After seven visits to Thailand alone or three visits to India, sometimes you need something different. I was fed up with the sounds of horns, screams, touts and words like taxi or massage... I decided to go somewhere where I would feel freedom and experience something new. The choice fell on Namibia. Namibia has only slightly more inhabitants than in Warsaw itself, i.e. approximately 2 million, and the area of Namibia itself is almost three times larger than Poland. Namibia is a 90% Christian country even today the safest place in Africa. As for population density, Mongolia has only less and is ahead of Namibia, taking into account the number of people per 1/km2. So it was going to be a very interesting trip.
Day I: Windhoek Airport – Kalahari Anib Lodge (322 km)
After arrival, the man expected a point on the map, and a modern airport appeared. Quick service, exchanged USD for local currency and it was time to rent a car. The previously booked vehicle turned out to be a new Ford Ranger model with 4×4 drive, which was to be like a second home for the next few days. Before continuing my journey, I needed to do some shopping, so I went to the capital. I was amazed to discover that the first store I came across was stocked with everything. The most important thing is water and... local beer, which was supposed to be a "pleaser" for romantic evenings.
The route to the first accommodation was a very good route, but, as it turned out, it was one of the few routes during my trip. The first night was in a lodge located in the Kalahari Valley (some say it is a desert). I arrived there before sunset and, eager to see the first animals, I went on a walking safari, which the hotel offers. As it was winter and the sun was setting around 18.00 p.m., it quickly began to get dark and the temperature dropped rapidly. I had to quicken my pace until suddenly, to my surprise, a herd of zebras appeared on the road. This first time held a special place in my memory, although as it later turned out, such views were an everyday occurrence here.
At night the temperature dropped to about 5 degrees and it was the coldest night during my entire trip.
Day II: Kalahari Anib Lodge – Sossus Dune Lodge, Sossusvlei (361 km)
After breakfast, it was time to continue our journey. Listening to the good advice of experienced colleagues, I filled up my car every time I saw a gas station, and the gauge in the tank showed at least half. For several dozen kilometers I enjoyed a good asphalt road, but at some point it turned into an extremely wide, deserted gravel road. That day I understood what real Namibia is, what empty roads, vast spaces and changing landscapes are.
Just before lunch, I arrived at my next overnight stay. The lodge was located within the Namib–Sukaluft National Park. This park is one of the largest protected areas in the world. The most popular attraction of this place are the dunes, which can be up to 50 km long. The highlight of the day was a trip to one of the dunes and watching the sunset. It was here that the first local beer tasted the best. As it turned out later, this was not the end of the delights. With unimaginable joy I discovered that from the terrace of my villa at night it looked like this beautiful view of the sky full of stars, which I have never seen anywhere else in the world during my travels. It was something beautiful and I will remember this sight for the rest of my life.
Day III: Sossus Dune Lodge, Sossusvlei – Swakopmund (350 km)
In addition to sunsets on the dunes in Sossusvlei, it is also popular to watch sunrises. Therefore, I decided to experience it and, as a result, get up at 5.00:40 a.m. and go over 4 km further. Since I had a 4×XNUMX car, I was allowed to enter the National Park up to Deadvlei (dead swamp). Before the sun came out, you had to dress warmly. The temperature was not pleasant, but the views and light for photos made up for the cold. It was in this place that I underestimated nature - the car buried itself for the first time like a small toy in the very fluffy sand... If it weren't for other tourists who happened to meet in this place, I would have had a lot of trouble getting the car out.
After the photo session, I returned to the lodge for breakfast and then moved on. The standard of the road was still the same, with adventures, but beautiful landscapes and various animals in the area. I couldn't contain my excitement, Namibia made an increasing impression on me.
In Swakopmund, the best hotel in this place, Strand, awaited me - the only hotel of such a high standard during my trip. The town itself is interestingly located by the sea and is an excellent example of German colonial architecture. That day, the icing on the cake was a specially organized dinner for me, during which, in an unearthly setting, with hundreds of lanterns lit, the chef prepared local dishes thanks to which my taste buds experienced something completely new. The place where the dinner took place is over 450 million years old…
Day IV: Swakopmund – Terrace Bay Resort, Skeleton Coast (361 km)
If my journey across Road 66 in the US was a lonely one, Namibia was a hermit's journey. On the fourth day of my tour, for several hours by car, I didn't meet a single living soul. There wasn't even a gas station... The journey along the coast was very monotonous and only stops to watch wrecks diversified my time. On the way, I also stopped at Cape Cross, where there is a colony of sea lions. The number of them is staggering - they are these hundreds of thousands of seals in one place. Only the smell makes a person want to quickly go as far away from here as possible.
After reaching Terrace Bay, I saw an "end of road" sign. If you look at the map, there are still hundreds of kilometers along the coast, but this is where the road ends. It was a typical fishing village with houses that remind us of the times of the Polish People's Republic and where time stopped. Staying overnight here was a mistake during my trip, but it allowed me to have a comparison between the different types of accommodation and the diversity of the landscape.
Day V: Terrace Bay Resort, Skeleton Coast – Twyfelfontein Country Lodge (216km)
Since I hadn't come across any gas station the previous day, I had the thought from the morning that the first thing I had to do was fill up the tank. This only happened when the fuel tank was almost empty. The route was again very charming, and the landscapes changed every few dozen kilometers.
The accommodation turned out to be so effectively hidden in the rock that when I approached the destination, I began to have doubts whether it was really here. Only very close, among the rocks, I noticed hidden houses.
After lunch I went to a meeting organized by the hotel safari in search of desert elephants. We drove around the area for about 3 hours and I finally managed to see... one elephant. The culmination of the day was a picnic on the crater slope and a wonderful sunset.
Day VI: Twyfelfontein Country Lodge – Opuwo Country Lodge (346 km)
After breakfast I drove to Twyfelfontein, where it is located archaeological site included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its most important element is approximately 2 petroglyphs dating back to the first millennium BC and the first millennium AD. Nearby there is an open-air museum where you can meet the Damara tribe, learn about their culture, see how they once lived, and listen to their dying language - "clickers". .
The rest of the day is a long journey north to Opuwo. Namibia delights with its landscapes and this is probably one of the greatest advantages of this country. The quality of the roads is not the best, but the views make up for everything. Opuwo is the last of the larger towns in Namibia, located in the north-west. It doesn't have many inhabitants, only about 7. You can meet them here the indigenous people of Namibia - the Himba and the colorful Herero. In this region, meeting a "white face" is a rarity, so I was actually a bigger tourist attraction for them than they were for me.
Day VII
Opuwo was the only place during my trip where I spent two nights in a row. All because I really wanted to meet the Himba people and do a rich photo session with them. In a short time I saw how they lived, what their homes and schools looked like. To experience it all I hired a private guide, who had previously purchased food for the residents. With such "gifts" I could enter their village. After such a trip, you appreciate everything you have and, at least for a moment, you don't worry about your life and problems... The rest of the day is sightseeing, shopping and relaxing at Opuwo Country Lodge.
Day VIII: Opuwo Country Lodge – Dolomite Camp, Etosha National Park (190 km)
After breakfast I moved on. That day, I stayed overnight in a lodge in the Etosha National Park. After passing the gate to the park, I could finally feel the real Africa. A huge number of animals were at your fingertips. Every now and then I passed a waterhole where scenes like from a nature program were being played out. The lodge where I spent the night, located within the National Park and next to the waterhole, was a very good place for observation. However, I decided to go to the next watering hole to watch the sunset. There was only me and hundreds of different animals.
Traveling within the National Park after sunset is prohibited. On the way back to my lodge, I was stopped and warned by the park guards. Fortunately, there was no fine. For safety reasons, it was also forbidden to travel alone inside the lodge, so you had to walk from the restaurant to your cottage under the escort of someone from the hotel staff. It all seemed quite absurd, but only on the terrace of your house did you understand all these fears and prohibitions. The strangest sounds could be heard all night long, and the drama was added by the moment when I shined my flashlight at a distance of several hundred meters. Hundreds of eyes reflected off the light towards me. Namibia, wild Africa…
Day IX: Dolomite Camp, Etosha National Park – Okaukuejo Resort, Etosha National Park (190 km)
The next day the road ran entirely through the National Park. From time to time it was possible to stop at a watering hole where large numbers of animals gathered. Due to numerous stops and observations, the journey took me half a day.
The next lodge was more touristy - so far there were no people, there were definitely too many of them in this place.
After lunch, I set out to further explore the National Park. This huge space is home to thousands of animals, you can meet them everywhere. An unforgettable sight was meeting a herd of elephants, which consisted of over 50 pieces. Their view, a dozen or so meters away, makes an unforgettable impression.
For dinner I returned to the lodge, where I once again tried the local game - oryx meat still wins the ranking. As the lodge is located above a waterhole, which is additionally lit, after dark you can still observe wild animals, including rhinos and hyenas.
Day X: Okaukuejo Resort, Etosha National Park – Waterberg Resort, Waterberg Plateau National Park (285 km)
Over the last two days I have seen so many different animals that my eyesight has been satisfied for the coming months. Namibia definitely met my expectations.
The next stage of the journey was Plateau National Park. This is where there is a hard-to-reach plateau where, in the 1970s, a program was launched to relocate several endangered animals to protect them from predators and poachers. Currently, you can meet here: panther, cheetah, caracal, eland, giraffe, African rhinoceros, common rhinoceros, African buffalo and cow hartebeest.
The Waterberg resort has facilities available to guests cottages located among numerous trees, around which dozens of baboons are constantly jumping, and the silence is broken by the sounds of various species of birds.
Day XI: Waterberg Resort, Waterberg Plateau National Park – Gross Barmen Resort (250 km)
That day I finally returned to a normal asphalt road. The destination for the last night was the Gross Barmen Resort camp, which turned out to be an excellent choice after the hardships of the journey that I had encountered in the last few days. Beautiful luxury villa with private patio and jacuzzi. The resort also had a SPA with thermal waters and a very hot indoor pool.
A phenomenal end to the journey - you finally allowed yourself to be lazy and had a good rest.
Day XII: Gross Barmen Resort – Windhoek Airport (130 km)
Last breakfast in Namibia and time to return to Poland... The road to the airport was nothing like the roads I had traveled in other regions of the country. At the airport, efficient, hassle-free handover of the car, then check-in, and thus my trip came to an end.
Namibia made a huge impression on me. It is one of the few places in the world to which I would like to return without any hesitation. I know that after driving a total of 3500 km, I still haven't seen everything. My appetite for another trip to Namibia grew with every kilometer I traveled. Maybe next time it will be this Namibia from a bird's eye view?
Author: Andrzej Tkachow
