Six days off road in Kakoland and a return to Etosha West to East - A Self Drive adventure in Namibia like no other

[Canadian Robin]

Oh...and I do love the photo of John snoozing in the chair. A well deserved rest after Van Zyl's!

[Marks]

Love that last picture - what colors!

Happy anniversary, too.

[Atravelynn]

Your scenery shots in #16 are unreal! The night and just before night skies offer a wonderful perspective. How hilarious you needed a hole in the road patcher in front of your vehicle.

 

Happy Anniversary! That's great you got a shot of the toast!

Edited November 17, 2015 by Atravelynn

[penolva]

Love the vistas from your perch high above. To me, too, the desert is magical with its rock formations and colors. Glad you got to enjoy this remote part of Namibia. That's certainly traveling "off the sidewalk."

I bet you will always remember this particular anniversary. Happy anniversary to both of you and many more...

Thank you @@KaliCA we have had some great celebrations in Africa and hope to have many more. The scenery was fantastic and perhaps the best is still to come! Pen

Edited November 17, 2015 by penolva

[penolva]

Oh...and I do love the photo of John snoozing in the chair. A well deserved rest after Van Zyl's!

Hi @@Canadian Robin great to have you read this as you two are the ones who inspired us to take our self drives in Africa after reading your blog from Botswana and KTP several years ago. I am sure your one day in the SC will be worth it and you might see the lions who seem to spend a lot of time there.

 

We left Cape Cross at 08.45 and arrived at Khowarib around 17.00 although we spent an hour at Henties Bay and also went the scenic 'short cut' past Twyfelfontein on the D2612 which was a really bad road. Should have stayed on the C35/C39. If we were to do that journey again and didn't need to do any shopping we would drive up to Torra Bay and take the C39/C35. Ceasar said that route only takes around 5 to 6 hours and the road is very good. Pen

[penolva]

@@Marks and @@Atravelynn thanks it was a memorable anniversary and the views and colours in the whole of Kakoland are something we will never forget. Pen

[penolva]

PURROS AREA

I have wanted to visit Purros for years. It is in this area that the Desert Lion project carries out a lot of its work in the Hoarusib and Hoanib river valleys. Little did I know that due to the premier of the film 'Vanishing Kings' Flip Stander had gone to Jberg for its opening. Dam. To top that when we met one of the research vehicles they told us the lions had moved into the Skeleton Coast NP only 5kms away where you can't go without a permit, Dam and Drat! All we saw were their footprints. So, it was only the desert adapted elephants that were left on our 'to find' list and they are quite elusive as well!

Some men came running up and asked us to help. Ado could speak their language. A cow, very precious to them, had fallen into a ditch the day before and was stuck. We drove over and put the tow rope around its head and managed to pull it out. John told me not to look as they could have pulled its head off if things had gone wrong, Yikes!!! Anyway all was well and it was pulled out. It was very shaken and stressed so we just hoped it recovered eventually.

 

We passed some Himba settlements and then the valley opened out again onto open plains and towards the next mountains. Once over the mountains, a steep pass again - easy!, we were in the Hoarusib river bed. There are palm trees along the dry river and we looked for the elephants. We drove to an overlook and could see sand dunes appearing which was a surprise. Just looking on a map or Google Earth does not prepare you for the landscapes and how they change up here.

Saw some elephant poo but that was all but there were some lovely giraffe. It was a different landscape but equally beautiful to any other we had seen. This is a stunning part of the world and we almost had it to ourselves.

[Canadian Robin]

Very happy to learn that my DH and I inspired you to self-drive. Now just don't get eaten by a lion or trampled by an elephant, or we will feel responsible.

 

Your photos from the Purros area are lovely - the scenery is even lovelier than I had imagined. Interesting that the lions have moved to the Skeleton Coast - perhaps we will keep our night at Terrace Bay after all. Thanks for the route/drive time info - we will stick to your recommended route.

 

Who would have guessed that you might need your tow rope to pull a cow out of a ditch.

 

Looking forward to your book! CR

[penolva]

We went to a Himba village near Puros as Ado knew the people there. Everyone was at a funeral except for one lady who had a bad knee and couldn't walk that far. She asked if I had pain killers as she could see the scar from my knee operation and I was happy to give her what I had, but what does she do when they run out? A very different life. She also showed me how she makes her perfume.

 

Puros village is in a beautiful location with just a couple of shops. Everyone is mad about Man United in Namibia.

 

Headed for the campsite and there were lots of birds around. It was the first time there were other people camping at the same place. The ablutions were very clean and had hot showers from a donkey boiler. A great meal and we took some more starry photographs.

 

The next morning Caesar challenged us by driving over huge sand dunes in the Ganias Flats. It was great fun and brilliant views from the top. We saw lovely giraffe, oryx and springbok on the way. Your can see the route we drove in the 4th photograph.Caesar got stuck and we had to pull him out. He says he knows there will definitely be desert elephants in the Amspoort Gorge where we will wild camp for our last night tonight before returning to Khowarib Lodge.

 

 

[penolva]

Very happy to learn that my DH and I inspired you to self-drive. Now just don't get eaten by a lion or trampled by an elephant, or we will feel responsible.

 

Your photos from the Purros area are lovely - the scenery is even lovelier than I had imagined. Interesting that the lions have moved to the Skeleton Coast - perhaps we will keep our night at Terrace Bay after all. Thanks for the route/drive time info - we will stick to your recommended route.

 

Who would have guessed that you might need your tow rope to pull a cow out of a ditch.

 

Looking forward to your book! CR

Hope you see the lions when you are there although I will be very jealous if you do! Pen

[Canadian Robin]

The photo of the Himba woman is lovely - such a beautiful expression on her face.

I booked Terrace Bay online on Friday. I am looking forward to driving along the coast but, having seen and admired your photos, I regret that we had to cut out the northern section of our trip - another year, perhaps.

[KaliCA]

I have yet to see lions outside a designated park. I believe it's a rare find and so do t beat yourself up about it. Of course to miss out on meeting the Doctor and have a chat about lions is a shame. The Himba are quite amazing how they stick to their way of life even with Western civil. Encroaching. Have to admire their tenacity in living in that harsh environment with hardly any water or comforts. For them it's camping all their lives!

Love the wide open spaces and colors of the desert there and then to see a river with palm trees is a real gift. Reminds me of Death Valley here on our side.

Can't wait to see the ellies!

[penolva]

@@Canadian Robin and @@KaliCA thanks for reading.

 

We are so glad we did this trip, it took 3 years thinking about it but we finally made it up there. Terrace Bay is going to be very interesting to hear about.

 

Elephants on their way! As you say the Himba are still clinging on although so very few of them left now the modern world is encroaching.

[Marks]

 

What a sight!

 

Hope you found your desert eles...

[penolva]

 

 

What a sight!

 

Hope you found your desert eles...

@@Marks the answer is coming up!

[penolva]

We set off for Amspoort Gorge and the Hoanib River. The first desert elephant we saw was a dead one! Great start.

 

As you can see in the photograph the banks of the river are very steep. He had a fight with another elephant and fell off the top fatally injuring himself. Not much left except the smell but thankfully his tusks were still there, which proved it was nothing to do with poachers.

 

Some lovely giraffe and then we found the elusive, live, desert elephants and they had babies. We were able to spend a long time with them as they were very relaxed. We decided that they did have longer legs than 'regular' elephants but did seem to be smaller. They seemed to be doing very well despite the arid conditions they live in.

 

 

We reluctantly left them to find a place to wild camp for the night. It was cold and windy the photographs show the sand blowing. Had a bush shower and Ado dug us a short drop beside the tent. Had a great dinner and Caesar told us some more of his stories and we all agreed it had been a great trip. Getting up early tomorrow to go and look for more elephants.

 

 

 

 

[penolva]

We woke to a cold and foggy morning but set off before breakfast to look for more elephants. A giraffe was walking in the mist which made for a unusual photograph. The whole area was bathed in the fog.

 

 

Driving along the top of the river bank we suddenly spotted a brown hyena. Caesar was thrilled as he rarely sees one. We must be brown hyena magnets as we have seen lots on our travels, especially in the Kgalagadi TP.

 

 

We drove down into the river bed. There was no one else around. Turning a corner we found this beautiful, fantastic, acrobatic, desert elephant bull. Apparently the bulls do this in this area only. He needs to learn from Boswell how to do the trick with both legs up but we thought he was pretty amazing. He was so relaxed and came really really close. As you can imagine we took many photographs of him so here are a few!! What a sight for our last day off road in Kakoland.

 

 

We went back for breakfast, the sun had come out. We took our end of trip group photograph and had one last look for the lions before we drove through some water towards the tar road. It was so strange driving on tar with other vehicles around.

 

We got back to Khowarib lodge for the night and Ado cleaned our 4x4 inside and out as it was full of sand. The next morning we said goodbye to them both and are planning a trip to Zambia with Caesar in a couple of years, hopefully.

 

 

We then set off for Etosha and I am going to do that as Part 2 on a new Trip Report. Pen

 

 

 

[xelas]

@@penolva

 

I will made a large print of your group photo and stick it to the windshield of our car hoping that it will attract at least 1 brown hyena in Kgalagadi !

[penolva]

@@penolva

 

I will made a large print of your group photo and stick it to the windshield of our car hoping that it will attract at least 1 brown hyena in Kgalagadi ![/quote

 

@@xelas guaranteed ?

[Ayacucho]

Spectacular scenery and I am another very envious onlooker to your trip report! Stunning night photos.

[PT123]

@penolva

 

Great report!

 

The shots of the giraffe in the mist and the brown hyena are terrific thanks for sharing.

[penolva]

@@PT123 and @@Ayacucho thanks for the comments and glad you enjoyed the TR. Pen

[Atravelynn]

Your night shots are becoming your signature. Brown hyena magnet is right! You had the full spectrum of the life of a desert elephant from the death down the bank, which shows what a brutal existence this place provides, to the delightful lift off for browsing that became your avatar.

 

With 3 years of planning, you are the go-to couple for others contemplating a Namibia self-drive.

 

Looking at segment 2 then segment 1 is a little confusing, but it's all Namibia.

[penolva]

Hi @@Atravelynn sorry for any confusion but I see you found Part 2. I just thought after all the Kakoland details Etosha would get lost, and it was pretty amazing in its own right! Self driving in Namibia is an absolute pleasure. Pen

[Marks]

There they are! Really cool to see the elephants in a somewhat different environment than usual.

(Nice hyena too!)