• Tonton
  • Fred Fred
  • Tonton
  • Fred Fred

Namibia 2023

Ein 22-Tage Abenteuer von Tonton & Fred Weiterlesen
  • Dirt road from Khowarib to Kamanjab

    6. Oktober 2023 in Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    We decided not to follow the initial itinerary that was taking us to Epupa and instead go to Kamanjab and start the journey to Etosha.

    We had to choose between 2 roads :
    The south one, backtracking to Palmwag and Grootberg pass. We had done most of it already.
    We decided to go with the north road going through a bit remote area. the first part was your classic gravel road, until we arrived to an intersection where our road just stopped. The road on the map was just not there. After driving around for a while, looking for the road, we found some guys with cars that told us that there was a small and tough track going through the mountains plateau, reaching the C35 road to Kamanjab. They says the road starts near a school and we should ask there.
    We drove a few kilometers and found the road, where we stopped to ask for direction.
    After 1 minutes we were surrounded by 20 or 30 students, all having their opinions of the right road to take. At the end their teacher arrived and got the last word (but still was not that sure and rely on what one of the girl student says)

    So, decision time, either 6h to go back on known roads or 60km of unknown road conditions in a remote area under the desert sun...
    A bit reluctantly, I took the 60km of unknown...
    Aside getting stuck in the middle of nowhere a few hours of walk under the sun and a few days to repair a potentially broken car, what else could go wrong?
    The road happen to be quite nice. We started to go through some remote small villages, then drove in some river beds mixing sands and rocks alternatively. A bit stressful a few time, but all in all a nice driving experience.

    And we got time to to explore a bit of Etosha.
    Weiterlesen

  • Etosha 1

    6. Oktober 2023 in Namibia ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    passing the entrance, the drone got sealed by the authorities, plastic bags removed, we filled another registry with all our info, shown our passports, then we got our permit to Etosha!

    All water holes we visit got animals, lots of zebras, sprintboks, impalas and girafes.
    What a day!
    Weiterlesen

  • Night drive

    8. Oktober 2023 in Namibia ⋅ 🌬 32 °C

    First night game drive!
    The guide has a red torch and check the road side while driving from water holes to water holes.
    We saw a lioness, a brown hyena, a cape fox, an howl, a steenbok (one of the smallest antilope), a chacal, a rabbit...and a black rhino mother and its youngling.
    It was too dark and they where all way too fast for any picture...
    So here is a video a us searching 😅
    Weiterlesen

  • Rhino tracking

    12. Oktober 2023 in Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Woke up early one last time for rhino tracking.
    The rhino of the Otiwa reserve are partially man fed during this time of year to bring them greener grass and keep them healthy.
    Before the interdiction around 20 years ago, this was kind of a farm for Rhino horns.

    Unlike today poachers who cut the whole horn and pretty much condamn the Rhino in the process, the farm was just cutting an inch at the tip of the horn every year. As this is basically a big nail, it would just grow back.

    Following the international ban, poaching rhino horn starting to be very intensive, leading to an almost instinction of the species.
    Weiterlesen

  • Africat

    12. Oktober 2023 in Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    AfriCat is a non profit organization that aim to protect big cats and carnivores through education.
    They work with community people, provide fences to protect their cattle, organize school tours, tag big cats, heal injured animals, move them into protected areas when they venture around farms where they can get shot by farmers.

    They use to nurse young cats that lost their mother but stopped as they where not adapted to go back to the wild when raised in captivity. They still have hunting instinct, but chase any animals, even the one that are too big for them which get them badly injured or dead. They also have troubles to adapt with other predators and territories. So at some point they stopped nursing and release animals.

    They still have a few cheetah. They are 13 years old (life expectancy is about 12 years in the wild) and will end their days protected I the reserve.

    It was such a great experience to be able to see them that close.
    Weiterlesen

    Ende der Reise
    13. Oktober 2023