Looking for an adventurous fill-in for your next holiday? Then go for a 4×4 cruise through Namibia's endless landscapes,...
Text: Rosan Bijpost Photography: Jules Bijpost
Namibia, best known for its huge sand dunes -but the landscape has so much more to offer than that-, is one of the least populated countries in the world. That means that when you drive around here, you often spend hours, sometimes all day, meet no one else. You have to love that. What sets this against is that cruising in Namibia feels like you've stepped straight into a David Attenborough nature film.
The views are varied and spectacular, wildlife is everywhere, sunrise and sunset are breathtaking every day and the nightly silence with the most beautiful starry sky imaginable is regularly punctured by the roar of predators or the howl of their prey.
The way to discover this country is in a 4×4, equipped with rooftop tent. This way you travel relatively slowly - 95 per cent of the roads are unpaved and require an appropriate speed - and are in close contact with that beautiful nature day and night. So that's exactly what we do.
The silence in
We picked up our Toyota Hilux 2.4 and set off from Windhoek. Soon monkeys are running along the road and not much later it feels like the nearest human is hundreds of kilometres away. We are on our way to our first campsite which is in the middle of the Kalahari. Kalahari means 'great drought', so all around sand, sand and more sand. And then in the distance the first giraffe necks! The realisation that we are far below the equator is now dawning on us. We have entered a completely different world.
That first evening we had a traditional sun-downer booked, something you should try at least once during your Namibia visit. We are picked up at our camping spot and are in an open safari wagon with a group of four other tourists. On the way, we see herds of springbok, oryx and zebra, but the guide wants to show us rhinos. He looks for tracks, finds fresh droppings and then suddenly there they are in the distance. Two rhinos. We drive closer and closer still, until we are less than two metres away from them. That's weird? Wildlife that doesn't spook?
But the guide explains. "Not long ago, it was so dry here that there was no water for the animals. We helped them then by bringing them water. As a result, these two rhinos now regard the car as a good thing." We end the safari with a gin & tonic, a wide view and a beautiful sunset. And toast to the rhinos. What if this resort hadn't been there to water them?
The next morning, we make coffee, bake banana pancakes and enjoy the vast nature around us. We fold up the rooftop tents and stuff our gear as tightly as possible into the car. It will be a bumpy drive to Sossusvlei, so everything needs to be tight. We set the tyre pressure at 1.8 bar, too hard for loose sand (1 bar), but perfect for the ribbed gravel. The road is sandy, seemingly endless, and a long, dense cloud of dust hangs behind our car.
We see a lone oryx, herds of springbok, an ostrich here and there, and then suddenly we see a cyclist! We stop the car and ask if all is well. He is dozens of kilometres away from the nearest settlement and there is not a tree in the distance for shade, while the temperature is hitting thirty-six degrees. Turns out the man is from Spain and has been travelling all day on these almost unbikeable bouncy roads. Now that's sustainable travel. He gives a remarkably cool hand, introduces himself and asks for water. We chat. Then he wishes us a good trip and wearily continues his ride.
That evening, we sit around the campfire looking at the mountains in the distance. Parcels of sweet potato lie in the fire and the corn turns golden on the braai. With a cold beer in our hands -long live the fridge in our car!- we discuss the day. With no mobile network and nothing but each other and the nature around you, a peace arises within you that you rarely experience today.
Sand mass
It is still dark when the alarm clock rings. Dune 45 is waiting for us. We quickly get dressed, eat something and leave even before the gates of the campsite -we are in a protected nature reserve- open. There we wait with several other 4×4 tourists until we drive in a small procession to the world-famous dunes. Even though it is less than half an hour's drive -exactly 45 kilometres, hence the name-, the landscape changes completely. Around us loom the red sand mountains.
Then we got there. Out of the car. We want to be at the top before sunrise so keep up the pace. And we need to, because although the famous dune is 'only' 170 metres up, reaching the top takes longer than you expect. In fact, with each step you sink half a metre before you can dismount for the next step.
Meanwhile, the sun is also slowly clambering up which creates a distinct light glow. It feels otherworldly. As far as we can see we see red sand dunes, millions of years old, coloured red by the high iron content. So vast, open, clean and empty. As soon as the sun fully rises, the landscape manages to look even more impressive. The red mountains shine. This world is full of surprises.
As the sun climbs further up, we begin our journey down. Sliding, running and jumping. Once down, the heat meets us. We see some late-arriving tourists starting their way up sweating and do not envy them.
Between the seals
Next destination is Swakopmund, a seaside town where many colonial German influences are still noticeable. That evening we sit and eat a schnitzel overlooking the sea. From desert to sea, from 36 degrees to 16 degrees and from the open plains to a built-up city. The changes are fascinating.
Here we go canoeing among the seals. Early on, we report to the harbour where pelicans are bathing among the boats. An enthusiastic guide introduces himself, "SJ van Dijk" and takes us to Pelican Point in his 4×4.
We drive along the beach and see hundreds of flamingos, groups of pelicans in the sky, colonies of seals partly on the beach and partly in the water and a few jackals cleaning up carcasses of deceased seals. Our canoes enter the water and we paddle towards the seals, a colony of thousands of animals.
Curious as they are, they come swimming around us, nibbling on the paddles and sometimes even jumping over the tip of our slender boats. Then we see fins above the water in the distance. Dolphins! We paddle quickly towards them and suddenly sail among playfully jumping dolphins, while around us the sea is black with seals. Once again, we feel as if we have landed in the middle of a nature documentary.
We continue inland, into the Damara area. Soon we discover small huts here and there in the landscape. Near them are women in traditional dress. Naked children run around and a few older women sit in a circle under the shade of a tree. They call out to us and ask for water. We let them fill their bottles under the 40-litre tank in the back of the car.
As soon as we continue driving, there are several tables along the gravel road full of, what it seems, precious stones. As soon as we see people standing by a table, we get out to have a look. Immediately they approach us and show us what they have. Stones, necklaces and other homemade ornaments. What is striking is that one woman immediately puts her mobile phone -not a touchscreen but an old-fashioned Nokia- in her bag. And another suddenly retrieves an endearing puppy from somewhere.
Would they play tourists like us somewhat? Nevertheless, of course we buy something. They don't necessarily have to have money for that, by the way; water and food or clothes also turn out to be welcome. We give them water, courgettes and mushrooms and leave with a necklace with a desert rose attached, one with a shell and three precious stones.
At arm's length
Further along the route, we will arrive at Twyfelfontein, at a resort where we will not camp, but will stay in a stylish lodge. Here we can admire rock drawings thousands of years old, made by the San people. When we are taken to our lodge by a staff member, he tells us that he and his 'buddy' know where the desert elephants are now. His buddy can take us there for half the price of what it would normally cost. We agree.
The buddy in question turns out to be the official guide, providing some extra income this way. He's right, we soon discover. He gets into the back of our Hilux and we hit the road, but not before reducing the tyre pressure to about one and a half bar. The 'road' winds unpaved through the landscape, is full of potholes, large boulders and loose sand; four-wheel drive is absolutely essential here. Then we drive past a couple of huts. "That's where I live," our guide tells us. He points to a square house that can barely be ten square metres in size.
So people really do live in these deserted-looking villages after all. "Thanks to the resort where you are staying, I have work. I sleep there 26 nights out of the month, the others I sleep at home." Because he grew up here, he has had regular dealings with the elephants. "When needed, we give them water. The people in this village earn money from the resort, so we can afford an artificial water source. This is nice for us, but also the elephants now rely on this when it is very dry."
We drive through a dry riverbed, while our guide searches the ground for tracks with his head out the window. Then he suddenly points "there!". Six elephants are eating peacefully. We drive on at walking pace, as slowly as possible, until under a tree and come to a halt just ten metres away. The engine turns off. Then the elephants start moving, coming towards us. Closer and closer. Our windows are open and if we wanted, we could touch them. At less than an arm's length away.
Giants, some weighing as much as five or six thousand kilos. The detail of the skin, the long eyelashes, the slow, smooth and remarkably soundless movements; it makes you emotional. Such a big and strong beast, sometimes so dependent on humans for a little water. We don't say a word.
Relaxing in luxury
Today we swap our rooftop tent for a night of real luxury. We stay at Ongava Lodge, located in the Ongava Game Reserve, a 30,000-hectare private reserve on the southern border of Etosha National Park. Located high on a hill near the Ondundozonanandana mountain range, the lodge overlooks a busy waterhole and the vast plains beyond. There are several, warm colonial-style chalets here with en-suite bathrooms and outdoor showers, an open restaurant with panoramic views, shop and a large visitor centre with lots of information about the nature around us.
An interesting trump card is the long underground walking tunnel that takes you to the edge of the watering hole. From a shelter equipped with viewing slits with bars here, you are suddenly face to face with all the wildlife that comes to drink here, including lions, cheetahs and both black and white rhinos.
In Ongava, our stay is all-inclusive. That means delicious freshly prepared meals a la carte, drinks and bites, high teas and everything our culinary hearts desire after days of cooking on braai and gas cylinders. But also the opportunity to join all kinds of excursions several times a day.
That afternoon, we take a safari tour of the reserve belonging to the resort. Our guide talks busily into his walkie-talkie; it's funny to hear, his clicking language. They use the walkie-talkies to keep other guides informed when they have spotted interesting animals and this time the consultation brings us to a group of about a dozen lions around a pool of water, including a couple of hatchlings. Their fur is still bloodied from prey they have just consumed. The group had not been seen for some time, so we are in luck.
On the way back, two armed men walk along the road. Our guide explains that they are checking the endless fence around the reserve and are part of an ingenious system to stop poachers. We are not allowed to take photos of them, so no one knows who exactly is doing this work. "The men themselves also do not know what exactly their task is for any given day, where it will be or together with whom. Only a little while beforehand is this announced. And then there is also the chance that you will be picked up somewhere halfway through your shift and have to work somewhere else."
All this to minimise the chances of possible corruption or blackmail. It is not even allowed to share how many rhinos there are in this reserve. Everything to protect the animals as much as possible. This well thought-out system is part of a larger circle: as long as there are rhinos and other wildlife around, tourists will come. And as long as tourists keep coming, money comes in to protect the animals.
On foot
The next day begins with an exciting morning. Namely, we take part in a bushwalk. Together with a guide, we drive for kilometres into the wilderness... and then get off. From here, we continue on foot. The guide takes out some heavy cartridges, loads his rifle and tells us what to do when we come face to face with wild animals. See an elephant? Stay as still as possible. Rhinos? Climb a tree or hide behind it. Lions? Also stand still and scream, clap and shout as loud as you can. But above all, don't run.
We set off on a walk. During the walk, the guide tells us everything he knows about the plants, trees, termite mounds, droppings and tracks. But however interesting, we pay particular attention to avoid being snuck up on from behind.
Then suddenly we stand still. "Lion tracks," the guide says and points to the ground. And as if the excitement wasn't high enough, he starts telling a story. "Once, when I was with a group of tourists, three lions came at us. We all started shouting and screaming, but it didn't help, so I started praying."
He explained that he was only allowed to shoot if the animals were within 10 metres, otherwise he would go to jail. And since there were three of these lions, he had no chance of taking them all out. "Then a miracle happened. The mother lion jumped in between us and the three other lions." The three were still young and just learning to hunt. They did not yet know the danger of humans. The mother lion did. "Those tourists had to calm me down in the end."
Suddenly, we understand better than ever why zebras and kudu always move so nervously through this landscape. We rush back to the car.
Robbed
Tomorrow we conclude the trip. After a trip of some 2,100 kilometres so far, today we stay at our camping spot near Waterberg to enjoy the view. As far as you can see, it is green with trees; a very different landscape from what we have had so far.
We eat from the braai again; meat from a local farmer, vegetable packets and home-baked bread. We toast with a Namibian beer to the peace and wonders we have been privileged to experience here and get ready for bed.
That night, however, we forget to put away the box of food. And as soon as we zip up the roof tent, we hear it fall off the table. We grab a torch to see what happens. In the beam, we see two huge porcupines lurking in the fallen box. They don't care about the spotlight and calmly choose what to take. Only as soon as we clap our hands do they take off swinging their porcupines. In the bushes, we hear them gnawing on their prey.
Fortunately, the next morning we find the plastic bag they had brought back in its entirety. But empty. They have feasted on two ounces of dry pasta. As a thank you, they left behind two beautiful black and white spines....
Travelling with...
There are several, mostly smaller travel companies you can turn to to organise a trip like this. Our choice fell on Explore Namibia, founded by two Dutchmen in 2006 and has since grown into a specialist in organising self-drive trips through this country. Our choice was mainly based on the first contact, which came across as personal and enthusiastic. But we are also very positive about the follow-up process. Explore Namibia has a lot of know-how, comes up with useful advice, thinks along with us and looks for solutions.
In short, they provide tailor-made services and do so at a reasonable price, too. Also nice: they collaborate with a rental company of reliable, almost new cars (Asco Car Hire), which come with perfect equipment for a trip like this (read: 2 spare wheels, a double fuel tank, 2 batteries, a fridge/freezer, 40-litre water tank and, of course, other camping equipment, tailored to the number of travellers.
The cost
For a 15-day trip, including flying.
13 days car rental for 4 people + complete camping equipment + stay at campsites and a few times in lodges: €4572 (booked via www.explore-namibia.com )
4 airline tickets Ethiopian Airlines (Amsterdam-Rome-Adis Ababa-Windhoek): € 4000
4 x excursion (seals, morning walk, sun-downer, morning safari) : € 900
Not including: 1 night Ongava Lodge. Find the cost at www.ongava.com
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