Click here for Namibia trip Map
The sheer logistics of having to acquire permits to drive through the restricted zone of Southern Namibia (diamond mining zone), passing through a road not often frequented by tourists could have been a nightmare. In fact that was the most organized part of the journey and went even smoother than booking flights!
We covered 2000km (1500 on gravel roads) of varied terrain and scenery...from desolate mining fields along the border of South Africa following the drying Orange River to the Fish River Canyon, to more desert and rock formations, to sand dunes of Sossusvlei, rolling hills and finally to the sea side town of Swakopmund with its European feel in the middle of a desert. The wildlife included baboons, ostrich, kudu, springbok, gemsbok or oryx, jackal both alive and road kill, as well as zebra and giraffe within a fenced off game park.
The first day we drove 5 hours to the canyon never encountering a petrol station or food kiosk! The traffic was so light that we felt like the first explorers navigating the gravel roads! The tows or villages marked by a large circle on the map, were either missed by blinking or just a one shop/fuel pump station and in most places a bottle shop.
Our accommodations were top notch lodges. Our desert accommodation was more than we expected, impressive cuisine and cozy enough to be be personally appreciated.
For sure a trip we will remember a long time as our first exporation as pert of our time living in Africa and the first vacation ever where we did not meet any Norwegians !!!!! |