Mainly Namibia

[RooFlyer]

I wonder how much of a difference the season made to the unsealed road condition. We were there in early June and drove a lot on the unsealed roads and thought they were in excellent condition. Perhaps they had been recently graded

Which roads & time of year? And a few years ago, I think? If the latter, I suspect rise in tourism, maybe esp. busses might have something to do with it.

 

[kpc]

Some of the gravel pot holed roads in Namibia were terrible
..my back and bum are still recovering! Impossible to sleep as a big bump / jolt will awaken you...we saw some roads being made bitumen so hopefully this continues asap!

 

[bPeteb]

I can't recall the genesis of this trip. About a year ago I think I was looking at the map for somewhere I hadn't been before, and where I could see interesting things. Namibia had always be of interest, and I noticed Intrepid had a 'Premium Namibia' 10 day tour. I'm more and more attracted to tours these days, especially in non-first world countries. I was happy enough driving around Chile last December and Japan a few months ago, but I decided I'd see a lot more on a small group tour here, being driven around with everything organised.

So that was the first plank.

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What else then. I've been to South Africa many times for work and had driven around a lot of it - mainly the south (wine areas) and around Jo'burg (gold mines). What else? Been to the countries in southern and east Africa except Angola and the new-ish South African 'homelands' and visited game parks in Kenya/Tanzania. Madagascar was put aside for a separate visit.

Not much appealed. Looking at the timing of the flights from/to Oz - and knowing that I want at least a day between beginning and finishing a tour and the arriving/departing flights, there was going to be a 4 day gap at the start. Somehow I decided to visit the Madikwe game reserve in NW South Africa.

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At this stage I brought in my trusty travel agent and asked them to construct an itinerary with QF flights SYD-JNB, onward flight to Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, driver to Madikwe, a nice lodge there, then out and flights to Windhoek where I would join the tour, then back home.

Then the fun began. The TA asked "Why would you want to start at Gaborone? There's nothing there". And in addition to the flight cost, its going to cost $900 to get to the game park and back and also a border crossing which might be lengthy.

HOW MUCH? Its an hour or two - almost a thousand bucks in the third world country? I started a thread asking for alternatives but none were forthcoming and we found no alternative to the expensive drive.

TA came up with plan B. There is a 'shuttle' air service between Madikwe and JNB which seemed to be the usual way of getting from JNB. So the TA priced some lodges and the flights and we came up with Tau Lodge. Flights A$1,200 there and back.

Tau Game Lodge | Luxury Big 5 Safari Holiday | South Africa Holiday

Tau Game Lodge, a South African luxury safari lodge in the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve. Big 5 game safaris, and state of the art event facilities too

www.taugamelodge.co.za

Live web cam

Three nights was moderately expensive and, coupled with the flights, it had better be good! So everything was locked in about 6 months ago. Almost.

About 6 weeks ago the flight people said that I was the only passenger each way, so if no-one else came forward I'd need to pay for two. Ummmm ... no.

So I and the TA start pricing hire cars - again I started a thread on this, but in the end I couldn't get comfortable with the cost/insurance/safety/rental car usual hassle equation.

So final, plan C. TA comes up with Day Trip Daytrip: Private Car Transfers with Sightseeing essentially a private car transfer - they operate around the world. Lock it in; A$800 for two four hour transfers. Meh. I'm on holiday. Flight people then come back and say a pax has popped up for one of my flights and they'd put a flight one way, car return package for ... A$1,000. Nick orf.

As usual, I've got some health things to look after. Not serious this time - arthritis in a finger knuckle and in foot. Got the finger injected with steroi_ on Monday and the foot will be done tomorrow. Finger not doing so well, but still has a day or so to take full effect; Saturday is a rest up foot day and fly out Sunday.

View attachment 401313

HBA-SYD QF J
Rydges at SYD
SYD-JNB QF J
Premier Hotel at JNB
Car JNB-Tau Lodge return
Tau Lodge 3 nights, 2 game drives/day, full board
JNB-WDH SAA J
Pre tour night in The Weinberg THE WEINBERG
Premium Namibia tour
Post tour night in The Weinberg
WDH-JNB Airlink J
Premier Hotel at JNB
JNB-SYD-MEL-HBA QF J

HLO

Namibia will be country #99, but who's counting

I’m finally going too catch up with this one

 

[JohnM]

Which roads & time of year? And a few years ago, I think? If the latter, I suspect rise in tourism, maybe esp. busses might have something to do with it.

I have been interested in your and @bPeteb's comments about the state of the roads. I was there in 2015 and @Daver6 was there around that era.

I can't recall the roads being anything like as bad as you blokes have described. They struck me as being very much like most Australian maintained dirt roads.

I rented a Ford Ranger, which would obviously handle any roughness better than a Corolla, but I fanged around on dirt roads with no discomfort.

Of course, with the increasing numbers of travellers in areas of unmaintained dirt roads in Australia, corrugations can be really bad in places, and likely worsened by people not lowering their tyre pressures.

 

[VPS]

Thanks for the TR - how you can do a TR on the go is amazing. Well done

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks for the TR - how you can do a TR on the go is amazing. Well done

I can answer that. I mostly travel by myself and my evenings are usually unoccupied by long lunches or dinners and if there is an afternoon free, I'm usually 'recovering' rather than dashing about. yes, boring!

Plus if I don't do it on the go, it'll never get done.

 

[RooFlyer]

I have been interested in your and @bPeteb's comments about the state of the roads. I was there in 2015 and @Daver6 was there around that era.

I can't recall the roads being anything like as bad as you blokes have described. They struck me as being very much like most Australian maintained dirt roads.

I rented a Ford Ranger, which would obviously handle any roughness better than a Corolla, but I fanged around on dirt roads with no discomfort.

Of course, with the increasing numbers of travellers in areas of unmaintained dirt roads in Australia, corrugations can be really bad in places, and likely worsened by people not lowering their tyre pressures.

I think things must have changed and also the vehicles aren't the same type. I drove on plenty of coughpy Australian roads when I was working and I can't recall ever being on such long stretches of such corrugated roads. I could never wildly imagine driving the Corolla that Daver6 capered around in.

I had couple of chats to our driver about the roads and he obviously wanted to give the pax the best ride as possible and chose his speed accordingly.

 

[Daver6]

Which roads & time of year? And a few years ago, I think? If the latter, I suspect rise in tourism, maybe esp. busses might have something to do with it.

Early June 2015.

I can't recall the roads being anything like as bad as you blokes have described. They struck me as being very much like most Australian maintained dirt roads.

I guess those folks over east just have very delicate little tooshies Roads too bumpy, beds too hard. Bunch of princesses I say

I think things must have changed and also the vehicles aren't the same type. I drove on plenty of coughpy Australian roads when I was working and I can't recall ever being on such long stretches of such corrugated roads. I could never wildly imagine driving the Corolla that Daver6 capered around in.

I had couple of chats to our driver about the roads and he obviously wanted to give the pax the best ride as possible and chose his speed accordingly.

Speed is simple. The faster you go, the less time you have on average roads and you just get sweet air between the corrugations making a nice level driver. Seems like sound science to me

 

[bPeteb]

In my haste to get on the shuttle, I whacked my head on a louvre on the roof and opened up a decent cut, that proceeded to bleed for the next 30 mins. Extricated my carry-on from the porters and checked in. Very slow; people behind the counter having a lovely chat that wasn't to be interrupted. Sigh. I recall now my previous visits to west and southern Africa. I asked for a quiet room, as usual and was amazed when I reached it. Huge lounge, 2 bathrooms etc; largest room on the top floor by far, according to the evac plan. Downsides were that the aircon only worked like it was an aircraft engine running and the tele didn't work.

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Dosed the head cut with antiseptic from my mobile pharmac_ and went down to dinner, looking for a bar snack. Nope, so to the restaurant. Very large and almost totally full. There was a buffet, but too expensive for what I wanted, so, after a wait, I ordered a burger.

Warm roll came about 30 mins later; I took one bite and chewed, then spat it out. Barely cooked, it was like eating a warm dough-ball. Burger wasn't much better. I'm probably grumpy with tiredness/jet lag.

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To bed early, slept pretty well and contemplated my decision to stay at the Premier (an AFF recommendation). I've got another, pre-paid night here on my departure home.

Way too late now but City Lodge was excellent

 

[kpc]

Way too late now but City Lodge was excellent

Agree. We stayed a night at the beginning of the trip and 3 nights at the end. It has a good (not great) restaurant, is very cheap cf IC, and is about a 10-15 min indoor walk ftom the terminal. You can also eat at the many restaurants and food court at the domestic (Term B) end of the airport.

We did a day trip to Eswatini, catching the 0650 flight there, and the 1740 flight back. Even though we were staying at the airport, we still had to get up at 0430 to catch our flight!

 

[Flyfrequently]

Welcome home and thanks again @RooFlyer another comprehensive TR.
Where to next?

 

[drron]

Thanks for the comprehensive TR @RooFlyer . Though I am very glad we did Namibia by Cruise ship back in 2013. It was an Expedition cruise with a day in Luderitz and driving out to see a ghost town which had been a diamond mine.

Then in Walvis bay saw the flamingoes and went dune bashing plus a scenic flight. Got to the big dunes which I did not climb -hopeless going up a normal hill but with sand forget about it. And that night had dinner in the canyon with a local orchestra and youth choir. it was magic.
The next day a harbour cruise with dolphins, seals and turtles.

The roads into the desert then were good -2013. After the cruise we did a botswanan and Zambian safari. After that I have no desire to see more of the Namibian wild life.

But still very interesting with yours and @bPeteb's TR plus comments from @kpc . I did enjoy tagging along without the bumps and hard beds.

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome home and thanks again @RooFlyer another comprehensive TR.
Where to next?

Thank you.

Next o/s: I booked a Caribbean cruise Barbados to Colombia over Christmas this year. Cheaper to go RTW than fly across the Pacific, so its a Finnair-type RTW, skipping Asia (just overnight at BKK) but then doing Christmas markets in Germany and Austria then to Barbados and home via the USA. So its warm coats and swimmers ...

 

[ellen10]

Thanks @RooFlyer for taking the time to share your trip. Loved the beautiful photos of sunsets, sunrises, accommodations and all those wonderful animals.
I really enjoyed following along.

 

[Major]

Another excellent TR. Great photos, with very few rocks . Many thanks.

 

[tgh]

Echoing all the other accolades, well written, informative and entertaining; thank you

 

[Pushka]

Thankyou for the fabulous photos. Love the zooms.

 

[RooFlyer]

Bunch of princesses senior citizens who don't fork out the big bucks for rubbish I say

Fixed that.

 

[Cossie]

Same here, this and the other 2 TRs have been great to follow along with.

One question, or maybe two, what is the appeal of Sossusvlei and why not the Caprivi Strip?

 

[bPeteb]

Just had the first tour meeting and dinner. Just 5 of us (max would have been 14); me and a family group of 4 - mum & dad from Barcelona, their son and his girlfriend (from Nice). Tour leader has quite a heavy accent, but understanding will improve as the tour goes on.

Just had good steak dinner in the hotel complex - again, very popular.

@JohnM , ballooning at the dunes is offered, but timing with the rest of group may be an issue. It's a bit vague at the moment. I think I'll take a scenic flight out of Swakopmund over the Namib desert.

Just five! Fantastic