Namutoni Camp Ground

Sunday 15th April – To Namutoni Camp

It was somewhat of a relief to find that the overnight storms had broken the run of hot weather. Today was positively cool by comparison. We began at 6.30 am, struggling to pack up the wet tents then started out on a slow and meandering drive to Namutoni Camp at the eastern border of the park. It was the site of a German fort in colonial times and this heritage is still clearly evident. At first glance the main building looks like something you would see in a Beau Geste movie. I half expected to see the French foreign legion come marching through the entrance.

Along the way through the park we saw more groups of giraffes and untold numbers of zebras, wildebeest, springbok and impala. We even spotted two cheetahs hiding in the long grass. The undoubted highlight was when we came across a recent zebra kill and were able to watch a group of jackals and pied crows fighting over the remnants. It was a dramatic demonstration of the flow of life in the wild.

The fort itself is a whitewashed structure, complete with battlements and corner lookout towers. Surrounding the fort is a large collection of small chalets and an extensive camping area. Like the previous camp at Okaukejo, this camp also had a fenced waterhole where you could sit and watch the animals come to drink.

During the afternoon while I was relaxing in the camp ground we witnessed the spectacle of a mongoose invasion (migration ?). Dozens of the little striped mammals appeared from nowhere and were soon scurrying everywhere around us. We were warned to lock the tents as the little creatures have a reputation for being “very naughty” and would cause havoc if they got inside. About 20 minutes later the little mongeese were nowhere to be seen. They had disappeared just as quickly as they had appeared. Africa is full of such surprises around every corner.

Another pleasant surprise was the soft green grass that covered the camping area. It certainly was more comfortable that the stony ground we had experienced at every previous site. I guess this was a sure sign that we were moving towards a completely different type of geographical region. Gone were the deserts of Namibia and we were now heading towards the much wetter region surrounding the Okavango Delta.Read more