Namibia Trip Report
May 21st, 2007, 11:30 PM
#42
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And you are just in time for the Desert Homestead part you were interested in....
Having watched two of their staff patiently listed to Nam Wan's story of her day (she had to tell it twice before the drink and the food did their job and she relaxed) I can tell you they are good here....
Desert Homestead has at some point in the past couple of years moved across the road and it’s old location is occupied by Little Sossus Lodge – be careful if you are relying on Bradt or another guide, or on a map, that you also print out the little maps from the Web sites – useless thought hey may look (Cardboard Box did this for us). Anyway, the story is that the landowner saw how well Desert Homestead were doing and decided he wanted more than a bit of rent. Whether it was that the owners of little Sossus offered him more, or he is the owner of Little Sossus I am not sure… anyway, the impression of Desert Homestead being shabby may have been due to this transition in some way – it is certainly not any more. Both rooms and public areas are in excellent condition and attractively furnished, and the staff are attentive and effective – the fact that they are training the staff for the new NWR camp at Sesriem might not necessarily be seen as a recommendation after my comments about Okaukuejo, but they are…
I always seem to have a ‘but’… don’t mean any harm but if the ‘but’ part is something really important to you it might be good for you to know, and this is definitely a case where it needs to be mentioned. The ‘but’ is that the rooms are a little closer together that I would have expected, given that we are in the desert here. … you wouldn’t thing space was at a premium! My rather vulgar test of whether rooms are private enough not to comment is whether I can stand on the balcony in my boxers first thing in the morning and have a scratch, without needing to make more than a cursory glance first. Desert Homestead would just fail that test.
Otherwise the place is highly recommended… as it always was. It’s airy, clean, bright, tasteful and has nice views. Food is very good too. I would go somewhere else if I was in the area for more than Sossussvlei or their riding trips since the adjacent area doesn’t really invite walking – you can do it but it just doesn’t look interesting compared with other parts of the Namib. In the unlikely event we visit Sossussvlei again I see no reason to stay anywhere else.
We took a trip to Sossusvlei using DH’s vehicle and guide. There were just the two of us and I get the impression that is often the case, but it is certainly not guaranteed. Guiding was pretty good (and the guide was very good company), they packed us a nice “champagne” breakfast and there was no time pressure to get things done. I’d highly recommend it.
Many people are going to disagree with me and I can be spendthrift on holiday but I would not choose to go to the Sossussvlei area driving myself. However, if you do choose to do so I found it surprising that guidebooks and “general wisdom” were not clearer about the following:
1. The ‘road’ from the 2WD car park to the so-called 4WD car park is not a road. It is just sand with tracks where other people have driven through the sand. If you do not know specifically how to drive in soft sand there is a fair possibility you will get stuck. It is easy enough to get out but hot and dirty work.
2. If you stop to climb a dune on the way to Dead Vlei by the time you come back down the best of the photographic opportunities may be gone, as the light gets harsher and harsher. If taking photographs is more important than conquering dunes I’d skip the usual dunes and take a look around the whole area while the light is still fabulous…
3. A dune climb is very hard work. It’s perfectly doable, but in no way could it be called relaxing …. Maybe I have been in Asia too long but I no longer have any interest in achievements like this. I like the exercise, I like the view and I absolutely loved coming down… but was glad I didn’t spend an hour or more on Big Daddy. Choosing Dune 45 makes you part of the crowd but is quite a lot of exercise already.
4. Sossussvlei is not particularly notable – perhaps scientifically, but in no other way. You can’t call anywhere in the dunes nondescript, but unless it has water in it, Sossusvlei would not be in my top 10 places here to make a beeline for. Anyvlei but here ;-)
5. Remember to look back when you are driving in, while the light is still spectacular – by the time you come back out again everything will look totally different and not half as nice – also a dullish dune from one side can be spectacular from the other.
Of course you get there as early as possible. Arriving at Sesriem at 7.30 or 8 wouldn’t be a waste of time at all, but would be a really dumb choice …
Now the controversial part…. Sossussvlei is very much worth visiting but there seemed to be so many other beautiful parts to this area, I fail to see that it is essential. Note I am not saying I am blind to the beauty of the dunes; rather that the beauty goes well beyond the dunes, and I would certainly consider flying half way around the world for the Namib as a whole, rather than for the areas around Sesriem and Sossusvlei itself, which apart from the dunes have less to offer than areas south and north(well, unless I was a serious photographer – it is very, very photogenic). If someone were to tell me that on their first visit to Namibia they were going to the Namib for a few days but did not have time to see Sossussvlei I would now consider that to be a controversial decision, but not illogical (although if they could squeeze it in I’d encourage them to do so). Hope I have expressed that correctly – I am not just angry with the place because its sands are still stuck inside the workings of my shorter zoom lens, depriving me of any wide angle capacity… ;-)
… anyway, every other view is a beauty.
There are not really any other activities at DH, except for a sundowner drive, which we didn’t do. It’s nice to hang around your room or at the Lapa, but it does of course get very hot in the afternoon. Unless you are doing the horse riding activities I can’t see any reason to stay here more than two nights, and if you don’t ride and your next stop is somewhere nearby like Wolwedans, one would be enough. (No criticism of DH intended – I think the same would apply to nearly all lodges in this area).
Having watched two of their staff patiently listed to Nam Wan's story of her day (she had to tell it twice before the drink and the food did their job and she relaxed) I can tell you they are good here....
Desert Homestead has at some point in the past couple of years moved across the road and it’s old location is occupied by Little Sossus Lodge – be careful if you are relying on Bradt or another guide, or on a map, that you also print out the little maps from the Web sites – useless thought hey may look (Cardboard Box did this for us). Anyway, the story is that the landowner saw how well Desert Homestead were doing and decided he wanted more than a bit of rent. Whether it was that the owners of little Sossus offered him more, or he is the owner of Little Sossus I am not sure… anyway, the impression of Desert Homestead being shabby may have been due to this transition in some way – it is certainly not any more. Both rooms and public areas are in excellent condition and attractively furnished, and the staff are attentive and effective – the fact that they are training the staff for the new NWR camp at Sesriem might not necessarily be seen as a recommendation after my comments about Okaukuejo, but they are…
I always seem to have a ‘but’… don’t mean any harm but if the ‘but’ part is something really important to you it might be good for you to know, and this is definitely a case where it needs to be mentioned. The ‘but’ is that the rooms are a little closer together that I would have expected, given that we are in the desert here. … you wouldn’t thing space was at a premium! My rather vulgar test of whether rooms are private enough not to comment is whether I can stand on the balcony in my boxers first thing in the morning and have a scratch, without needing to make more than a cursory glance first. Desert Homestead would just fail that test.
Otherwise the place is highly recommended… as it always was. It’s airy, clean, bright, tasteful and has nice views. Food is very good too. I would go somewhere else if I was in the area for more than Sossussvlei or their riding trips since the adjacent area doesn’t really invite walking – you can do it but it just doesn’t look interesting compared with other parts of the Namib. In the unlikely event we visit Sossussvlei again I see no reason to stay anywhere else.
We took a trip to Sossusvlei using DH’s vehicle and guide. There were just the two of us and I get the impression that is often the case, but it is certainly not guaranteed. Guiding was pretty good (and the guide was very good company), they packed us a nice “champagne” breakfast and there was no time pressure to get things done. I’d highly recommend it.
Many people are going to disagree with me and I can be spendthrift on holiday but I would not choose to go to the Sossussvlei area driving myself. However, if you do choose to do so I found it surprising that guidebooks and “general wisdom” were not clearer about the following:
1. The ‘road’ from the 2WD car park to the so-called 4WD car park is not a road. It is just sand with tracks where other people have driven through the sand. If you do not know specifically how to drive in soft sand there is a fair possibility you will get stuck. It is easy enough to get out but hot and dirty work.
2. If you stop to climb a dune on the way to Dead Vlei by the time you come back down the best of the photographic opportunities may be gone, as the light gets harsher and harsher. If taking photographs is more important than conquering dunes I’d skip the usual dunes and take a look around the whole area while the light is still fabulous…
3. A dune climb is very hard work. It’s perfectly doable, but in no way could it be called relaxing …. Maybe I have been in Asia too long but I no longer have any interest in achievements like this. I like the exercise, I like the view and I absolutely loved coming down… but was glad I didn’t spend an hour or more on Big Daddy. Choosing Dune 45 makes you part of the crowd but is quite a lot of exercise already.
4. Sossussvlei is not particularly notable – perhaps scientifically, but in no other way. You can’t call anywhere in the dunes nondescript, but unless it has water in it, Sossusvlei would not be in my top 10 places here to make a beeline for. Anyvlei but here ;-)
5. Remember to look back when you are driving in, while the light is still spectacular – by the time you come back out again everything will look totally different and not half as nice – also a dullish dune from one side can be spectacular from the other.
Of course you get there as early as possible. Arriving at Sesriem at 7.30 or 8 wouldn’t be a waste of time at all, but would be a really dumb choice …
Now the controversial part…. Sossussvlei is very much worth visiting but there seemed to be so many other beautiful parts to this area, I fail to see that it is essential. Note I am not saying I am blind to the beauty of the dunes; rather that the beauty goes well beyond the dunes, and I would certainly consider flying half way around the world for the Namib as a whole, rather than for the areas around Sesriem and Sossusvlei itself, which apart from the dunes have less to offer than areas south and north(well, unless I was a serious photographer – it is very, very photogenic). If someone were to tell me that on their first visit to Namibia they were going to the Namib for a few days but did not have time to see Sossussvlei I would now consider that to be a controversial decision, but not illogical (although if they could squeeze it in I’d encourage them to do so). Hope I have expressed that correctly – I am not just angry with the place because its sands are still stuck inside the workings of my shorter zoom lens, depriving me of any wide angle capacity… ;-)
… anyway, every other view is a beauty.
There are not really any other activities at DH, except for a sundowner drive, which we didn’t do. It’s nice to hang around your room or at the Lapa, but it does of course get very hot in the afternoon. Unless you are doing the horse riding activities I can’t see any reason to stay here more than two nights, and if you don’t ride and your next stop is somewhere nearby like Wolwedans, one would be enough. (No criticism of DH intended – I think the same would apply to nearly all lodges in this area).
May 22nd, 2007, 06:34 AM
#45
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Well thank you Kavey. It was your beautifully written report and that of Michael (tit-cho) on this board that made me start to think about Namibia. It certainly wasn't a disappointment.
Thank you Joyce - you are very kind. I am afraid that is all it is - descriptive and opinionated... too many years working with auditors.
Anyway, thanks for the encouragement, and I will finish this one. ;-)
Thank you Joyce - you are very kind. I am afraid that is all it is - descriptive and opinionated... too many years working with auditors.
Anyway, thanks for the encouragement, and I will finish this one. ;-)
May 22nd, 2007, 06:56 AM
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Aaw, how wonderful. I think that's the most wonderful thing, isn't it, about writing a report about a holiday you loved so much - finding out that you inspired someone else to go too and that they loved it just as much!
So thank you for that!
Another poster recently shared a fantastic report on her Antarctic trip (far, far, far, far better than the measly handful of posts I shared in lieu of a proper report) and I was so chuffed when she said that it was those postings of mine which not only encouraged her to move the Antarctic up the priority list but also to include South Georgia and the Falkland Islands - two highlights!
I may be going back to Namibia for our next Africa trip (see my other thread) in which case it'll all go full circle as I'll certainly be basing some of what I do on what you've written above!
So thank you for that!
Another poster recently shared a fantastic report on her Antarctic trip (far, far, far, far better than the measly handful of posts I shared in lieu of a proper report) and I was so chuffed when she said that it was those postings of mine which not only encouraged her to move the Antarctic up the priority list but also to include South Georgia and the Falkland Islands - two highlights!
I may be going back to Namibia for our next Africa trip (see my other thread) in which case it'll all go full circle as I'll certainly be basing some of what I do on what you've written above!
May 22nd, 2007, 08:35 AM
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Kimburu, fantastic reporting - the good, the bad and the ugly (or not so bad and not so ugly!). I like your 'test' for privateness in DH 
!!!
Keep it coming, I'm waiting with baited breath for Bagatelle!
Imelda
!!!Keep it coming, I'm waiting with baited breath for Bagatelle!
Imelda
May 22nd, 2007, 03:19 PM
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FYI,i was just looking in my kodak account and there is a place called "friends" pictures. just for fun i looked and your pictures are still there. at least the 3 albums that i had viewed in the past and i could still access them.
May 22nd, 2007, 06:01 PM
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I'm up to Nam Wan needing a drink. Your account of the seal colony was wonderfully descriptive. I remember your photo of the jackal with the seals.
Your latest harrowing tale of driving to Desert Homestead has me thoroughly convinced I don't want to do that alone. That was even before I read about the kudu. What odd owl behavior and to encounter six of them. No way can I drive, navigate, and be an owl spotter all at the same time. I need a drink just reading about it.
Looking forward to the next section tomorrow, which I see is already posted.
Your latest harrowing tale of driving to Desert Homestead has me thoroughly convinced I don't want to do that alone. That was even before I read about the kudu. What odd owl behavior and to encounter six of them. No way can I drive, navigate, and be an owl spotter all at the same time. I need a drink just reading about it.
Looking forward to the next section tomorrow, which I see is already posted.
May 22nd, 2007, 06:56 PM
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Thanks for the report Kimburu. My impression of DH was from a stop (but not a stay) last summer and from the outside it looked a bit rundown and the staff didn't seem very enthusiastic. For example the DH sign by the road was hanging by one chain and appeared to have been for a while. If I recall correctly the move had occurred a while before this, and I don't think this was a result of the move. I am glad to hear that it is ok now and that you enjoyed your stay.
If I am reading you correctly, then I agree that Sossusvlei itself is not worth more than a day or two but the area is worth a lot more time. Did you get to Sesriem Canyon? In the last 4 years I have spent about 7 months in the Namib-Rand and haven't gotten bored, but of that time I only spent 5 days at Sossusvlei.
George
If I am reading you correctly, then I agree that Sossusvlei itself is not worth more than a day or two but the area is worth a lot more time. Did you get to Sesriem Canyon? In the last 4 years I have spent about 7 months in the Namib-Rand and haven't gotten bored, but of that time I only spent 5 days at Sossusvlei.
George
May 23rd, 2007, 01:53 AM
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That's more or less exactly what I meant George..... somehow in the end it no longer made sense to me to come all that way for Sossusvlei alone... it needs the context of the Namib-Rand as a whole and given that it makes sense to leave yourself with more time there...
... it's a personal thing but I think some people will know what I mean and either add some other activities (and another location?) while they are in the area or maybe even consider that they don't have enough time to properly visit the area at all... where that will take them I don't know.
Stress again: fantastic place
... it's a personal thing but I think some people will know what I mean and either add some other activities (and another location?) while they are in the area or maybe even consider that they don't have enough time to properly visit the area at all... where that will take them I don't know.
Stress again: fantastic place
May 24th, 2007, 10:51 PM
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I've been putting this off... it's unfortunately never possible to delay your departure from Africa, but you can always delay the end of your trip report... ;-)
The road to Maltahohe is decent gravel, although the extremely scenic takes you over two passes (yes I was surprised to be up in the mountains here too - I thought they were to the east and north of Sesriem only). In Maltahohe the road suddenly turns to tar (this is a very small town so there must be story to this) and we arrived in Mariental pretty quicly after that. Since we had 30km to go on a D road, we decided to buy lunch in Mariental. Not that much of interest there on the surface, although there was a bit of a creepy "Deliverance" feel - we really got stares here; could have been for tourists; could have been for my wife; could have been for the ZA plates in my car... checked my zip and that was all right ... dunno..didn;t really feel comfortable.. maybe just being in the outskirts of a town after being in the desert..
Bagatelle comprises four wooden chalets built on stilts on top of a dune and 4 or 5 larger and more substantial chalets and the main house in the “street” (Kalahari-talk for the valleys between dunes). We weren’t prepared for how beautiful it is. Will come to a few minuses later, but the chalets came close to rivaling Bush Camp for best accommodation on the trip. Inside and out is all varnished wood; which fits in well with the colour of the dunes. They are air-conditioned (up on top of the dunes it can often hit 50C – although it was “cool” while we were there), very nicely furnished, spacious and bright, and the bath is by a window with a view out over the dunes… nice touch. A long verandah gives you a ringside seat for sunsets.
The main house is a large and well furnished single-storey house, clearly built as a residence. It’s cool during the day and warm at night and there is an excellent library, and a bar and wine cellar to which you are asked to help yourself if no-one is around –that was never while we were there, but the invitation to make yourself at home is clear). Eating is generally done outside, in the yard around the pool, where a fire is built in the evening if weather permits.
The property itself comprises two separate areas divided by a road. The side with the accommodation is the smaller of the two and contains limited numbers of animals. There are some springbok, a giraffe (there used to be four but the other three has gone over the fence into next-door Intu Afrika in search of some females there), a pair of bontebok (like topis), two ostriches and the usual (for Namibia) array of small stuff – meerkats, bat-eared foxes, mongooses, porcupines, African wildcats, etc. It also contains a fenced area containing some things they are looking after tfor the Cheetah Conservation Fund (they do not advertise this – I suspect on orders from CCF, so I will not mention what the things are ;-) ). This stuff has been given to Fred, the owner, to look after and they do attract guests – even if we don’t mention it the tour agencies are likely to know.
Fred is well worth his own paragraph – although I didn’t have the opportunity to talk to him that much. He used to be a hunter, but more importantly is clearly in love with the Kalahari and its wildlife. In addition to the stuff from CCF, there are a number of animals which have been acquired over the years, and every one of course has a story and some very odd characteristics. There’s an old oryx who Fred literally cut from the womb of its mother after he accidentally shot the mother, not realizing she was pregnant (Hey, that’s the story I was told!). Then there’s the springbok with the green rubber horns who was also hand-reared and who wanders around and has now bred with the local males – although she prefers the area around the lodge. There’s the meerkat, and a kudu orphan currently being reared. There are also three beautiful cats and two very well-behaved dogs (while we were there the meerkats mobbed one of them and he stayed very cool – didn’t even snap at them too much – much more barking and snapping from the meerkats). This is what Fred and the others here seem to do – apart from running a lodge very well… Everything roams free – except the orphan meerkat and the doves – they tried to release some of them recently and the goshawks were waiting… a dilemma there. It may not be conservation – more like a hobby really – but I find it very, very difficult to criticize them – you see the animals and you feel it is not ‘for the tourists’, but for them.
The second part of the property has more game, but no big predators except for rarely seen leopard. While still rather small, this side is big enough for an enjoyable game drive. Animals are quite skittish and run for it if you get anywhere near them… and driving around is a rollercoaster ride as you do dune-street-dune. Like in much of Namibia the land is all fenced and parceled here and there is less of a wilderness feel as a result – but that is more than offset by being in the Kalahari. Springboks have to be culled here because of the limited capacity of the land. Bigger areas for game are needed in this area but there is talk of going the hunting route – which means that the land would stay parceled up to ensure clients had an easier time of it and that “property” wasn’t lost to one’s neighbours…. Anyway, it’s just talk so don’t be put off just yet – this is photo tourism only for the time being (on the subject of hunting there is a huge taxidermist’s advertisement on the way to the airport to remind you of what you didn’t see when you were here.. and perhaps a good part of why animals remain skittish).
Coming here is all about the scenery and the colour (the sand has a very high iron content). We were lucky that some of the yellow desert flowers were still out, and there was even the odd touch of green (just a very little, but it is so beautiful against the sand). It’s possible to walk here unaccompanied – with a little common sense – and we did a short 6km circuit before breakfast on our final morning – lovely. And I didn’t mention the sunsets, did I? Or that this is a good area to see the sociable weavers’ nests - they even have one on Bagatelles windmill (water is present here but underground and needs to be pumped up – without it and with the fences the animals would surely not survive.
This is a great place to either begin or end a trip (and I’m sure next-door Intu Afrika too). Like Namibia as a whole it is not really a safari destination, and could be classified as “Kalahari Lite”, but both of us enjoyed our stay here. The people are very friendly and allow you to really feel at home – you even have your choice of pets! Think super-deluxe farm stay with a few significant twists and you’ll not be disappointed …. And do not underestimate how beautiful it is around here – when a storm comes in around here the colours and the drama rival those at Sossusvlei at dawn.
Three hours drive back to Windhoek. Went shopping at Nomad…. Took car back with no hitches… flight to Johannesburg…. Night at “very-nice-and comfortable-but-I hate-it” hotel near the airport. More shopping at the airport (is it good, or what?). End
Conclusion and driving times to come….
The road to Maltahohe is decent gravel, although the extremely scenic takes you over two passes (yes I was surprised to be up in the mountains here too - I thought they were to the east and north of Sesriem only). In Maltahohe the road suddenly turns to tar (this is a very small town so there must be story to this) and we arrived in Mariental pretty quicly after that. Since we had 30km to go on a D road, we decided to buy lunch in Mariental. Not that much of interest there on the surface, although there was a bit of a creepy "Deliverance" feel - we really got stares here; could have been for tourists; could have been for my wife; could have been for the ZA plates in my car... checked my zip and that was all right ... dunno..didn;t really feel comfortable.. maybe just being in the outskirts of a town after being in the desert..
Bagatelle comprises four wooden chalets built on stilts on top of a dune and 4 or 5 larger and more substantial chalets and the main house in the “street” (Kalahari-talk for the valleys between dunes). We weren’t prepared for how beautiful it is. Will come to a few minuses later, but the chalets came close to rivaling Bush Camp for best accommodation on the trip. Inside and out is all varnished wood; which fits in well with the colour of the dunes. They are air-conditioned (up on top of the dunes it can often hit 50C – although it was “cool” while we were there), very nicely furnished, spacious and bright, and the bath is by a window with a view out over the dunes… nice touch. A long verandah gives you a ringside seat for sunsets.
The main house is a large and well furnished single-storey house, clearly built as a residence. It’s cool during the day and warm at night and there is an excellent library, and a bar and wine cellar to which you are asked to help yourself if no-one is around –that was never while we were there, but the invitation to make yourself at home is clear). Eating is generally done outside, in the yard around the pool, where a fire is built in the evening if weather permits.
The property itself comprises two separate areas divided by a road. The side with the accommodation is the smaller of the two and contains limited numbers of animals. There are some springbok, a giraffe (there used to be four but the other three has gone over the fence into next-door Intu Afrika in search of some females there), a pair of bontebok (like topis), two ostriches and the usual (for Namibia) array of small stuff – meerkats, bat-eared foxes, mongooses, porcupines, African wildcats, etc. It also contains a fenced area containing some things they are looking after tfor the Cheetah Conservation Fund (they do not advertise this – I suspect on orders from CCF, so I will not mention what the things are ;-) ). This stuff has been given to Fred, the owner, to look after and they do attract guests – even if we don’t mention it the tour agencies are likely to know.
Fred is well worth his own paragraph – although I didn’t have the opportunity to talk to him that much. He used to be a hunter, but more importantly is clearly in love with the Kalahari and its wildlife. In addition to the stuff from CCF, there are a number of animals which have been acquired over the years, and every one of course has a story and some very odd characteristics. There’s an old oryx who Fred literally cut from the womb of its mother after he accidentally shot the mother, not realizing she was pregnant (Hey, that’s the story I was told!). Then there’s the springbok with the green rubber horns who was also hand-reared and who wanders around and has now bred with the local males – although she prefers the area around the lodge. There’s the meerkat, and a kudu orphan currently being reared. There are also three beautiful cats and two very well-behaved dogs (while we were there the meerkats mobbed one of them and he stayed very cool – didn’t even snap at them too much – much more barking and snapping from the meerkats). This is what Fred and the others here seem to do – apart from running a lodge very well… Everything roams free – except the orphan meerkat and the doves – they tried to release some of them recently and the goshawks were waiting… a dilemma there. It may not be conservation – more like a hobby really – but I find it very, very difficult to criticize them – you see the animals and you feel it is not ‘for the tourists’, but for them.
The second part of the property has more game, but no big predators except for rarely seen leopard. While still rather small, this side is big enough for an enjoyable game drive. Animals are quite skittish and run for it if you get anywhere near them… and driving around is a rollercoaster ride as you do dune-street-dune. Like in much of Namibia the land is all fenced and parceled here and there is less of a wilderness feel as a result – but that is more than offset by being in the Kalahari. Springboks have to be culled here because of the limited capacity of the land. Bigger areas for game are needed in this area but there is talk of going the hunting route – which means that the land would stay parceled up to ensure clients had an easier time of it and that “property” wasn’t lost to one’s neighbours…. Anyway, it’s just talk so don’t be put off just yet – this is photo tourism only for the time being (on the subject of hunting there is a huge taxidermist’s advertisement on the way to the airport to remind you of what you didn’t see when you were here.. and perhaps a good part of why animals remain skittish).
Coming here is all about the scenery and the colour (the sand has a very high iron content). We were lucky that some of the yellow desert flowers were still out, and there was even the odd touch of green (just a very little, but it is so beautiful against the sand). It’s possible to walk here unaccompanied – with a little common sense – and we did a short 6km circuit before breakfast on our final morning – lovely. And I didn’t mention the sunsets, did I? Or that this is a good area to see the sociable weavers’ nests - they even have one on Bagatelles windmill (water is present here but underground and needs to be pumped up – without it and with the fences the animals would surely not survive.
This is a great place to either begin or end a trip (and I’m sure next-door Intu Afrika too). Like Namibia as a whole it is not really a safari destination, and could be classified as “Kalahari Lite”, but both of us enjoyed our stay here. The people are very friendly and allow you to really feel at home – you even have your choice of pets! Think super-deluxe farm stay with a few significant twists and you’ll not be disappointed …. And do not underestimate how beautiful it is around here – when a storm comes in around here the colours and the drama rival those at Sossusvlei at dawn.
Three hours drive back to Windhoek. Went shopping at Nomad…. Took car back with no hitches… flight to Johannesburg…. Night at “very-nice-and comfortable-but-I hate-it” hotel near the airport. More shopping at the airport (is it good, or what?). End
Conclusion and driving times to come….
May 25th, 2007, 04:57 AM
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Aw Kimburu, I'm sad your trip report is at an end and I have to say the wait for Bagatelle was worth it! Now, you KNOW I just HAVE to ask this.... what animals 'belonging to' CCF are at Bagatelle??????????????????????? Pretty please can we have more details before I burst with curiosity ??????
Imelda
Imelda
May 25th, 2007, 09:07 AM
#60
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Imelda... it was a kind of joke because if you look at the Bagatelle logo or think what the C****** Conservation Fund might want to find good homes for........... but they are seriously not advertising this as an attraction and that is something I very much agree with (although whether they are keen on this or it is imposed on them, I don't know). So I don't want to indirectly advertise here..... I shouldn't have mentioned it in the first place - it does sound like a tease more than a joke... but I thought the cat was already out of the bag......
