Jewels Caprivi

A less-structured trip to Namibia has Helena Bester and friends enthralled by the many places to be discovered…

- Helena Bester

Because of the heavy rains in Botswana and Angola in 2017 which reportedly made water crossings very tricky, we decided to do another Namibia trip instead of venturing to Chobe, Savuti and Moremi. In essence, we abandoned a carefully planned trip to Botswana, and embarked on a less-defined Namibia trip. Decisions like these allow for free-flowing experiences. Going with the flow – which always heads somewhere – has the potential of reducing stress and resistance. When one surrenders to where one is steered by the days and the environment, it is like being part of the flow of a beautiful river like the Okavango…

After a six-hour drive from Cape Town, we had a pleasant rest at Kleinplasie Guesthouse in Springbok. After a hearty breakfast, we headed further north on the B1 to Keetmanshoop. For those overlanders who stick to main routes to quickly reach destinations or areas where they go off the beaten track, Trüpen Garden Accommodation in Keetmanshoop is an affordable and decent overnight option.

Our next port of call was 570km further north, at the Sun Karros Daan Viljoen camping resort en route to Etosha. The camping facilities are excellent, with private ablution and kitchen areas. We did a short 4x4 game drive (6.5km, and probably rated as a Grade 2 track) which was rewarding.

Heading further north for 437km on the C38 and B1 took us to the Anderson Gate at Etosha. Does anyone ever do a Namibia trip to the northern region without spending at least a couple of days in Etosha? My guess is that it’s not likely. We camped at Halali for five nights, from where we could do day trips to the northern and southern parts of the park. The plan was also to visit the new Elephant Camp west of Okaukuejo, which is focused mainly on campers, but the five days went by too quickly.