olive Grove before calling home in case it was bad news. Indeed it turned out to be tragic news – my mother-in-law had died very suddenly back in the UK that afternoon, our first in Namibia. Naturally, both my wife and I were devastated and we talked late into the night despite being utterly exhausted. In the morning, we decided that there was little point in cutting short our trip as my brother-in-law had control of the situation in the UK and we would only be in the way. My wife also received the blessing of her father to carry on and so we did. He assured us that there was little assistance that we could provide him by returning early. I have to say that it did cast a cloud over the holiday but we were determined to enjoy it as much as we could. RIP Joyce Christy (1942-2021) – I will miss you. Breakfast the next morning was a subdued affair - it was served on the patio and contained various cooked options as well as a typical continental selection. Very tasty and set us up for a long day. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0d29a01e64.jpg Breakfast menu at The Olive Grove Guesthouse We settled up the bill for the drinks that we had had the previous evening, packed the car and were soon on our way to Swakopmund. An all too short stay but a pleasant one. Next chapter coming soon... |
Originally Posted by bigbadjoe
(Post 33785462)
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8c4b3ad623.jpg
My little helper |
Originally Posted by bigbadjoe
(Post 33785462)
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...bd685ed175.jpg
Lok at the feet of the mannequin - a contented cat! Sorry to hear about your Mother-in-Law. I live an ocean away from my family, and it is always hard being far away, but there is little you can do by being closer. |
Originally Posted by GregWTravels
(Post 33786225)
Looks happy. Is that after he ate your zebra?
Sorry to hear about your Mother-in-Law. I live an ocean away from my family, and it is always hard being far away, but there is little you can do by being closer. |
Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe - November 2021 - Part 4
On the road to Swakopmund.
When I was planning this trip, I had no idea of the road conditions that I might encounter and was eagerly devouring any content that I could find on the web. It appears that there are “B” roads, “C” Roads, “D” roads and sometimes even “M” roads. According to Wikipedia, there is only one “A” road, 76km long linking Windhoek with Okahandja. Generally speaking the roads that I travelled on were in good condition and way better than I expected. The “B” roads were wide tarmac (asphalt) and very straight for long stretches. Some of the “C” roads were confusingly impossible to tell from “B” roads with wide smooth tarmac and yet we did spend a lot of time on a series of “C” roads that were entirely gravel. Almost universally, “D” roads were all gravel and of poorer condition that the “C” roads. Although we had a 4x4 SUV, we did not venture out onto these roads, it would seem that these are for the more adventurous, off-road types. Nearer to the coast there are even some Salt Roads. The EA website explains these like this: “Salt roads are found exclusively by the coast and should be treated in much the same way as gravel roads. Their surface is a mixture of salt water, gypsum, sand and/or gravel that is then baked in the sun. The result can often look like broken or old tar roads, and while it isn’t loose, it can be bumpy. Furthermore if these roads are wet, such as after rain or in a heavy fog – which is a frequent occurrence near the coast – they can become slippery.” I was able to use cruise control when on the tarmac surfaces due to the long straights, good surface and lack of traffic but it should be avoided at all costs on the gravel. See the web page Expert Africa Namibia Road types – this is very accurate. At certain points in this journey, I asked my wife to take pictures of the roads while I was driving so that you might be able to make your own judgement. We set off from The Olive Grove at about 08:00 and made our way across town to pick up the C26 heading south west. This would take us through the Gamsberg Pass and pick up the C14 just north of the Tropic of Capricorn. After a detour to the Tropic, we then headed north/north west to Walvis Bay and on to Swakopmund. Google Maps had this down to be about a 400km trip. After stopping at a service station and making sure that the Fortuner was full to the brim with diesel. We left town. About 5km out of town the tarmac ended and the gravel road started. At this point, we were overtaken by another vehicle. This would be the only time we were overtaken in the next 7 hours – not because we were driving so fast, simply because there was no other traffic. In fact, we saw only one human being outside of a vehicle on the journey – a farm worker on a small holding near the C14 junction. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...578b69def6.jpg On the C26 outside of Windhoek https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1206215b6d.jpg Very good condition for a gravel road https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c0981ad873.jpg On the C26 a stretch of long, straight road https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...58b97f2552.jpg On the C26 a stretch of long, straight road https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...007396b526.jpg Our Toyota Fortuner https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b46fb117dd.jpg On the C26, near the junction with the C14 https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...78d607a8a0.jpg At the Junction of the C14, turn left for Solitaire/Tropic of Capricorn, turn right for Walvis Bay https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...206e04cf36.jpg Obligatory sign for the Tropic of Capricorn https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d1a6e9c528.jpg A grader and his caravan at The Gaub Pass, just north of the Tropic of Capricorn. They seem to spend days out in remote spots maintining the roads. |
Really interesting trip report so far! So sorry for your family's loss.
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