I was surprised at how dry the mouth of the delta was and locals said it keeps receding further back each year. It felt like oil and we shared a worried look. Make sure you visit the Chobe River to catch a glimpse of wildebeests, rhinos and elephants as they come in droves to quench their thirst. She was a large woman with a brightly colored polka dot dress. I drove through Alexander Bay, back to Port Nolloth before waking him up. Sick looking dogs patrolled the streets, either sick or hungry. Mox dug a bushy bushy a hole to use as a toilet about 20m away from the tents. It would still be another couple of hours of driving, but then we would have a few days to explore. Then he asked what I wanted to be as a kid. It very much took advantage of our wariness and continued to play in the road. A small footpath linked the market to the main road of town. We cleaned up after dinner and headed to bed around 8 PM. We received our updates on the world, we grew quiet. The giraffe would whip their necks in an arch and land their horns into the rump or chest of their opponent. The higher front carriage is a must, as Botswana roads require a bit of offroad driving! At a Glance. For those who want to see lots, do like road tripping and like to see lots. Self drive Botswana - 4x4 adventures - Selfdrive4x4.com Page not found Instagram It was 7 AM, most of Maun was shut down still. I took time to reorganize and clean the car and set up camp. I watched our guides cook their food and move quietly around the camp. Yellow is travel packs, orange is camp (sleeping bag and tent), purple is climbing (harness and helmet), and blue is clothes (most of them). We never anticipated that we could be meters away from a herd of swimming elephants and hippos. We tested out their app TomTom GO Navigation and we made use of one of their sat nav devices GO Supreme, with Southern Africa maps downloaded. We noticed how small the truck now looked in this landscape, its all relative. We had half a tank of diesel, probably enough to get us to Keetmanshoop halfway to the border. Tall, elegant, and curious, they carefully watched us approach. We soon found though that the House of Gems had been shut down for years. My heart felt lighter. As I was wrapping up our conversation, the others joined. The caravan vehicle was also a Land Cruiser with seats in the bed of it and a roof overtop. We stopped in the middle of and I climbed on top of the truck to take in the whole view. We were getting worked. Mox explained that after a heavy rain, adult termites will fly out of the mound to disperse. The Great African Road Trip 1: Namibia and Botswana Grand Tour Im not moving anymore, am quite sleep deprived, and of course am missing the road even the rough roads I thought Id kill us on. We walked North back up towards Port Nolloth as the sun was setting. We waded out and examined intertidal pools we found tiny dark red starfish, small man o war (or something similar) jelly fish washed up on the beach, orange anemones, mussels, and snails. When I wear it, it feels like a hug. All products worked seamlessly together and helped us plan and navigate the best possible trip. It felt touristy but there wasnt another option to explore the delta and this way the local communities could hopefully benefit from our visit as local villagers are the guides for the mokoro trips. We dropped back down towards the river and craned our necks at an absurd rock formation. I moved to the front for the drive to Ghanzi, and once there we refueled again (fuel efficiency was a harrowing 6 kilometers to the liter). We felt uneasy in town, it didnt feel safe. It was a bit looser of a plan than ideal but I decided wed make it work and figure it out the next day. After 3 hours of bumpy gravel roads and pump up music we arrived at McCarthys Rest, the border crossing. By quarter to 8 we were waiting by the reception desk to be picked up by our guide for the next two days. We spoke of the wildlife in Zimbabwe lions, elephants, baboons and the need for conservation within the country. I usually enjoy leading trips but at this point I felt like despite the encouragement for others to read and prepare for the trip, no one else had. The guy didnt seem impressed. We had a scattered start to the day for a hunt for wifi. He scurried inside and within 5 minutes was back with our change. It felt much faster driving back down the alternative road we had chosen and down and through the terrifying sandy dunes. Get to the heart of Botswana & Namibia with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance. We decided and returned to the shop with the topaz gems and bought the earrings for N900, about $40. Twenty kilometers to the Ghoha border of the park and we made good time. The nature walk around the island began at 5 PM. We had a hearty breakfast of eggs, beans, and cooked biltong with some of the leftover couscous from the night before. We packed up, refueled again at a station and checked over the car, filled the jojos with water, and checked out Tsumeb. By now it was 1 AM, we decided I could finish setting it up once I returned. Namibia was on the other side of the Orange River so of course the first thing we did was swim back across to the country we almost got stuck in. The elephants bathed in the water pools, stuck up their trunks as if to wave hi, and made congo lines along the well beaten paths they made in their wanderings. Sleep beckoned us again; we climbed up into the tents around 9 PM. It was easy and fun to crawl around on the rocks and pick our own ways to the top. The driver said he wished Zim had been more like South Africa and facilitate sharing knowledge and experience between groups of people. We had wanted to sort through all of the photos from the trip, but my harddrive wasnt compatible with his laptop. Sure it was 2:30 in the morning and everyone was probably asleep. We began packing up just after 5 AM we wanted to do a sunrise game drive and planned to cross the border into Namibia via Ngoma Gate, drive the Caprivi Strip, and sleep somewhere on the way to Etosha. At 1 AM, we managed to make it to the bridge without falling asleep. We became drenched and our shoes squeaked and squished from the water building up inside. And youre off, I heard him say under his breath as he kicked off his shoes as well and began to follow me up. But it turned out, none of the messages were bad or telling us we needed (or should have been) back at the project. Our suggested route takes in the top attractions of each country and can be completed in 21 days. A proper road trip across three countries is just one highlight of this amazing 12-night safari. It was a four hour drive to the city and the embassies closed around 4 PM. It was surreal, too much, too beautiful. Roadside stands now sold wooden carvings and slabs of meat. We walked along the rim of the canyon mesmerized by the falls, stopping at each viewpoint to look across, then down, then at each other with big smiles. Almost immediately we passed another group of giraffes foraging. Tired from the day, we retired to our tents by 9:30 PM. First, we passed a pile of bones from a giraffe that had been predated upon 3 years ago according to Mox. We followed him to his bright blue bubble car and I offered to take the front seat to be the recipient of his charismatic personality. As the lights got closer and brighter, I watched them as the other two in the back shouted words of panicked encouragement to get the vehicle moving again. They loudly crashed through the trees and Im pretty sure we heard one fart. They were piled on top of each other in the water staying cool from the rising heat. We started hiking around 9 AM with the goal of making it as far as we wanted (or could), but allowed ourselves to turn back if the terrain couldnt be navigated or the temperature got too high. Self drive tours in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and parts of Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia makes for excellent self drive holiday road trips. After, we laid with our legs up against the slab, back on the ground, and watched the stars. The owner had recommended Dros Resort on the outskirts of town where the camping was cheap. He explained it was only his second day and that he had grown up along the Caprivi Strip where we drove. The crocodiles took a sunrise patrol along the river, their scales shimmering in the dawn glow. We had already glued a film canister with a written clue capsuled inside it to the side of the fire tower; we did that by climbing up fire tower, then I crawled off the platform and hung upside down like a bat with a tube of epoxy while Joachim held on to my legs it eventually stuck. The first stop was the French embassy. At the bottom of the hill was a sign that read Gear Down to Two. We took an hour or so to ourselves to sort out our next moves. I wanted to see the sea. It would be amazing to see the place when the rains fell. The professionalism and expertise of the ASCO staff go beyond what you would expect. The mokoros were pushed up onto the grass and we carried our supplies about 200 meters into a stand of large trees. My 3-season sleeping bag did not help the situation and despite having a cold shower, I was quickly sweating profusely in the tent. Spending time poking around the truck reminded me of being in my van, I missed it. The camp entrance station was empty, but open. We reserved the site, but before setting up the tents decided to return to Maun to look for a market for some fresh food and find the community center to book a mokoro boat trip into the delta. It is popular to start and end in Kasane, not far from Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) and Livingstone (Zambia). The entire delta is formed from peat allowing the land to hold water. Luckily, we came across Divava Okavango Lodge and Spa, and after arriving, we wished that we had booked to stay a second night. We woke at 7 AM I made coffee, he made tea. Analytics cookies and tracking technologies help us understand how customers and visitors interact with our Websites. Joachim was driving and greeted the officer friendly. We didnt get out of the car but locked the doors and tried to settle in for a few hours of sleep. On our way back to the car, we bought some cake at Mug n Bean and stocked up on fruit juice, bananas and crisps. We crested a hill, what we found ahead seemed almost impossible. Quickly we realized if the lockdown persisted, we would be paying a ton of money if we were stuck with the car. We, well I, was bonking the point of mental exhaustion where you start to make silly mistakes. Hot sauce of course was added to the top. I explained the story about the first cinema movie I went to see, The Lion King. We bought more airtime to try to get ahold of the rental car company to understand whether we were accountable for paying for the vehicle past the expected return date if in fact the borders had closed. Dark streaks scarred the mountains; at first we thought they were from clouds shading portions of the mountain but they never moved, they were etched into the peaks some sort of mineral deposit. We had followed the Orange River for awhile but soon were led off into what seemed like an endless void of sand. I slammed the gas down and let the clutch out. Even if it stopped raining, the Okavango River could still flow for awhile from the stored water seeping out. Much of its body was in the shrubs but we soon identified the object as an elephant leg and tail. I said I noticed a long line of tractor trailer trucks at the border and he said theyre all full of goods coming across from South Africa and Botswana. I offered to drive for a sunset game drive. After a bit, I asked J if he wanted to collect firewood. It felt similar to my dream the night before. 35 days - Self drive Cape-Town to Mozambique coast via Namibia Unsure if we would be able to get out of it, we were submissive to whatever the fine or punishment was. The humidity of the river made it twist and swirl unlike the state it is in the desert. We looped around the savannah to the hill. The lodge is run in a family-style, where field guides and lodge managers integrate with the guests. The further we walked, the more we were soaked by the rain. We saw a bar in the village and with some hope someone may be able to help, Joachim and I hopped out to ask. We went through departures of South Africa first, then drove maybe a kilometer, and pulled into the arrival station for Botswana. Lena took over the wheel and I dozed off in the back seat. This was where we saw our first elephant walking along the side of the highway it spun around and shook its massive head as we drove by, causing us to squeal with excitement. I struggled the most with this decision. We continued on up a steep hill that looked impassable. As we walked back, we took a closer look at the elephant prints. It was beautiful in its own desolate sort of way. The borders were still open, and likely would be for the next couple of days Joachim reported. Matild was driving and read the sign banning most food. After a jam-packed day, we were exhausted by intensely happy. Hartebeest galloped by they look like demonic horses but are one of my favorite antelope. Joachim watched the car, eating his KFC chicken, while I went into the hotel. I felt like him and I traveled well together, and Matild and Lena did with each other, but with the four of us together it was difficult. Namibia, Botswana and Victoria Falls: Ultimate self drive road trip A giraffe tapestry caught my eye I love buying tapestries (or tissue as the French called it) from places I visit to decorate the van with them. Every turn we took, we spotted more and the cotton ball clouds in the sky and long, green grass waving in the wind made the scene seem like an illustration, like something out of a cartoon. I even brought along another lense to switch between and experiment with what I can do with the old camera. We explained the car was a rental from South Africa and that we were heading there now to make it across the border before it closed, a slight exaggeration from the truth as we were still planning on visiting Etosha. The track we were on at the moment was the long way around to avoid the deep waterhole and added an extra 100 kilometers to the trip. During this visit, we were lucky enough to enjoy not one, but two neighbouring countries by road. I was also realizing this was a different sort of trip than they were used to and I was not used to the demands and concerns of a group of 4. An Epic African Road Trip: Namibia, Botswana & Victoria Falls - kimkim Road Trip Namibia Solo or in a Group Pick The Right Car Travel & Car Insurance Get a Local Sim Card Covid Travel Requirements for Namibia The Best Time to Visit Namibia Namibia Road Trip Itinerary Windhoek (1 Day) Where to Stay in Windhoek Things to Do in Windhoek Windhoek to Luderitz (1-2 Days) Where to Stay in Luderitz Things to Do in Luderitz Throughout the trip, a plan had developed to pierce our ears after the end of this adventure to remember the trip and the friendship we had built throughout it. As we went to leave, I accidentally triggered the car alarm in the truck, terrifying ourselves and everyone else on the road. Too tired myself to drive, I fought to stay awake and engage him in conversation to make it there. Black flies followed me in and after a few minutes of fighting them off, I succumbed and tried to return to my nap. I took a cold shower to wake up around 6 AM. It was a similar bar/restaurant as the backpackers in Maun, and there was wifi. We waited for a taxi in front of the campground and within less than a minute one pulled up next to us. Mox would be guiding one and an older woman who spoke the local language would be guiding the other. With new found confidence I navigated the roads Joachim said he felt like he was in the Dakar Rally. (LogOut/ The track turned away from the bigger mountains and dropped into a gorge. One of his kids ran out to say Bonjour! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A Roadtrip through Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa. I made a list of other things to do before entering Chobe park fill the extra fuel tank, reduce the tire pressure to drive the sandy roads, check fluids in the car, buy some fresh produce and meat, and fill up all extra tanks and bottles with water. As long as we werent transporting meat they didnt care, they didnt even seem to be bothered we were missing the front license plate. I stopped the truck as he passed in front. The policewoman said there would be wifi at the hotel nearby and that she hadnt heard any news of the borders. Wildly inefficient, but the best we could do now. We wondered if the warning was for animals or humans or both. Sage also perfumed the air and it hung heavily below my nose. He did which resulted in a shoving match next to the fire. A herd of kudu spooked from us and fled towards safety. It was only 100 Pula, I gently folded it up into my bag.

Clovis Unified Graduation Requirements, Village Theatre Mission, Articles R