#Mahango Game Park

[logi1974]

Ndhovu Safari Lodge is located around 20 km south of Divundu Bridge along road C 48, just after the Popa Falls in Namibia. It is a peaceful riverine retreat situated on the western banks of the Okavango River, overlooking the well-known Bwabwata Game Park. In true safari tradition, Ndhovu offers luxury tented accommodation, each tent being fully equipped with its own en-suite bathroom facilities. The charming thatched lapa overlooks the banks of the river, where elephants and hippo sometimes congregate, providing residents outstanding game and bird-viewing opportunities whilst enjoying sundowners at the bar and delicious buffet meals. Facilities offered at the lodge include boat trips, fishing excursions and game drives whilst the birdlife in the area will satisfy the most ardent bird-watcher - over 400 different species have been recorded in the surroundings. The Mahango Game Reserve is a mere 2 km away, offering excellent opportunities to view elephant, buffalo, red lechwe and sable antelope, to name a few, in typical riverine and swampland habitat.

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Die Ndhovu Safari Lodge liegt etwa 20 km südlich der Divundu Bridge an der Straße C 48, gleich nach den Popa Falls in Namibia. Es ist ein friedlicher Platz am westlichen Flußufer des Okavango River mit Blick auf den bekannten Bwabwata Game Park. In wahrer Safari-Tradition bietet Ndhovu Zeltunterkünfte, wobei jedes Zelt komplett mit einem eigenen Bad ausgestattet ist. Die charmante strohgedeckte Lapa überblickt beide Seiten des Flusses, wo sich manchmal Elefanten und Flusspferde versammeln. Sie bietet den Gästen hervorragende Möglichkeiten zur Wild- und Vogelbeobachtung, während sie Sundowner an der Bar genießen. Zu den in der Lodge angebotenen Aktivitäten zählen Bootsfahrten, Angeltouren und Pirschfahrten, zudem die Vogelwelt in der Umgebung auch den leidenschaftlichsten Vogelbeobachter zufriedenstellt - in der Umgebung wurden über 400 verschiedene Arten registriert. Das Mahango Game Reserve ist nur 2 km entfernt und bietet hervorragende Möglichkeiten, Elefanten, Büffel, rote Lechwe und Rappenantilopen, um nur einige zu nennen, in typischen Fluss- und Sumpflandgebieten zu beobachten.

[zoo-packys]

Here we see a packy from Mahango Game Park in Namibia, as it munches on some delicious looking grass.

Photo found here.

[travel-addicted]

Tra l’Angola e il Botswana, una sottilissima striscia di terra appartenente alla Namibia si allunga fino a raggiungere il punto in cui il fiume Kwando, che segna il confine con il Botswana, si getta nello Zambezi, che la separa dall’Angola, a pochi chilometri dal confine con lo Zimbabwe. Una lingua di territorio lunga 450 chilometri e spessa solo 30, insanguinata per tutta la seconda metà degli anni Novanta dallo scontro tra il governo namibiano e i separatisti della Caprivi Liberation Army. Dopo  anni di atrocità, distruzione delle sue ricchezze naturali e bracconaggio, gli animali stanno tornando a popolare i parchi del Caprivi, insieme a qualche turista. Noi l’abbiamo percorsa da est a ovest, attraversando i parchi naturali ancora poco frequentati dagli stranieri e tagliati dalla statale B8, che collega Katima Mulilo a Rundu.

Un viaggio in autobus durato un’intera giornata ci ha portati da Victoria Falls a Katima, attraverso la regione settentrionale del Botswana. Più di otto ore, tra controlli sanitari, disinfezione delle suole delle scarpe e acquisizione di impronte digitali a ogni confine.

Katima Mulilo è la prima città che si incontra entrando in Namibia dal Botswana settentrionale: un avamposto di circa 30.000 abitanti, la città più lontana dalla capitale Windhoek. Qui è dove abbiamo ritirato la nostra auto a noleggio, una piccola Toyota Etios che ci ha accompagnati fino a Cape Town. Lungo la strada principale di Katima, si possono acquistare generi di prima necessità e il carburante necessario per proseguire fino a Rundu. Dopo le 18, gli unici luoghi per mangiare qualcosa sono i negozi dei distributori di benzina o i fast food annessi. Impossibile però pagare in dollari o con carta di credito straniera: essendo riusciti a cambiare circa 5 dollari in moneta locale grazie alla gentilezza della gerente della guest-house dove abbiamo alloggiato, siamo riusciti ad acquistare da bere e qualche snack per dormire a pancia piena.

Riposati e rifocillati, la mattina del nostro primo giorno in Namibia siamo partiti in direzione ovest. Nel giro di pochi chilometri, ci stiamo ritrovati da soli lungo la statale B8, un parco nazionale dietro l’altro, tra elefanti che ci hanno attraversato la strada e villaggi di capanne apparentemente disabitati.

Le nuvole di sabbia sollevate dai branchi di pachidermi, la boscaglia secca ai lati della strada e i rari alberi verdi, sinonimo di acqua nel sottosuolo, sono uno spettacolo che rivedo davanti a me chiudendo gli occhi. Seguiamo la C49 e poi la B8, attraversando il Wuparo Conservancy ed entrando nel Mudumu National Park, una delle aree più ricche di fauna fino agli anni Ottanta, quando divenne una concessione di caccia non ufficiale e gli animali furono decimati.

All’interno del parco di può visitare il bellissimo villaggio-museo di Lizauli, fondato a poca distanza dall’abitato per far conoscere ai viaggiatori gli stili di vita tradizionali del Caprivi. Le guide locali forniscono informazioni sull’alimentazione, i metodi di pesca, caccia e allevamento, l’organizzazione sociale e politica dei villaggi, l’artigianato, la medicina tradizionale, i giochi e la musica. E’ stata l’occasione perfetta per toccare con mano le usanze di una delle tante tribù namibiane, dagli stili di vita estremamente diversi l’una dall’altra.

I Kaprivian sono circa 80.000, divisi in cinque tribù: i Lozi, i Mafwe, i Subia, gli Yei e i Mbukushu. Agricoltura di sussistenza, pesca e allevamento di bestiame ne garantiscono la sopravvivenza. La lingua franca di questi popoli è un idioma derivato dal lozi, tribù che controllava tutta l’area fino al XIX secolo. Grazie proprio alla visita guidata al museo abbiamo scoperto che per allontanare gli animali feroci utilizzano una frusta che, picchiata a terra, produce un suono simile ad uno sparo. Una sorta di slitta in legno trainata da buoi è usata per i trasporti, mentre per proteggere il cibo conservato in ampie ceste costruiscono trappole per topi con la terra dei termitai e per difendere i polli dai predatori, durante la notte, li chiudono in piccole gabbie rialzate. La calabash, in italiano “zucca a fiasco”, è il recipiente usato per il trasporto dell’acqua e per la conservazione del latte, che al suo interno è fatto diventare acido, per poi impiegarlo nella preparazione del porridge. La musica dello xilofono è tipica delle grandi festività, quando tutto il villaggio partecipa alle celebrazioni e si cucinano cibi in grande quantità. Si mescola ai canti e al suono prodotto dalle gonne fatte in legno delle danzatrici.

Parte del progetto del museo è anche la vendita di prodotti artigianali, i cui proventi contribuiscono al sostentamento della comunità e alla tutela della fauna contro il bracconaggio, una piaga che ha afflitto (e ancora oggi continua) tutti i parchi della regione.

E’ solo dopo il cessate il fuoco del 2002 che il Bwabwata è stato dichiarato parco nazionale e i bracconieri non hanno più potuto sfruttare liberamente le risorse di quest’area. La Mahango Game Reserve, una riserva naturale che occupa solo 25 chilometri quadrati di superficie, è un paradiso per gli amanti della savana e degli animali. Senza la necessità di disporre di un fuoristrada, la si può visitare con calma in mezza giornata: il Circular Drive Loop è lungo 20 chilometri e permette di osservare facilmente la ricchissima fauna selvatica.

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Nei pressi di Bagani il fiume Okavango forma una serie di piccole cascate: le Popa Falls, poco più che delle rapide, soprattutto dopo aver assistito allo spettacolo delle Victoria Falls. Un’occasione però per avvistare i coccodrilli che popolano le acque del fiume.

La notte trascorsa sulle sponde dell’Okavango è stata una delle più particolari e allo stesso tempo stancanti che abbia vissuto. Le piazzole del Ngepi Camp si trovano proprio sulle sponde del fiume, pochi metri più in alto di dove sguazzano gli ippopotami. Si è immersi nel bush, i bagni solo all’aria aperta e alle 22 l’elettricità smette di esistere anche nella zona del bar. Ci si riconcilia con i suoni della natura, che tra barriti di elefanti e ruggiti di ippopotami è riuscita anche a farmi temere per qualche ora (esagerando, se ci ripenso) che avremmo potuto morire schiacciati dai pachidermi e nessuno l’avrebbe saputo per molto tempo, dato che anche le comunicazioni sono state pressoché impossibile nei giorni trascorsi nel Kaprivi.

Ma, a ripensarci, è stata un’esperienza preziosa, forse sarà l’unica della mia vita. Svegliarsi all’alba con il canto degli uccelli (anche i grandi animali a una certa ora erano andati a dormire e mi avevano lasciata assopire) e vedere il fiume Okavango, non ha prezzo!

• Welcome to paradise •

Informazioni pratiche:

I parchi e le riserve sono generalmente aperte dall’alba al tramonto. All’ingresso e all’uscita, è necessario registrare i propri dati e pagare una piccola somma di denaro.

Il villaggio-museo di Lizauli non ha orari fissi. Per raggiungerlo, però, si passa davanti all’abitato: quando le guide vedono sopraggiungere dei viaggiatori, arrivano letteralmente di corsa ad accogliervi. Il prezzo dell’ingresso è pari a 40 NAD e i prodotti artigianali in vendita sono splendidi, anche se leggermente più cari che in altre aree, ma sono con certezza costruiti al villaggio e non importati. Inoltre, trovare altri negozi dove acquistare i manufatti tipici del Caprivi è molto difficile: lasciando la regione anche l’artigianato cambia foggia e di villaggi dove “fare shopping” non ce ne sono lungo la strada.

Per raggiungere le Popa Falls è necessario accedere al Popa Falls Resort e pagare il biglietto d’ingresso.

Per avere più informazioni sul camping: http://www.ngepicamp.com. Sulle sponde del fiume, comunque, ce ne sono una decina tra cui scegliere, compresi lodge di lusso.

Caprivi Strip: la rinascita di una ragione contesa Tra l'Angola e il Botswana, una sottilissima striscia di terra appartenente alla Namibia si allunga fino a raggiungere il punto in cui il fiume Kwando, che segna il confine con il Botswana, si getta nello Zambezi, che la separa dall'Angola, a pochi chilometri dal confine con lo Zimbabwe.

[onegirlmanymiles]

about my trip

I wanted to share with you all some details about my trip to Africa.

I have found when telling people I'm off the Africa, most people ask 'why?' - I chose Africa very spontaneously, I was actually in a travel agent planning to book a European trip, but when I saw the African brochure with the giraffes (just after they were listed on the endangered species list) I knew I was about to do something wild, and right there, I booked a trip to Africa. Many people I've crossed are shocked and the first thing they say is "be careful, it's dangerous over there", but when you think about it, its not any more dangerous then anywhere else in the world (Just look at whats happening on the news!!!) Recently there has been a coup threat in Zimbabwe, which makes the trip a little bit more risky, but if you travel in fear, you'll never leave, experience growth, gain cultural experience or go out of your comfort zone. If you fear the world, you'll never live!

So, here is a little breakdown of what I'm doing and where I'm going..

First thing first is to decide what tour you're doing (yes i recommend doing a tour, Africa is a huge continent!!) and decide why you want to go and what you want to see. I picked one through Gecko's as the age range is suitable to myself and they also don't charge a single supplement which is perfect if your travelling alone!

The tour "Best of Southern Africa" - 17 Day trip starting and finishing at Johannesburg. This trip is a camping style trip - 1 night hotel, 13 nights camping with facilities and 2 nights without facilities. For someone who has never camped, not even in my backyard, its definitely going to be a new experience!

The tour visits 4 countries - South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe and has inclusive and optional activities at each destination.

Breakdown of the 17 days

Day 1: Johannesburg

Day 2-5:  Botswana visiting Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Maun and Okavango Delta

Day 6-7: Namibia visiting Caprivi Game park, Mahango Game reserve, Cubango river, Villages of Hambukushu and Xwe tribes, Kwando Camp, Kwando River and Mudumu Game Park

Day 8: Botswana going to Chobe National Park and cruising Chobe River

Day 9-13: Zimbabwe where you'll see Victoria Falls and cruise down Zambezi. Drive to Hwange National Park, Matoboas National Park, Bulawayo and Matobo Hills

Day 14-17: South Africa visiting Mapungubwe National Park, Kruger National Park and finishing in Johannesburg

I'm also staying a night before the tour begins and 2 nights after at the hotel which the tour chose as a meeting and finishing point.

Cost Overall cost for the trip was roughly $5500 (including spending money)

Breakdown (AUD) Flights with Etihad Airways - $1598 return Tour - $2074 Transfers to and from hotel - $120 return Pre tour & Post tour accomodation - $170 per night - 3 nights = $510 Insurance - $218 Spending money - $400 USD cash, $400 USD on a travel card, $1000 ZAR (South African Rand)

Everything was booked and organised with 'Student Flights' who helped arrange my flights according to the trip dates, transfers, extra accomodation and of course the tour! Now I've worked along side an agent, next time I'd be confident in booking and organising a trip alone to reduce extra fees and interest that charge for service.

[ianfaulkner1-blog]

​By Roxanne Reid Deserts, rivers, wildlife, amazing landscapes. I’ve written elsewhere about the best places and things to do in south and central . In this companion piece about a country I’ve visited more than 30 times and has crept into my heart, I’m sharing my pick of places to visit and things to do in : the north. You’ll also find some tips to know before you go.

As I said my companion post, Places to visit and things to do in : south and central,1. Southern Kunene (formerly Damaraland)

Go rock climbing at Spitzkoppe Marvel at giant granite boulders erupting from a flat earth, find caves, arches and rock pools. Stay at the community-run campsite to be in the best position to watch the rocks glow pink and gold at sunrise and sunset, to see a sky full of stars after dark. The main draw cards here are hiking and rock climbing, especially to the top of Gross Spitzkoppe, and seeing rock art. You may not hike or climb without hiring a local guide. ​Read more about Spitzkoppe

Spitzkoppe

Walk among ancient rock engravings The Twyfelfontein UNESCO World Heritage Site southwest of Khorixas is famous for one of the largest concentrations of petroglyphs (rock engravings) in Africa. They date back to the Late Stone Age and depict animals like rhino, giraffe and a lion-man. Taking a guide to explore the engravings is compulsory. ​Read more about Twyfelfontein

Twyfelfontein lion-man engraving

​Visit the Organ Pipes ​Not far away from the petroglyphs is a collection of dolerite pillars along a riverbed. They formed during a volcanic event when the continent of Gondwana was breaking apart 120 million years ago. The rock split to form vertical, narrow pieces of rock that look just like organ pipes.

Organ Pipes

See a Petrified Forest Some 50km northeast of Twyfelfontein is a collection of fossilised trees that arrived here from Central Africa during a flood 280 million years ago. Covered in mud that had a high mineral content, they turned to stone and were rediscovered in the 1940s after erosion exposed them.

Learn about Damara culture Visit the Damara Museum near Twyfelfontein to learn about the lost culture of the hunter-gatherer Damara people and help support the Damara community that built and run the museum.

Find ancient welwitschia plants The welwitschia is a strange and alien-looking plant, with its two ribbons of leaves. It can survive for more than 1000 years, but the leaves are always the original ones that grow longer and get shredded by the wind. Estimate its age by inspecting the stem base in the middle: each 10cm of diameter means 100 years.

Welwitschia

​​See desert-adapted elephants and rhino ​Desert-adapted African elephants are unique to north-western and to Mali. You can find them near the ephemeral Aba Huab and Huab rivers in southern Kunene. To survive in such arid conditions, they drink only every 3-4 days (unlike other African elephants that drink every day). They also have a special pouch behind their tongues where they store water. To see desert-adapted black rhino or elephants, stop over at Twyfelfontein Country Lodge or Palmwag Lodge and sign on for a guided tour in the surrounding conservancy.

Desert-adapted rhino

2. Northern Kunene (formerly Kaokoland) ’s remote far north-western part of Kunene is not for sissies and definitely not recommended for first-time visitors or anyone without experience in driving 4x4 overland through sand. If this is you, I’d advise you to go no further north than Palmwag or Sesfontein.

See desert-adapted rhino and elephants  ​There are desert-adapted elephants in the Hoanib Valley to the north-west of Palmwag, but you would either need to camp rough (no facilities, special permit required) in the Skeleton Coast National Park or book in to one of the luxury camps here (like Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp or Shipwreck Lodge) for a chance to see them. You also have a chance of seeing desert lions.

Desert elephants at Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp (photo: Wilderness Safaris)

Drive the toughest 4x4 pass in Warning: this is not for the faint-hearted. Van Zyl’s Pass is one of ’s most extreme roads. In fact, it’s more of a route than a road and you may need to stop to move boulders to make it passable. You’ll find it between two very steep mountain ranges in the Marienfluss, with its rippling golden grasses. It’s best travelled downhill from east to west, but still keep a lookout for oncoming vehicles. You need a 4x4, lots of patience and some serious driving skills. Definitely for adventurers travelling with more than one vehicle and NO trailers.

Visit a Himba village There’s something endlessly fascinating about the Himba (or Ovahimba), a tribe of north-western who still live largely in their age-old traditional way. Learn about the red clay they put on their skin, their elaborate hair extensions, metal, shell and leather jewellery and how they use herbs to perfume their skin in an arid area where there’s no water for bathing. Many lodges in the area offer visits to Himba villages but to be sure your visit is ethical, try visiting the Ovahimba Living Museum near Opuwo. ​Read more about the Himba

Himba woman

See Epupa Falls ​See Epupa Falls on the Kunene River, which forms the border between and Angola. The river is 0.5km wide and plunges down in a chain of waterfalls that spread over 1.5 km, with the highest being 37m. Enjoy the unspoiled surroundings with their baobab and makalani palm trees.

Epupa Falls

3. Waterberg Plateau National Park If you love lichen-covered mountains, history and hiking, you’ll love The Waterberg Plateau National Park south-east of Otjiwarongo. Climb to the top of the rock massif for views of the surrounding flat landscape or take one of the hiking trails through the forested slopes to see what birds you can find. If you’re interested in German colonial history, there’s a small graveyard and the restaurant is a lovely old building from the early 1900s. There’s a swimming pool to cool off after your hikes.

Lichen on the Waterberg Plateau (Photo: dconvertini)

4. Cheetahs near Otjiwarongo has the highest density of cheetahs in the world. There are two centres near Otjiwarongo where you can visit either as an overnight guest or a day visitor to find out more about cheetahs and their conservation. One is the Cheetah Conservation Fund, a global leader in the conservation of wild cheetahs and their ecosystems. The other is the cheetah sanctuary of Okonjima and the AfriCat Foundation, where you can learn about their environmental education, research, rehabilitation and community efforts. Discover how well adapted cheetahs are for speed – more than 110km/h in just over 3 seconds – and why at full speed their stride can be as long as 7m. Read more about Okonjima and AfriCat

Cheetah

5. National Park National Park is one of my favourite places in Southern Africa to see wildlife, a dry area open enough for great photos, with many wonderful waterholes. From Dolomite Camp and Olifantsrus in the west, the main route goes via the popular Okaukuejo camp and Halali with its awesome Moringa waterhole to Onkoshi and the fort at Namutoni in the east. As for what you can see, think lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, rhino, hyena, zebra, giraffe and a feast of antelope from the tiny dik-dik to the giant eland. Animals you won’t find at include hippo, crocodile, buffalo and wild dog. Don’t miss the energetic township vibe at Safari Camp about 10km south of Anderson Gate near Okaukuejo.

Elephants drinking at Okaukuejo waterhole

6. Zambezi region (formerly Caprivi) Leave the n deserts behind and explore the Kavango, Kwando and Zambezi rivers and floodplains of the far north-east of . This watery world is almost like another country, more reminiscent of southern Zambia or Botswana’s Okavango Delta than of ’s drylands.

Enjoy a river cruise ​A must-do in this area is a river cruise on the Kavango or Kwando rivers to see wildlife and watch a golden sunset reflected on the river.

Sunset along the river in the Zambezi region

Go birding ​Find an abundance of fish eagles, African jacanas, bee-eaters and African skimmers. There are more than 400 bird species in the area.

Pied kingfisher

Go for a game drive ​Spot wildlife like waterbuck, elephant and hippo along the rivers, and admire rafts of water lilies. The main road from Rundu in the west to Katimo Mulilo in the east goes through the Bwabwata National Park, and you can make detours into sections of it, like the Mahango area. Be sure you’re an experienced 4x4 driver if you decide to go off-road onto Bwabwata’s gravel paths, or choose a guided drive instead.

Waterbuck

See Popa Falls Popa Falls is on the Kavango (also spelled Okavango) River near Divundu. At 1600km this is the fourth-longest river in Southern Africa. It starts in the Angola highlands, flows south along the border between Angola and , then drops 4m in a series of rapids known as Popa Falls before it enters Botswana and drains away inland in the Okavango Delta.

Experience local culture To learn about local culture visit one of the Living Museums in the area, like the Mbunza ​Living Museum near Rundu. 

Mbunza Living Museum

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Tips to know before you go

When is the best time to go to ? It depends on what you want to do. If you’re keen to experience its wildlife, the dry season is the best time (June to September). Summers (October to February) are very hot, with average temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius. Winter days (May to July) are sunny and warm but it can be very cold at night (average of 7 degrees Celsius), especially in the southern deserts, so come prepared with layers.

As I’ve already hinted above, perhaps the best word of advice is about distances and times of travel. is a vast country – bigger than France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland combined. Don’t try to see it in a week or even two. At least a month would be best if you want to see it all, but if you only have two weeks rather concentrate on either the south OR the north and come back another time.

Although the roads, even the gravel ones, are fairly good there are some badly corrugated sections. You can’t think of travelling at 120km/h even on the tarred main B1 north-south highway because there’s always a chance a wild animal will bound across the road in front of you, causing a bad accident. Many Europeans underestimate the time it takes to get from point A to point B in . Speed limit on gravel roads is 80km/h and sometimes we laugh, thinking no fool could possibly go that fast! Nor is it safe to travel fast on gravel roads for fear of skidding and overturning. Adjust your expectations of the distances you can travel in a day accordingly.

Don’t drive at night when wildlife is attracted to your lights. You may run over and kill small creatures like hares and jackals, and if you hit a large antelope at speed you will wreck your car and possibly hurt yourself as well.

Keep your fuel tank filled up whenever you can. Distances are long and you won’t find anywhere to buy fuel for vast stretches. Just because there’s a fuel station marked on your map doesn’t mean it will have fuel stocks when you get there. If your vehicle isn’t fitted with a long-range tank, consider carrying jerry cans of extra fuel.

If you’re driving in your own vehicle, whatever it is will be fine. If, however, you’re hiring a car go for a 4x4, which will extend your range of options.

Always travel with a spare tyre or even two and some repair and recovery equipment, especially if you’re venturing into Kunene.

Always ensure that you have drinking water in your vehicle in case you break down and have to wait for assistance.

The currency is the n dollar (N$) and has the same value as the South African Rand (ZAR), which is also accepted all over .

English is fairly widely spoken except in the very rural areas, and German is also spoken in the main tourist centres.

Hats, sunglasses and sunscreen are your friends. Also remember to keep hydrated – you need more water in a hot, dry country.

Is it safe? is probably one of the safest countries in Africa, but do keep your wits about you in Windhoek and other towns. Don’t flaunt expensive cameras and keep your car doors locked so stuff can’t be nicked off the back seat when you’re not concentrating. Speeding around bends on gravel roads and losing control of the vehicle, or going too fast and hitting a wild animal crossing the road are probably bigger threats to your safety.

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You may also enjoy Places to visit and things to do in : south and central 15 campsites: a guide for camping in Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za

[fi-bert]

The big five

Then we headed to the Etosha National Park to do safari.  Safari works a bit differently here, instead of driving around looking for animals, people tend to sit at watering holes & wait for animals to come to them.  We spent three nights in the park positioned beside different watering holes.  The first night we splashed out & stayed in a room (this came as a welcome rest from staying in a tent), where we could see the the watering hole from our window.  Before we arrived we had heard that after several years of no rain thankfully it has rained this season, this is great for Namibia, but apparently does mean that there is more water available for the animals so they are less reliant on the big watering holes that resorts are build around, therefore you’ll see less animals at the watering holes.  However, we needn’t have worried, within a few minutes of entering the park we had seen zebra, giraffes, elephants & wilder beasts.  It was interesting observing the watering holes at different times of day, it was flood lit after dark to allow you to continue watching through the night; we excitedly watched as a family of rhinos came to drink one evening.  We also saw lots of animals as we drove between our accommodation for each night, highlights included 3 lions, a herd of 16 elephants (with very cute babies) & a tower (the fitting collective noun for giraffes) of 29 giraffes.  On our final morning we were treated to a real show as we watched an elephant, zebras, giraffes, wilder beasts, oryxes & springboks all drinking all together at a watering hole.  Giraffes have been favourite of mine, they’re impressively tall & hilariously awkwardly, particularly when they are trying to drink, which involves spreading their legs very wide & bending forwards.  Staying in a tent meant we could listen to lie in bed at night & listen to the noises of the wild animals, which was very cool, but slightly terrifying when you need to get up for a pee.

Robert has always had an interest in photography, but has really embraced this interest during this trip, & has been learning lots from taking pictures of the animals (see photos).  As much as I love animals, I think I’ll always be more of a people person, & often whilst sat at a watering hole waiting for an animal to appear, I’ll find myself doing a spot of people watching, rather than looking for animals, & Robert does a but of the same, but instead he eyes up everyone else’s photography equipment.

We then headed to the Caprivi Strip via a night at the beautiful Waterburg Plateau, where we went for a nice hike.  Our first night in the Caprivi Strip was spent in a geodome by the river, from which we could see & hear elephants & hippos while we were lying in our bed.  We went to see the pretty pathetic Popa ‘waterfall’ (the term waterfall is a bit of an exaggeration) & the Mahango Game Reserve where we saw lots of game, but none of the elephants the park is famed for, but we made up for this in Bwabwata National Park, where our next campsite was situated, when on the way in we had to stop & wait as a large family of elephants crossed the road right in front of us.  Then we spent our last couple of days in Namibia beside the Zambezi River, where we braved the crocodiles to go kayaking.