Beyond DXB

🅝🅐🅜🅑🅦🅐 🅒🅐🅜🅟🅢🅘🅣🅔

Namibia has so many fascinating places to offer, it is almost impossible to pick a favourite one. But if we had to name one which stood out for us, it would be Nambwa in the Bwabwata National Park. The campsite is miles and miles away from civilization and only accessible with a robust 4x4 vehicle. Many of the tracks are deep soft sand and after the rains turn into sticky mud and water crossings.

It was our third time at Nambwa and we could have stayed there forever. Wildlife was abundant and hyenas, civets, elephants and hippos were regular visitors at our campsite. It was our first time to tow a trailer to Nambwa. There were explicit warnings to avoid the area when pulling a trailer due to the road conditions but we didn’t have much choice than to give it a go. Although challenging, all went well until an uprooted tree blocked the tracks. We had to stop, lost our momentum and sank into the deep sand. If you have ever tried to unhook a heavy trailer from a car in deep sand with both vehicles stuck, you know that this is an almost impossible task. Fortunately we carried an array of recovery equipment which we put to good use. We had to find an alternative way through the bush, so off we went wandering through the thicket, chopping a way around the fallen tree. In a race against time, as the setting sun was turning the sky a deep crimson, we winched our trailer out of the deep sand, hooked it up and made it past the obstacle. We were on the final stretch to our campsite, turned around the last corner and … discovered that the road was gone and a wide river with unknown depth had replaced it. For a second, we considered checking its depth but we were too tired and exhausted. Being confident in our car and assuming that we weren’t the first people to cross since the river was formed, we went for it. Thank god we had a snorkel! The water was deep, the river bed rocky and slippery, but we made it through to the other side without issue.

And it was all worth it. We spent almost two weeks at the campsite. Despite cold and stormy weather, we had an amazing time and many close encounters with the wild. For days, it was just us and the animals, no other people in sight. Because of the lack of intruders (humans) in the park, the animals were quite relaxed and at times came very close, the most interesting one was when a hippo came to see what we were having for breakfast.

🅔🅣🅞🅢🅗🅐 ➋.⓿

This time, Etosha blew us away. The sheer number of animals and lack of tourists made it a completely different experience than in previous years. The pictures speak for themselves.

All images © 2021 Alfred & Sylvia Mairs. All rights reserved.

🅦🅗🅘🅣🅔 🅛🅐🅓🅨 & 🅟🅤🅡🅡🅞🅢

The welcoming warmth of the desert sun lifted the mixed feelings as we departed Henties heading inland to our next stop at White Lady Lodge & Campsite. Within 25km of Henties the fog lifted, and the temperature rose from 10°C to a pleasant 32°C.

On arrival at the campsite Sylvia chose a site which was covered in elephant tracks, hoping the desert-adapted elephants would follow their previous route. That evening we were visited by one of the creator of those tracks - and what an amazing experience! The huge bull expertly open the water tap a mere 4m from our tent and drank for at least half an hour. Every time he raised his head to swallow the water from his trunk his tusks would tower high above us as we lay quietly in our roof top tent.

We left White Lady in search for more desert elephants higher up North. Palmwag was our next stop, but we were both unimpressed by the campsite and moved on the next morning. Destination PURROS. We heard many great things about Purros and although the Brandt travel guide described the road as - “deceptively good for the first few kilometres, but then deteriorates significantly as it crosses increasingly hostile terrain with no shade. Boneshaking surfaces do nothing for even the hardiest of tyres, and numerous river crossings make losing the road altogether a real possibility. This is not a trip to be taken lightly.” - we decided to give it a go. To our surprise, the road was easy driving and apart from a few riverbeds and sandy stretches, it was a very pleasurable and very scenic trip to Purros. If you scan the area carefully, you will also find one of the “Lone Stoneman” on route.

Despite its remoteness, there are numerous campgrounds in the area. Always keen to support individuals instead of big companies, we chose the Purros Canyon Camp which is owned and managed by a local gentleman and renowned guide named Robbin. Robbin created three rustic sites in the shade of huge, old camel thorn trees. The setting was beautiful, and the work and effort Robbin put into his campsites made us appreciate our stay even more. The next day, we drove down the Hoarusib Riverbed into the canyon in search of the desert-adapted elephants. Although we found plenty of tracks, the elephants were nowhere to be seen. The scenery, however, was spectacular and definitely worth a visit.

🅛🅘🅝🅚🅢
Purros Canyon Camp
Brandberg White Lady Lodge

🅗🅔🅝🅣🅘🅔🅢🅑🅐🅨

Having heard so many fisherman tales of Hentiesbay, I couldn't leave the region without having fished along the various fishing spots (aka "gats"). To name but a few: "Bennie Se Rooi Lorrie Se G*t", "Predikant's G*t" and, not to forget, "Sarah Se G*t".

Following the recommendation from Wally at Leon's Tackle Shop in Swakopmund, we headed to Jorg Wallder's Fishing cottage "Gone Fishing". The cottage was perfect for us, it had everything we need and was in a perfect location. And what a relief it was that we stayed in a cottage and not in our tent as the Easterly Winds blew solidly for the first four days.

Once again we were showered with the warm Namibian hospitality and kindness. Walder took us out on his fishing excursions with Urm Gerd, invited us to a braai on the beach with his friends, and was an excellent fishing guide as he shared his knowledge and love for the sport.

What was supposed to be a 3 night stay turned into 8 nights. Hentiesbay may not be to everyone's liking, but the people we met made it a very special and memorable place for us, and we hope we will be able to visit everyone again soon!

🅣🅘🅟🅢:

>⃝ Go Fishing! Why else did you come all this way to Henties?!

>⃝ Get your fish cleaned, the car washed while having a cold beer at Skubbe

>⃝ Book into "Gone Fishing"!

>⃝ Eat out at "Go Fishy"

🅢🅦🅐🅚🅞🅟🅜🅤🅝🅓 / 🅦🅐🅛🅥🅘🅢 🅑🅐🅨

After weeks in the mountains and the desert, we decided it's time to be near the water. It was Alf's birthday week and he is the most content when he is near the ocean.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Swakop. So much in fact that we forgot to pick up the camera. Swakop truly is a little Europe within Africa. It's a blend of the laid back Africa lifestyle with a definite strong influence of German values. The town is neat, clean and organized and everyone was super friendly and went out of their way to help us.

We visited the museum, enjoyed walking along the beach and eating out in cool spots along the coast while watching the sun set.

On Alf's birthday, we went on an boat excursion with Mola Mola. We left Swakop very early in the morning and drove to Walvisbay. It's a beautiful drive along the coast - the sea on one, the desert dunes on the other side. The boat trip was fantastic. The skipper was brilliant, a wealth of knowledge, and a number of unexpeced visitors kept us amused with their antics on and around the boat. To finish it off, we were served the biggest oysters we have ever seen and a bottle of bubbly.

🅣🅘🅟🅢:

> Eat out at " Brewer and Butcher", try their beer tasting tray with the pork belly bites.

> Have fish & chips on the beach at the surfer's hut at "The Wreck"

> You will find the best home-made rusks and fresh farm produce at "Die Plaaskombuis Swakopmund"

> Have sundowners and oysters at "Tiger Reef"

🅝🅐🅜🅘🅑 🅝🅐🅤🅚🅛🅤🅕🅣

On our last day in Sossusvlei, the wind started to pick up substantially it was a noisy and dusty night in the tent. We were happy to pack up the next morning to head inland, away from the howling sandstorm. Our next destination was the Namib Naukluft National Park, famous for the Mountain Zebras.

With limited choices inside the park, we decided to stay at Farm Buellsport. We were assigned the campsite "Old Police Station" which was in an unbelievable scenic setting: old ruins from German colonial times (hence the name), surrounded by mountains offering total privacy. No hot water or electricity but a donkey you could light if a cold shower isn't your thing.

There are numerous hiking trails on the property. We chose the full Quiver Tree Hiking trail which starts and ends at the "Old Police Station", taking you up to the barren plateau to an elevation of 1885m from where you can look out for mountain zebras, then down through the lush green, water-rich gorge which is filled with wildlife. The hike takes about 7-8 hours and we clocked up 17km. The terrain was sometimes quite challenging but it was worth the effort: Magnificent old Quiver Trees, some of them in full blossom, three impressive Hamerkop nests, (Hamerkops built the biggest nests in the world) and a large troop of baboons who followed the same route for a good three hours. On the final stretch we came across fresh leopard tracks but to our disappointment we didn't catch a glimpse of the leopard.

The next day we took a drive into the Naukluft NP on the hunt (with camera) for the mountain zebra. The roads are in a shocking condition, and haven't been maintained for many years. We spent about an hour in the park and just as we were about to leave we spotted a large herd of mountain Zebras. What a perfect ending to our stay at Buellsport!

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> Stay at Buellsport "Old Police Station" campsite

> Have at least one dinner at the farm. The food was super delicious and plentiful, most ingredients home-grown. Yummy. Plus it gives you the opportunity to meet the owners who know the area inside out and can give you valuable tips for your stay in the area.

🅢🅞🅢🅢🅤🅢🅥🅛🅔🅘

Leaving Landsberg wasn't easy. It was one of those places that make you feel at home immediately and we could have stayed for many more weeks. With a heavy heart we said goodbye to Tommy and Landsberg and made our way up to Sesriem. Having lived in the desert for almost 20 years, the Namibian desert hadn't been on our must-see-list on our previous trips. We know what the desert looks like, right?! How wrong we were!! The Namib desert is spectacular!!

Coming from Landsberg, we drove through the NamibRand Nature Reserve: very scenic landscape, chores of zebras, oryx, springbocks and LOTS of corregated roads....And we mean LOTS! After being shaken and stirred for a few hours, we arrived at Seshriem.

The next morning was an early rise and shine. The gate to Sossusvlei NP opens at 6:15 am (times change according to sunrise) and we wanted to get into the park asap. The drive to Sossusvlei/Deadvlei takes about 60 minutes and the last 10 minutes is through soft, deep, churned up sand. If you don't have a Landcruiser, take the shuttle! (Just kidding, any decent 4x4 should get you to the final stop.)

At Deadvlei, we followed a lovely gentleman - who had been there before - because we had no idea how to get to Deadvlei. Unfortunately (or fortunately) , we took a wrong dune and before we knew it, we were on our way up to Big Daddy (325 m). Everyone who ever climbed desert dunes knows that this is not fun. Allow 1 – 2 hours for the hike up and take plenty of water with you. The view from the top is breathtaking. If you make it to Deadvlei nice and early, climbing Big Daddy is a must!

When we slid down into Deadvlei, the sun was in a perfect position and there were hardly any people. Lots of time to take photos and admire the changing light in the pan.

After Deadvlei we drove to Sossusvlei which was filled with water and quite a spectacular sight among the huge dunes.

If you are unsure of making the at times grueling drive to Sossusvlei, I would strongly recommend that it should be part of your Namibian itinerary (time permitting).

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>⃝ Beat the crowds and be at the gate when it opens

>⃝ Camp at the new Seshriem Oshana Campsite (private ablutions and kitchen area) instead of the old NWR campsite (communal and in need of TLC) . BOTH are inside the park and allow you to enter an hour earlier and exit an hour later than everyone else camping outside the park.

🅕🅐🅡🅜 🅛🅐🅝🅓🅢🅑🅔🅡🅖

Driving from Luderitz to Langsberg took us back towards Aus, then along the scenic C13 towards Helmeringhausen. The gravel road was in a good condition which made for an easy drive, although, the 25 km onto the farm made me question why we had chosen Langsberg Campsite. These concerns quickly dissolved once we arrived at the site. Tommy Izko and his three dogs (Flop, a Beagle - what a character!) gave us a warm welcome and briefed us on the farm and surroundings.

All we can say is "WOW"! The views of the valley, the surrounding mountains and the huge night sky and the privacy on the campsite made us want more. The initial two night booking soon turned into four nights and then into ... 2 weeks!
After the third day Tommy invited us to join him for a braai at the farmhouse, he had what he called "the useless muscle from the Oryx rump". Cooked to perfection it melted in your mouth.

Our fireside stories revealed that he had a Honda XR600R motorbike which had recently been repaired in Windhoek however had an ongoing clutch issue... Oh and how I love mechanical challenges… After a few days Tommy was happily riding around the farm again on his favorite bike. Tommy graciously took us along when he needed to hunt for meat and allowed me to "play" in his workshop, building a gate for the veggie garden.

Although we were busy during the days, we absolutely loved the sense of satisfaction and relaxation as we watched the mountains turn crimson at the end of each day.

For a long time, we haven't felt so content.

🅚🅞🅛🅜🅐🅝🅝🅢🅚🅤🅟🅟🅔

The old principal town of the local diamond industry is a must see if you made it all the way to Lüderitz. For most people this ghost town is actually the only reason why they come to Lüderitz. It was completely abandoned 65 years ago and most buildings are left exactly as they were deserted. We were lucky, it was a very quite day and we had the ruins to ourselves, lots of time to take pictures and imagine what life must have been like for the people living and working in Kolmannskuppe in the early 1900.

𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀:
> Be there as early as possible!
> Don't leave without having had Apple Pie in the little Cafe in Kolmannskuppe, it was the best we have had in a very very long time!!!

🅻🆄🅳🅴🆁🅸🆃🆉

We didn't hear too many good things about this town - too windy, odd people, run-down, not worth a visit - but we had a fantastic time there! We stayed at a beautiful Airbnb at Shark Island right at the sea, ate tons of seafood, took a drive around the entire peninsular past Diaz Point and met some really great people. And if you want to see Kolmannskuppe (or Kolmanskop), there is no better place to stay in order to get early access. More about the famous ghost town in our next post...

Leaving The White House, we headed towards the Fish River Canyon and stayed at the Gondwana Roadhouse Campsite. The Roadhouse is quirky with decent food, and the campsites were spacious and private. However, camping under a Camel Thorn Tree and the nasty spikes from the appropriately named plant "Devil's Thorn" often resulted in very colorful language. I once pulled out 45 thorns from one shoe after the short walk to the ablutions.

The Fish River Canyon was definitely worth a visit. Although it was a gloomy and very windy day, it didn't fail to impress. There are numerous drives to different view points, some easy, some a bit more challenging. We spent a good four hours driving and walking around. Our favorite spot was the horse shoe at the Zebra Pools. Due to the wash aways and erosions, which our Landcruiser mastered easily, we would currently not suggest taking this route in a 2x4.

Unless you want to do the 5-day guided hike in the Fish River Canyon, a two night stop is enough to discover the area.

It took us close to 3 hrs to get through both the South African and Namibian border posts - half the time the poor truck drivers take on a regular basis! Finally, we are really on our way.. . Using suggestions from friends and various other sources we have a basic idea of where we are going but no solid plans, recently life has taught us not to plan too far ahead...

Our first stay in Namibia was at The White House Campsite near Grünau. It was meant to be a one night stop over, but we loved the area and extended our stay. Our hosts offered dinner at the campsite, all we can say is "Wow"! Home-cooked lamb shoulder with assorted veggies and a sweet potato crumble which was outstanding!

There are hiking trails on the farm and you can visit their Rose Quartz mine, the scenic drive to the mine takes about 40 minutes. We couldn't have asked for a better first stay in Namibia. A big thank you to our amazing hosts Dolf and Kinna De Wet!!

It was a long bumpy road until we could finally start our adventure. Flight bans, flooded Okavango Delta, niggling issues with the trailer and the odd equipment issues. But we are finally on our way and just crossed the border into Namibia.

It's a completely new plan, new route! Since making plans in this ever-changing, crazy Covid world hasn't worked out for us, we decided to just see where the road takes us. As a result, we will post what we have done and not what we intend doing.

The pictures are from the Quiver Tree Route in the Norther Cape, around Khamkirri and Riemvasmaak Hot Springs. The landscape is truly impressive. Vast, barren moonscape, not a living thing in sight.

Our departure date is set, the route through Botswana has been finalized with all campsites confirmed. The next part of our journey will take us into the western region of Zimbabwe to explore the Hwange National Park and the Victoria Falls. After that, we will head north into Zambia towards Kafue National Park.
It will be our first time road-tripping through Zambia, should anyone have first hand experience of the region, we’d love to hear about it!

Welcome to our page! We are about to start our biggest adventure yet: a 10-month road trip through Africa. This trip wasn't planned until 2030 but along came a pandemic and turned our life upside down. So here we are in "temporary retirement", planning our trip into unknown lands. All that is missing now is a 4x4, a trailer and a tent, and soon we will be on the road!