We pointed across the flats to the jumble of rocks and discussed ways to the top. Lena threw the car into reverse to give the animal space. Shop Our Guidebooks. We went with the Toyota Hilux Safari 44 Automatic 2.8 and we would highly recommend it. It was giant, truly amazing. Sure it was 2:30 in the morning and everyone was probably asleep. The mountain looked like an enormous pile of scree, it looked loose and tricky to navigate in the daylight. We sat in the river, necks just above water and cooled off from the impressive heat. 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. The drive from Windhoek to Noordower was 7 hours, the border was open 24/7. It would still be another couple of hours of driving, but then we would have a few days to explore. Well, it's the only place in the entire world that appeals to those who love mountains, beaches, deserts, wetlands, and open savannahs all at once! These cookies allow us to improve the performance of our Websites. We lapped the large rocky outcrop. As funny as these tales were to hear, we couldnt imagine how it must have felt for the stranded travellers. We arrived back at the game drive area around 9:30 AM and planned to do a large loop. Between herds of zebra were groups of elephants, not as large as the river herds, but still loads. But it turned out, none of the messages were bad or telling us we needed (or should have been) back at the project. We also made use of the RoadTrips by TomToms planning tool to map out our journey beforehand. In the next 45 minutes, I learned a ton from chatting with him. Or maybe somehow did in fact bring along their pet companions. Their eyes were huge and gentle and tongues playful. It was an hour from the border but the time dragged on as Joachim said the tendrils of sleep were still pulling him back into his slumber. We became drenched and our shoes squeaked and squished from the water building up inside. We switched drivers at the station and realized we were starting to push it planning to drive throughout the night like this. We silently watched with wide eyes as the nose disappeared into the black water, the wave of what looked like chocolate milk washing up and over the windshield leaving us in the dark, the sound of the engine sputter and tires spin against the mud, and finally the reemergence back into daylight. In total, we travelled over 2000km on this road trip. They were bigger than I had imagined sure Ive seen giraffe in a zoo but in their natural environment with the landscape to help scale their size, it felt like a first. I took a few photography classes in high school one as a general art class and the other as an independent study. The guy didnt seem impressed. We stopped in at the shop for a cold coke on the way out. I drove to the police station next to ask if they had news of the borders. My case was different as I was hoping to return to South Africa, not America, so the US embassy couldnt really help me. Sable antelope and impala grazed in the river next to water buffalo, seeminly unphased by the crocodiles. We are a family with 2 (now not . Overall we were very happy with the tools that we used to help in planning and driving our road trip. The truck was a tank though so I wasnt worried about hydroplaning. Lena and Matild cooked rice for stuffed peppers and we had a feast. There was a large rock outcrop nearby, similar to leopard rock, that allowed hiking and contained ancient rock art. We considered it over lunch at a chain called Wimpys we ordered a burger and coke each and split a pitcher of a super sweet strawberry lemonade smoothie. From the border into Kasane, nothing. The deck eating area had been newly refurbished, and the meals were the absolute best of all of the lodges that we stayed at. He then offered that perhaps thats what I should be when I grow up then an adventure scientist that explores new places. However, Botswanas road had other plans for us! It reminded me of spam and the one Thanksgiving I spent ice climbing in Ouray, Colorado where I nearly made my mother cry when I told her thats what I ate on the holiday. We kept our eyes peeled for leopards or lions but did not see any. There was an issue with the itinerary I had printed and after a few rounds of trying different confirmation numbers and names, I finally got the permits. The faint road wove through the village and spat us out onto a large expanse of grasslands. What if you could scan an elephant print on your phone and track individuals based on the pattern? Joachim agreed the shower felt great but the gap between the wooden fence and ground around the bucket sprinkler worried him thinking that something could reach under and grab his foot. Thunderstorms seemed to surround us and the air smelled thick from all of the vegetation. I wasnt sure if I should stop or reverse quickly as he came charging down the road. It appeared to be two males and other giraffes milled around nearby apparently unphased by the violence. We parked at the beach, climbed up on top of the truck, and ate the cake we had bought in Windhoek. We opted for the long route to walk and headed out of the camp in single file. It was so cold. These self-drivers are a menace and have no respect for the field guides, lodge guests or (most importantly) the animals. Faintly, a sign for Savuti pointed straight. From the backpackers, it would be 30 minutes of driving on tar out of Maun then 1.5 hours of rough dirt road to the delta. But the 1mm of canvas from the tent somehow felt like protection from whatever was wandering around. We then proposed that she drop us off along the street side shops in Kasane, drive back to the camp we had been at the night before to use their wifi, then pick us up to start our drive into Chobe. Im not sure if Ill ever hear the combination again, but the sound of elephants trumpeting and wind licking the leaves of the trees around us lulled me to sleep. They left a few days earlier on a towntrip to buy groceries, get their yellow fever vaccine, and pick up the rental. The higher front carriage is a must, as Botswana roads require a bit of offroad driving! Remnants of them that had been blown to sand created a network of dunes, some that even ran into the road. Just like traveling between South Africa and Botswana, first we went through departures of Botswana and a few hundred meters away, into arrivals for Zimbabwe. Lena and Matild listened to French music in the front. The hiking trail faded away as the rock uplifted from the Earth and we began to scramble. After dinner, I took some time to write in my notebook, Joachim tried to fix his camera shutter that was set off every time he advanced his film, and the French girls went to bed. He continued to wander out and we joked wed leave him behind and claimed he had gotten lost in the pan. The airport is tiny, but the service is slow. We had cooked the fermenting apples that went off in the broken fridge and mixed them with oats and raisins. With new found energy, we showered and made our way to the bar for wifi. If I needed to figure it out, I would. A man in a mask and gloves rifled through our passports looking at the stamps and dates, but in the end only took our temperature and let us on our way. The officer nearly spit out his coffee as he exclaimed, This isnt Angola! He asked where we were from, told me his brother had married an American and was living in the US now, and if I was looking to get married as he could be an option. We waved to the conspiracy couple and marched to the base of the gully we had spotted the evening before. Matild was driving and read the sign banning most food. For dinner we changed it up and ate pasta with pesto, some cheese, and tinned beef mince. It was also Sunday which meant the shops would have been closed at 6 PM anyway. The shops along the streets in Kasane sold an interesting variety of items: grilled corn, copper jewelry, dehydrated fish (fish jerky? Was the world overreacting or were we so far removed on our trip to notice the severity of what was happening? I decided to send the letter I had drafted on the tailgate of the truck in Savuti. We asked if we could walk and she sternly replied that we could not at this hour due to the wildlife in the area. It degraded and Lena took over to drive the rough 44 road since she had the most experience. Once back to camp, Joachim seemed worried and mentioned that I had been gone awhile. Once my small yellow Patagonia day pack was filled loosely with my 35 mm camera, film, water bottle, notebooks, headlamp, and sunscreen, I stacked the bags and tossed my stuff sack with my sleeping bag inside on the top. I wondered if each pattern within the print was unique to the individual, like a fingerprint. I was impressed that our guides knew these tiny waterways like the back of their hand I instantly lost all sense of direction. It was a similar bar/restaurant as the backpackers in Maun, and there was wifi. Soon though the engine was screaming again in 1st gear as we tried to fight through the deep sand. In a couple of days, return with a knife, spear it and haul it out of the river with a net. Next on the agenda was a short 3.5 hour drive in soft sand to Savute Safari Lodge. Sleep beckoned us again; we climbed up into the tents around 9 PM. I came back 15 minutes later with a paper bag full of undercooked meat it was different than what we had been eating. I checked my math on converting lat/long coordinates, it was right so our GPS system just didnt have the roads in it to get to Kubu Island. I thought of them as the shepherds or protectors of the Okavango, a place that clearly held so much importance and meaning to their lives. We would be staying at the Sarasunga River Safari that night. 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. It took a lot of will power not to abandon responsibilities and jet off towards Sptizkope and the coast. We received our updates on the world, we grew quiet. The late afternoon sun and remnant moisture struck a rainbow across the sky. It had an edge of the world feel and I imagined what it would be like if it were less accessible to do a backpacking trip along the rim of the canyon would be magnificent. I kept a notebook throughout this trip. Throughout this trip, I would learn driving through sand is a bit like snow in that you really cant steer, rather just keep turning the wheel to keep traction and torque. But if you manage to make the trip on time, we would recommend booking a sunset flight over the Delta with Helicopter Horizons. One thing which we didnt enjoy, was the fact that there is zero control over reckless self-drivers in the region. The truck swayed back before starting to fight forward against the parking brake, J let it down, we kicked up some more rocks, and made it to the top. Our travels through incredible landscape and wildlife of Namibia and Botswana and to magnificent Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. We pulled off to let them through Anti-poaching police read the side of the tank. All of the campsites in the major parks we reserved and paid for ahead of time, but the park entrance fees needed to be sorted locally. No claws and three lobes behind the pad are lion or leopard. Eventually the label peeled, I slapped it on the pole, and slid down fireman style. He had a thick male and mouth was open panting in the heat. He assured me he knew I was capable of doing things on my own here but was worried anyway. We rented a Toyota Landcruiser and made our way on an amazing 5500 km road trip on the dusty roads of Namibia and Botswana with a short visit of Zimbabwes . Now we could share the gemstone earrings. Each campsite had a braii pit, charging station, trash can, and wifi was offered throughout the resort. With new terrain to navigate, I couldnt help but think the roads were somehow more dodgy on this side of the park. Southern Africa is home to some of the most beautiful places on earth. Earlier than usual but guided by the sun, I crawled down from the tent. I saw an incredibly sharp protrusion of a peak way off in the distance West. Borders were starting to close and our countries urged us to make arrangements to return home, but nothing too serious yet. We rallied by eating some chocolate. As we pulled into Sekoma for gas, we passed the turn off for the station. Joachim was next and he placed the clue for the next step of the hunt about half way up. We laughed into the night. Jagged, red, rocky hills and mountains lined the horizon. It felt similar to my dream the night before. 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. We took advantage of the free breakfast: sandwiches with cheese, yogurt, and juice. I had never seen rock art as abstract as this one. We drove back through the colorful city curbs and fire hydrants were painted with bright colors. As we walked back, we took a closer look at the elephant prints. Of all the lodges that we stayed at, the upkeep and cleanliness of the chalet was top of the crop for us. Despite all the time we spent together we chatted for hours talking about everything from American myths, horror stories, showering with plants (highly recommend), and so on going off tangents. After a wonderful few days at Erindi, we were ready for a short stopover at Etosha before heading on to Caprivi and finally Northern Botswana. When we reached the exit gate, we were turned back to pay for the entrance fee back at the village we had just come from. We ate left over rice with beans and olives for lunch and took a nap until 4 PM. 14 days or 2 weeks is a perfect length to drive around Namibia. I was confused why she hadnt submitted it the night before when we had unlimited wifi at the bar but with nothing to do about it now, helped think of places where there might be access to some. As we rounded the curve of the waterhole, an army truck approached with a group of men in the back. Unsure why we were allowed out of the car here and nowhere else (no fences or barriers), we felt strange to be sitting at a stone table nearby to where we were seeing all of the wildlife. And here we were, in the middle of an apocalyptic town 1000s of kilometers from where we called home or were safe, reading about it as if it were part of a fantasy world that we no longer belonged to. An hour later, we rounded a hill and saw the sea. We took a wrong turn and ended up on a different loop but this loop brought us to an incredible scene of a giraffe fight. I swatted and smacked at the itchy pricks and thought surely I had gotten the rogue mosquitoes that had somehow found their way inside the tent. First, we passed a pile of bones from a giraffe that had been predated upon 3 years ago according to Mox. We packed up in the heat around 2 PM to head off to the next campsite. We planned to be back at the gate to the park by 11 AM to drive to Kasane, about 5 hours away. We picked up our friends from Cape Town to return to the project, did some grocery shopping that I tried to avoid but was told by J that if I didnt buy myself some fruit he would do it, and ate some lunch at Mug n Bean. That night I dreamt I was back in the real world, at a bar, on a date. Every hour of your stay is planned out for maximum experience and enjoyment. I leaned back against a rock to write and watched to sun fade behind an impressive mountain. 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. After looking at the maps and sharing our thoughts on the extraterrestrial landscape, we decided to stay for 2 nights. Maybe theres reception up there, I offered, knowing full well there wouldnt be. My body begged for rest. He eventually was lulled to sleep by the ruts, sways, and bumps. Another officer walked up and offered to just give us a fine. Technically I still needed to be onsite Friday. Soon though I found I was not the only living thing awake after all donkeys, cows, and horses milled around the road. So, if you get stuck in some soft sand or mud with no help options, the 9Euro per day rental fee will be well worth it! His warning calls grew more frequent and louder as we watched from the shore. The elephants moved in closer to camp once the lights and fire were out. We drove through grasslands along the giant salt pan on the way to Halili Rest. But it wasnt lost on me that Botswana had an issue with foot and mouth disease carried by cattle in the region. I was surprised at how dry the mouth of the delta was and locals said it keeps receding further back each year. The sand was hard packed here and we took advantage of it and picked up speed. We realized we had skipped dinner the night before for movie night and quickly consumed the small portion of food. Many zebras surrounded the watering hole and foals bounded about. We left the hippo behind and walked into the dusk. We set up in the rain, everything was wet. You begin the day with an early morning drive in Chobe, which is followed by a mid-morning boat ride along the river. It appeared to have breezed through without having a front or back license plate. I hopped in the drivers seat and we continued South to Keetmanshoop. I slammed the gas down and let the clutch out. It couldnt get up to speed as quickly as the city cars and the turning radius was way bigger than what was needed in the city streets. The road ahead reflected the sun so much that it appeared to vanish as if the road dropped out into the nothingness of the blue sky with puffy white clouds. With some more sketchy 44 sandy driving, we made it to the water hole. This gave us an indication of travel duration and distance, so we felt prepared for our trip. The skull was massive I had not yet seen a living giraffe at this point. We searched for a shop called the House of Gems. We saw baboons along the side of the road, tons of them. It was 9 months now at the project with one 2 week trip at 6 months. Wanderlust Safariz (@wanderlust_wanderers_safariz) on Instagram: "OKAVANGO DELTA, LAKE MALAWI AND VICTORIA FALLS SAFARI 2023 20 DAY PACKAGE PACKAGE ONE 12TH ." It was surreal, too much, too beautiful. I bring it everywhere, my flannel of a conglomeration of colors printed on fabric that is now perfectly broken in. Matild also bought a tissue and Joachim bought some corn to grill that night. Spot elephants coming down to drink from the comfort of your private deck. The entire delta is formed from peat allowing the land to hold water. An Epic African Road Trip: Namibia, Botswana & Victoria Falls - 14 Days View Map Visit three of Africa's top destinations on this epic, two-week road trip. We emerged from the jungle and hit the paved road heading West to Ngoma Gate. I listened to my gut, apologized to Joachim, and we drove on. Earlier we had passed a section of burned grass and reeds. We said a tearful goodbye to Lena and Matild. There was an underground parkinglot below the mall in the city center. Hungry, we cooked couscous and added hot curry vegetable mix, red pepper pesto, kidney beans, and hot sauce. The trail ended at Devils Pool, an overlook at a narrow point of the gorge where you could see the falls, a whirlpool below, and Zambia on the other side of the river. I found it interesting to watch how the products changed from beads, tapestries, and fish in Botswana to wood, corn, and beef here in Namibia. Reality that the trip was ending pulled us back down off the rock. This is the drier season, and you would have fewer worries about getting stuck in mud or a sinkhole. It made me sad. Hot sauce of course was added to the top. He came back with a wad of 2 and 5 Zim dollar bills remember the currency exchange rate here. The trail broke out of the trees and through the mist we saw white water charge downwards. The air smelled like peat moss and reminded me of the gardening job I had as a teen to support my horses. He said recently a 9 year old boy was taken from the river by a crocodile, never to be seen again. By now it was 1 AM, we decided I could finish setting it up once I returned. We finally dropped down the last descent towards the park gates. The entrance to Savuti camp was also controlled by the military. Joachim and I found our own rock perches jutting out past the hill. When the film was over I listened to sea until it put me to sleep. We listened to another Tales of Terror around the fire, brought in the wet clothes we were hanging out to dry, and headed to bed around 11 PM. We had a great view of the watering hole and we had a friendly bird that visited our window daily. For those who cherish their creature comforts, a luxury safari itinerary brings you on guided game drives deep in NamibRand Nature Reserve and Etosha National Park while an African road trip checks off Namibia, Botswana, and Victoria Falls. I tossed water, my phone, and camera into my pack and we set off at a quick pace across the flats. Breaks were used to take photographs and continue conversations that intermittently halted when we couldnt breathe. I felt my shoulders tighten and lift with stress when my phone registered 32 new text messages. Would Namibia take me back if I was refused to be let into SA? I found an outfitters that worked with the backpackers and could pick us up the next morning, drive us up into the delta where we would be taken on a pole boat to spend a night camping out, then boat back, and be dropped back off in Maun. The reason for this is to probably deter illegal trade of animal parts, although it does feel invasive. Id been taught a couple of times since I was 16, but never had to do it for an extended drive, especially one that I would be splitting the 80 plus hours of driving for. Mox would be guiding one and an older woman who spoke the local language would be guiding the other. I hadnt reserved a campsite but we found that the town and hostel were pretty empty. This is the border crossing that we would recommend using if you choose to cross from Namibia to Botswana. Half expecting it to be some horrible mark on my passport declining me from entry to any other country, we returned to the window to find she had approved it. Last year, we enjoyed a 3-week road trip around the diverse country of Namibia. At this point, the main borders were still open for the movement of goods, I counted on those to continue to stay open for a few more days. We retraced the roads we had taken the day before for about an hour, then turned South towards the exit of the park. Upon rounding the back, we noticed a drip from the exhaust pipe. I assured him I wouldnt get lost as he had apparently thought I did the night before and ventured off to a rock to write in my notebook. ! It had been years since I used the camera but I hoped I would remember some tricks for photographing animals on the move. Working here provides easy access to incredible trip destinations like the ones I was exploring now. As we set up camp that night, I set up my GoPro to capture the process it took each and every night. But the feeling felt nostalgic and homey. Visit Victoria Falls as your end destination. We agreed to turn around. I kept J in sight as he raced up behind me. Once the cold water started to chill our body temperatures, we hopped out and I took a hot shower. I woke up Joachim to ask for help. Driving down the highways, I couldnt help but notice nearly every other car we passed was a Toyota Cruiser. Joachim drove most of it as I drove the bulk of the day before. First, we drove to the nearest town to us, Van Zylsrus, for fuel and some snacks that would preserve longer than the already leaking calzones. We walked through the mall and then out into the street shops there were a few jewelry stores. We wanted to leave a scavenger hunt for our friend and needed to place a few more clues. Around 5 AM I heard the sound Mox had identified back in the delta as lions growling. It was huge an extended double cab Toyota Land Cruiser with two rooftop tents. He looked a little ridiculous with one tusk, tail straight in the air, and feet sliding all over the mud as we tried to run down the road. Its incredibly easy to become tired or bored on the long straight roads, so be sure to take breaks or swap drivers if you can! He mentioned the hippo that came through camp the night before I could ask. I took my turn to watch the car and waited for J to shower and come back so we could explore the beach. You'll travel up sand dunes, down into caves, out into the salt pans, and more as you watch for the region's many wildlife residents. I pulled the parking brake up and restarted the car. If thats the case, I hope you enjoy this story. Scattered throughout the villages were spikets for water with jojos lined up and locals carrying them to and from for drinking water. The steaks seemed a bit undercooked with some bloody red bits in the middle but Joachim and I figured after eating the food at the project, our stomach was strong enough to handle it and it tasted really good. At the end of our trip, we paid a minimal fee for ASCO to come and collect our vehicle from Maun, as we didnt make a roundtrip back to Windhoek this year. A massive elephant carcass sat in the center of it, skin still clung to some of the bones but the skull and tusks bleached white from the sun. My mind wandered after booking the trip and I flipped to the back of my notebook and drew up a calendar of June and July. The sun set behind the egg and light faded from Mars. Joachim and I passed out on the way to Etosha from Tsumeb after a restless night of sleep and incredibly early morning. We discussed the logistics of the trip and used the campground wifi to update ourselves on news of the virus. It would be amazing to see the place when the rains fell. A herd of kudu spooked from us and fled towards safety. We did a lap around the waterhole before making our way to return to camp, sooner than we would have liked. At 1 AM, we managed to make it to the bridge without falling asleep. We set up the tents quietly outside of the gate. We agreed we wouldnt get our day started until around 7 AM but I wake up naturally around 6 and would make this a routine throughout the rest of the trip. The humidity of the river made it twist and swirl unlike the state it is in the desert. Another clue needed to be placed at the top of the flagpole. We laughed until we slept. She thanked us for the ride and went on to sort out her travels. We would be taking two mokoros with 2 people per boat. Eventually I finished, threw on a black sundress and went down to meet up with my friends. Sage also perfumed the air and it hung heavily below my nose. Not only are the facilities wonderful at Erindi, but animal viewing and landscapes are some of the most beautiful in the world! As we turned down the road to Halili, dark storm clouds opened up and it began to rain heavily. He was building a fire when I got back so I offered to cook dinner. 19K Share 3.6M views 4 years ago BOTSWANA Follow us on our road trip safari through southern Africa's wildlife paradise Botswana. He agreed to be back by 5 PM to bring us back to the border before it closed at 6 PM, but it actually closes at 7 PM he claimed. This added to the tension from the morning I felt like I should have planned for this but at the same time was frustrated I felt alone in taking responsibility. We had a conversation in the back seat that ranged from how taxes work in the UK verses the USA, farming in Botswana, and what we wanted to be when we grew up. It was Mars. We realized once we pulled into the park that we had no way of reducing the tire pressure to drive on the deep sandy roads. Another few moments stolen away for alone time and to write in my notebook, about half full at this point.
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