This is the second part of our blog as we travel through the countries on our Desert Tracker – DTR19 tour. Today’s post includes our personal highlights on tour and Namibia:
Personal highlights
I will never forget my trip to Africa. The truth is that Africa can be an incredibly arduous and expensive continent to do by yourself. That is why overlanding is such a great option. The tour operates in the safest way and packs in as many amazing sights as possible. What this means is that, besides our stops in the cities and night stays with the locals, you are quite isolated. Bonding with your group happens quickly – we had an incredible group of people that got along from the start. Countless laughs, late nights around the fire, early mornings watching the sunrise, and card games in the truck is how I will remember my trip.
So now that you’ve got the ins and outs of daily life aboard the truck, you still might be stuck on deciding where to visit out of the endless options Acacia offers. Though this is strictly speaking of the countries that Desert Tracker covers, hopefully it will give you an insight as to what Southern Africa can offer!
Our Desert tracker tour began in beautiful Cape Town. Even though on paper the route only spends one day in South Africa, it is highly recommended to give yourself a few day to soak up everything Cape Town has to offer. Table Mountain, penguins at Boulder Beach, the V&A Waterfront etc, Cape Town is one of Africa’s most vibrant and modern cities. A must see!
Namibia
On day two we say goodbye to South Africa and begin our quest to Namibia. Gaining its independence in 1990, Namibia was formerly known as German South West Africa and its colonial presence echoes in each small town or farm holding passed through. Though a vast area, Namibia is home to less than two million people, most on account to its inhospitable arid desert climate and landscapes of desert templates. As a former colony of Germany, then falling under South African Administration, German and a host of other languages accompanied by clicks can be heard, creating an eclectic mix of its past, present, and future.
If you chose to venture into Namibia you’ll be given an experience never to forget. First bragging rights begin with the Fish River Canyon, the second largest in the world. As you walk along its edge you cannot help but feel its enormity as the sun sets in the distance, leaving you as a tiny fragment of its existence. Making our way north we stop at beautiful bush camps deep in natural settings of varying desert and rock masses like that of Spitzkoppe, fully immersing you in the desert lifestyle. Winds sweep through bringing sands, and smells, and animals of the desert and the landscapes continually take your breath away – but so can the cold, so dress accordingly in winter! Second bragging rights come with visiting thousands of year old bushman paintings in the desert rocks- remnants of some of the world’s first peoples, uncovering the fragility of life in the desert but also the immense adaptability of the human race.
As the group prepares to head north to Etosha National Park, the unique opportunity to visit a cheetah reserve exists where farmers have taken up conservation projects for local cheetahs. Due to the farm culture of Namibia, cheetahs are often shot by farmers in order to protect their valuable livestock but consequently hampering the cheetah’s livelihood. The visit allows an intimate, up close and personal experience to walk, touch, and stay admits tame cheetahs, shaping that once in a life time Kodak moment. Additionally locals take you on a game drive through an enclosure, not a cage, where feeding happens in a natural environment. A must see!
With all this excitement Namibia tops off its offering with the mighty Etosha National Park, one of Africa’s best. Two game drives allow for the possibility of viewing huge herds of elephants, zebras, kudu springbok, giraffes, and ostrich etc. The plentiful waterholes allowed us to spot lions lounging in the shade out of the hot sun and also rhino’s on multiple occasions! A favourite was the campsite in the park as it was in the vicinity of a waterhole where we were able to sit within 50 meters of all the animals as they escaped their thirst: Zebras, Rhinos, and Giraffes all in eye shot is an experience never to forget and not to mention the night-time roars of nearby lions as we slept in our tents! You can’t beat Etosha National Park!
In sum, Namibia is home to incredible national parks, wildlife, diverse landscapes and an eclectic colonial past that makes it one of the most incredible countries in Southern Africa. Those interested in adventure sports can also try their hand at sand boarding, quad biking, skydiving etc in the city stops. Namibia is one to add to your bucket list without a doubt.
Stay tuned for our last post as we leave Namibia and head into Botswana and then onto Livingstone, Zambia – the adventure capital where our tour ends
Written and images by: Kyle & Chelsey Acierno