So back in April in Malawi,we knew our time was up in June and we had to be in Jo'burg by late August. We thought to ourselves what’s the best, most affordable, most adventurous and easiest way to explore Southern Africa in two months before we had to leave (sad face!!!)? While scrolling through the internet back in room 1, The Gap, Cape Maclear, we came across Nomad Adventure Tours and thought ‘that’s the job’!! Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe was the starting point for the 20 day trip that would take us through Botswana, Namibia and finish in Cape Town. Our group of new international friends, our fantastic crew of three from Zimbabwe and our truck, ‘Mike’, set off from Vic Falls to Chobe National Park, Botswana to see lots of elephants and antelope chilling on Chobe River. The highlight here was seeing Mama leopard with tiny (super cute) baby leopard just metres away from our truck. Well spotted Cormac! Then we moved onto the beautiful Okavango Delta, for the most serene boat (dug-out canoe, or ‘macoro’) trip through the meandering and endless tributaries of the Delta. The array of bird life here was amazing. Birds……who would have thought we’d be so impressed by these! Of course, there were elephants, crocodiles and hippos galore too! The Delta isn’t the easiest place to get to, but it will be the highlight of anybody’s trip to Botswana. After a short overnight stay in Ghanzi to stay with The San (Bushman) People, one of the original indigenous tribes of southern Africa, we crossed into Namibia.
This country is enormous, hugely varied in landscape and just awsesome. Following a night in Windhoek, the capital, where we sampled game for dinner ( zebra and springbok - I know, we feel terrible…..but it was delicious!), we headed north to Namibia’s greatest wildlife reserve, Etosha National Park. Etosha is home to an incredible variety of landscapes, from semi arid scrub land, and lush flat savannah, to the seemingly endless enormous salt pan, from which the park takes its name. Etosha National Park, which is slightly larger than Wales, has an amazing variety of wildlife on display. In three days we only scratched the surface, in terms of areas covered, yet we saw so much. The highlight was seeing both black and white rhinos roaming freely and abundantly, both of which are endangered worldwide and have been poached widely in the past for their ivory tusks. Following our safari in Etosha, we set out for Outjo, the adopted home of the Himba Tribe, famous for their decorative dress and the unique red clay which their women wear on the skin from head to toe. This was a fascinating insight into their rich culture. Next up, we sought more excitement in Namibia’s adventure capital, Swakopmund. Here, we threw ourselves out of a plane from 10,000 feet, because we had a free afternoon! The views of the South Atlantic meeting the dunes of the Namib desert were unforgettable, especially with 40 seconds of freefall!! Then to the elusive Namib- Naukluft National Park, the largest in Africa and fourth largest in the world. It is home to the famous Sossusvlei, Deathvlei and Dune 45……spectacular sand dunes that dominate the landscape, it is almost like visiting another planet. You should just go there! You won’t regret it! Before our trip ended in Cape Town we had some time in Fish River Canyon, arguably the world’s second largest canyon after the Grand Canyon. After this, we stopped on the banks of the Orange River, which marks the border with South Africa. Both destinations were very beautiful but Fish River Canyon stole the show. It is certainly the highlight of southern Namibia! On our last day on the Nomad Adventure Tour we rolled up to Cape Town in a very dusty ‘Mike’. We had to part ways with our Nomad ‘family’ for just one day though as we ended up arranging dinner on Long Street the next day. Separation anxiety perhaps?! Now we are on the Garden Route in South Africa and have only two weeks left on this continent. Lads, time is flying by and I think we’re going to miss Africa LOADS. But we still have lots to see before we leave for Australia. HIGHLIGHT OF TRIP : now that’s a tough one……Etosha, Okavango Delta and Deathvlei. Lowlight: There actually were NONE! The only thing we would say is that the distances are HUGE, so we spent alot of time on ‘Mike’ chatting, sleeping, eating and of course, enjoying the views. Fortunately we were traveling with such a nice bunch of people. The eighteen of us were like a little family for those 20 days! It’s also bloody cold in Africa, especially when you’re camping in a tent in a desert in the middle of winter, so bring the long John’s! We didn’t, and just about lived to tell the tale!😄 nomadtours.co.za - check them out if you are up for an adventure in Africa!!
