Namibia - Part 2

17th-21st December 2023

Beth writes:

Spitzkoppe

When driving in such a vast place with not a lot around, anything that punctuates the horizon makes for great excitement. Two hours out of Swakopmund, all we could see in the distance were two large mountains, all alone in the landscape. And that was Spitzkoppe, Namibia’s second largest mountain, with a camping lodge around it – at least we knew what we were heading for this time (see Sossusvlei!).

Spitzkoppe, we were told, was the place to go if you wanted to feel like you were camping and no-one else in the world existed. We were certainly in the right place, and with only 14 spread out campsites, you could be forgiven for thinking that you had discovered the place, let alone being the only ones there. Each camp site had a long drop and a braai pit and that was it. The rest of the entertainment came from the beauty and form of the mountain and huge boulders that had rested there for many years. On top of one of the mountains was a little spot called ‘Bushman’s Paradise’ – a refuge for the San Tribes, where you can still see tribal art and little red drawings of animals, signalling watering holes to other tribes. It was fascinating, with yet again, more stunning, take-your-breath-away vistas.

The evenings always brought great relief with cooler air and the prospect of a Windhoek lager that both Ben and I were becoming rather partial to (the Namibian beer was one good thing the Germans gave them!). But what we were looking forward to the most was the sunset. Spitzkoppe had a way of making the light reflect off the rocks as if everything was glowing and the sunset took on at least 4 or 5 iterations of colours. The sunset gave way to the starry night, which was the most spectacular scene by far. There were more than our eyes could take in or our now seemingly very small minds conceive. Sometimes, it’s good to be reminded of how small we are and how big God is.

Etosha

From Spitzkoppe, we made our way up north to Etosha National Park, a government run nature reserve spanning an area of 22,000 km2 based around a large salt pan. Safe to say, it’s another vast expanse. We headed to Olifantrus, a small campsite within the reserve (fully fenced and gated much to our relief) with a stunning waterhole from which to capture the action. Rhinos, giraffe and impala made their way there in the cool of the evening. However, there was a guest we didn’t manage to see but to hear…in the dead of night. A deep, gently rumbling roar came to the camp, confirmed in the morning by the lodge supervisor who reassuringly told us that she wasn’t sure she’d closed the gate that night…!

The following day, we decided it was about time for a little luxury and managed to find ourselves a lodge with an infinity pool. In the heat of the day, it was a welcomed relief.

We headed off to Okaukeujo, one of the larger main lodges, with an even bigger waterhole! When we started our trip, we thought we were being quite intrepid with our Toyota Hilux. However, delusions of adventuring grandeur quickly evaporated as we realised that most of the park (some 30 odd cars) had come with similar bukkie/rooftop tent combo! We found ourselves a little spot, tucked away from the masses, overlooking the park. As we braaied and pottered, a herd of giraffe made their way past, elegantly peeking above the tree line, followed by some rhino and springbok. It was my (Beth’s) birthday eve, and one to be remembered. The following morning, we had celebratory French toast and braaied nectarines with Greek yoghurt. It’s quite a satisfying thing to make little feasts with so minimal equipment. With tummies full, we set off via a few waterholes, southwards to Windhoek. But there was one more special stop to make along the way.

Africat

Our final destination and birthday treat was a night at Africat, a privately run wild cat reserve. This was Namibian luxury done seriously well! Even though we were only there for less than 24 hours, we felt very at home and soon made friends with the delightful staff. After our arrival drinks, we got ourselves ready for our activity of Leopard Tracking, and when I say ‘getting ready’ I mean, eating the pre-activity quiche and chocolate cake on offer (it was my birthday, so I had 2 slices!). Off we went with our guide and 3 others to find the elusive and quite shy leopards via a tracking system. With a clear signal through the tracking radio and a general direction in which to head, our guide drove faster than what I’d call safe in a large Toyota Land Cruiser, but it was so much fun! After driving rather ambitiously over a number of large shrubs and sandy ditches, we found him. Neil. The name was somewhat a disappointment for this beautiful creature who we managed to sidle up to, without him even flinching. He was in chill mode, resting from the heat of the day and storing his energy for the evening hunt. We were on his patch (male leopards have clearly marked areas of territory) but he was unphased by the car’s presence and the snapping of cameras – he knew who was really boss. I’m not a nature fanatic per se, but when you are face to face with it, it has a way of completely arresting you for a moment and I was in awe of their stunning patterned coats and how majestic they were. We found one more, a female named Lila, and we learned from our guide that female leopards visit various males’ territories and ‘pretend’ to mate with them. When she has decided which one she likes best, she goes back to him to mate (for reals this time). Such a minx! After this adventurous ride we had sundowners overlooking the park and headed back for supper at the lodge. The most gorgeous end to a very special birthday (and Ben likes to remind me that next year, it’s supper at Pizza Express, on the vouchers, if you’re lucky).

We made our way back to Windhoek the next day and handed back our beloved Sandy, with promises that we’d love to come back to this beautiful, vast country one day, perhaps even with a family. We had barely scratched the surface but it definitely gave us a taste and an appetite for exploring more of Africa in a tent in the future.

Booking tip: ‘Explore Namibia’ were amazing – 24h emergency help, awesome kit and seriously efficient. Could not recommend more highly.