Monday, 11 August 2025
Namibia - Sossusvlei
In July, 2025, I went on a 26 day trip to Africa, starting with Namibia then to Kenya. Other than a few days in Morocco as a side trip to a Spanish tour more than 20 years ago, this is my first trip to the continent as a destination and I was looking forward to it with a mix of anticipation and anxiety.
With a 10 hour layover in Frankfurt, it was a two day journey just to get to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. From there it was a 400 km trip on gravel roads to Sossusvlei, the base for visiting Dead Vlei, the highlight of my trip to Namibia. It was a tortuous journey through a barren landscape, There was little sign of life along the way except for a brief encounter with a herd of goats crossing the road. I only realized two weeks later what a stark contrast this was to Kenya where the roadside was full of a diversity of life, all the way from the Mara to Nairobi.
But Dead Vlei was worth the bumpy ride. The clay pan valley with dead acacia trees (believe to have died 600-700 years ago but preserved by the dry climate) was as stunning as I had expected, made even more dramatic by the occasional wind gusts. We were lucky the wind was not so bad that we couldn't access the valley but we were indeed worried when we woke up to howling winds outside our lodge that morning. Thankfully it calmed down as the morning wore on.
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| Looking out from Dead Vlei |
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| Leaving Windhoek for the desert |
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| Landscape along the way |
 Every time another car passed us, a lot of dust would be kicked up on the gravel. By the time we got to the lodge in the desert, the jeep was covered in red dust, as were the luggage in the trunk - and no doubt the passengers too!  |
| Goat crossing |
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| Huge weavers' nests on this tree |
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Close up of the nest |
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| A dune caught in the golden light |
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Heading towards the desert sunset |
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| Post sunset glow |
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| The road to Sossusvlei is partially paved but then the last 60 km to the parking is not and requires a 4x4 vehicle to access. The alternative is to wait for the shuttle service - a tough call on a windy day. |
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| The hike to Dead Vlei from the parking lot is supposed to be about 1 km but it definitely felt longer as it was walking uphill on soft sand. |
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| Looking back from the top of the dune - the parking lot has already disappeared in the windy gusts. |
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| The one shot I had always wanted to take |
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| Shifting sand as we speak |
Thursday, 14 August 2025
Namibia - Swakopmund
From Sossusvlei, it was another 5-6 hour drive to get to the coast, still mostly on gravel roads. We had by then gotten more or less used to the bumpy rides or developed our own coping techniques (neck pillow is a must!). More than admirable is our valiant driver who did it singlehandedly (metaphorical expression only ;-) - believe me he was gripping the wheel tightly with both hands all the time! And he probably would have an even harder time without the conscientious and white-knuckled co-pilot and navigator - it couldn't have been much fun to be in the front seat but have no control over the vehicle other than yelling out reminders to KEEP RIGHT and "watch out", and feeding the driver at appropriate intervals. We all heaved a sigh of relief when we saw the huge sand dunes and the beginning of the paved road in the last 100 km before Swakopmund.
There were some interesting stops along the way, including one at the Tropic of Capricorn and another one where we could see the overlapping meandering valleys of the Kuiseb River through the Kuiseb Canyon.
Swakopmund reminded me of a California beach town from the palm trees down to the long pier sticking out into the ocean. We had a great time at the dunes starting in the morning with a Living Desert tour where the guides dug up all kinds of desert creatures which we would never have seen on our own. In the afternoon we had our sand dune adventure including wild roller coaster rides up and down the dunes, something I had not anticipated but there were lots of photo ops so I stopped complaining. The Sandwich Harbour dunes are supposed to be some of the largest dunes in the world and are truly spectacular.
We feasted on different kinds of local catches during our two night stay in town, with the kabeljou and kingklip being the most memorable among the available fishes. The Atlantic sunsets were gorgeous on both days as we hung out on the long pier to catch the last light. Swakopmund was an unexpected pleasure.
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| Swakopmund - Sandwich Harbour Dunes |
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| Passing through the Tropic of Capricorn on the way to Swakopmund. At approximately latitude 23.5 degrees south, the Tropic of Capricorn marks the southernmost point where the sun can appear directly overhead at noon, which occurs during the December solstice. This makes it an important geographical line and a key feature of the Earth's tropical zone. |
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Quiver Trees along the way |
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| Hard enough in a 4x4 - can't imagine how tough it is for this brave biker |
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| This is a particularly tough stretch going down a winding incline on slippery gravel |
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| Uplifting of sedimentary rock layers |
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We drove through the Namib-Naukluft Park passing by the Kuiseb Canyon with it's almost interlocking sides along the Kuiseb River. The Canyon forms a natural boundary between the Namib dunes and the rocky desert. |
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| Kuiseb Canyon |
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| We even stayed for the blue hour |
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Living desert tour in the Dorob National Park was the beginning of a day in the sand dunes although the ones in Swakopmund are smaller than the ones in Sandwich Harbour Desert creatures exposed!  Sidewinding adder emerging from the sand    Caterpillar |
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Namaqua Chamaleon  |
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| Pink waters - the result of algae in the salt pans in Walvis Bay |
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| The amazing view where the sand dunes meet the ocean |
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| This is an old railway track that used to run across the desert |
We got back to Swakopmund in time for sunset, moon rise and more seafood!
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| Moonrise as the sun set |
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| Sunset over the Atlantic |
Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Namibia - Etosha National Park/Onguma Bush Camp
Etosha National Park is one of the largest national parks in Africa, spanning 8,600 square miles and supposedly has four of the "Big Five". We drove from the west entrance of the park to the east entrance in a full day drive, saw many springboks, zebras and elephants but didn't see any lions, leopards or rhinoceros. No off road driving is allowed so we were dependent on the animals appearing beside the road or at the waterholes. But we were lucky to see many young animals - guess it's the time of year that the babies are decent sizes and are easily visible.
We exited the Park and spent two nights at Onguma Bush Camp, a conservancy not far from the east entrance of the Park. We were fortunate enough to see a lion on a sundowner drive at this camp but no black rhinos or leopards. That will have to wait for Kenya. What was different at Onguma was that we spent a morning at a hide. This is quite an elaborate setup as you can see from the photos below. It is a new experience to be able to see wildlife so close without disturbing them although I think they are aware that we are watching them. We saw lots of birds and of course each one we saw is a lifer since they are unique to the continent.
Zebra and foal
Foal nursing
Giraffe and young
Foreplay
Yellow-billed Hornbill - one of the first birds I saw at the lodge
An Oryx - the only one we saw
First sighting of ostriches
Springboks locking horns seem to be a common sight.
A lone acacia tree is also a common sight on the grasslands, both here and in Kenya. This one has a weaver's nest.
Pale-chanting goshawk, one of many goshawks we saw.
Always easy to spot as they like to perch on tree tops.
Kori Bustard
First wildebeest sighting
The fenced path to the hide
Inside the hide
The hide on the outside
The hide gave us an unusual viewpoint, basically we were below ground and shooting at ground level. The photos below were taken from the hide. You can see it is like having the camera on the ground in front of the elephants.
This Southern Cordonbleu was right in front of our window
Warthog came for a drink
Eastern Paradise-Whydah
Birds are a bit harder from below ground but at least we didn't scare them away.
This White-backed vulture was picking branches from a bush in front of the hide to build its nest.
In the afternoon, we went for a sundowner drive on the property. There was a big effort to look for rhinos, but to no avail. However there were lots to see. We encountered this exceptionally spectacular bird, the Lilac-breasted roller, Namibia's national bird, beautifully lit in the golden hour.
This is how it got its name - it rolls when in flight. I was lucky to catch the roll.
We were headed towards the sunset spot when our road was blocked by a couple of elephants in some kind of conflict - not sure what they were doing but the situation was a little tense, with them not budging and then turning around. The guide did not want to risk an encounter so we backed off and found another route.
We lucked out - a lion was sitting in the middle of this alternate route!
We waited and it decided to walk away.
Our first lion
On the way back to the camp, we saw this elusive dik-dik, the smallest antelope
The dining room at the camp overlooks a pond that actually serves as a watering hole for the animals. So we always took our cameras with us at meals because there was always something to photograph. Below is a male kudu - our first sighting of a live kudu even though we had been trying its meat at various stops on our route. It is quite delicious.
Red-veined Dropwing dragonfly
Even an elephant dropped by in the blue hour
We enjoyed this beautiful sunset before we left Namibia. We drove to Windhoek to catch our flight to Kenya via Johannesburg. It was a six hour drive but thankfully on paved highway most of the time. Farewell Namibia!
Etosha National Park is one of the largest national parks in Africa, spanning 8,600 square miles and supposedly has four of the "Big Five". We drove from the west entrance of the park to the east entrance in a full day drive, saw many springboks, zebras and elephants but didn't see any lions, leopards or rhinoceros. No off road driving is allowed so we were dependent on the animals appearing beside the road or at the waterholes. But we were lucky to see many young animals - guess it's the time of year that the babies are decent sizes and are easily visible.
We exited the Park and spent two nights at Onguma Bush Camp, a conservancy not far from the east entrance of the Park. We were fortunate enough to see a lion on a sundowner drive at this camp but no black rhinos or leopards. That will have to wait for Kenya. What was different at Onguma was that we spent a morning at a hide. This is quite an elaborate setup as you can see from the photos below. It is a new experience to be able to see wildlife so close without disturbing them although I think they are aware that we are watching them. We saw lots of birds and of course each one we saw is a lifer since they are unique to the continent.
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| Zebra and foal |
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| Foal nursing |
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| Giraffe and young |
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| Foreplay |
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| Yellow-billed Hornbill - one of the first birds I saw at the lodge |
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| An Oryx - the only one we saw |
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| First sighting of ostriches |
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| Springboks locking horns seem to be a common sight. |
|
| A lone acacia tree is also a common sight on the grasslands, both here and in Kenya. This one has a weaver's nest. |
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| Pale-chanting goshawk, one of many goshawks we saw. Always easy to spot as they like to perch on tree tops. |
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| Kori Bustard |
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| First wildebeest sighting |
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| The fenced path to the hide |
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| Inside the hide |
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| The hide on the outside |
The hide gave us an unusual viewpoint, basically we were below ground and shooting at ground level. The photos below were taken from the hide. You can see it is like having the camera on the ground in front of the elephants.
|
| This Southern Cordonbleu was right in front of our window |
|
| Warthog came for a drink |
|
| Eastern Paradise-Whydah Birds are a bit harder from below ground but at least we didn't scare them away. This White-backed vulture was picking branches from a bush in front of the hide to build its nest. |
In the afternoon, we went for a sundowner drive on the property. There was a big effort to look for rhinos, but to no avail. However there were lots to see. We encountered this exceptionally spectacular bird, the Lilac-breasted roller, Namibia's national bird, beautifully lit in the golden hour.
|
| This is how it got its name - it rolls when in flight. I was lucky to catch the roll. |
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| Our first lion |
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| On the way back to the camp, we saw this elusive dik-dik, the smallest antelope |
The dining room at the camp overlooks a pond that actually serves as a watering hole for the animals. So we always took our cameras with us at meals because there was always something to photograph. Below is a male kudu - our first sighting of a live kudu even though we had been trying its meat at various stops on our route. It is quite delicious.
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We enjoyed this beautiful sunset before we left Namibia. We drove to Windhoek to catch our flight to Kenya via Johannesburg. It was a six hour drive but thankfully on paved highway most of the time. Farewell Namibia! |
Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Namibia - Etosha National Park/Onguma Bush Camp
Etosha National Park is one of the largest national parks in Africa, spanning 8,600 square miles and supposedly has four of the "Big Five". We drove from the west entrance of the park to the east entrance in a full day drive, saw many springboks, zebras and elephants but didn't see any lions, leopards or rhinoceros. No off road driving is allowed so we were dependent on the animals appearing beside the road or at the waterholes. But we were lucky to see many young animals - guess it's the time of year that the babies are decent sizes and are easily visible.
We exited the Park and spent two nights at Onguma Bush Camp, a conservancy not far from the east entrance of the Park. We were fortunate enough to see a lion on a sundowner drive at this camp but no black rhinos or leopards. That will have to wait for Kenya. What was different at Onguma was that we spent a morning at a hide. This is quite an elaborate setup as you can see from the photos below. It is a new experience to be able to see wildlife so close without disturbing them although I think they are aware that we are watching them. We saw lots of birds and of course each one we saw is a lifer since they are unique to the continent.
Zebra and foal
Foal nursing
Giraffe and young
Foreplay
Yellow-billed Hornbill - one of the first birds I saw at the lodge
An Oryx - the only one we saw
First sighting of ostriches
Springboks locking horns seem to be a common sight.
A lone acacia tree is also a common sight on the grasslands, both here and in Kenya. This one has a weaver's nest.
Pale-chanting goshawk, one of many goshawks we saw.
Always easy to spot as they like to perch on tree tops.
Kori Bustard
First wildebeest sighting
The fenced path to the hide
Inside the hide
The hide on the outside
The hide gave us an unusual viewpoint, basically we were below ground and shooting at ground level. The photos below were taken from the hide. You can see it is like having the camera on the ground in front of the elephants.
This Southern Cordonbleu was right in front of our window
Warthog came for a drink
Eastern Paradise-Whydah
Birds are a bit harder from below ground but at least we didn't scare them away.
This White-backed vulture was picking branches from a bush in front of the hide to build its nest.
In the afternoon, we went for a sundowner drive on the property. There was a big effort to look for rhinos, but to no avail. However there were lots to see. We encountered this exceptionally spectacular bird, the Lilac-breasted roller, Namibia's national bird, beautifully lit in the golden hour.
This is how it got its name - it rolls when in flight. I was lucky to catch the roll.
We were headed towards the sunset spot when our road was blocked by a couple of elephants in some kind of conflict - not sure what they were doing but the situation was a little tense, with them not budging and then turning around. The guide did not want to risk an encounter so we backed off and found another route.
We lucked out - a lion was sitting in the middle of this alternate route!
We waited and it decided to walk away.
Our first lion
On the way back to the camp, we saw this elusive dik-dik, the smallest antelope
The dining room at the camp overlooks a pond that actually serves as a watering hole for the animals. So we always took our cameras with us at meals because there was always something to photograph. Below is a male kudu - our first sighting of a live kudu even though we had been trying its meat at various stops on our route. It is quite delicious.
Red-veined Dropwing dragonfly
Even an elephant dropped by in the blue hour
We enjoyed this beautiful sunset before we left Namibia. We drove to Windhoek to catch our flight to Kenya via Johannesburg. It was a six hour drive but thankfully on paved highway most of the time. Farewell Namibia!
Etosha National Park is one of the largest national parks in Africa, spanning 8,600 square miles and supposedly has four of the "Big Five". We drove from the west entrance of the park to the east entrance in a full day drive, saw many springboks, zebras and elephants but didn't see any lions, leopards or rhinoceros. No off road driving is allowed so we were dependent on the animals appearing beside the road or at the waterholes. But we were lucky to see many young animals - guess it's the time of year that the babies are decent sizes and are easily visible.
We exited the Park and spent two nights at Onguma Bush Camp, a conservancy not far from the east entrance of the Park. We were fortunate enough to see a lion on a sundowner drive at this camp but no black rhinos or leopards. That will have to wait for Kenya. What was different at Onguma was that we spent a morning at a hide. This is quite an elaborate setup as you can see from the photos below. It is a new experience to be able to see wildlife so close without disturbing them although I think they are aware that we are watching them. We saw lots of birds and of course each one we saw is a lifer since they are unique to the continent.
|
| Zebra and foal |
|
| Foal nursing |
|
| Giraffe and young |
|
| Foreplay |
|
| Yellow-billed Hornbill - one of the first birds I saw at the lodge |
|
| An Oryx - the only one we saw |
|
| First sighting of ostriches |
|
| Springboks locking horns seem to be a common sight. |
|
| A lone acacia tree is also a common sight on the grasslands, both here and in Kenya. This one has a weaver's nest. |
|
| Pale-chanting goshawk, one of many goshawks we saw. Always easy to spot as they like to perch on tree tops. |
|
| Kori Bustard |
|
| First wildebeest sighting |
|
| The fenced path to the hide |
|
| Inside the hide |
|
| The hide on the outside |
The hide gave us an unusual viewpoint, basically we were below ground and shooting at ground level. The photos below were taken from the hide. You can see it is like having the camera on the ground in front of the elephants.
|
| This Southern Cordonbleu was right in front of our window |
|
| Warthog came for a drink |
|
| Eastern Paradise-Whydah Birds are a bit harder from below ground but at least we didn't scare them away. This White-backed vulture was picking branches from a bush in front of the hide to build its nest. |
In the afternoon, we went for a sundowner drive on the property. There was a big effort to look for rhinos, but to no avail. However there were lots to see. We encountered this exceptionally spectacular bird, the Lilac-breasted roller, Namibia's national bird, beautifully lit in the golden hour.
|
| This is how it got its name - it rolls when in flight. I was lucky to catch the roll. |
|
| Our first lion |
|
| On the way back to the camp, we saw this elusive dik-dik, the smallest antelope |
The dining room at the camp overlooks a pond that actually serves as a watering hole for the animals. So we always took our cameras with us at meals because there was always something to photograph. Below is a male kudu - our first sighting of a live kudu even though we had been trying its meat at various stops on our route. It is quite delicious.
|
We enjoyed this beautiful sunset before we left Namibia. We drove to Windhoek to catch our flight to Kenya via Johannesburg. It was a six hour drive but thankfully on paved highway most of the time. Farewell Namibia! |
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