A Big Cat Experience

feeding time for cheetah

So with my last full day in Namibia, John and i splurge on a visit to Amani Lodge some 20kms south west of Windhoek, found off C26.

Chameleon Backpackers run tours here every afternoon (including champagne) for N$1025 per person. This seems really expensive as the cost from Amani is still expensive, but at N$440, much reduced. John and i will share a taxi ride, so we are reduce the costs dramatically.

Known as “The Big Cat Experience” it provides an opportunity to get up and personal with cheetah, lion and leopard.


The location is superb offering fine views over both Windhoek and the surrounding terrain. The tour begins at 2.30pm sharp, and Peter, our young guide for the day certainly knows his stuff.

All three of these big cats have their own large enclosure. Our first stop is a group of five cheetahs. The six travellists stand in a small wooden enclosure whilst Peter throws out chunks of meet just metres form where we stand. Sure enough, within moments, the cheetah come hungrily through the scrubland and pretty much ignore the presence of us humans and devour the offering.

tucking into a hunk of snack

Next up is a visit to the solitary leopard. We are warned he is very shy and hasn’t been seen for several days. We catch the fleetest of glimpses and swiftly disappears despite Peter’s meat temptations and leopard calls.

Our final stop is to visit the two lions. These resplendent beasts pay little attention to us as more meat is dispatched. The male takes the lion share before saving a few scraps for the female.

one hungry male

the female lioness

Come sunset and we return to the lodge for champagne and are given a glimpse of two more cheetah, one a four month old wild and very frisky cub and a large female known as the Teddy Bear – a very much domesticated cat indeed.

An Eye and a Lens

There is more than just flamingos in Walvis Bay. Pelicans abound too. Ungainly in the air and spectacular on their water landings.

Walvis Bay

Walvis Bay lagoon

Some 32kms south of Swakopmund through the Kalahari desert lies Walvis Bay. Built up and around a large lagoon, despite just a few kilometres seperating the towns, Walvis Bay often avoids the fog that is common around Swakopmund.

the road from Swakopmund to Walvis Bay through the Kalahari

This cool, laid-backed town has held much importance, boasting Namibia’s only deep sea port, and indeed South Africa kept this enclave till 1994 – two years after Namibian independence. Indeed there still remains a cricket ground and rugby posts in the parks.

Although the town continues to grow fast without a distinct town centre, there is still a small town feel to the place, Gone are the Colonial German buildings, but the place seems more African influenced which personally i prefer. Indeed after the foggy swampiness of Swako, skies brighten and we feel warm once again.

Salt extraction is big business here, but South African owned. Only the raw salt is exported out of here where it is taken across to South Africa for processing used for industrial purposes only. Concern has been raised that further production will eventually block off the lagoon entirely within the next 8 – 10 years.

the docks at sunset

Most of the town’s activities seem to revolve around the lagoon. There are plenty of bird-watching opportunities with plenty of pelicans and flamingos to be spotted. John is in twitcher heaven!

flamingo in the bay

pelicans abound

Listed in the Top 10 most important African coastal wetlands the area supports up to 160,000 during the summer months and some 68,000 in winter.

Boat rides to visit Cape Fur seal colonies, and bottlenose and Benguela dolphins can be spotted from boats and catamarans. In October and November, minke, southern right, humpback and killer whales can be spotted.

A golf course lies to the south of town which i have to try and check up on.

a message for us all!

dead jellyfish litter rhe beach

The Dolphin Coffee Shoppe at the corner of Esplanade and Atlantic Avenue offers excellent breakfasts and light meals at reasonable prices.

We're staying at the comfortable Loubser's Backpackers on 3rd Street West which is cheap, well maintained and self contained. Perfect!

A classic place just to chill out.

An Eye and a Lens

flamingos at sunset

32kms south of Swakopmund, Walvis Bay is famous for its bird-life. Pelicans and flamingos abound.

Walking around the lagoon at sunset provides excellent conditions for this picture. No post production has been used in this composition.

Swakopmund

the sea front

Bradt’s Namibia guidebook reckons that Swakopmund is viewed by Namibians as the country’s only seaside resort, and i reckon they are probably right.

The South Atlantic blows across the coastline bringing mist, fog and noticeably lower temperatures in this rather weird oasis.

Surrounded by the desert, the town oozes its German colonial roots at every corner. Large clean avenues and traditional German-style buildings give the town a sense of Bavaria at the beach. After our recent sojourn up in the North East of Namibia it all comes across as somewhat surreal and i have lost the sense of traditional Africa.

Surrounded by the Kalahari desert, up until very recently Swakopmund had to pipeswater into the town some 300kms away. However, a desalination plant has now been built.

Swakopmund's museum is next to the lighthouse on the front. Founded in 1952 it has a bit of everything, including natural history, archeology, minerals and a new vaguely interactive display on uranium mining. There is also a completely reconstructed dentist's surgery and old-style pharmacy. It is open weekdays 10 - 5pm and Saturday mornings. Admission is N$25.

There is an Arts and Craft market close by to the museum outside the State House.

The town also boasts a few good bookshops and a cinema which off-season can be almost empty of customers.

German style church

Swakopmund is reinventing itself as an adventure sport town with sand-boarding, kayaking, skydiving and quad-biking vying for the attention of adrenalin-seeking travellists. Desert Explorers offers quadbiking for an hour at N$300, Go-karting at N$260 per hour, sandboarding from N$250, paragliding at N$790 and and tandem skydiving at N$1900. For more passive pursuits dolphin cruises depart in the morning at N$450 (including a light lunch) and catamaran charters also at N$450.

This is also the town where Angelina Jolie came to give birth to her non-adopted brood, staying at the highly exclusive Long Beach just south of the town.

street mural

Prices seem to rival or indeed exceed Windhoek, most notably in the restaurants and accommodation, and John and i opt for the dormitories of Villa Wiese some 10 minutes walk from the town centre. These are available at N$115 per night. The villa was built in 1904 and much of the wood comes from a plethera of ships that sunk off the Namibian coast.

Beryl’s offers a cheap bite to eat in the form of burgers, pizzas, snitzels and fried chicken. I try an oryx steakburger at Bistro's which is has a slightly tougher and gamier texture to it than regular beef. They are kosher too!

Bavaria by the beach?


the Youth Hostel

Windhoek Beer

Josef - a beer connoisseur

Although not a beer drinker, Josef who is a six pack a day man swears by the quality of Namibia’s special brew Windhoek Beer circa 1920.

Clearly a high compliment from a German. And he is clearly not alone for the beer (lager to us Brits) has now been assigned the status of one of the top ten beers in the World (the source is The Namibian, but it fails to say which survey this is from).

It was announced last week that they will now be exporting Windhoek Beer to London. Grab a bottle if you can!

Rondu

the Kavango River

Rondu is a small northern town, and makes an alternative stop for John and i on our return to Tsumeb. It sits on the Kavango river and makes a good chill-out spot.

Without Josef, it’s Yours Truly who is behind the wheel, and damn fine i do too despite the lack of recent driving practise – it has been some eight years now since i last sat behind a steering wheel. Like riding a bicycle it is clear that one never forgets. Whilst John has a driving license with him his glasses are broken. I have a UK driving license which i failed to pack for my African Adventures - DRATS!

We splurge at the Ngandu Safari Lodge. Lonely Planet describe it as a place to suit all budgets but we have to pay some N$535 for a basic, but comfortable double. We push the boat out even further by ordering a T-bone steak with fries and dessert of vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce. After three weeks on the road this is the first time i eat at a “real” restaurant.

At such places i endeavour to load up on the free breakfast buffet and today is no exception. John gets my liver and bacon and i pretty much polish everything else off.

From Rondu it is some 511km back to Tsumeb and suddenly it feels like coming home. The roads are a pleasure to drive with virtually no traffic. Aub notes it seems that only whites own private cars.

It’s a sad farewell to the Kavango district, but a trip up here comes with my highest recommendation. The scenery is beautiful and offers a glimpse into traditional African village life.

Kavango District

traditional life in Kavango

Heading up out of Tsumeb we drive some 550kms up to Popa Falls close to the borders with Angola and Botswana.

The further north one travels in Namibia, the greener the country becomes with the larger rainfalls. As we enter the Kavango region i really get a sense of Africa, away from the feel of colonialisation. Gone are the security fences surrounding opulent houses and farms, small thatched wooden huts are enclosed by basic stick fences. Cattle and a few goats are herded and a few maize fields are growing along the side of the road.

The road is sealed and straight, and Josef opens up our rented Hyundai like Michael Schumacher.

We arrive at sunset into Popa Falls, where accommodation prices seem to have sky-rocketed since the Lonely Planet was last updated. After shopping around the Pupa Falls Lodge run by the Namibian Wildlife Resorts gets our vote. Despite the somewhat run-down chalet at N$250 per person plus breakfast, it’s some N$100 cheaper than its surrounding competitors.

Set next to the Oriwanga river it is a picturesque stopping point before we hit the Caprivi strip. We will endeavour to get up at dawn to look for hippo and we have to hit the road early anyway to see if we can bring in the car to Zambia.

Be warned however! The Falls are actually small rapids. Clearly trying to tempt passers by.

Tsumeb

Tucked away in Namibia’s northern corner lies the somewhat Hicksville town of Tsumeb. Small, clean and clearly historically very German. According to Lonely Planet, this is “perhaps Namibia’s loveliest town”. It comes equipped with ATMs, Bureaus de Changes and a quality Pick and Pay supermarket.

For the geologists amongst you, this is said to be a mineral collectors heaven. 184 minerals have been found in and around the town, with 10 of these found no-where else on the planet.

For myself and my two odd travelling companions, Josef, a 62 year old German, and John, a 70 year old whore-mongerer from Oregon/East Washington State, it is a pretty cool jump-off point for both Etosha National Park and also onward travel across to Zambia. By travelling together we have secured a rental of a Golf 4 door at a really reasonable rate for 7 days of exploration – Euros185 for seven days via http://holidayautos.de – the English site doesn’t seem to accept Tsumeb as a reasonable point to collect a vehicle, so a big hurrah for Josef! This saves almost two thirds of the price asked for by the hire car company in town.

Navigating around Tsumeb’s few streets has been made a bit more tricky as a few months ago all the street names were updated to local politicians, doctors and dignitaries.

the German-style Church

Arriving in late last night, we stumble upon Martin’s Guest House. Whilst quite pleasant rooms, small kitchen, two aviaries and a “Social Room” this place doubles up as a whore-house. Two rather scantily-clad and rather attractive Namibian girls greet us on our arrival.

We can’t wait to check out this morning, and as the highly recommend Mousebird Backpackers is currently undergoing construction we opt for the clean, tidy and efficient Etosha Cafe and Beer-garden on the main thoroughfare – formally known as Main Street. There are several other options available, but i reckon we have done good.

The Tsumeb Museum situated on the Main Street (now named Presidents Avenue) offers a glimpse of Tsumeb through history, from pre-Colonial days to German occupation and beyond. It displays old steam engines, artefacts from mining times, a large collection of assorted minerals, stamps and even the scouting movement in Tsumeb. The museum is open 9am – 12pm and 2pm – 5pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 12pm on Saturdays. Entrance is N$20 for adults and N$2 for children under 13.

inside Tsumeb museum

The Mineral Gallery also on Presidents Avenue appears to have closed down.


As for safety, locals tell me the city is no problem during the day in carrying bags and cameras, but by about 6pm the streets are almost deserted. We are warned not to wonder around after 11pm.

a local with quality earrings

Namib Naukluft National Park

Sossusvlei sand dunes lie to the South West of Windhoek in the Namib Naukluft National Park. Lonely Planet describe it as the Namibia of the picture books and the movies, “and it doesn’t disappoint”.

Sossusvlei is a huge ephemeral pan set amid infamous red sand dunes as high as 325 metres. This is part of the Namib desert which stretches some 2000kms between South Africa and Angola. There are some 32,000 square kilometres of sand and are part of the oldest and driest ecosystems in the world.

I take the three day tour option from Chameleon Backpackers Lodge which costs N$3850 with a N$600 single person supplement. Proof of travel insurance is required. Food and accommodation are provided and the only additional costs to the traveller is water and soft drinks. Tea and coffee are provided after each meal. Luggage is limited to 15kgs per person. Passports are essential to take, as indeed proof of travel and medical insurance. It is recommended that you bring the following:-
• Neutral coloured casual clothing
• Stout shoes
• Jumper
• Flashlight
• Sunhat
• Towel
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses

The vast sand dunes change both colour and shape during the course of the day, casting interesting shadows in the early morning and evening. I’m particularly keen to view the night stars with zero light pollution.

Day One
It’s some 350kms drive down from Windhoek to the National Park and we depart at about 11.40am with Beanie, our guide, and three pairs of travellists. Taking the road heading south, our first landmark is Heroes Arch, a large monolith which pays tribute to the Independence movement. Controversially it cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, using imported materials and built by predominantly Chinese builders. The straight road is heads on down underneath the railway bridge forming what is known at the “Window to the South”.

the "Window to the South"

The road is paved all the way to some 87kms to Rehoboth. This colourful settlement is predominantly made up of some 15 - 20,000 Barstars – people of mixed decent who became outcasts from both the White and Black communities. Indeed there was a strong claim by these residents back in 1974 for their own independent state, but the situation has improved somewhat. There is a local spa which seems to be used exclusively by locals. They are famed for their excellent farming skills.

From here we take the unsealed road, the C24 first via Klien Aub (Small Fountain) an old gold mining town with just a few buildings and then onto Rietoog, a tiny community of Nama tribe. After the turnoff to Bullsport we take the C14 and then right on the D854 into the Namib Naukluft National Park . Almost immediately we see a family of warthog, gazelle and three large ostriches.

At about 4.50pm we stop for the night at Desert Camp about 6kms from Sesreim. Desert Camp was recently taken over by Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and their entourage. A cool choice methinks.

The evening light is gorgeous and we enjoy lamb chops, beef sausages and a Greek salad for dinner. The night sky does not disappoint. With zero light pollution and a cloudless sky, the freckles of light are simply amazing.

Desert Camp - our base in the park

view from Desert Camp

Day Two

It is a 5am rise to ensure we can be one of the first in line to enter the park at Sesriem. Although the gate says the park is open from sunrise to sunset, (traditionally at 6am), by 6.15 a huge tail-back is getting more impatient.

take a balloon and avoid the queues - if your rich!

Sesriem is the gateway to Sossusvlei where a park permit is required, and it’s some 65kms on to Sossusvlei along a paved road. Most vehicles stop off at the famous Dune 45 for sunrise, but Beanie has got other ideas and heads over to Deadvlei stopping on the way to watch the incredible changing light over the sand dunes. The dramatic swathes of light cast contrasting colours and shadows which change visibly every few moments and make for the most surreal and Dali-esque landscapes.





winds creates an ever-changing landscape on the dunes

It’s a some 5 and a half kilometers hike across the dunes from the car park to Deadvlei, where the images become even more surreal. Water disappeared here some a long time ago and skeletal trees remain almost undamaged for some 600 years. I spend a good half hour walking round this parched arid area, before we return to the vehicle and head further into the park up to Sossusvlei. There’s time for a bracing 25 minute walk up the 110 metre high sand-dune, as the light continues to strengthen, flatten out the shadows and the colours change to a pastel yellow. It only takes 5 minutes to return to the bottom.

Aubs on the summit

After a hearty brunch, watched eagerly by a lone jackal, we head out of the park for an ice-cream and cold drink break via Dune 45. The wind has picked up and the sands are blowing fiercely of the ridge. Most of the dunes are numbered for scientific research and most are off-limits to park visitors. Dune 45 must be one of the most photographed sand dune in the World.





We head back into the park again, this time heading to Sesreim canyon, a mere baby at about 65 million years. After all the sites from the morning shoot, it is a little disappointing.



Fortunately we are rewarded with a sighting of an oryx, the national symbol of Namibia.

oryx in the dunes

We’re back at Desert Camp by 4pm, but i’m keen to explore some more, so I take a short hiking trail around an island rock. I stroll real slow and am rewarded by one of the most stunning sunsets I have witnessed.









Despite the heavy clouds, they pass quickly and by the time our barbeque chicken is ready at 7pm, the skies are alight with stars again.

Day Three

It’s always sad to say goodbye to such a beautiful environment, so it is with a heavy heart that after a 7am breakfast we head back to Windhoek, this time passing through the tiny settlement of Solitaire, named after a dead tree. The apple pie from the bakery is awesome, and the bakery is run by a real character who came to town 20 years ago to visit his sister and never left. The roads are clear and we are back in the metropolis by 2pm.



graveyard of the car - Solitaire

An amazing safari that really is a Must Do for visitors to Namibia.

Editor Addition: Yes my photos are cool, but they are copyright. These and more photos can be found by clicking here.

Windhoek

the Atlas Building in the city centre

Some 240,000 people live in the capital situated in the Central Highlands at an altitude of 1660m. This remains the main commercial hub of the country, and, with its heavily German colonial past, it is somewhat staid and orderly. The mixed population of the city reflects Namibia's cultural melting pot and tribes people from Kavango, Herero, Damara, Nama and Europeans all contribute to the vibrant community of the city. Lonely Planet claim it is generally safe during the day, but does not recommend walking around alone at night. Further advise at the guesthouse tell me that even during the day, carry nothing with you - no camera, no MP3s, no day-pack. I am disappointed but follow their advise.

This modern city is well-maintained and set out with German quality and organisation. Streets are clean with a plethora of rubbish bins along the main thoroughfares. Certainly one doesn’t get the feeling of “oh hell! I’m about to be mugged”. However i do note that very few people actually carry any bags apart from plastic grocery bags. There are a number of shopping malls (there is even a Woolworth’s snuck away in Hernhill Park) and grocery stores scattered throughout the city. ATMs are aplenty for restocking on local currency. It is very easy to navigate around the city centre on foot.

The city is adorned with Anti-Aids posters, but rather than recommending using condoms or abstinence, they advise just sticking with one partner.

For those lovers of tobacco, this is somewhat of a rare paradise and it appears you can light up anywhere, including shopping malls and restaurants.

Sights include the Alte Feste (Monday – Friday 9am – 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10.30am – 12.30pm) are Windhoek’s oldest surviving buildings dating back to 1890, with white washed ramparts and housing the historical section of the State Museum. Exhibits include a detailed history of Namibia’s move to independence as well as some old muskets, musical instruments, domestic appliances and furniture. Unfortunately the aesthetics are somewhat spoilt by the nearby secondary school and a new construction site on the other side. Entry is free.

At the affiliated Owela Museum (opening times the same as Alte Feste) has exhibits of the cultural and natural history. Some rather old taxidermy work on Namibian animals and birds take up much of the natural history section, the highlight for me being the explanations behind the fast encroaching extinction of the cheetahs. The cultural history looks at details of the different Namibian tribes-people. There is also a current exhibition on European explorers to the region. Again, the entry is free of charge.

The National Art Gallery has a mix of older and contemporary art some of which is for sale. It opens 9am Tuesday to Saturday. The photographs are particularly good, including the chronicles of Red Cross in the country. There is also an exhibition of jazz performers who have visited Namibia, including Dizzy Gillespie, Louie Armstrong, Miles Davis and Stanley Brubeck situated in the concert hall. The gift shop has some great pieces at what looks like fair prices. No money is asked, but you are expected to sign the Guest Book on entry.

Also situated on Robert Mugabe Avenue is Tinten Palast Gardens, just in front of the Parliament building. These are small, but well maintained and offers a shady respite from the city.

Post St Mall is a bizarre and colourful shopping mall boasting curios, art and clothes mainly from Zimbabwe and a display of several Gibeon meteorites. The helpful and friendly Namibian Tourist Board operate from the 1st floor of the Channel Life Tower building. Close by is a Zoo Park which i haven’t checked out.

The Namibian Wildlife Resorts (NWR) office has moved and is now near the junction between Post St Mall and Independence Road.

As for dining experiences, i have little to report as i am predominantly self-catering. However King Pie (several branches scattered across the city) gets my vote with a decent selection of beef, chicken and vegetable pies on offer at reasonable prices. Little Italian pizzas are good and will deliver. I have resisted the temptations of Kentucky Fried Chicken and Wimpy. Raith’s on the corner of Post Street and Independence Avenue does a great double espresso.