FUELING UP ON OUR “VITAMIN HOME” IN NAMIBIA - PART 2: ETOSHA
As mentioned in our previous post, this trip’s main focus was seeing our parents. Although we would have loved to see more of Namibia since it has such a variety of landscapes, this wasn’t possible for this trip.
We decided to catch up with T’s mom in Windhoek (Read Part 1 here) and then scratch Etosha off our bucket list with my parents.
My parents are huge animal and bush lovers. They’ve been to Etosha (Okaukuejo & Halali Camps) once before about eight years ago and vowed to go back. Read about their trip back then.
Our trip would go as follow:
From the airport straight to Dolomite Camp
Dolomite Camp to Okaukuejo Camp
Okaukuejo to Namutoni
Back to Windhoek before we head back home
This had something new in for my parents, as well as their previous favourite camp, Okaukuejo.
The road to Etosha
After an early morning parent swap at the airport, we were on our way to Etosha. Our trip for the day ended up being about 700km with the airport run we did.
Even with a time-sensitive trip for the day, we manage to make a few stops.
Breakfast at Wimpy in Okahandja
Stocking up on snacks, drinks and supplies at Spar in Otjiwarongo. This was also an important stop for T and myself, as Janke, our friend, was born there and a regular topic in our conversations.
Petrol and bakery in Outjo.
On this point, I would add that if we made the trip over again, we would probably sleep over in Outjo. This is a lovely little town with an amazing bakery and little shops (unexplored by us). Outjo would also have shortened our trip a bit for that day, making it a bit less rushed.
Sleeping over in Outjo would result in losing a night in Etosha, making it a lot more difficult of a decision.
Although we arrived at the bakery a bit late in the day, with stock a bit low, we still managed to buy a yummy piece of pastry, which name I sadly don’t know. The only evidence I have is a last-minute/thought selfie I took of the last bite.
Landscape, Trees & Grass of Namibia
We knew that Namibia’s secret power is landscapes. Knowing this, I was still amazed at the beauty the country had to offer. I fell in love with so many trees and grass types that I lost count along the way. Sadly due to our rush between Etosha Park and Windhoek both times, we never really stopped to capture the “in-between” beauty on the road.
Although getting out of your car is not allowed inside the park, I did manage to capture a few “memory shots” from within the car or at the camps
Etosha – Accommodation
Most people we know usually go camping when visiting Etosha. This includes my parent’s during their previous visit to the park. However, for the sake of time and logistics, we’ve decided rather to use the chalets (Dinner, Bed & Breakfast).
Due to covid, we received a good price during this time and fairly easy availability at most camps. We used a third-party website (Etosha National Park) to assist with the booking process. Even with quite a bit of research, we weren’t sure what to expect. I would try to highlight all the ups and downs we experienced at every camp.
Dolomite Camp
We were excited about every camp we would go to in Etosha, but I was most excited about Dolomite without speaking for the rest. It just appeared to be the most exclusive of the camps we would visit. We would also have exclusive access to that part (Western side) of the park.
On arrival at the camp, we were greeted with a notice board saying that a “buggy” would be on its way to collect us and our luggage. Our spacious Toyota Fortuner was packed to the brim with suitcases, camera gear and shopping we did at Otji’s Spar. The buggy arrived shortly and managed to load the majority of the mount luggage. With the four of us, curves and all added to the buggy; we were on our way to a hill seen by Tour de France cyclist as mediocre. Low range was soon in action…
Check-in was smooth and swift, with friendly faces meeting us everywhere. My parents blindly took the first chalet, and we were off to ours—more about the chalet in a moment.
THAT VIEW!!! Nothing had us prepared for that open planes of the bush, with dwarf-like animals visible in the far. My dad sat on our patio that afternoon and said, “If you look closely, you can see tomorrow’s sunrise on the horizon”, and it really did feel that way. On the topic of sunrise (and sunset), it’s the best we’ve seen in a really long time.
The last bit of “wow” for us had to have been the lions. Although we never saw them, we got into bed every night hearing their roar. It really sounded as though they were just below our room.
Our thoughts on the Dolomite Camp
The location is one of the best you can ask for, and as mentioned, nothing beats the sunrise and sunsets.
The camp is unfenced, which definitely added to the “in the wild” feeling.
The staff were all super friendly and helpful.
The food was nice, but nothing exotic or fancy, with limited choices. This would be the case at most camps.
Due to the location (up on a hill), the terrain between the main camp, our car, and rooms were challenging. In addition, the buggy was not always readily available, which meant you had to walk up and down some steep and uneven terrain.
The tented rooms added to the bush experience since you were able to hear everything.
The rooms were nicely decorated but, as always, had little issues. The biggest one being the beds that are quite low on the ground and very soft.
Our room (East side) was pleasant most of the day, whereas my parent’s room (west side) got extremely hot during the afternoons. An additional aircon or even just a fan would have made the world’s difference. We were there during late autumn, and thus don’t know how hot it becomes during the summer months.
To sum it all up, this is great but be warned that it might be a bit of a schlep and uncomfortable, especially for less mobile and older adults.
Okaukuejo Camp
We initially wanted to stay more than two nights at Okaukuejo. This wasn’t possible before the stay, and even at camp, we tried our luck for a longer stay.
Okaukuejo is one of the main camps, with chalets, self-catering, and camping spots. It’s most known for the stunning waterhole within walking distance from any part of the camp. The waterhole is accessible throughout the day and night and has benches right along the small wall for you to enjoy.
The road between Dolomite and Okaukuejo is about 180km. With the stops for game viewing and gravel road, this took us around seven hours. Thus we decided to spend the following day just at camp and at its waterhole without driving anywhere. We were rewarded with a synchronized danced between the animals for a full day of entertainment at the waterhole.
Our thoughts on Okaukuejo Camp
During the day, the camp is amazing and quiet since most people leave. It can, however, become a bit noisy as everybody returns as it is a big camp.
The food once again was fine, with occasional slower service.
The little store was very sad, with limited stock on the shelves.
The rooms, although a bit small, and nothing face, are very comfortable. They have an aircon for hot afternoons and amazing showers. The mattresses could once again be a bit firmer, but the linen was fresh, clean and looked fairly new.
The porch facing the waterhole is semi-communal, and you have to share it with the joining room. As we shared with my parents, this was a big pro for us, but it could easily be awkward if you share with strangers.
Namutoni Camp
After a gruelling day on the road between Okaukuejo and Namutoni, we were less impressed with the look of this camp. Namutoni was never our first choice to stay at. Our first choice was originally Onkoshi, but we ended up here for three nights due to a lack of availability. This was one of the best things that happened to us.
Although basic maintenance was almost non-existing, this was probably our favourite camp. Yes, the camp is far from “insta-worthy”, but it really did surprise us. This was also the quietest of all the camps.
Our thoughts on Namutoni Camp
The general upkeep of the camp generally lacks a bit of a rundown look.
Their waterhole is mostly grown, and visibility isn’t great.
The “Castle”/Museum they have is closed, and we’re not sure if it will ever open again.
BUT, that’s about all the bad things we had on the Namutoni camp.
The rooms were absolutely huge (we could have hosted a dance in there) and super comfy.
The beds were firm, fresh, and the best we had up to that point.
We had an outdoor shower, as well as our first bath. We did, however, figure that my parents and we were sharing a geyser. Thus warm water was a bit limited.
The staff were extremely friendly (although we had that almost everywhere).
The rooms didn’t have such a nice outside porch as with Okaukuejo, but the restaurant seating was under the trees, and we ended up spending quite a bit of time there.
The food was yummy (especially the pork schnitzel), but Okaukuejo still wins for best dessert.
The last but best and most important thing was the location. The surrounding covered various landscapes: water areas, forest-like areas, bushveld areas, grass fields, and off-course the pan.
Etosha Wildlife and Birds.
General Wildlife
Throughout the trip, we would almost always see more or less of the same. Springbuck, Oryx, a few black-backed jackals, the odd squirrel and loads of Zebra with a few odds and ends in between.
Elephants
Etosha is quite well known for its elephants. Although we did manage to see a few, they were apparently only a drop in the bucket of how many there really are.
Rhino
I’m almost too afraid to admit and put this out there, but we were fortunate with Rhinos. With the HUGE pouching problem we face, we treasured every sighting we had of them.
Ozonjuitji m’Bari Waterhole
This was probably my highlight of the trip. This waterhole is situated more or less halfway between Dolomite and Okaukuejo. That being said, it would make sense that you can only arrive there in the middle of the day, with the harshes light thinkable (terrible to any wildlife photographer). This did not take away from our experience.
As far as the eye could see, there were animals. Some just standing like a statue doing absolutely nothing, some running around like they have some mad cow disease, birds flying & diving, animals drinking, animals sleeping and then a throw in a cranky elephant to add some havoc between all of them. My personal favourite had to have been the ostrich, coming in almost tip-toe like trying to dodge all the chaos just for a drink of water.
Our one and only cat of the trip – Cheetah
We were quite unlucky when it came to the big cats. We might have passed some lions and leopard but never saw anything. However, Namutoni brought us a bit of luck. As mentioned earlier, the road to Namutoni was gruelling and very bad. After packing off, we went for ice cream at the main camp without the intention to go for a drive again that day.
While eating our ice cream, a friendly gentleman approached us, “Have you seen the cheetah and its kill yet?” After gobbling off the remaining of our ice-creams, grabbing our cameras, we were off.
Just outside the gate (about 200m), the cheetah was still panting after the kill she made. We speculate that it was female and pregnant.
We once again missed out on an opportunity two days later with a cheetah and five baby cubs. Was it the same one? We don’t know, but we would like to think so… We never saw a cat again.
Giraffe
By this time you’re probably wondering, “Didn’t you see any giraffes?”
Well, that was our thought exactly for the first few days. Arriving at Namutoni and its surrounding, that all changed. They soon became the most common animal to see. During late afternoon drinking at the waterholes, we would sometimes count up to 40, coming from all crooks of the bush.
Birds
The birdlife in Etosha is amazing, and my mom’s biggest love of the bush. We saw water birds, geese, birds of prey, and so much in between.
Final Words
Sadly this trip came to an end much too soon. This was an unforgettable trip. We really did spend a huge amount of quality time together, had good laughs, got loads of mommy love, hugs and kisses and bonded in a way that we never can at our houses. Photographing with my dad was truly an amazing experience, as he inspired me to get into photography.
I would like to thank our parents for being willing to join us outside of South Africa. It really did mean the world to us. T thanx for always driving with two of the most difficult photographers onboard and getting us safe. The last bit of thanks also goes to T and my mom for always waiting patiently on the sunny and hot side of the car while my dad and myself have the better view and cooler side to photograph from.
As Donkey from Shrek would say: “LET’S DO THAT AGAIN!!!”
T and I will hopefully soon be packing our bags again, as we’ll be off to Georgia (The country) soon.
Wandering off now…
T & Me + Family
