After four years on the road as a tour leader I have made the decision that it’s time for me to move into Acacia’s Cape Town Office. It was the most difficult decision of my life to leave my open air office on the road as a tour leader.
An advantage of being in the office is that we still get all the latest road news and stories from our brilliant tour leaders. Every time I hear their updates it reminds me of my first 19 Day Desert Tracker as a trainee and this tour is ideal for first time travellers to Africa. This tour includes some of Africa’s most popular game parks and attractions. It was quite hard to tell whether it was from excitement or the nerves but the pre-departure meeting definitely cooled down these mixed emotions and expectations of the weeks to come.
The first morning when we got onto the truck (not a bus) was quite overwhelming when I realised that this huge, but well equipped vehicle will be our home for the entire tour. The tour was fully booked with 24 people from all over the world and ready for this journey through Southern Africa.
Our first stop was in the Cederberg Mountain Region and this is where the tour leader familiarized everyone with the layout of the truck, showed us how to pitch our tents and the optional wine tasting experience for those interested in the wines of the area.
Our next stop was on the banks of the longest river in South Africa that is called the Orange/Gariep River. An amazing location and the best way to appreciate this unique area is a canoeing trip. Like everyone else on tour I didn’t really know what to expect on this tour but day three was definitely the beginning of my love for Namibia which is now also my favourite African country.
Despite all the long drives on some days the scenery along the way certainly made every minute on the road worth it with “toilet stops” in the middle of nowhere that is undoubted part of the African experience. Day three was a short drive to the Fish River Canyon but also the day that we had to say goodbye to tarred roads for a few days and hello to the gravel roads. It’s the 2nd largest canyon in the world and it has given us fantastic photo opportunities. That is one of the sunsets that I will remember for the rest of my life as everyone was taking pictures at the main view point whilst the sun was setting over the far horizon.
Our first early morning was on day four for the long but stunning drive to the Namib Desert that is also the oldest desert in the world and where we have spent two nights in the area. The highlight of the day was when we got our first glimpse of the sand dunes, a short visit to the Sesriem Canyon and climbing Dune 45 to see one of the most beautiful sunrises in the world.
By this time everyone was so familiar with the vehicle, day to day routine and also made long time friends. Our next stop was the coastal town of Swakopmund and also the adventure capital of Namibia. There were so many activities to choose from. Me, I chose the quad biking in the dunes and sky diving (two ticks off my bucket list). We really enjoyed these two nights in a normal bed and a stop at one of the many internet cafes was a must to sent e-mails to my family/friends.
Leaving the comfort of Swakopmund behind, we headed to Spitzkoppe – a famous granite infused rock formation filled with art from the Bushman that inhabited the area over 20,000 years ago. The camp site is known for two specific things… the sunrise/sunset over the granite infused mountain and the starry filled skies. A true highlight to anyone that sees this magical place!
I’ve heard so many things about Etosha National Park before and it certainly didn’t disappoint with the wildlife on the game drives especially all the springboks, elephants, oryx, ostriches, giraffes, lions and many more. Another unique thing about the camp site was the floodlit waterhole where I have spent hours watching and waiting for animals. And yes, it paid off because after two hours the lions made their appearance and then the rhinos wandered in. Leaving Etosha National Park was sad, but everyone was excited to be on tarred roads again as we made our way to the capital of Windhoek and enjoyed the city life for a night before we moved onto the Kalahari in Botswana
Crossing the border we made our way to a local farm near Ghanzi where we have the opportunity to experience and interact with the bushman themselves. I’ve read so much about the Bushman tribe but the guided walk with them enriched my knowledge of their culture and unique ways of living. A truly inspiration moment to finally understand and be a part of a totally enriched culture!
Leaving the bushman behind we make our way to Maun and the Okavango Delta. There is nothing better in life than lying down in the mokoros (dugout canoes) whilst slowly making your way through the channels to our remote island for bush camping. We have done game walks with the local polers/guides and their knowledge of the fauna and flora of the area took my breath away.
As a South African you would say that I am used to all the wildlife and game drives in Africa. However, the game drive and sunset cruise in Chobe National Park proved that wrong and I was more excited than the entire group when we were surrounded with all the elephants, hippos, baboons, monkeys, etc.
It’s near the end of my first African experience outside of my own country and to top it off you can’t ask for a better end of a tour than the ‘Victoria Falls’ – one of the natural 7 Wonders of the World. There are many adventure activities to choose from and not only did we see the beautiful falls but also one more thing of my bucket list, let’s go bungeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
See you in Africa!
Written by: Arno Watson – Acacia reservations