Africa, Namibia | FindPenguins

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Trip start
April 3, 2026
Africa, Namibia Traveler
Start - Waterberg 1/10
Apr 3–4 in Namibia ⋅ 🌙 21 °C
After one year travel abstinence we again jumped into a plane for a flight to beautiful Africa, Namibia it was.

Thursday, 2nd April evening flight from Zurich to Windhoek. It took us one day travelling. Namibia is Africa for beginners I was told. Namibia holds almost 10 languages, among German as it was once a colony of Germany. And most funny thing is that we have the same time, means no time difference. And you drive on the left side, which you need to get used to. Fortunately Theo did all the driving.

We spent our Easter holidays in Namibia, Windhoek escaping the snow and cold.
We stayed for 2 days safari and 8 days doing little hikes and also lots of driving. The weather was nice and sunny and hot. The raining period has stopped, which was perfect for safari.

Friday, 3rd April
First thing at arrival at the airport we learnt that you keep your belongings out of sight in the car and wearing your backpack at the front. If a police stops you because of not keeping the rules (like exceeding speed limit), don't pay on the spot, always ask for a receipt.
Of course we got a fine for speeding and of course Theo paid at the spot. I don't know if this was smart. This was the bad news.

We drove to Waterberg natural reserve. It is so special as the whole mountain range is much higher than the surroundings, therefore all clouds gather there and the rain which falls down gets collected in that area. So this area is quite green and preferred by the animals to have their domicile there. Waterberg natural reserve was our Campground.

We just arrived the Waterberg camping entrance on time, Friday night, just before sunset around 7pm...2 km until the camping site. We did self drive safari. Now the good news comes. We were so lucky, first we saw black pavians (baboons) and a night warden told us that the rhino 🦏 is on this was to mark his territory. We saw our first white rhinoceros. It is the biggest animal after the elephant, it weighs 3 tons and eats 60kg grass per day and runs 30-40km/h. He also has a wife and a new born baby he told us. (Please write in the correct term, not wide and baby). I was so excited when we also spotted giraffes 🦒 🦒 🦒 in the dark. We were so lucky already spotted them on the same day arriving. I was so happy I shared some of my chicken we bought at a fast food restaurant (Hungry Lion) with Shawn, the night warden who excitingly followed us and told us about the White Rhino and that he was taking care of "his big boy" the whole night. As a thank you" I passed him one of my chicken legs🍗 and he was happy about his evening snack.
Then we arrived at the reception and set our tent before a nice shower also saw a honey budger looks a bit like a skunk.Read more
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Africa, Namibia Traveler
Etosha 2/10
Apr 4–5 in Namibia ⋅ 🌬 21 °C
Second day, Saturday, 4th April, morning, 6:30 am we had an early start to spot more animals, yippee. We did a little 10km hike, the Andersson path, there we spotted some Greater Kudus, Roan Antilopes und small jumpy Lechwe (similar to a little Bambi) and some sweet bushbucks with big ears and Gemsbok im the morning sun.
We stopped at Court yard restaurant and had a nice steak, Theo had beef and I wanted to try the game, I saw Kudu. So I asked the waitress if it was the animal from the National Park and the waitress laughed and said yes.

Then we left to head to Etosha. Etosha National Park in Namibia is a premier wildlife destination known for its massive salt pan and exceptional game viewing. It is also famous for elephants, black Rhinos and lions. Many animals live there are they have many water holes where the animals find their water and food.
We were lucky again, right at arrival we saw zebras and antilopes and Blue Wildebeest (or a Gnu, which looks like an old skinny Zebra with horns).

Next day in the morning, Sun 5th April we were eager to wake up at 5:30 to have some breakfast , go to the waterhole to see if there were any animals and then went to the reception to pay. As they didn't open before 7:05 am we impatiently started our safari. Good for us, as in the morning so you see most of the wild life. We spotted a whole herd of knus and zebras, ...and when we followed a guide we also saw 2 lions lying in the grassland. Also other animals around the salt pan we saw like bush bucks, antilopes, ostriches, giraffes...even a turtle I discovered at this big state national park....but no elephants promised. But I was very proud of us as we did the whole safari by ourselves and did spot a lot of nice animals.

I found the privately owned Waterberg wilderness park & camping was simpler but much nicer than The big Etosha state owned National park.
Entry time to the camping is 7am and closing time is 7pm. Theo did such meticulous planning so we just were on time to get in the gate and take advantage of the sunset and the animals and leaving at 7am for the sun to rise and also when the animals get active again.

We ate at the farm house a restaurant of a Namibian/ Swiss couple. Theo enjoyed a Zebra Steak and I had some kingklip steak (fish). They even offered Swiss Geschnetzeltes with Rösti and Capuns (as they lived in Graubünden before). Being really tired Theo had Coke and Coffee after the late lunch and Mocha Latte on the way. We were surprised by the rain. "Liquid sun", our good old friend Walter from Canada used to say. I love sun after rain as there will always be a rainbow 🌈. Also it was nice to get fresh air and a fresh wash for our car after the adventurous Safari ride.

Driving to Spitzkoppe camp on Sunday, beautiful scenery at arrival, purple clouds on bluish, yellowish skies and mountains in the background, just around sunset. Can't wait for the scramble although it means an early bird start.Read more
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Africa, Namibia Traveler
Spitzkoppe 3/10
April 5 in Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Mon, 6th April
Spitzkoppe is about 1700m high. Nice scramble with some demanding way finding. But with Theo all went well.
It was a nice change after all that safari animal hunting.
Dorob National Park. It is pretty much just dessert. Long drive though Namib Dessert to reach Henties Bay.
It is strange to drive hours through the dessert and suddenly once you arrive you see traffic signs again.
We stopped at Henties Bay to enjoy some great seafood at Fishy Corner before heading to Cape Cross to see the seals, There were thousands there and it stinks there like hell. Many baby seals and old seals which haul like crazy.
The Namib shoreline has become known as the skeleton coast, it is also referred to as a ship's graveyard because of the treacherous nature of the coast. While many ships have been wrecked, there are very few that remain intact. The Zeila wreck is one of the most intact wrecks along the entire Namibian coastline.
We stopped to by to see that 400 ton bottom trawler.Read more
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Africa, Namibia Traveler
Cape Cross 4/10
April 6 in Namibia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Sealions at Cape Cross
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Africa, Namibia Traveler
Swakopmund 5/10
April 7 in Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Tue, 7.April
Swakopmund is where we stayed overnight in an Air BnB to have a good rest.
We had nice egg Benedict and German bread at the Raith Deli. Then we went to the Namib Dessert to explore the sand dunes. We saw the salt pan and how they abbauen (Salzabbau) and also some flamingos.
It was a nice relaxing day. Especially as I could always sleep on the car rides, haha to recover from my diarrhoea I got from the Fishy Corner restaurant. My prawns were good but somehow the food there caused me diarrhoea.Read more
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Africa, Namibia Traveler
Naukluft 6/10
April 7 in Namibia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
⛰️ The Storm, the Stream, and the Scramble: A Naukluft Adventure
Wednesday, April 8th – Naukluft Mountains
The landscape shifted as we entered the rugged heart of the Naukluft. Strangely, the iconic termite mounds that punctuated our previous stops vanished, leaving a starker, more ancient terrain in their wake. But nature had a different spectacle in store for us.
⛈️ The Night of the Deluge
As we pulled away from Solitaire, the sky bruised purple and broke open. By the time we reached Naukluft Camp, the desert was transforming. It wasn’t just rain; it was a full-scale atmospheric drama—cracking thunder, jagged lightning, and a wind that wanted to reclaim the land.
While our neighbors surrendered to the storm and dragged their gear into the shelter of the indoor kitchen, we chose to hold our ground. We hunkered down in our MSR tent, listening to the rhythmic drum of the downpour against the rainfly. It was a restless, wild night, but we emerged the next morning dry and triumphant. We hadn't just slept; we had survived.
🥾 The Waterkloof Trail: 19km of Raw Nature
Fuelled by breakfast and the adrenaline of the previous night, we set out on the Waterkloof Trail. What followed was six hours of grueling, beautiful, and demanding trekking.
The Challenges:
The Terrain: We spent hours scrambling over slick cobblestones and navigating endless stream crossings—a direct gift from the storm.
The Flora: The "wait-a-bit" thorn bushes were constant companions, tugging at our clothes as if trying to keep us there.
The Mini-Beasts: The air was thick with life. We hiked through clouds of locusts, persistent flies, and mosquitoes, while the damp earth brought out vibrant frogs and other amphibians.
The Missing Giants:
I kept my eyes peeled for the silhouette of a Mountain Zebra or the bark of a Baboon, but the heavy rains had sent them deep into the hidden kranzes of the mountains. They remained ghosts in the mist, leaving us alone with the sound of our own breath and the rushing water.
🍖 The Reward
By the time we crested the final ridge and descended back to camp, we were spent. Thirst had moved past a craving into a necessity, and our muscles were screaming.
However, the ultimate "trail magic" was waiting in our pack. There is no gourmet meal on earth that could rival the glory of cold pork knuckle leftovers from the Swakopmund Brauhaus. Salty, fatty, and perfectly seasoned, it was the warrior's feast we deserved after conquering the Naukluft.
Status: Exhausted. Salt-stained. Entirely satisfied.Read more
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Africa, Namibia Traveler
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Sossusvlei 7/10
April 9 in Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Elime dunes
Sesrim Canyon

Thursday, 9th April: The Hard Road to Sossusvlei
We tackled the 19 km Waterkloof Trail, a grueling 6-hour trek. The day then turned expensive: flooding in Sossusvlei blocked the "Big Daddy" dunes, and a hidden "wash" shredded our front tire. Between repairs and fuel, the day cost over 7,000 N$. I spent the afternoon wading barefoot through floodwaters to check the depth for the car.
We also picked up Kellen, a backpacker from Inner Mongolia. He scored a massive win—a comfortable, free ride for nearly 1,000 km! To put that in perspective, that is the straight-line distance from Shanghai to Beijing, or the entire North-South expanse of Inner Mongolia. Crazy, isn't it?Read more
Traveler Green 💚
5/1/26Reply
Traveler You found it Uli 😁👍🏻
5/1/26Reply
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Africa, Namibia Traveler
Way to Lüderitz 8/10
April 9 in Namibia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
The journey continued through the rugged, rain-soaked landscapes of Namibia, where the desert was showing a side few travelers ever get to see: a wild, watery transformation.
The Road to the Ghost of the Desert
After leaving the "washes" of the Sossusvlei region behind—our feet still feeling the phantom chill of wading through silt-heavy currents—the drive south became a test of endurance. With the new tire securely bolted on and the memory of the 7,000 N$ repair bill lingering like a bad taste, we pushed toward the coast.
The savanna around us was an emerald anomaly. Normally a palette of toasted ochre and scorched gold, the heavy rains had coaxed a million dormant seeds into life. As we drove, the tall grasses swayed, hiding the elusive Hartmann’s Mountain Zebras and the clever Chacma Baboons we had missed during the hike. They were out there, somewhere, watching our dusty (and muddy) 4x4 crawl across their changing world.Read more
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Africa, Namibia Traveler
Lüderitz, Kolmanskop 9/10
April 10 in Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
Kolmanskop: Diamonds in the Sand
Arriving in the Sperrgebiet (the "Forbidden Zone"), the air changed. The humidity of the inland rains was replaced by a sharp, salty Atlantic breeze. Kolmanskop loomed out of the mist like a fever dream.
In its prime, this town was a beacon of German opulence in the middle of nowhere. Miners used to crawl on their bellies under the moonlight to find diamonds glinting in the sand. Now, the desert is reclaiming its debt.
The Architecture: Great patrician houses with peeling wallpaper and cracked bathtubs are filled waist-high with pristine sand dunes.
The Silence: You walk through the old bowling alley and the hospital, hearing nothing but the wind whistling through empty window frames. It’s a photographer’s paradise and a memento mori of human ambition.
Surviving the Atlantic and Luderitz
Leaving the "Moon Landscape" of the ghost town, we reached the rocky shores of Luderitz. The town is a strange, colorful slice of Bavaria dropped onto the edge of the dark Atlantic.
The Atlantic Challenge: > The Benguela Current brings icy water straight from the Antarctic. While the locals looked at us like we were mad, we braved the surf. It was a "tough and cold" shock to the system, but after days of sweating through 19km hikes and wading through muddy washes, the salt water felt like a rebirth.
A Feast Worth the Detour
To reward our survival—and to celebrate our Mongolian guest’s safe passage—we sought refuge in the warmth of the town’s culinary icons.Read more
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Africa, Namibia Traveler
Finish - Back to Windhoek 10/10
April 10 in Namibia ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Adventure Log: Saturday, April 11th
The Canyon That Wasn't
With only two days left, we aimed for a 5:00 AM start to reach the Fish River Canyon—the second largest in the world. Nature, however, had other plans. The rain became so torrential that we had to turn back halfway. It was the right call; between the flooded washes and the constant hydroplaning, the gut feeling was clear: better safe than sorry. I didn’t want to push our luck any further.
Farewells and The Long Drive
We retreated to a Spar for a quiet breakfast before saying goodbye to our Mongolian hitchhiker, Kellen. After dropping him off at his backpacker hostel, we began the long, grueling haul toward Windhoek. It was an exhausting drive, made even more taxing by the persistent rain.
A Tale of Two Journeys
Reflecting on the trip, the start was beautiful, but our luck seemed to shift after Sossusvlei. It’s funny how travel works—as our "vacation luck" took a dip, Kellen’s skyrocketed. One person's misfortune is another's fortune! While we dealt with the rain and missed sights, Kellen got a free ride exactly where he needed to go, complete with sightseeing and great company.
The Silver Lining
To cap off the day, we headed to Seoul Food for some Korean cuisine. It was easily the best meal I’ve had in Namibia so far. A perfect, delicious ending to a challenging day.Read more
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Trip end
April 11, 2026