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Africa was very high on the to-do list, as I had not yet visited the continent at all. Additionally, I had never really done anything that I would label as “safari”. Typical safari trips can get crazy expensive, particularly when traveling with several people (ie. as a family). I figured it was the perfect time to do one now. With three weeks off from late May to early June, I decided on visiting Namibia and Botswana for my first trip to the Southern Hemisphere.
Friday, May 19th
I was sitting in front of the gate for my flight at Zurich Airport, when a woman seated next to me asked how I was able to access the internet on my phone. Turned out she was South African, and needed to contact her family, and apparently the WiFi wasn’t working. My SIM-card has no data limit so I offered to set up a hotspot. We talked briefly and 10 minutes later it was time to board.
SWISS operates their Airbus A330 with a 2-4-2 seat layout in each row in economy class. I had a window seat, meaning there was just one seat between me and the aisle. When I got to my row, who was occupying that seat next to me? You guessed it, that same woman. What are the odds? So we talked a bit and exchanged travel experiences. She gave me a few useful tips for my trip, which was really awesome.
I tried to get some sleep on the flight and probably got like 4 hours of sleep. That sounds like very little, but considering I was seated in economy and there were was no vanity kit (so no earplugs or facemasks), I regard that as quite a lot. I have a hard time sleeping on planes.
Saturday, May 20th
When we approached Johannesburg, South Africa, an announcement was made about what to do in terms of transfer flights. There were different procedures for international compared to domestic flights. Oddly, my ticket stated that my onward flight to Windhoek, Namibia would depart from Terminal B, although this was mentioned as the domestic terminal during the announcement.
After we landed, the signs at the gate made a clear distinction between “International Transfers: Terminal A” and “Domestic Transfers: Terminal B”. Since I was just transiting Johannesburg to get to Namibia, it seemed obvious that I should go to Terminal A. I checked online, and the flight was listed as departing Terminal B. Entering Terminal B meant clearing customs and immigration into South Africa, collecting your luggage along the way too, then re-checking it.
If I wrongly entered Terminal B, I could be faced with having to “exit” South Africa through customs and emigration to get back to Terminal A for the flight. Additionally, I would probably spend a while waiting for a bag that never shows up. If I went straight to A but should’ve gone through B, my bag might end up stuck before South African customs as I would not come to pick it up. I asked an airport security guard who was quite sure my flight should be in Terminal A.
There was a passport check in Terminal A, and I asked the immigration officer if she had any idea. I’m not sure she realized what I was asking. She gestured like I was in the right place (entering Terminal A), but mumbled something to the effect of “yeah, Terminal B”. Fortunately, you walk past the airport’s transfer desk just past the passport control. The South African Airways representative assured me the flight would definitely depart Terminal A, and she even gave me the gate number.
I should mention that my flight was still nowhere to be found on any of the info boards at the airport, because there was still about three hours to go. I spotted an earlier Windhoek-bound South African Airways flight leaving Terminal A, and figured mine would eventually appear as well. It did. Phew.
The flight with South African Airways left Johannesburg on time and arrived in Windhoek a little early. It took no more than 15 minutes to clear immigration, collect my bag, clear customs and find a taxi. I arrived at my Windhoek B&B shortly prior to 5 PM, dropped my stuff off, and went for a walk around the downtown area.
My first stop in Windhoek became the Christuskirche, one of its most significant landmarks. The church was built in 1907, and is a relic from the city’s colonial past. It looks like a European church, although the neo-Gothic design combined with art nouveau styles is a bit unique. The church is still in use. Adjacent to the church is the Independence Museum, which was closing for the day by the time I got there.
The building itself is quite interesting architecturally, and there are also some statues around the complex. I continued walking towards some German colonial-era castles and buildings. There are several peppered around town in close proximity to the center of Windhoek.
Memorial for German colonial soldiers who died fighting against indigenous tribes.
A building from 1902 that has been turned into a clothing store.
For dinner, I tried to find several places recommended in my Lonely Planet book, but they were all closed. I wandered around until I found a hotel restaurant with a passable, albeit somewhat expensive menu. I usually don’t go for places like these, but alas, it was getting dark and I was getting hungry.
As my B&B hosts had recommended that I should not walk around at night, I played it safe and took a taxi back.
Sunday, May 21st
I checked out of the guesthouse I was staying at, and asked for a taxi to the airport. I was going there to pick up the rental car that I would be driving for the majority of my three weeks. The owner of the guesthouse said the driver needed to pick up somebody else on the way. The driver confirmed this, and asked if I was in a hurry, to which I answered no. He said that the second person was a little ways out of town. Given that the airport itself is far from the city anyway, I assumed that it was still more or less “on the way”. Nope.
We drove in the opposite direction and the whole thing took an extra hour and a half! All that for the original price of a direct trip. I wasn’t necessarily mad, as it gave me the opportunity to observe another driver driving on the left side of the road, which was a first for me. But I definitely wasn’t pleased with the unforeseen delay.
Finally arriving at the airport and the Britz rental agency, the car was not yet ready. It had been booked for 8 AM and I got there past 11. Going through a camping equipment demonstration, and having the car cleaned and prepared took an additional two hours. Sure, it’s a car with plenty of extras for camping, but I still found it to be a long wait.
It felt like a lot of time wasted just sitting around. With every minute going by, my plan of arriving at my booked lodge became less and less realistic.
I drove through Windhoek to get supplies, but everything was closed on a Sunday afternoon. Found a fast food shop, got a burger for lunch and bought six bottles of water. At least I had some extra water. I had some snacks in the car, and I wasn’t anyway camping or self-catering for a few days. The original plan was to have enough food for a meal or two, just in case I had a breakdown and needed to camp on the side of the road. I figured I would be fine as I wasn’t really venturing into the wilderness just yet.
I stopped by the B&B to pick up my bags, then continued south towards the city of Sesriem, near the gates to the Sossusvlei Dunes in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Because of all the delays and chores, I left Windhoek past 2 PM. With an early winter sunset around 6, I was in a hurry. I wanted to avoid driving in the dark, which is a horrible idea in Africa with its dirt trails, wild animals and drivers not using headlights. I had specifically asked for a GPS with Tracks4Africa installed. It contains a detailed map of dirt trails and 4×4 routes in addition to the more official asphalt and gravel roads. Having indeed received a GPS with Tracks4Africa, I simply plugged in the GPS, searched for my destination, and took off.
The Garmin GPS suggested a dirt trail further south of the main road, but with a more direct routing. The trail passed at least four wildlife gates, which you have to get out to open and close manually by yourself as you drive past. Eventually the GPS suggested a hard right turn, but it was a dead-end in a village of five ramshackle buildings. Plenty of kids came running out, but they knew nothing of a nearby road.
At this point, it was one hour to sunset. The fuel gauge had never moved past full, despite the fact that I had been driving for three hours. I assumed the fuel gauge was broken (I found out later the car has two fuel tanks, so the gauge was working perfectly fine, displaying the quantity in the last tank). Making it to my booked overnight stay at the lodge near Sossusvlei was nowhere near realistic.
I turned around to get back to the main paved highway and the nearest major town that I passed. Rehoboth is a city with several accommodation options and over 20,000 people. I figured I’d find somewhere or someone to stay with. Heck, I could always sleep in the car. There was one hotel mentioned on the paper maps I had, the “Reho Spa”. As I entered the city just past sunset, it was even signposted from the highway. I arrived at what was supposed to be the Reho Spa, but I found all windows were either smashed in or boarded up. The signs had been taken down, the gate was locked and weeds were growing all over the place.
Alright, I decided to turn back to the GPS and search its database for nearby options. The closest spot and the only place named “hotel”, the Sedweis Hotel, was closed. The lights in the parking lot were however on, and the signs were still in place. Some locals hanging out near the parking lot suggested Aleen’s B&B, which was also found in the GPS. I called the listed telephone number, which worked, and the room turned out to be actually quite fine.
I even got a home-cooked meal for dinner! So all in all it could have turned out a lot worse.
The only true sight that I got to “see” was the Tropic of Capricorn, one of the Earth’s five major circles of latitude. I actually passed it twice, driving across it once again on my way back to Rehoboth.
Monday, May 22nd
Fortunately I had booked two nights near the Sossusvlei sand dunes, although not in the same place. I departed Rehoboth and drove to Solitaire using the most logical route according paper maps. I quickly stopped by one of Rehoboth’s fuel stations. Fuel stations in Namibia are not self-service, you always have to have an attendant do the refueling for you. I talked a bit with the fuel attendant and found out he was working a 24-hour shift! His only true break was for lunch. Safe to say he had earned himself a tip.
After driving for four hours across mostly gravel roads, I finally arrived at the Solitaire Lodge. I found out I was upgraded to the company’s premier property on a ranch outside of town. All without me even asking for it. First I dropped off my bags and checked-in at the Solitaire Desert Farm. I then had lunch at a café in the main village.
I drove onwards to Sossusvlei along the gravel roads towards Sesriem. The road from the national park gate at Sesriem to the sand dunes themselves is mostly paved, except for the last 4 km (roughly 2,5 miles), which are 4WD conditions on sand. To increase grip, I deflated the tires and activated 4 wheel drive.
The Sossusvlei sand dunes are one of the highlights of Namibia. Here it is true desert, with sand as far as the eye can see.
The sun, particularly at sunrise and sunset create a beautiful sight with the colors of the sand. After arriving, I hiked to the Deadvlei pan, where the unique trees inspire the name. I think the picture is pretty self-explanatory.
Unfortunately I had to turn around a bit early. I needed to drive over two-and-a-half hours back to my room in Solitaire, and preferably before sunset. After reaching the asphalt road again, I stopped to reinflate tires to their optimal pressure, and continued towards the park gate.
The officer at the gate asked me to drive a local woman a bit of the way, and I accepted. She got off along the main gravel road anyway, so it was no detour. Having hitchhiked quite a few times myself in the past (mostly not by choice), I guess I need to give back to the hitchhiking community somehow. There’s obviously no public transport in this remote region of Africa, so she needed a ride from someone regardless.
I arrived back in Solitaire just 5 minutes past sunset, but still with plenty of twilight to enable driving. I had timed the departure from Sossusvlei just right. After having had dinner, I then simply went to bed, as I had another long drive ahead of me.