Where I’ve been:

Around all Namibia 2024

Christmas and NY in Namibia 2024

( Deadvlei iconic spot with skeletal remains of old trees, bordered with desert dunes, Namibia )

Exploring Namibia during this Nomad tour around Africa: https://www.detourafrica.com/tour/42-day-nairobi-to-cape-town-camping/. and spending Christmas and New Year in Namibia and then ending the tour in Cape Town.

DAY 1 – Sunday 22.12.24

( Night at: Mahangu Safari Lodge, Namibia )

( Sunset at Kavango River, Namibia )

Woke up at 5:45 am was raining but anyway we decided to do the scenic flight in Maun over the Moremi Game Reserve at 7:30 am for 45 minutes which it was very nice only if the weather was better could’ve been more enjoyable. Then we went back to the camp pack the tend had a quick breakfast and by 9:30 am we continue north-west and cross the border into Namibia, but before we stopped for a quick lunch next to the road and then venturing towards the Kavango River where we did one hour and half cruise to spot wild animals and we stopped at the camp by the river for our overnight stop in Divundu. After the cruise we set up the tends, had dinner and then we went to sleep.

DAY 2 – Monday 23.12.24

( Night at: Kupferquelle Resort, Namibia )

( Otjivanda Shopping mall, Grootfontain )

Woke up at 5 am packed the tend in the dark had a quick breakfast, watch the sunrise by the river and left the camp at 6 am. We depart towards Etosha National Park spending most of the day driving and we stopped at Otjivanda shopping mall to buy Christmas group things and the Christmas gift for C. Then we drove to the camp in the noon around 3 pm where we had lunch there and then I just stayed at the bar the rest of the noon with the WiFi doing the pictures and organizing for Christmas. Then we had dinner at 7:30 pm and then we went to sleep even if I wasn’t very tired from the day.

DAY 3 – Tuesday 24.12.24

( Night at: Okaukuejo Resort, Namibia )

( The pool at the lodge where we stayed in Ethosa National Park )

Woke up at 5:45 am got ready packed the tend and left the camp at 6:30 am. This morning we depart for the gates of Etosha National Park. With vast salt pans, savanna and woodland, Etosha is one of Africa’s finest game parks. At 18 000 sq km, it is one of the biggest Parks in Southern Africa. Etosha means “great white area”, which refers to the large dried pan in the

middle of the Park. So we did our own game drive on the truck driving which it was amazing we saw cheetah and rhinos. Then we got at the camp, went to the pool to cool down because it was too hot and then we had lunch all together and spent the noon organizing things for the following trip, talked to my mum and then I got ready to go all together at the waterhole to watch the sunset and drink Amarulla to celebrate Christmas Eve and then after we went to have lunch at the restaurant which it was a buffet with wine included and then we went back to the waterhole to see if some animals were there and then we went to sleep.

DAY 4 – Wednesday 25.12.24

( Night at: Okaukuejo Resort, Namibia )

( Me during the morning Christmas safari, Etosha National Park )

Woke up at 6 am gave my present to Carmel had breakfast quickly and then we decided to do an extra activities in the morning as a game drive which it started at 7 am and the truck took us at the entrance of the National Park. We saw few animals but not predators actually. But still it was a very nice national park. Then we ended around 1 pm we had lunch all together at the camp and in the noon around 4 pm we did an other game drive but with the truck and we were just me Carmel and an other guy from the group so it was very chill and had the opportunity to enjoy. After once we got back around 7 pm we went to the waterhole of the camp to watch the sunset and then we had a Christmas dinner all together next to the truck with amazing food cooked by our tour guide and the driver. And then we went to sleep.

DAY 5 – Thursday 26.12.24

( Night at: Igowati Lodge, Khorixas )

( Drowing in the rocks at Twyfelfontein Rock Engravings )

Woke up at 6 am and then had breakfast and left the camp at 7 am. This morning, we set off from Etosha National Park. After a final morning of exploration as we exit the park, we’ll leave the park and head towards Khorixas in our Nomad Truck. Along the route, we’ll stop by the Petrified Forest National Park, with a local guide to visit a national monument featuring fossilized prehistoric tree trunks.These remnants were once massive trees carried down by a river and ultimately trapped in alluvial sands, thus becoming a fascinating piece of the past. After the little walk where it was very hot we had lunch in there and then we kept going to our final destination of the day is the enchanting Twyfelfontein Rock Engravings in the Kunene Region, where a local guide will escort us. This area, which was inhabited by the Khoi San for 6000 years, features one of the highest concentrations of rock petroglyphs in Africa. The ancient inhabitants used this site for shamanist rituals, resulting in the creation of 2500 rock paintings. After a full day of exploration, we’ll end our day in Khorixas where we chill a bit while it was raining and we set up the tend and then we had dinner all together and we went to sleep.

DAY 6 – Friday 27.12.24

( Night at: Amanpuri Travellers Lodge, Swakopmund )

( Different types of meat at Napolitana Restaurant, Swakopmund )

Woke up at 6 am pack the tend had a quick breakfast and today we depart Khorixas to where the hot desert sands meet the cool waves of the Atlantic. On the long morning drive we did a little stop over the ocean to visit the Zella shipwreak which it was pretty nice just the weather was very cloudy. Once we arrived in Swakopmund we went to the tour activity office where we decided the activity for the day after and then we checked in at the accommodation at 1:30 pm where we will have a private room for two nights. After lunch we rest a bit in the room and then in the late noon we went for a walk aroud the jetty but it was very cloudy and windy so we went back to the accommodation quickly, changed and we went to the restaurant at Napolitana where we had dinner included all together where we tried different meat and then we went back to the accommodation to sleep around 10 pm.

DAY 7 – Saturday 28.12.24

( Night at: Amanpuri Travellers Lodge, Swakopmund )

( The view on top of the dune over the ocean )

We woke up at 7:30 am had breakfast at the accommodation and then with Carmel we walked around the town, did a bit of shopping and then we went back to the accommodation and we got ready to do the Sandwich Harbor tour of the day as an extra activity. Other two people of our group join as well so it was perfect with the 4×4 we left the city stopping at Walvis Bay to watch the flaming by the beach and the the kept going till Sandwich Harbor were we enter in the national park and we saw few Jaco and we did few stop to take pictures. It was very amazing looking at the ocean from the top of a dune, and then we walk down by the beach and had the complimentary lunch with sparkling wine, it was incredible. After the driver did a bit of sand dunes drive around the desert and we mad our way back to Swakopmund after 6 pm so we just showered, organized the backpacks and we went to sleep without dinner and very tired from the day.

DAY 8 – Sunday 29.12.24

( Night at: Solitaire Roadhouse Lodge, Namibia )

( Landscape of the Namibian desert just outside of the truck window during the drive of the day )

Woke up at 6:30 am packed everything left the room and then we went for breakfast at the hotel and by 7:30 am we left the camp. Then we continue our journey to Southern Namibia and the Namib Desert. While bidding a reluctant farewell to the ocean, we make a stop to commemorate our crossing of the Tropic of Capricorn this morning before turning east towards the heart of the desert. This afternoon, we have the privilege of joining a local expert for an enlightening desert excursion at Sossus on foot bushman’s desert. Our local guide will introduce us to the wonders of the desert environment – an amazing introduction to the Namib that is sure to get all your senses ready for the next few days. Then we drove for 45 minutes ish and we reach the accommodation of the nigh where we got change quickly and jumped in the pool because it was very hot and then we just chilled a bit before having dinner while we watched an amazing sunset.

DAY 9 – Monday 30.12.24

( Night at: Hammerstein Lodge, Sesriem )

( Sesriem Canyon, Namibia )

Woke up at 3:45 am packed the tend and everything grab the breakfast boxes in the bakery and then we drive to the Namib-Naukluft National Park. We will enter the park just after sunrise and travel through to the famous Dune 45. A brisk climb up Dune 45 offers us the perfect vantage point to marvel at the changing colours of the desert. Once satisfied we descend this famous dune and enjoy the second breakfast that our tour guide prepared before catching a 4×4 transfer into Sossusvlei, here we will spend time on foot visiting the pans at Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, which it was absolutely amazing and then we stopped for lunch just in car park after the 4×4 transfer and then at 1 pm we made our way with the truck to Sesriem Canyon, where we did a little walk around and then we hop back in the truck and drove to the accommodation which is a camp on the doorstep of the dune fields, I chilled a bit and then we had dinner all together and we went to sleep, which luckily in the desert was very cooler perfect weather to sleep.

DAY 10 – Tuesday 31.12.23

( Night at: Hammerstein Lodge, Sesriem )

( View of the pool of the lodge in Sesriem )

Woke up at 7:30 am had breakfast around 8 am socialized a little bit and the we took few pictures around the camp, and we went for a walk out of the camp since it looks very nice even if it was very very hot. Then we had lunch all together and later we spent the noon by the reception in the common area to plan everything for January in Europe while few people of our group they started to celebrate new year according to the time zone of their countries. Then we had a big dinner all together and after we went to watch the stars which it was very nice. Then I stay up a bit longer by the reception by myself and then just after midnight I went to sleep.

DAY 11 – Wednesday 01.01.25

( Night at: Schutzenhaus Guesthouse, Keetmanshoop )

( Quiver Tree Forest, Namibia )

Woke up at 5:30 am pack everything had breakfast and left at 6:30 am, this morning we will turn east and head for Keetmanshoop. Every overland journey has some long travelling days and today is one of those as we spend most of the day driving onto our next destination. So at mid day we arrived at the accommodation set up the tend jumped in the pool because was very hot, had lunch and then we chilled by the pool till 4:30 pm when we left the camp with the truck to visit the Giants Playground, named for the way in which the massive dolerite boulders have been placed on each other- creating rock formations and a series of mazes. Them we went to Quiver Tree Forest where we stayed there to watch the sunset and contrary to belief, the quiver tree is not really a tree, but a plant that can grow to between 200 – 300 years

old. After we drove back to the camp and I just chilled in the bar area with my phone and then took a shower and went to sleep without dinner.

DAY 12 – Thursday 02.01.25

( Night at: Felix Unite Provenance Camp, Namibia )

( View of the Fish River Canyon, Namibia )

Woke up at 6:30 am pack the tend have breakfast and we head to The Fish River Canyon is the longest river in Namibia and the largest Canyon in Africa. We will drive to the rim of the Fish River Canyon and have an opportunity to stretch our legs with a gentle walk along the rim of the canyon, before we head further south and make our way to the Orange River, our final stop in Namibia. We arrived at our camp of the night around 1:30 pm we prepared lunch all together and then by 3 pm we went canoeing as an extra activities offered by the accommodation. They took us up to the river and we paddle 12km down back to the accommodation in three hours, it was very beautiful but challenging specially under the heat. The we went back jumped in the pool and got ready for dinner. Our last night in Namibia is spent on the banks of the Orange River.

DAY 13 – Friday 03.01.25

( Night at: Marcuskraal, Citrusdal, South Africa )

( The landscape on the bus traveling in South Africa )

Woke up at 6:45 am packed the tend, had breakfast and then we got on the bus for our final border crossing sees us enter South Africa this morning as we travel through the desert landscapes of Namaqualand on our way to the Cederberg region. No matter the time of year though, the strange desert vistas offer a unique backdrop to this day’s travel. Then we did few stops at the gasoline stations and then we reach the camp of the night around 6 pm after a long day driving and there we had dinner all together at the property and the. We went to sleep early due to the early departure the day afte and being tired from the traveling.

DAY 14 – Saturday 04.01.25

( Table Bay in Cape Town, South Africa )

Woke up 5:45 am had breakfast and pack the lunch, pack the tend for the last morning and then left at 7 am the camp, heading to Cape Town. The Cederberg region not only boasts spectacular mountains and orange farms, but it is also the home of the Rooibos bush. The Cederberg region is known for its mountain fynbos and spectacular views of the rugged Cedarberg Mountains. Nearing Cape Town, you will notice Table Mountain appear in the distance and we will stop to look at Table Mountain from across Table Bay where we stopped to take few pictures and then we proceed to the city where we reached the Hilton Double Tree where we picked all our stuff say goodbye to everyone and we went to the reception just to organize everything and order and uber to go to the hotel at Sea Point where we couldn’t check in so we left the luggage and we went out to explore the area, getting a smoothie and went to the ocean to take few pictures. Then by 2:30 pm we did the check in, relax a bit and then we went to do the lashes at The Glam Hair & Beauty Bar by 4 pm, it was very quick so we could also watch the sunset at Sea Point which it was very nice and then we went to sleep early.