lisa

DH and I will be self-driving in late August-early Sept. We have reservations for 4 nights in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and are then planning to spend 3 nights at Sossus Dune Lodge. We then have 10 nights remaining before we have to fly out of Windhoek and are trying to figure out how to best spend it. We know we want to go to Etosha for at least 6 (possibly more) of those 10 nights, but my sense is we probably don't have enough time to do the Skelton Coast or Damaraland properly so may save those for another trip. This will be our first trip to Namibia, and our main priorities are wildlife viewing, photography, hiking and just relaxing surrounded by nature. Where else do folks recommend? Most itineraries seem to include a night or so at Swakopmund in between Sossuvlei and Etosha but I am not sure that is a huge priority for us. I was thinking maybe a couple of nights at Okonjima and a couple of nights at Erongo Wilderness Lodge?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or suggestions.

Discover_Namibia

Generally people include a stop over in Swakopmund as it a very long drive from Sossusvlei to either Okonjima or Erongo Wilderness, and that one night in Swakopmund breaks the journey up a lot, otherwise you are looking at an 8/9 or so hour drive.

If you only have 10 days and you wish to spend at least 6 of those in Etosha then I would be inclined to skip Erongo Wilderness Lodge unless you don't mind that very long drive as it is more out of your way than Okonjima is as by the time you get to Erongo Wilderness Lodge it will already be quite late in the day and after a long drive you probably won't feel like any activities anyway.

If it were me I would lean towards pushing through from Sossus to a guesthouse around the Okahandja area, then going to Etosha the next day and staying at Okonjima on the way back to Windhoek. That would maximise your time in Etosha.
Or spending one night at Swakopmund, then leaving early for Erongo Wilderness Camp so you will get an almost full day there before heading to Etosha the next day.

Gemma Dry - Owner - Discover Namibia

Treepol

Lisa,

whereabouts in KTP are you staying? Are you self-driving or travelling with a local operator?

6 nights in Etosha is a long time, up to you of course. I'd be tempted to have 2-3 nights in Swakopmund staying somewhere nice like Brigadoon http://www.brigadoonswakopmund.com/(Margaret is a wonderful hostess) or the Stiltz http://www.thestiltz.in.na/

Then you could drive to Etosha via Okonjima for maybe 2 nights - I stayed there in 2005 and had a wonderful time, photos are at http://picasaweb.google.com/Treepol/...maAfricat2005# You could then continue on to Etosha.

Alternatively you could drive from Swakop via Cape Cross to see the seals with a one night stop en route to Etosha and stop at Okonjima on the return to Windhoek. Whilst this won't do Damaraland justice, it could whet your appetite for a return visit. This route is also circular and doesn't have any back-tracking.

I recommend Carstenson's German Bakery and Cafe in Otjiwarongo for a light lunch or morning tea stop.


Have a great time in Namibia,


Pol

PacoAhedo

When we visited Namibia in 2005 , one of the areas i enjoyed most was Damaraland-Kaokoland . We spent 3 days at Palmwag looking for desert adapted black rhino and elephant . After nine safaris, this has been one of our best experience ever in África.

Some photos of our trip there:

http://www.pbase.com/africawild/damaraland05


"our main priorities are wildlife viewing, photography, hiking and just relaxing surrounded by nature"

In this area you will find wildlife ( of course not like in Etosha) and amazing landscape , ideal for photography and one of the real wilderness in Namibia.

You have 10 nights. I will drive from Sossusvlei to Swakopmud for one night , then drive through the Skeleton Coast ( stopping at Cape Cross ) to Palmwag for 3 nights and finally drive to Etosha for the other 6 .
We did those drives during our trip and was perfectly doable.

Good luck with your planning.

Paco.

laurenanne

Hi! I am actually in Namibia right now. We planned 2 weeks here and did the following itinerary:
1 night frans indongo on way to etosha
2 nights mushara lodge
2 nights okakeujo
2 nights camp kipwe
1 night erongo wilderness lodge
3 nights brigadoon cottages in swakop (we just arrived here today, tonight is our first night)
2 nights sossus dune lodge
1 night terra africa in windhoek before flying home the next day

SO FAR:
lots of people thought spending 3 nights in swakop seemed to be a lot, but we want to spend one day doing adventure activites like quad and sandboarding in the dunes, and also have another full day to see the town and maybe drive to cape cross or walvis bay OR do another tour maybe to sandwich harbor. we can't do all this if we only spend 2 nights which would only give one full day.

as far as erongo, we thought 1 night was plenty. would not stay much more than that since there aren't really any common areas to hang out in. we did the included and free morning hike and sundowner. the lodge is under new ownership as of December (we found out yesterday while there) and the food wasn't very good. we had friends that went in october and said the food was fabulous, so not sure if the new management has anything to do with it.

camp kipwe in damaraland is FABULOUS! the scenery is really amazing. we stayed in room 8, by the way. although twyfelfontein is a short visit and the burnt mt. and organ pipes take 2 seconds to look at, we still loved the peace and calm at the hotel. the food was good on some dishes, misses on others, but overall probably the best of the lodges.

as far as etosha, we had 4 full nights in/near the park. 2 nights on the east at mushara and 2 nights at okakuejo. we thought okakuejo was overrated and were happy to get out of there, as the bugs were in full force and the doors to the apartmetns weren't flush with the floor so the second night i had to stuff towels around all the cracks just so we wouldn't have ten thousand giant rhino beetles on our stuff the next morning. HOWEVER- we are here during rainy season, so the place was less busy and would probably have a better buzz during high season. the food was TERRIBLE though. and since it is rainy season, we saw nothing at the watering hole (but this is not applicable to you since you are going in august). We stayed hoping the water hole would be nice, but if we did it again, we would probably pick a nicer lodge outside of the park. However, the room was a waterhole chalet and was nicely renovated but also TINY compared to everywhere else.

ETOSHA- we did all our own game drives and saw tons of animals, just not at the waterholes, so we lucked out. I still think more than 4 days of driving in the park would be too much though. there are other things to see in the country.

Frans indongo was a lovely stopover on way to etosha. they have a nice deck with their own viewing platform and have rhinos on the property and a very inexpensive game drive that we did not do. good for a stop, but not more than that.

mushara lodge- this is our 2nd favorite place so far, after camp kipwe. they common areas are lovely and if you bring some good books, you can hang out and enjoy. the rooms are a bit bland though, as compare to the lodge itself, and definitely look better on the site than in person.

that's all for now. feel free to respond if you have any questions, as we finally have internet access at brigadoon!! headed out to dinner now in swakop. good luck!
lauren

laurenanne

Hi! I am actually in Namibia right now. We planned 2 weeks here and did the following itinerary:
1 night frans indongo on way to etosha
2 nights mushara lodge
2 nights okakeujo
2 nights camp kipwe
1 night erongo wilderness lodge
3 nights brigadoon cottages in swakop (we just arrived here today, tonight is our first night)
2 nights sossus dune lodge
1 night terra africa in windhoek before flying home the next day

SO FAR:
lots of people thought spending 3 nights in swakop seemed to be a lot, but we want to spend one day doing adventure activites like quad and sandboarding in the dunes, and also have another full day to see the town and maybe drive to cape cross or walvis bay OR do another tour maybe to sandwich harbor. we can't do all this if we only spend 2 nights which would only give one full day.

as far as erongo, we thought 1 night was plenty. would not stay much more than that since there aren't really any common areas to hang out in. we did the included and free morning hike and sundowner. the lodge is under new ownership as of December (we found out yesterday while there) and the food wasn't very good. we had friends that went in october and said the food was fabulous, so not sure if the new management has anything to do with it.

camp kipwe in damaraland is FABULOUS! the scenery is really amazing. we stayed in room 8, by the way. although twyfelfontein is a short visit and the burnt mt. and organ pipes take 2 seconds to look at, we still loved the peace and calm at the hotel. the food was good on some dishes, misses on others, but overall probably the best of the lodges.

as far as etosha, we had 4 full nights in/near the park. 2 nights on the east at mushara and 2 nights at okakuejo. we thought okakuejo was overrated and were happy to get out of there, as the bugs were in full force and the doors to the apartmetns weren't flush with the floor so the second night i had to stuff towels around all the cracks just so we wouldn't have ten thousand giant rhino beetles on our stuff the next morning. HOWEVER- we are here during rainy season, so the place was less busy and would probably have a better buzz during high season. the food was TERRIBLE though. and since it is rainy season, we saw nothing at the watering hole (but this is not applicable to you since you are going in august). We stayed hoping the water hole would be nice, but if we did it again, we would probably pick a nicer lodge outside of the park. However, the room was a waterhole chalet and was nicely renovated but also TINY compared to everywhere else.

ETOSHA- we did all our own game drives and saw tons of animals, just not at the waterholes, so we lucked out. I still think more than 4 days of driving in the park would be too much though. there are other things to see in the country.

Frans indongo was a lovely stopover on way to etosha. they have a nice deck with their own viewing platform and have rhinos on the property and a very inexpensive game drive that we did not do. good for a stop, but not more than that.

mushara lodge- this is our 2nd favorite place so far, after camp kipwe. they common areas are lovely and if you bring some good books, you can hang out and enjoy. the rooms are a bit bland though, as compare to the lodge itself, and definitely look better on the site than in person.

that's all for now. feel free to respond if you have any questions, as we finally have internet access at brigadoon!! headed out to dinner now in swakop. good luck!
lauren

laurenanne

sorry for the run-on sentences, my husband is bugging me to get going so not proofing as i write!

lisa

Thanks everyone for your suggestions so far.

I know some people prefer to move around every night or every other night but we generally prefer to spend at least 2-3 nights in each place if possible -- four is better. E.g. if we have 12 nights we generally would rather spend 3 nights at each of 4 places or 4 nights at each of 3 places rather than 2 nights at each of 6 places. I find that the driving and unpacking so often isn't conducive to relaxing and getting to know a place, at least for us.

@ Treepol -- We are staying at Kalahari Tented Camp for 4 nights and will be self-driving, It will be our second time in the park and we stayed in a wide variety of accommodation last time and loved KTC the best so are looking forward to our time there.

Please keep those suggestions coming!

lisa

OK, here's what we have so far:

1 night JNB
4 nights Kalahari Tented Camp
3 nights Sossus Dune Lodge
2 nights ??? Either Cape Cross Lodge or Camp Kipwe or Mowani Mountain Lodge? (Or 1 night at Cape Cross Lodge and the second night at Kipwe, Mowani, or Erongo?)
3 nights Okaukuejo
3 nights Halali
1 night Namutoni
1 night either Waterberg or Okonjima

I know 7 nights in Etosha would be too much for most but the main purpose of our trip is wildlife photography and we have wanted to do this trip to Etosha for years, so we want to spend the bulk of our time there.

Our main issue is where to spend the 2 nights between Sossusvlei and Etosha, and where to spend our last night.

Thanks in advance.

canadian_robin

For your four nights in Kgalagadi, may I suggest the wilderness camps as opposed to Kalahari Tented Camp - either Bitterpan, Grootkolk or Urikaruus. The wilderness camps are amazing - maximum of 4 tents/8 guests. KTC is a much bigger camp. I would pick two wilderness camps and spend two nights at each.

The drive between Kgalagadi and Sossus Dune Lodge will be a long one - much of it on dirt roads. May I suggest you spend a night in between at Eagle's Nest Lodge (part of Klein-Aus Vista) in Aus, Namibia - absolutely one of our favourite places in Southern Africa.

See:
www.namibhorses.com - the cabins are amazing and the setting breathtaking. We have been twice and are returning in August. Ask for "The Rock" Cabin - our favourite! Robin

mcwomble

10 days will fly by! In Swakopmund try something you can't do anywhere else -

A scenic flight is well worth it - see the dunes and teh Skeleoton Coast from the air! Amazing.

Or do a drive OVER and DOWN the dunes to Sandwich Harbour with Turnstone Tours, or take a trip to sea dolphins and seals off the coast.

However, I think 6 days in Etosha is several too many. Damaraland has a lot to offer - desert elephants and the last wild/free black rhino in the world. Only about 50 left.

Try a couple of nights at superb places like Huab or Hobatere Lodge - you will learn so much more there than at Etosha.

And I too agree that the Namib Horses are worth seeing, but then you have to decide what to leave out.

canadian_robin

If you go to Swakopmund or Walvis Bay, then I will second the vote to take a tour with Turnstone Tours to Sandwich Harbour. We did it and it was fantastic, although the howling wind and blowing sand made photography difficult.

Personally, I would be quite happy to spend six or even ten nights in Etosha - but then I love being in the parks.

If photography is a priority, then Okonjima absolutely - go for the Bush Camp if you can afford it. You won't find a better place to photograph cheetah and leopard - it's where the National Geographic photographers go!

When we travelled between the dunes and Etosha, we went via the coast (to see Sandwich Harbour) and then Vingerklip - the rock provides lovely photographs at sunset.
http://www.vingerklip.com.na/

We love the drive across the Namib Desert between Sesriem/Solitaire and Walvis Bay - that C14 drive is spectacular - nothing but desert for as far as you can see.

However, my first choice would still be to spend a night at Eagle's Nest Lodge. Robin

tockoloshe

I second Okonjima to see the cats up close.
For those interested in Africat (closely associated with Okonjima) I wonder what effect this will have on the set-up at Okonjima:
http://www.africat.org/pdf/AfriCat%2...20&%20Dave.pdf

lisa

Thanks for the suggestions so far!

@CanadianRobin -- unfortunately for our dates in August we had to take what we could get in KTP. It's our second time there, and we stayed in Urikaruus last time and really loved it but we loved KTC even more -- and that's where they had availability. The park is definitely getting more popular than it used to be, especially in the dry season! No wonder, as the game viewing there is outstanding.

Thanks for suggesting Vingerklip -- it looks like another terrific option in between Cape Cross and Etosha. But now I'm even more torn!

You are all definitely leading me toward a splurge at Okonjima rather than Waterberg for our last night in Namibia.

Please keep the suggestions coming.

canadian_robin

I hadn't realized that you had been to Kgalagadi previously. We always stay at KTC, usually for one or two nights, but our favourites are Bitterpan and Grootkolk. The park does seem to becoming much more popular. We first visited in November 2004, and it was far less busy - we were the only guests at Bitterpan for three memorable nights. We have returned to the park three times since and, with each visit, we have found it busier. Gone are the days when I could casually email in our accommodation requests. Now we phone on the first day that reservations are taken for the month we wish to visit. Hopefully, Kgalagadi won't turn into another Kruger!

I had another look at the Vingerklip website. We haven't been since 2004, and it would seem that they have lit up the rock since then. When we visited, there were no lights, but the rock was spectacular at sunset, changing colours in spectacular fashion. It reminded us of Uluru/Ayer's Rock in Australia at sunset. Hopefully, Vingerklip isn't too tacky now! We did have an excellent meal in their dining room.

Unless you have already booked and can't change your dates, I would consider a night between Kgalagadi and the dunes - that will be a long drive (although much better since you can exit via the Mata Mata gate and don't have to return to Upington and go the long way around). We are so thankful that we discovered Eagle's Nest Lodge - it has to be the most peaceful place on the planet and the views over the desert at sunset are breathtaking. A photographer's paradise!

See page 42 of the link below for photos of Eagle's Nest - you will have to skip past the Kgalagadi bit. The photos are from our 2008 visit.

http://bert-and-bin.smugmug.com/Trav.../7172232_XrT3Y

Sounds like we will just miss each other - we are booked into Kgalagadi and Sossus Dune Lodge in mid August. Robin

canadian_robin

Sorry - Eagle's Nest starts mid-way down page 41. Robin

laurenanne

RE: Mowani v. Kipwe v. Erongo

I posted earlier when we were actually traveling on this trip. I am since back home (sadly) and have now posted pics of all the lodges. I always take photos of my accommodations before we mess it up with luggage, etc. so you can get a good idea of what the rooms look like from my photos.

We stayed at Kipwe rather than Mowani and were glad we made that choice. We went for a hike over at Mowani and then had a drink in their lobby after, as well as previewed a tented room. Although it is supposedly more "elegant" I would say it was less charming than Kipwe and a lot more costly relative to the value of the supposed "upgrade". Kipwe is also newer, smaller and just really charming. We wish we could've spent a 3rd night (only had 2 to spend there.) As far as Damaraland, we loved the area and did the elephant trek with Taffy from Kipwe. Those photos are all under the "damaraland" album. Also at kipwe, they have steps carved into the rocks above the resort so you can go up for sundowners. They bring drinks and snacks for you. They do not have this it Mowani, although you can watch the sunset from the deck I am sure. Another couple at kipwe had stayed at mowani and also agreed Kipwe was overall lovelier.

As far as Erongo, we felt it was a one night stop. If you are going to spend a few days somewhere, you want to have some areas to relax/read, etc. other than just the room. This was lacking at Erongo. However, we did visit Kristal Kelleri winery nearby, which was amusing(photos also posted).

I am still working on photos from Sossusvlei, but I did put up the pics of the lodge and our chalet for people to look at if trying to make a decision on it. They are under the album Sossuvlei and Sossus Dune Lodge. We loved it because of the size of the chalets and the gorgeous deck and recliners. The stargazing from your recliner at night was amazing. We meant to go to Dune 45 for a sunset, but we couldn't leave our deck and spent both sunsets on it.

Finally, I agree that 6/7 days in Etosha is a lot. We spent 4 in the rainy season, and you can see from the Etosha album that we saw a lot of animals. If you are there in high season, you will be taking a lot of the same shots over and over, when there is a lot to see outside of etosha park as well-Damaraland in particular (again, you can see our elephant pics under said album).

Just my opinion of course.
Here is the link to our albums:
http://community.webshots.com/user/E...n=publicAlbums

Again, not all the photos of the areas are up, but lodging is published.
Lauren

lisa

Just decided that for our two nights in between Sossusvlei and Etosha we will spend one night at Cape Cross Lodge and one night at Vingerklip. Thanks for the suggestions! Still working on where to stay for our last night.