Affrrriicccaaarrrr - Part Two!

Drama-mama Namibia 

We arrived in Johannesburg, henceforth called Joburg (cos its cooler that way) from Botswana and had to catch our flight to Namibia two hours later. But Joburg's immigration staff almost made that impossible, with their terribly disorganised queue systems and immigration checks. Thankfully, we made it through immigration and then rushed around the airport not knowing which terminal our next flight was from; with nothing said in our flight booking or on the departure listings around the airport. We asked a staff and made it to the check-in counter only to learn that the flight was delayed. Phew! What a relief! Sadly, Navin had mistakenly kept his multi-tool in his handcarry which nearly got confiscated before the boarding gates. He tried to get it checked-in but the baggage had already been put through to the aircraft. Luckily, the check-in staff offered to safe keep the tool for Navin till we returned from Namibia. The sole purpose of bringing the knife to Africa was the road trip and it was in vain. Atleast there was hope of getting it back. 

We made it to Windhoek, Namibia and were surprised by how big and non-shed-like the airport was (nothing like Singapore's of course, but surely better than Darwin's!). Our accommodation for the night, Discovery Guest House sent a driver to receive us and soon we were on a 40 minute drive to a suburb near the CBD. We checked into our rather interesting room that took "open concept" to a whole new level, with no door or curtain for the toilet.

Our super open concept room (Don't mind the mess)

The next morning, we were picked up by Hentzel from Namvic Tours & Safaris. He spoke to us about life in Namibia as we made our way to their office, which was run out of a ranch with horses and many dogs. Our camping gear and picnic stuff were all laid out and we were briefed on safety and operational information. After a quick test drive, we followed Hentzel's suggestion and headed to Maerua mall to get our supplies for the road. To our surprise, the mall had more than just a supermarket and a few shops! After getting all our fresh food and supplies, we checked out the rest of the mall. We were amazed to see big brands and fastfood outlets and people dressed with so much class (we were in camping attire with sandy boots)! As we made our way back to our accommodation, we learnt of interesting traffic rules on the All way stop and the need to have head lights on during the day.

Our kitchen for the next 8 days

Our mobile home for 8 days

Our rooftop bedroom

Hentzel briefing us on changing tires

Battery-dead camper waiting for rescue

We got back to the room for a nap and woke up realising we'd left the car headlights on. As feared, the battery had died and we were at a loss as there was no one else around to help jump start the vehicle. We decided to have dinner in the guest house restaurant, only to realise no one was preparing dinner and there were no drinks at the bar either. In fact there was no hotel staff in sight! This left us with little choice but to head out for dinner. Fortunately for us, a family was leaving to dinner as well and we jumped on the chance to ask for a jump start!

WILD menu!

We made it to Joe's Beerhouse as recommended in the in-flight magazine. We loved the set up, deco and crisp beer on tap! While the menu had some wild dishes, we stuck to the familiar ones. Not sure what we were thinking when we ordered two shots in addition to our beers knowing the strict drink driving rules. Didn't do the shots. They didn't taste good anyways as we had opted for some unfamiliar liqueurs 😞

At Joe's Beer Garden

Navin's lipbalm was purple lipgloss! Haha!

All packed and ready for our road trip the next morning but we had to wait for breakfast. The lights weren't even turned on in the restaurant although it was 20 mins into breakfast time. The lady appeared after a while and seemed rather reluctant to be making breakfast that morning. We're glad it was a short stay and were off on our road trip. Maybe we were unlucky or something but the staff there were just so sluggish and did not seem interested to serve the guests at all. In fact, they were rarely seen! Discovery Guest House - highly NOT recommended! 

So the road trip began and our first stop was Hardap dam which amazed us as we witnessed the amount of water collected in the middle of the desert. We did not get to see too much of wildlife here but it was a good introduction to the landscapes that Namibia was going to offer. After a quick drive around, we made our way to Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch where we were greeted by a lovely staff named Happy. It truly was a joy being at the lodge where every member of the staff was friendly. We were even served welcome drinks and WIFI was provided without request! This was something we definitely were not expecting as we were only camping and did not expect any customer experience. Our camp site was well furnished with an ablution block, a BBQ pit and a tree (not sure if the tree is key info here). We quickly set up camp and did some laundry while there was still daylight. As it turned out, the winds were so strong that the clothes dried within minutes!

Hardap dam

Ablution block at Bagatelle campsite

 

Camp set up & laundry done!

We hung out at the bar as we waited for our Cheetah Feeding tour. We watched the animals and birds roaming around the resort - Ostriches, oryx, goats, meerkats, peacock, kudus and cats. A safari jeep brought us to the cheetah enclosure where the staff briefed us on the cheetahs that they are rehabilitating. As they were fed, we were given the opportunity to pet the gorgeous cats. Did you know that Namibia has the largest population of cheetahs and there has been coordinated effort to maintain the population of these beautiful creatures that are under serious threat?

It was quite an experience indeed! Thereafter, we were taken to the top of the nearby dune for sundowner drinks. Beautiful sunset over the red sand! After drinks, we requested to be dropped off at our campsite where we cooked our first camping dinner - cream of mushroom soup and maggie noodles! As we had dinner, a staff member drove by and offered to get us firewood - we were grateful for that as it was getting realllllyy collldd. Soon after he came back with firewood and starter. We sat next to the fire warming our hands and feet and watched the clear sky, stunning stars and satellites!

Navin & the meerkat

Just chilling by the resort pool

Navin awestruck seeing one of his favourites!

Just like our pets!

 

First night camping, in winter! The strong winds kept the tent sheets flapping throughout the night. It was nearly freezing all night, especially just before sunrise. Thankfully, Navin got out first, braved the cold and got the fire started for breakfast! We made quick oats and were picked up for our Bushman walk. This was my secondary school human geography textbook coming alive as we met the San bushmen who demonstrated their survival skills in the desert, how they've adapted to the climate and natural environment. Watching them speak click language and show off tools and artwork made entirely out of materials found around us was truly intriguing! These people were braving winter with just a single layer of animal skin draped over themselves while we were shivering in our layers of winter wear. 

We then set off for Quiver Tree Forest, with a quick grocery run at a dodgy supermarket in Mariental. Our chicken tikka, stir fry vege lunch cooked over the camp stove invited close to a hundred tiny feathered spectators hoping for a quick meal. After lunch, we drove around the campsite, picked a nice spot a good distance from our toilet block and set up camp. We'd paid extra park fees to stay in the Quiver Tree forest past sunset and that's what we did. Navin took some astro photos with the beautiful quiver trees in the foreground. Thankfully, we found our way out of the park in the dark with no clear pathways to guide us. Celebrated our second night camping, with some Shiraz under the stars, and warmed ourselves over the campfire. Beautiful...

Giants' Playground

The next morning (another cold one!) we checked out the Giants' Playground that was a short distance from where we camped. It wasn't as spectacular as we'd imagined, possibly because I've seen the Devil's marbles in the NT (do check out Tourism NT when you can too!). 

After taking some photos for our records and we headed to Keetmanshoop to get some cash and more drinking water. The town is so well developed it was hard to believe it is 500kms from Windhoek. Although, our experience there wasn't all that positive when the ATM swallowed my card and I had to stand there ushering people to the next machine while Navin drove to the nearest bank to get the staff to help. Fortunately, the bank dealt with the situation really efficiently and soon Navin and I were having brunch at Hungry Lion (a fast food outlet similar to KFC. The flavours had travelled around the corner to the ATM we had spent the last hour at). This non-touristy experience had us appreciating the local people more as they offered kind words and suggestions to mitigate the situation we were in. We also got help from the owner of the mobile phone shop in the mall who helped us charge our phone in case we needed more help.

Hobas camp was our accommodation for the night and we checked in just about lunch time. Made some yummy, creamy tomato pasta and reserved our camping spot before heading out to the Fish River Canyon, that Navin had been raving on about. I must say, the world's second largest canyon was breathtaking!! We checked out most of the view points given on the map and picked one for sundowner drinks and some stunning pics! We were the only ones around as far as we could see, and witnessing the depth and vastness of the canyon was truly humbling. We made our way back to camp before it got completely dark, set up our tent, heated up the leftover pasta from lunch and savoured some beer and chocolate over the campfire. The campsite was crowded with campers, so we didn't really have a quiet night under the stars that night.

Happiness!

Waiting for road side assistance

We'd planned for an early start the next day so that we could check out Luderitz that wasn't included in our itinerary. We left after a quick breakfast and made our way out of the mountains at first light. However, we soon realised we were running out of fuel and the next town was about 160kms away. We had miscalculated the distance we could travel as we hadn't factored in wind and the resistance that our rooftop tent created. Our car came to a halt about 20kms before the next fuel station in Aus. Our Namibian cell phone had run out of charge and our phones couldn't roam where we were. We flagged down the next car that came our way only to learn that they too didn't have phone signal, but offered to inform the nearest fuel station about us and hope they'd attend to a call-out. We decided to do that ourselves and used the satellite phone given by Namvic. Joekie there helped arrange for the guy from the Aus fuel station to come out and help us. We watched a bit of Netflix (I'd downloaded on to my phone) while we waited for Steve who arrived with two 5-litre cans of diesel. He poured them into our tank using an old coke bottle, purged the fuel into the engine and got it running again! Yahoo! He then accompanied us to his fuel station where we filled up and paid for his emergency assistance.

Beautiful spot to run out of fuel

Steve to the rescue!

Beautiful little town of Aus

Lunch at Luderitz

With fuel sorted out, we rushed to see the very picturesque ghost town at Kolmanskop only to be told it was closing and that photographers had to pay an exorbitant fee and go on foot around the town. Navin took as many pics as he could from outside and we made our way to Luderitz. We were surprised by the beauty of this little seaside town and the lovely hillside homes. After a simple seafood lunch, we rushed back past Aus and towards Namtib Desert lodge. This was a lovely conservation area and had beautiful red brick/clay cottages nestled at the foot of the Tiras mountains. The drive there was simply beautiful with frequent sightings of oryxes, ostriches and other birds. Our camp site was a short distance away from the cottages and the lady owner warned us of the strong winds coming from beyond the mountains that were right behind us. Once we set up camp, we tried making dinner but in vain as the winds kept blowing the heat from our gas stove off. We ended up wrapping potatoes in foil and chucking them into the hot coal from our campfire and heated up more leftovers in the fire. The interesting dinner experience ended with us folding up our tent and running into our car to sleep, in fear of the winds blowing us off the car in the middle of the night. Sounds funny now, but all night, as the winds rattled the car, I stayed up fearing we'd be tumbling with the car any moment!

Scenic camp site

Trying to hide from the winds at the toilet block

Namvic had us booked in this campsite for two nights. But after the last one, we were sure we weren't staying the second night - I wouldnt be able to sleep and there was no way we could cook our meals. With the help and advice of the lady who owns the lodge, we managed to book a chalet at Tsauchab River camp and we set off on another beautiful 4-hour drive through small towns and large farm and conservation areas. We arrived and checked into a rather interestingly decorated camp, with sculptures made out of old scrap metal and devices. Our cosy stone chalet was fully furnished and I quickly did some laundry while Navin cooked lunch. We then went for a short trail walk and bird watching as recommended by the owner. We hardly saw any birds but had an interesting 4WD try-out! We got back to camp, picked up the warm freshly baked baked we'd order earlier and went back to our room to have a few slices while it was still warm! Yummm! We had an early night, appreciating the safety and comfort that the stone walls and the sheets gave us, after spending the previous night braving the winds from the front seat of our car!

  

Had to show off our mess!

LUXURY!

The next morning, one of the staff came by early to burn wood to heat the water for our shower. Then we tried making some cheese omelette to have with our fresh bread, but that ended up charred in our old frying pan. Oh well, it just wasn't meant to be I guess. After checking out, we hung around the reception to use the Wi-fi and take photos of the metal sculptures and deco before heading for Sessriem.

We drove through several mountains and valleys and beautiful desert plains before arriving at Desert Camp in Sessriem. Again, we were very impressed by the level of luxury and efficiency we were receiving in pretty much the middle of nowhere! We had a chalet booked for the last two nights of our road trip and this was a lucky decision as there was no way we were going to sleep in our tent with the crazy winds! With a very decent kitchen and dining area at the chalet, we quickly made our favourite comfort food - Yoghurt rice, with pappadum curls! 

After lunch, we headed out to the Adventure Centre in Sossusvlei Lodge to find out what we can do for the next day and a half. The access to Sossusvlei is managed quite intensely, with two park gates, a visitor information centre and strict access times. Visitors don't get access between sunset and sunrise as only those staying within the park (and paying premium prices) get to see the dunes in the golden hours. As we only had a few hours of daylight left that day, we went for a short walk along the dry river bed of Sesriem Canyon before our introduction to sand dunes at Elim Dune, which were closer to the entrance. Thereafter, we were back in our chalet for dinner before heading to the bar for free wi-fi and also where Navin watched the Brazil-Belgium World Cup game live, with staff and other guests.

 

We'd kept Sossusvlei for our final day of the road trip - and it surely didn't disappoint! We hoped to be one of the first to enter the park as the gates opened, but were put off seeing the traffic jam (yes, JAM!) leading up to the entrance. So we enjoyed a relaxed breakfast at Sossusvlei lodge, and then made our way to Sossusvlei. It was an hour's drive from the park entrance, and a speed limit of 60km/h was in place although the road was tarred. The slow drive gave us the opportunity to stop every few kms for pics as the landscape changed or when we spotted some ostrich or zebras. 

Sulky husband forcing a smile as it started raining

Upon arriving at the carpark, we were picked up by a shuttle service that brought us to see Big Daddy (the tallest sand dune) and Deadvlei. Sadly that was also the very moment that it started raining! With the wind, rain and sand blowing in all directions, Navin had to hide his cameras ie. not take photos. The weather also made it quite a challenge to climb Big Daddy, so we didn't. 

Deadvlei was what we were hoping to see most and made our way there. Thankfully, I didn't have to deal with a sulky husband for too long as the sky cleared up and the light was just right as we got to Deadvlei. Hah! I'm not kidding when I say all we did was snap-snap-snap with our cameras / phones for about an hour non-stop while we were in Deadvlei. Just dried clay, dead trees and lots of sand but every direction we looked was a stunning postcard view! After exploring the surrounding dunes, we drove down to Dune 45 - apparently the most photographed dune. We climbed almost to the top, as far as my legs could take me, soaked in the unbelievable views as we stood precariously on the edge of the dune. Then walked around for more photos before stopping at a weaver nest next to Elim Dune for some birding!

At Dune 45

Our last night on the road trip ended with a stylish dinner at Sossusvlei lodge in the form of a buffet spread with dishes one wouldn't imagine seeing in the middle of a desert! Did I mention, the chocolate pudding was YUMM! Anyways, we got back to our chalet to pack our stuff and prepare for our early checkout. It was going to be a 4.5 hour drive back to Windhoek, before returning our vehicle and getting to the airport for our flight back to Johanessburg. The road trip was certainly an amazing experience, and definitely the first of many more camping trips! We'd love to share more about our experiences with whoever's interested, so do contact us if you need more details. We're no experts, but surely have lots of tips to share. 

Our trip ended with a one day stop over in Joburg. Unfortunately for me (and thankfully, it wasn't earlier in the trip), the airline meal on the flight to Joburg had me suffering from food poisoning for the next five days. We barely did anything while in Joburg, other than explore the mall that was 500m from our hotel and watched the first movie we could book. We spent so much time in our tiny hotel room, ordered dinner to be delivered and slept for nearly 10 hours. This also saw me going to the toilet every hour of our 10-hour flight back to Singapore, and at every place we visited while in Singapore. Sadly, with my tummy troubles and Navin developing a sore throat, we couldn't enjoy the food that we had been craving to enjoy back home. Nevertheless, we are glad to have caught up with more friends and family in our short time there. 

Before we end this post, we'd like to warn you guys to prepare for JETLAG! Some say it's psychological, others say it'd be fine if you get proper sleep on the flight back. Whatever it is, just be prepared, cos it took us over a week to readjust to Darwin time. 

Cheers!