Africa

Une aventure de 96 jours par Elaine En savoir plus

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Début du voyage
14 avril 2023
Africa Voyageur
Dublin
14 avril 2023, Irlande ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Today is the day it all start! The trip of a lifetime that I have planned and dreamed about for years. I had a lovely send off in work and with my housemates as everyone wished me the best for my adventures ahead. I feel a variety of different emotions. I am excited to see what adventures I will experience but I also feel a little bit nervous at the same time. I look forward to meeting the local people and fellow travelers. I will have a lot of stories to tell when I am home.

Today was also a very special day as I meet Éabha for the first time. She is one week old and we went for her first walk outside. It was very special to spend a little bit of time with her before going away. Éabha gave me a lovely gift with a note telling me to enjoy my adventures and to come back to tell her all about it. I can't wait to see how much she has grown when I return.En savoir plus
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Africa Voyageur
Johannesburg
15 avril 2023, Afrique du Sud ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
I landed in Johannesburg airport and stayed the night in Garden Court Airport hotel. This hotel was where the start of the tour is due to begin tomorrow. There was a free shuttle bus from the airport to the hotel. The funny thing about the hotel was at the entrance there was a sign for Dublin because there was an Irish bar inside. What a coincidence, we can't go far without feeling at home.

I was very tired after my long flight from Dublin so I decided to spend the day at the hotel. I sat beside the pool for a while however I only dipped my feet into the water as the water was very cold. I relaxed in my room and watched Leinster and Munster both playing in South Africa in the URC competition. It was an early night to catch up on sleep before starting the tour tomorrow. I am very excited to see what is ahead.En savoir plus
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Kruger National Park
17 avril 2023, Afrique du Sud ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
At 7 am after breakfast I met my Nomad tour group. Cardi is our tour guide, Asi is our training guide and cook and Shorty is our driver. There are 10 girls on the trip from Germany, England, Switzerland and Denmark. We have a truck with twelve seats that all recline and can twist towards the window which is going to be very handy for animal spotting. We arrived at Kruger National Park around 3pm after stopping off at a few stops on our way. Nkambeni camp is going to be our home for the next three nights. The camp is at the edge of Kruger National Park but it is surrounded by a wire fence so the animals can roam around the park normally without coming into our camp. I am sleeping in my own lodge for this leg of the trip. After getting set up in our cabins I went outside my cabin door to see an elephant walk along the fence perimeter. It was wonderful to see the elephant calmly going about it's business.

That evening we went on a sunset game drive which just means a sunset safari. Unfortunately the clouds hid the sunset however we came across monkeys heading to their sleeping spot, zebra, snakes and more elephants. It certainly gave me a satisfying sneak peak of safari life.

Next morning we were up at 5am to depart in a 4x4 on our safari drive. Jason our tour guide was excellent and explained how the camp allow nature to work as naturally as possible. They do not track animals unless the vets are monitoring the animals for data purposes. The vets do not intervene if they see an injured animals unless the animal was injured as a result of human involvement. Sometimes the park organise controlled fires in order to allow tall grasses to die and smaller grasses to grow. This means that grazing animals such as elephants, zebra and giraffe keep moving around the park instead of eating in one area and destroying crops.

We learned that the white rhino's population is in decline due to poaching. Poachers kill rhinos to take their horn which is then used in Chinese medicine. There was a very large decline in rhinos over the last ten years so the government decided to dehorn the rhinos in Kruger Park to try and stop poaching in the park.

There was one special moment where we spotted a male elephant in the road in front of us. The elephant proceeded towards us before stopping right beside our 4x4. No one said a word and our hearts stopped while we waited to see what the elephant would do. He looked into our 4x4 for a minute before walking on. The next minute we saw two smaller male elephants following him down the road however they passed slightly further away from the truck. This was a breathtaking moment that I will never forget.

Throughout the day we saw a wide variety of animals in the distance such as lions, ostriches, wild dogs, waterbuck antelopes, rhinos lying in mud bath, giraffe and zebra. It was a very special day and one I will not forget easily.En savoir plus
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Blyde Rive Canyon
18 avril 2023, Afrique du Sud ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Today we drove to Blyde River Canyon which is the third biggest canyon after the Grand Canyon and Fish River Canyon in Namibia. This canyon has a beautiful river running through it with a lot of trees growing in the canyon due to the climate. It was very impressive and we got some beautiful photos.

Next stop was Bourke's Luck Potholes which is named after a man who thought there was gold in the holes on the river bed but unfortunately he was wrong and the gold was further up the river. This location had some beautiful formed rock formations in the rock. We were able to sit and relax with our feet in the water watching the world go by which was very peaceful. We ate our picnic at this stop before heading to God's window which is a viewpoint over the canyon below. We drove back to our accommodation for our last night in Kruger National Park.En savoir plus
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Eswatini
19 avril 2023, Swaziland ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
We left our campsite in Kruger National Park and headed towards Eswatini. When leaving the park we saw elephants, lions and rhinos all near the roadside. It was as if they all appeared to say goodbye to us.
It was a long drive to Eswatini and we crossed over the border before heading to the Mbabane market. We walked around the market and saw the weaving market and herbal market. The people were very friendly and laughed with us. We learned that Eswatini is the last "Absolute Kingdom" which means the king makes the decisions. The king also has 16 wives and he chooses a new wife every year or two from neighboring states or communities. Eswatini changed its name back from Swaziland to it's native name in 2018.

It was just before sunset before we arrived to our camp. We are staying in cute little huts in Mlilwane National Park. The roof is weaved by reed and are similar to native housing. The huts are located in a round circle of twelve. There are animals that roam around between the houses such as warthog, zebra and impala.

The following morning we had a lie in until 7:30. After breakfast we went on a nature walk on the hippo trial. There used to be hippos in this park however they were moved to a different park as they were dangerous to humans. It was a lovely easy walk through the woodlands and river bed. We saw variety of plants and birds and finally returned to find zebra in our camp. It was nice to be out exercising in nature after the last few days of driving.

In the afternoon we rested by the pool before the local people treated us to a dance and music show. It was interesting to see how their attire demonstrated their marriage status. The men had a very funny dance move where they kicked their leg as high as possible really quickly to the beat of the music. We had an opportunity to get up and dance with them however there was no way I was trying the kick as I think I would have pulled my hamstring. I definitely enjoyed being in Eswatini as the people were very friendly. Tomorrow we head back over the border to South Africa.En savoir plus
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Saint Lucia
22 avril 2023, Afrique du Sud ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
We had another long drive across the South African border to Saint Lucia. Saint Lucia is a coastal holiday town popular with South Africans all year round. We woke early the next morning for a safari in Hluhluwe iMfolozi National Park. Our driver Sam picked us up at 5am and he was a little bit of a crazy driver. The park was an hour away from our accommodation and Sam sped down the road as quickly as possible overtaking any vehicle in his way. After ten minutes Sam turned around and returned back to our accommodation as he forgot his park entry pass. This made Sam drive even faster to try and catch up the time he had lost.

Finally we arrived at the park and went looking for some animals. Luckily very quickly we found buffalo and rhinos close to the road. It was special to see the rhino had his horn attached in comparison to the rhino's in Kruger National Park. Later in the morning we saw a family of wild dogs and elephants. Within the park there was a large quantity of warthogs and zebra so after seeing a few we got fed up seeing them so frequently. On return to our hotel Sam drove like mad man again but thankfully we all arrived safely.

In the afternoon we did a hippo boat cruise in Saint Lucia. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this cruise but I learned a lot about hippos. I learned that hippos can not swim or float instead they stand in shallow water and dunk down into the water in order to keep their skin temperature regulated. We saw multiple groups of hippos including a cute baby hippo. The hippos leave the river and walk to the town at night to sleep so the captain of the boat advised us to look out for hippos if we walk down the street during dusk.En savoir plus
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Howick, Durban
23 avril 2023, Afrique du Sud ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
This morning we drove 2 hours to Durban to drop off the two Danish girls and collected another lady, Liz. Durban looked like a nice beach city and it may have been nice to explore it for longer. We then visited Howick Falls before going to Mandela's capture site. This memorial explained Nelson Mandela's fight for freedom against the apartheid system. I knew who Nelson Mandela was but I know his story. This memorial thought me a lot about the lives of people here in Southern Africa under the apartheid system. It was a well explained museum and I felt it demonstrated a powerful message about the history of South Africa and Nelson Mandela. There was also a statue made from cooper with and illustration of Nelson Mandela's face which was stunning.En savoir plus
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Drakensberg Mountain Range
24 avril 2023, Afrique du Sud ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
The Drakensberg mountain range extends 1000km through the center of South Africa splitting the country in half. It is often used by hikers to train for Kilimanjaro due to the elevation of the mountain range. This morning we went for a hike in Champagne Valley. Cardi, our tour guide, discussed the hike with us the night and explained that it was an easy walk to visit a waterfall however when we got there we took a different turn onto the challenging route. Two of the girls from our group had to turn back after 40 minutes due to the steepness of the trial.

I don't think any of us were mentally prepared for the severity of the hike and we regretted not bringing more snacks. However I must say the hike offered some beautiful scenery of the mountain range. We crossed streams and had lunch beside the Crystal Falls before returning back to the starting point. In total we walked 12km with an elevation of 653 meters.

When we returned to our accommodation half of the group went to the spa to get massages to recovery. I spent the afternoon swapping between the cold rock pool and warm jacuzzi which felt great for my leg muscles. The Drakensberg mountain range was very beautiful I only wish I had a few more days to do more hiking trails of a variety difficulty.En savoir plus
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The Kingdom of Lestho
26 avril 2023, Lesotho ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
We crossed the border from South Africa into Lesotho. Lesotho is a landlocked country surrounded only by South Africa. It has a population of 2 million people and is located in the Drakensberg mountain range. The lowest altitude of the county is 1500 above sea level.

While driving through Lesotho we noticed that there are good paved roads and bricked houses located very close to bumpy potholed roads and shack houses. Our guide Cardi explained that a lot of countries have donated money to Lesotho including through the missionaries. Lesotho is rich with mining however a lot of the mines are owned privately by Chinese or American companies. These companies have sponsored building roads in order for their trucks to reach the mines. Unfortunately the local people still have low salaries so most people are poor.

We stayed in Semonkong Lodge which is a lovely lodge in a river valley and is surrounded by beautiful mountains. We had an option of activities to do in the locality such as hiking, horse riding or abseiling. Michaele and myself chose to do the abseiling. This abseil is in the Guinness world record book as the highest commerically operated single drop abseil. We got trained on a 25m cliff beside the lodge before heading to the Maletsunyane Falls for the 204m abseil. Once set up they a line set up for both of us to go down together. I was set up first and went of the edge of the cliff. The worse part of the abseil was hanging over the edge of the cliff for a minute or two waiting for Michaele to come over the edge. Once we were both ready we descended together. At the start it was hard to get the rhythm and there was some free falling places that we both rotated away from the cliff but this offered us the most amazing view of the canyon around us and the waterfall beside us. Lower down the cliff we got splashed by the cold water from the waterfall and the rocks started to get slippery but we managed to safely reach the bottom. Both of us were buzzing at the bottom as it was a surreal experience and the location was beautiful. After a rest we hiked out of the canyon but stopped regularly to turn and look at the waterfall we had just descended. We returned back to the lodge they gave us a certificate of our achievement.

In the afternoon we went to a local house to meet a family who showed us the variety of blankets. The Lesotho people are named "blanket people" because they wear blankets to keep themselves warm. There is a different blanket made for people depending on their status and each blanket has a masculine and feminine side so a husband and wife can wear the same blanket. The designs if the blanket represent special cultural symbols.En savoir plus
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Addo Elephant National Park
28 avril 2023, Afrique du Sud ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Addo Elephant National Park is the only park in the world which is home to the Big 7. Southern Whale, Great White Shark are included in the big 7 along with the Rhino, Elephant, Lion, Buffalo and Leopard. When Addo Elephant National Park was established in 1931 and initially contained 11 elephants. This number was dwindling at the time due to poaching. Now as a result of ongoing conservation projects there are 600 elephants in park.

We arrived in the park and straight away we saw over 200 elephants scattered on the horizon. It was unbelievable being able to see so many elephants all at once.. We travelled in our truck in search for more animals. Our guide Cardi and driver Shorty were extremely excited to see a black rhino because there are only 36 rhinos in the park so they are difficult to find. There was a few water holes where we spotted more elephants with zebra and warthogs.

The following morning we drove to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and said goodbye to four girls from our group but also welcomed four more people to the group. We spent about an hour walking the beach in Gqeberha before returning to Addo Elephant National Park to explore it for a second day. We drove around the second half of the park and saw more elephants and buffalo.

That evening I happened to be talking to Liz about my job working in eye surgery. Liz is originally South African but she emigrated to Australia over 30 years ago. She was home in South Africa for her mother's 92nd birthday and she decided to join the Nomad tour before the birthday celebrations. She asked me what clinic I work in and when I said the Wellington Eye Clinic she laughed. She went to school with Arthur Cummings and he was her head boy. She was still in contact with him on Facebook so we sent him a photo of us. It really is a small world.En savoir plus
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Tsitsikamma National Park
1 mai 2023, Afrique du Sud ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
We started the trip along the famous garden route and our first stop was Tsitsikamma National Park. We stayed in Tsitsikamma Village Inn and spent half a day relaxing. In the park we hiked along the coast line to a waterfall. This hike involved bouldering and climbing rocks to reach the path. It was an unusual hike with all the bouldering but the coastal scenery was stunning and I loved hearing the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks beside us. The hike took three hours and we were tired afterwards due to all the concentration involved insuring that we were stepping on stable rocks.

After our lunch three girls from our group decided to do the bungee jumping from a bridge in the park. The rest of us watched in support. It brought back memories of my bungee jump in Costa Rica and I was glad I wasn't doing it again.En savoir plus
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Garden Route
3 mai 2023, Afrique du Sud ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
We continued along the Garden route and visited the Cango caves. These caves were lived in by the native San or Bushman people. Our guide Leanne explained how the caves were discovered using a small oil lamp. She demonstrated the small area the original discoverers would have seen using their lamps and then she turned on all of the lights to show what the true scale of the cave was. There were huge stagmites and staligtites surrounding us in the large cave. We learned how the calcium rock formations occur and how water flow changes the appearance of the cave. Our guide explained that there was concerts in this cave from 1960s to 1990s however people ruined the caves appearance as they took home rock formations as souvenirs so the concerts were stopped. Nevertheless Leanne sang a song to demonstrate the acoustics of the cave. The sound was magnificent it brought goosebumps to my skin.

We stayed in Barrydale and went to a brandy tasting because Barrydale is known for its brandy. I have never had brandy before but I said I would try it and I was quite surprised how nice it was. Our hotel was the Karoo Art museum and it had very quirky art and bedroom designs.

We drove to De Hoop Nature Reserve which is a World Heritage Site for it's wild flowers and bird life. We walked down to the beach and saw dolphins swimming in the bay. After lunch we headed to Africa's most southernly point, L'Agulhas. This is also the point where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean. Our guide Cardi told us the that the Atlantic Ocean was colder than the Indian Ocean. We checked by comparing the coldness of the water from one hand and the other but we were not convinced that there was any difference. There was a nice statue which was the map of Africa and it showed the rivers, mountains and desserts of the continent. It was nice to try and figure out where we had travelled and compare it to the size of the continent.

We stayed in a beautiful lodge house in Stanford called Standford Valley Guest Farm. We had our own rooms with a porch that overlooked the stunning mountains around us. There was horses in the field and we got the view the full moon rising from our porches. It reminded me that on the start of the tour we stayed in accommodation with a porch looking out over safari animals while this last accommodation looked over the horses and mountains. We had dinner together and then played Una card game for a while. It was a lovely evening with plenty of laughs.En savoir plus
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Hermanus
5 mai 2023, Afrique du Sud ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Today was the last day of my first tour group. After breakfast we drove to Hermanus and walked along the promenade. This was where we said goodbye to Liz as her mother came to collect her. Liz had not seen her mother since 2018 so there was a heartwarming reunion. Her mother's 92nd birthday is next week but she looks at least 10 years younger. Liz was the lady who went to school with Arthur Cummings so her mother was delighted to meet me too.

We drove through Hermanus to Stony Point and we walked along the boardwalk searching for penguins. A lot of the penguins were out fishing for the day but there was some penguins walking around and resting under rocks. We had fun watching the penguins waddle to the water edge and enjoy the waves of the water.

I sat in the front with Shorty for our drive along the coast to Cape Town. It was one of the most beautiful coastal roads I have seen. The huge mountains were on one side while the blue sea was on the other one. This road has been voted as one of the best coastal drives around the world and I can understand why.

Before reaching Cape Town we drove through the vineyard area. We stopped in Stellenbosch to have lunch and then did wine tasting in Fairview in Paarl.

The tour ended on the outskirts of Cape Town. I have travelled with a few different but I would say this group was one of the best. I felt that we bonded really well even when some people left and new people joined the group. There was no conflict or negative energy and everyone enjoyed the company of our tour guides. It was sad saying goodbye to our group and you could see everyone was trying to hold back tears.En savoir plus
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Cape Town
6 mai 2023, Afrique du Sud ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
I spent a week in Cape Town. Initially I thought that this would be too long to spend in a city before starting my next tour however the more I researched activities in Cape Town the more things there was to do.

The first morning I woke up early and climbed Lions Head. My tour guide was Tony from Atlantic Outlook Adventure and we hiked with Huda who grew up in Cape Town. This was my first time seeing the city and it was amazing seeing the size of Table Mountain and it's closeness to the city. The Lions Head hike involved climbing up rocks and using ladders to get to the top. While walking Tony explained local stories about the mountain and the city. He was very interested in nature and explained how many of plants are used for medical purposes. By the time we got to the top a cloud had covered the mountain so unfortunately we didn't get to see the sunrising. Nevertheless it was a nice hike and a good way to start the morning.

When we returned back to the bottom of the mountain Huda asked if I wanted to go for a coffee to celebrate our early morning exercise. We went to Against the Grain in Bo Kaap area which is a pretty area with very colourful houses. Huda is a muslim, coloured South African woman and she is a chef who cooks lunches for IT companies. We had a wonderful conversation about both our lives. She explained how her life growing up was affected by the Apartheid system but she lives and works to show her children the possibilities in life. As we walked back towards my hotel Huda invited me into her house and how she showed me the industrial kitchen in her basement where she cooks all the meals for the companies. Her three sons were at home and one of them gave me a chocolate muffin he had baked that morning. It was lovely to meet a random stranger and have a great conversation where we both felt connected us.

In the afternoon I meet Cardi, Linde and Michaela to go to the URC quarter final. The Stormers were playing the Bulls. It took place in DHL stadium which was built for the 2010 soccer world cup. The atmosphere was electric and the Stormers who were the home team won 33:21.

The following morning I did a free walking tour of Cape Town. It was interesting learning about the different settlers in Cape Town. The Dutch, Portuguese and English all pushed the indigenous people out of the city and brought slaves in to build the city. There is still a lot of conflict regarding ownership of different lands in Cape Town. After the walking tour I used the hop on hop off bus to get around the city. I stopped at Camps Bay for a walk along the beach. I met Michaela, Linde and Michelle from the tour for dinner that evening at V & A Waterfront. There were singers from the local township busking on the street and we ended up staying there for an hour listening to them as they were really good.

The next day I used the hop on hop off bus to go to Kirstenbosch botanical gardens. It was a beautiful botanical gardens with a great view of Table Mountain. I walked around the peaceful gardens and then found a bench to sit and observe the nature and people around me for a while. On the way back into the city I stopped again in Camps Bay to have an ice cream and say a final goodbye to Michaela.

The following morning I climbed Table Mountain with Fatima from Atlantic Outlook Adventure. We used the Plattekip Gorge route to the top. It was steep at times but only took about two hours to get to the top. Fatima explained some stories about the mountain and Cape town itself. I said goodbye to Fatima at the top of the mountain and took time myself to walk around the top seeing the different viewpoints. I then took the rotating cable car back down the mountain before using the hop on hop off bus back to my hotel in Seapoint.

One of the main things to do while in Cape Town is driving to Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope. I used a day tour with the Red Bus and we drove out of Cape Town along the coast to Boulders beach. Boulders beach has a colony of penguins living there. In comparison to Stony Beach, Boulders beach was very busy with tourists who tried to get as close as possible to the penguins to take a photo. Unfortunately this meant that the penguins was chased out to sea and swimming away. I didn't feel comfortable seeing silly tourists bothering the penguins in order to get their photo so I ended up walking away and walking along the sandy beach instead. Our next stop was Cape Point where we walked up the lighthouse for a view of the coast around us. From the lighthouse we walked along the scenic boardwalk to Cape of Good Hope which is the most South Western Point in Africa. It was a nice scenic walk and nice to say I have been there but if I am honest Cape Agulhas, which is the most southern point of Africa, was more scenic.

I noticed before coming to Cape Town that the musical We Will Rock You was touring while I was in Cape Town. The tickets were a lot cheaper than at home so I decided to buy one. I had a seat ten rows from the front and it cost €12. The storyline of the musical was a little bit far fetched however the singing and comedy side of the show was very good.

On my final day in Cape Town I decided that I would treat myself to a massage as I knew that the next trip will entail more camping instead of lodges or hotels. I had a lovely treatment in the Mount Nelson Hotel which again had a wonderful view of Table Mountain. It was very relaxing and a great way to finish my time in Cape Town.En savoir plus
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Western Cape
13 mai 2023, Afrique du Sud ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Today I started my next leg of my trip with Acacia. I meet my group last night for a pre departure information meeting. Harmony and Crispen are our tour guides who are both from Zimbabwe. There are twelve on this leg of the trip (two Americans, two from New Zealand, one from Singapore, two Germans, two French and two Aussies).

Our first activity in the trip was a township tour of Langa in Cape Town where we met Mufassa. Mufassa grew up in this township and he brought us around the area explaining the history of townships. This township was developed during the Spanish flu in early 1900s as black people were thought to be transmitting the virus. This meant black people were segregated into this area however this got worse when the apartheid system occurred. Mufassa showed us the old houses and the newer houses that people are been given for free as compensation for the Apartheid system.

After the tour we had an hour free time in Cape Town. I walked through the Orangjezicht market beside the waterfront. It was a cute food market with lots of people hanging out with friends and treating themselves to nice lunches or sweet treats.

We then drove to the Highlanders and stayed in the Highlanders campsite. We set up our tents overlooking the vineyard valley. We met Sparky the owner who did a wine tasting for us. He explained that the valley grows specialist types of grapes and is irrigated by 270km manmade canals. The wine tasted very nice and it was a good activity to start getting to know the rest of the group.En savoir plus
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Orange River
14 mai 2023, Afrique du Sud ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
From the Highlanders we headed north and very quickly the landscape changed. The soil became drier and the lovely green trees changed to small scrubs. We crossed the border into Namibia and stayed in Felix Unite which was a town on the border beside the Orange River.

The next morning four of us went canoeing down the Orange River. We canoed eleven kilometers down the river. It started through a canyon and canoed down the calm river. There was two small little rapids which helped push us down the river quicker at times. We saw a large quantity of birds for example eagles, heron and swallows. When we arrived back to campsite we ate our lunch and headed onto the Fish Canyon. I really enjoyed this kayaking activity as it was a very calm beautiful canyon.En savoir plus
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Fish Canyon
15 mai 2023, Namibie ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Today we drove the dusty bumpy roads to the Fish Canyon. Fish Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world after the Grand Canyon. It is 500m deep and 160km long. We set up our camp close by before heading to the canyon for a sunset walk. We walked along the side of the canyon and watched the sun set. The colours of the rocks in the canyon as the sun set was beautiful. When we returned Crispen had our dinner made and we sat around listening to Crispen and Harmony share their stories of wild animal encounters.En savoir plus
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Namib Desert
17 mai 2023, Namibie ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
We arrived in Sesriem on the edge of Namib Desert. Once we checked into the accommodation we realised that there was something wrong with the truck as it wouldn't start again. The plan for the following day changed as we had to get taxis into the park while our truck was being repaired.

The taxis arrived at 7:15 and we headed to Dune 45. Dune 45 is named as it is 45 kilometers from the edge of the park. We got our exercise work out in as we climbed up the ridge of the 150 meter dune to the top. We had a lovely view of the other dunes around us and the shadows from the sun made the dunes look beautiful.

We then drove to Dead Vlei which is another part of the park. This area was supposedly a river bed 5 million years ago but the river bed dried up leaving dead tree trunks remaining. We hiked inland in the hot dry heat and we're not disappointed when we spotted the trees. The contrast between the black trees and the scenery around us. These trees were also located beside the tallest dune in the park. This dune is called "Big Daddy" and it is 310 meters high. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to climb this dune as it takes about an hour to reach the top.

Once we returned back to our camp we were hoping that the truck was repaired however the starter was completely broken. The mechanics removed the starter and somehow was able to get the truck going by pushing it to get movement and then the truck started. For the next two days we will have to push the truck to help to get it started until we are in Swakopmund and hopefully they will have a replacement starter part. As Crispen our tour guide said "this is the unexpectedness of traveling but there is always plan B, C and D".En savoir plus
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Swakopmund
18 mai 2023, Namibie ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Today we arrived in the coastal town of Swakopmund. It is an interesting town as it has sand dunes on one side of the town and the sea on the other side. When we arrived at our lodge the receptionist showed us a video explaining all the activities we could do. Some of the options were a dolphin cruise, sandboarding and quad biking. However Swakopmund is best known for skydiving due to the scenery.

I have been tempted to doing a skydive for a while but I wasn't sure I would be able to go through with it. There was another girl in our group, Courtney, who was interested in doing the skydive which made it easier to say "let's do it". An hour after arriving, we were collected by a minibus and drove to the local airport. When we arrived the instructors went through the safety instructions before we were fit with our safety harness. There were ten people in total doing the skydive that day. Courtney and I were booked onto the third plane load. We saw as the first two groups lifted off and then spotted their parachutes landing. Each jumper had a tandem partner and a separate instructor who was taking a video and photos. It was fascinating watching as the instructors landed and then collected their next parachute bags to head off in the plane again for another skydive. Then it was our turn to go!

My instructor/tandem partner checked my harness again before we got into the plane. Then we climbed into the small plane. It was scary as the plane lifted off the ground into the sky. After a few deep breaths I was able to look out at the desert and ocean scenery below. One thing I remember was my tandem partner and video instructor talking about what was for their dinners while I was trying to remember to breathe.

After a few minutes we got the signal that we were five miles out from the jump zone. My tandem partner connected our harness together and told me "let's go have fun". The doors opened and my video instructor went out the door first hanging onto the plane awaiting us. We moved over to the edge of the door. I held onto the straps on my harness for dear life although in hindsight that wasn't going to help me much. My tandem partner sat at the door edge while I hung with my feet under the plane. I didn't dare look down so instead I looked straight out onto the horizon. On the count of three we fell out the door of the plane free falling.

After a second or two I remember getting a shoulder tap to say I can release my hands from the harness and spread them out wide. I spotted the video instructor smiling at me to say "give thumbs up" and I remember thinking great everything must be ok. The free fall was for 35 seconds and then my tandem partner released our parachute. It is very hard to explain the sensation of the free fall and I am not sure I was expecting the variety of emotions I was feeling as we fell. After the parachute was released my tandem instructor asked me how was it but I couldn't verbalise how I was feeling. It was a mixture of madness, shock, relief, fear and thrill.

I was surprised by how high up we were when the parachute was released as it seemed like a long way to get to the ground. As we parachuted to the ground my tandem instructor pointed out to me the different locations below such as the sand dunes, the mountains, airport and the beach. It was only then that I relaxed and enjoy the scenery around me. Once at the bottom I rejoined Courtney for a debrief. That debrief lasted all evening as we tried to put into words how the skydive experience was for us both. We were glad to have someone else to try and process all the emotions we felt with.

The following day as the rest of our group did their own activities Courtney and myself took it easy as we needed a well deserved rest after the exciting previous day skydiving.

When I reflect on the skydive I feel the whole experience was surreal. My biggest fear before the skydive was how I would feel hanging over the edge of the plane however I was surprised and grateful that we didn't have a long time waiting at the edge of the plane to build up that fear. The freefall was a cool sensation that was over quicker than expected. I am not sure if I will ever do a skydive again but I am glad to be able to say I did it in Namibia.En savoir plus
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Spitzkoppe
20 mai 2023, Namibie ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Our next stop was Spitzkoppe which is on the way to Etosha National Park. It is a desert area with very large rocks. When we arrived we met Joe who was a local guide and he showed us some Bushman paintings. These paintings were drawn by San people 5000 years ago. Their purpose was to warn other San tribes about animals in the area and give a direction to others about where the animals were seen. You can still see clearly the shapes of zebra, rhino, giraffe and lions in the drawings. It is amazing to know the drawings have lasted so many years.

Camping in Spitzkoppe was a very basic experience as there was no showers or toilets so we had to use any nearby bush for toilets. It added to the adventure experience. Nevertheless the benefit of staying in this location was the sunset and clear sky for star gazing which was stunning. The vibrant colours on the rocks around us were indescribable. I slept with my tent door and windows open to fall asleep looking at the magnificent stars.En savoir plus
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Etosha National Park
21 mai 2023, Namibie ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
I was excited to be heading to Etosha National Park for more safaris. Our camp was 93km from the entrance gate so when we arrived we had the opportunity to find animals in our truck. We spotted springbok, zebra and oscriches. At one point we saw a rhino in the distance and spent about ten minutes trying unsuccessfully to find it again as it had ducked behind some scrubs. When we arrived at our camp we set up our tents and went to the waterhole which was located five minutes from the camp. At this waterhole you can sit and wait to see what animals may come and visit. This spot was also a beautiful spot to watch the sun setting. The colours in the sky as the sun set over the national park landscape was breathtaking. Just as we were about to leave for dinner one rhino appeared and spent time drinking from the waterhole. It was a beautiful moment because we also had the background colours of the dusk skyline.

After dinner we went back to the waterhole to see what animals arrived. We were shocked to spot not only one rhino but now ten rhinos at the waterhole. Rhinos are mainly solitude animals so it is rare to see so many rhinos together. We sat for hours watching the rhinos drink water and head butt play together. Some of the rhinos had their horns while others didn't. It was difficult to decide when to go to bed as we didn't want to leave this unusual sighting.

The next morning we met Isaac our guide who brought us around the national park in a 4x4. We were lucky to spot two lions resting together in the grass. What surprised me about this sighting was that there were hundreds of zebra, wildebeest and springbok grazing around the lions. I was not expecting these animals to be so close to their predators. Isaac explained that lions spend 20 hours resting and only four hours moving around per day. He also explained that these two lions were in mating so every twenty minutes they try and mate over a two week period. Once mating has finished then the female goes hunting for food. We drove around the national park spotting giraffe, elephants, rhino and plenty of antelopes. Unfortunately the leopard was still hiding from us. Isaac told us he spots a leopard once or maybe twice a week as they are difficult to find.

Once back at our camp we had dinner before heading to the waterhole for our evening entertainment. We saw six rhinos playing at the waterhole including a baby rhino. The baby rhino chased away the zebra and an oryx from coming to drink at the waterhole. At one stage we heard the roar of lions in the distance. They do make a sound that brings goosebumps to your skin. Again it was hard to decide when to leave and go to bed as we didn't know if anymore animals would arrive at the waterhole.

Finally I decided it was time for sleep so I walked back to camp. After brushing my teeth I was just about to get into my tent when Ethan, from our group, popped his head out of his tent to say we got word that there was a leopard at the waterhole. Originally I thought he was messing and it was a joke until I realised he was actually getting out of his tent and putting on his shoes. We ran as fast as we could back to the waterhole to hopefully see the leopard. When we arrived the leopard had been chased away by the baby rhino. However a few minutes later the leopard came snuck back to the waterhole. We all stood there in awe for about 90 seconds watching the leopard before it ran away again. It was a magical moment and one that is unforgettable. Eventually I headed back to bed but it took a while to fall asleep after all the excitement of the day.

On the drive out of the park the next morning we spotted three more lionesses and a rhino grazing in the grass. As a whole Etosha National Park didn't disappoint as we got to see all the big animals in the park.En savoir plus
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Windhoek
23 mai 2023, Namibie ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Windhoek is the capital city of Namibia. It was very strange driving into a capital city at 4pm without any traffic jams or stoppages. We did a little bit of shopping before heading to our lodges for the night. Here we were saying goodbye to the French couple, Fabrice and Sylvie. They have been a couple with great characters so their energy will be missed among the group. They hosted a little goodbye party at their lodge before dinner.

The next morning we had a late start so Crispen cooked us a beautiful brunch. He had omelettes, Spanish omelette, fruits, yogurts and buns. We felt like we were spoilt and well rested for the next few days ahead.En savoir plus
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Zelda Farm, near Gobabis
24 mai 2023, Namibie ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Our last night in Namibia was spent at Zelda Farm near Gobabis. When we arrived at Zelda farm we had a walk with the local native San people they walked around the farm pointing out footprints of animals such as zebra and Oryx. They showed us plants that they us for medicines and they explained how they use animal skin to make clothing and shoes. It was a very interesting walk however it was sad to hear that their tribes are getting smaller and landowners have kicked native San people off their lands making their lives a lot more difficult.En savoir plus
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Okavango Delta
25 mai 2023, Botswana ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
Driving through Botswana very quickly felt different compared to Namibia as it is more farmland with chickens, donkeys, goats and cows grazing on the side of the road. The roads were smoother and very straight. We stayed overnight in Maun before heading on our excursion to Okavango Delta.

The Okavango Delta is a wetland which spread into a wide flat inland delta. We were picked up by a 4x4 and we drove two hours to the delta. We were met by our polers who introduced themselves before we got into the boats. The boats are called mokoro, which are long narrows boats and are rowed by polers. The polers use three meter long wooden poles that touch the bottom of the river to push the mokoro along in the water. We travelled through long reeds, long grass and lily pads. On our mokoro journey we spotted a few groups of hippopotamus in the open wetland areas. The journey lasted over an hour before we arrived at our camp. Thankfully this camp was premade so we didn't have to put up any of the tents. We shared stories while having lunch before having multiple games of uno in the afternoon.

At 5pm we meet together for our evening nature walk. The guides showed us the footprints of elephants and zebra. We spotted elephants, zebra, pelican birds, clover birds and antelopes. We watched the sunset over the delta before returning back to camp. After our dinner we sat around the fire listening to Crispen telling us about the Mozambique culture. They definitely have a lot of different cultural beliefs in comparison to us.

The following morning we woke at 5:30 for coffee before heading on a morning walk around the delta. We watched the sunrise over the delta and listened to the sounds of hippos, elephants and lions in the bushes. We spotted a group of zebra migrating through the water to another land inlet. There were a few impala and oryx grazing in the grass before we spotted a buffalo only a few meters away. This made our guides nervous and they quickly ensured that we headed back to our camp. At the camp the guides told us that the buffalo are the most dangerous animals to hurt humans. The guides told us stories about near miss injuries they had when the interacted with a buffalo.

They also told us that if an elephant kills a human the elephant will remember and feel guilty for this action. The elephant will bury the body underground and then they will return every few days or months back to the grave to pay their respects. If their fellow elephants learn about the elephant killing a human they may disown them from their elephant herd. We were all stunned by this information and it makes me even more fascinated by elephants.En savoir plus
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Elephant Sands
28 mai 2023, Botswana ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
It was quite an adventurous drive today to Elephant Sands. Firstly we stopped at a disinfectant road stop. We had to get out of the truck with our spare shoes and step into disinfectant buckets. The truck then drove through a large disinfectant puddle. This is to prevent foot and mouth disease spreading through areas of the country. As we drove we saw a group of elephants at the side of the main road drinking from the water mains. We slowed down to take photos. It was crazy that the elephants were not worried about us being so close to them and they continued on drinking. At other spots there were zebra, kudu, oscriches, cows and goats grazing close to the road.

Elephant Sands was our accommodation for the night. It has a waterhole and the lodge pump fresh water into the hole every day. There were signs around the accommodation site to "give way to wild elephants". When we arrived we were surprised to see over thirty elephants at the waterhole. The elephants would walk straight by the accommodation to the waterhole for a drink and then walk pass again when they went searching for food. When I went to the bathroom I had to check right and left to ensure there was no elephants passing by before crossing over the path. It was crazy.

We sat beside the waterhole for hours observing how the elephants interacted with each other. The seating area was only two meters from the elephants and it was breathtaking to be so close to them. Elephants are known to be quite intelligent animals. Instead of letting the water fill up the whole pond, the elephants drank directly from the tap to get the fresh water. This meant that the elephants would shove each other to try and get their trunk to the water tap. Some elephants even stuck their ivory tusks into other elephants bums to get the other elephant out of their way. It was also funny watching an elephant running from a distance towards the waterhole and try to figure out the best route to get to the water tap. At times there would be a roar from an older elephant to warn the others to stop messing. The roar from the elephant was surprisingly very loud. After drinking some elephants would spray themselves with muck. Other elephants stood to the side resting their trunk on their ivory or standing on three legs having a rest. It was difficult to decide to go to bed as the elephants were so entertaining.

I woke up at 5am to watch the elephants before our breakfast. This time there was only one elephant drinking at the waterhole. It was fascinating hearing them vacuum the water into their trunks before they place the water in their mouth. It was a special moment to be alone watching the elephant move around while the sun was rising. I thought seeing all the rhinos at the waterhole in Etosha National Park was going to be hard to beat but staying so close to wild elephants was incredible.En savoir plus
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