With this trip, we’re fulfilling a long-cherished dream. We deliberately chose not to travel as solo drivers but instead opted for a 16-day safari as the driver of one of two support vehicles, including a follow-up week at a lodge.
On May 17, we took a night flight to Namibia, landing in Windhoek around 7:30 a.m. in cool 7°C weather.
Between the two of us, we’ve been to Africa three times already—you either love it or hate it. There’s no in-between!
It’s simply impossible to fully capture the experience, the feelings, the scents, and the beauty of the country through digital media, but we’re taking you along on our adventure anyway. There’s a lot to read, and we’ll try to show you some pretty great (though not professional) photos and videos.
Before heading out on safari, we booked a few days at Claudia’s Casa Piccolo in Klein Windhoek. When Romeo, our shuttle, picked us up a bit late, Alex hopped right into the front seat to experience what it’s like to ride as a passenger in a right-hand-drive car on the left side of the road. It was a very strange feeling for me, too, sitting in the back of the car. Especially the roundabouts and turning—which felt completely wrong to us in left-hand traffic. So when Romeo dropped us off at Casa Piccolo, we were warmly welcomed by Nigel.
After we checked into our room and rested for a bit, we walked out to get something to eat and picked up some water and a few snacks.
It was an adventure in itself! The traffic was very chaotic, and there were few sidewalks or paved walkways—except, of course, right in the city center. Even as pedestrians, we weren’t used to driving on the left. Whenever you wanted to cross the street, you’d instinctively look in the wrong direction to see if a car was coming. People usually crossed on red at traffic lights, since it felt like they never turned green. In certain areas, you’d naturally encounter the kind of people who’d approach you to ask if you were looking for a ride or needed a guide. Plus, it felt like there was someone standing on every corner trying their luck to sell something.
Somehow, the long night flight was exhausting for us, and we couldn’t really sleep on the plane either.
That’s why we’d decided in advance to spend a few quiet days before our safari adventure. And so, we fell into bed tired that very afternoon.
The next day we were feeling better again and decided to accept Romeo’s offer to drive us around as a taxi.
Around noon, we had him drive us to Windhoek and pick us up again in the evening.
As expected, Windhoek wasn’t a particularly special city for us. We walked along Independence Avenue once; there were plenty of shopping options there. Here in Windhoek, there was really nothing missing—you could buy anything your heart desired. Of course, we were constantly approached by locals who either wanted to sell us something or ask for donations.
A lot of them also speak German, so using a language barrier as an excuse wasn’t an option for us. Being constantly hassled can really be very exhausting and annoying.
Admission to the Independence Museum was free, though it wasn’t possible to visit without a guide—and, of course, the guide expected to be paid.
The Independence Memorial Museum in Windhoek documents the history of Namibia’s struggle for liberation against colonial rule and apartheid, leading up to independence in 1990.
Next to the Independence Museum is the “Alte Feste” (fortress), a museum that is now closed, featuring an equestrian statue intended to commemorate the German Empire’s colonial wars against the Herero and Nama peoples from 1903 to 1907 in German South West Africa.
Since we were driving one of the two support vehicles, Dieter, our safari guide, arrived at Casa Piccolo around 3:00 p.m. the next day to give us and the other couple in the second support vehicle a brief orientation.
By the time he arrived, 10 of the 12 safari adventurers had already gathered there. He greeted everyone first, and after a brief talk, Dieter took us and the other two self-drivers to his home. The support vehicles were already waiting for us there. After a brief briefing, we drove the vehicles back to Casa Piccolo, which was also our meeting point for the start of the safari the next morning. For Alex, this was his first time driving a right-hand-drive car in left-hand traffic.
In the evening, we had dinner together with the others at a nearby restaurant.
After three days of acclimatization, our real adventure began:
The “CHEFS SPEZIAL—REAR KAOKOVELD & VAN ZYLS/OTJIHA PASS EXPEDITION” safari
(www.outdoor-adventure-namibia.de), during which we spent over two weeks getting to know an Africa far removed from civilization. It’s said that this year, at this time of year (May/June), the vegetation is greener than it has been in 50 years.
Appropriate gear, off-road vehicles, and a guide with the necessary expertise are a huge advantage on this tour, which allowed us to explore Namibia’s remote and unspoiled wilderness. Especially since some sections of our route are off-limits to rental vehicles, and only a few safari operators offer these routes. Self-drivers with their own vehicles are generally discouraged from attempting this route; if they do, it’s recommended to travel with at least two vehicles, as some mountain passes—as we experienced firsthand—are more than challenging.
So we weren’t just traveling in the safari vehicle—which carried 9 people, including the driver—but also in two support vehicles. These carried not only the guests’ luggage but, most importantly, food supplies (since shopping opportunities are very scarce along this route), as well as water, sufficient fuel, and cooking and camping gear.
When Alex learned during our planning for a trip to Namibia that these support vehicles were also available for self-driving, it was clear that he wanted to drive this safari himself through the wilderness in a 4×4 Toyota Land Cruiser and have an unforgettable off-road experience.
Our guide was Dieter. He and his wife Alina, who grew up here in Namibia (her parents established the Kuzikus Reserve—a private wildlife sanctuary—in Namibia over 45 years ago and have been committed to preserving a piece of unspoiled Africa), There will be more information on this in the next few posts, since our follow-up week was spent right at this lodge, in this reserve), have been offering a variety of wonderful adventure safaris for many years, and Dieter knows the area inside and out.
Both are of German origin, so there are no language barriers—which is, of course, perfect for us.
Here we go:
Day 1: Ameib Phillips Cave – (approx. 250 km)
We set off almost right on time at 9 a.m. Our group consisted of 13 people in total.
Our first stop was at a supermarket to pick up some last-minute supplies. We then left the city and headed into the Erongo Mountain Range. It is a spectacular, circular massif of volcanic origin in Namibia that is about 130 million years old. It is the remnant of an extinct volcano rising from the flat plains of Damaraland.
Our trip took us through Okahandja to Karibib and Usakos. From there, we traveled a short distance north to Ameib Camp, where we set up our tents. The tents were provided by the safari operator (Outdoor Adventure Safaris). We had to bring our own sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and everything else we needed for camping at night.
In the afternoon, we set off again in our vehicle to the beautiful spot called “Bull’s Party,” where we had an hour to explore this amazing area on our own.
“Bull’s Party” in Namibia is a famous cluster of surreal, perfectly round granite rock formations located on the grounds of the Ameib Guest and Camping Farm in the Erongo Mountains. The rocks lie scattered across the landscape like giant marbles or balls tossed about by giants.
The round granite boulders were formed over millions of years by extreme temperature fluctuations and weathering processes both above and below the Earth’s surface.
Once we got back to camp, the first few people started preparing dinner while we and a few others enjoyed a shower. After dinner, Alex and I admired the beautiful starry sky.
During our nights in the tent, the morning always began with a simple breakfast of bread, sausage, cheese spread, jam, Nutella, muesli, tea, hot chocolate, or coffee. For lunch around 1:00 p.m., we had a simple snack. Bread, sausage, cheese, cheese spread, and pickles were unpacked somewhere in the wilderness. In the evenings, we were treated to Dieter’s barbecue skills. He brought springbok, kudu, oryx, and beef that he had butchered himself. Two members of the group were in charge of the salad.
We washed the dishes together and set up and took down the tables and chairs, while Alex and Andi were responsible for the luggage. Of course, everyone also had to set up and take down their own tents.
Day 2: Kleine Spitzkoppe & Messum Crater – (approx. 150 km)
Before continuing our journey today, we had breakfast, packed up the tents, and went on a hike to the rock art in Phillips Grotto.
These paintings, created by the San (Bushmen), depict a detailed image of a large white elephant. Other motifs include numerous antelopes (such as a striking red antelope) and geometric symbols dating back over 3,000 years B.C.
After that, we continued our drive to Damaraland.
In Uis, we filled up the cars again and took the opportunity to buy some drinks.
Damaraland is vast, untamed, ruggedly beautiful, and boasts an exceptionally captivating landscape of open plains, ancient valleys, and spectacular rock formations. The route followed a rarely traveled off-road trail to the small, sacred Spitzkoppe and then across what is arguably Namibia’s most beautiful desert to the Messum Crater.
But first, we had to let some air out of the tires so we could drive more easily on the sandy trail.
In the afternoon, we looked for a suitable spot to camp, out in the middle of the wilderness with no restroom facilities.
We set up camp in a stunning, beautiful landscape near Cape Cross, where the Messum Crater is located along Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. The crater is the remnant of a once-active volcano in Damaraland. It is a wide, flat basin with a diameter of 25 km and was named by William Messum, the captain of a British merchant ship that visited Cape Cross in the 1850s. The captain named the dry river course, the mountains, and the crater after himself.
Today we had the opportunity to sleep under the open starry sky, without a tent, using only our sleeping bags.
What a great experience!
Day 3: Ugab Camp – (approx. 100 km)
Today’s drive took us to the remote Rhino Camp in the Ugab.
Before we arrived there, we passed a dried-up salt lake, recognizable by the white layer of salt amid the red rocks.
The Welwitschia plant has been growing on Earth for over 112 million years.
This one is 100 years old.
It grows in the Namib Desert in southern Africa and appears in many coats of arms in Namibia, including the coat of arms of Namibia, the coat of arms of the city of Swakopmund, and the coat of arms of the Kunene Region. Although the plant can live for several hundred years, it has only one pair of leaves.
The journey continued through Namibia’s lunar landscapes, taking in more breathtaking, remote scenery, vast open terrain, and spectacular views. With the steep ascents and descents, Alex had a blast driving through the adventurous 4×4 off-road trail.
The Ugab Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) in Namibia has worked tirelessly to protect the desert-adapted black rhino of the Kunene and Erongo regions. From the brink of extinction, the rhino population has recovered, and SRT is proud to be part of this success.
SRT operates in a remote, rugged area spanning more than one million hectares, with few fences, no national park status, and no control over who enters or leaves. Working closely with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, local communities, and nongovernmental organizations, dedicated teams of trackers go on daily patrols to monitor this last truly free population of black rhinos in the world.
We drove there on a whim, because in the past, the Ugab Rhino Camp had been severely damaged and partially washed away by heavy rains and flash floods in the Ugab Riverbed. Even Dieter didn’t know if it had been rebuilt yet. But we were lucky—although it isn’t completely rebuilt yet, there are already showers and African-style outhouses again 😉
When we arrived around 1:00 p.m., the first thing we did was set up the tents again.
After a snack break in the shade of a tree, we went out to explore the area a bit and gather firewood for the delicious dinner Dieter had whipped up for us, as well as for breakfast.
Day 4: Gai Aas Spring, Huab & Desolation Valley – (approx. 120 km)
Over the next few days, we explored a region of Namibia that even Namibians aren’t really aware exists. On standard maps, there’s no road, no town, and no other reference point marked here—it’s simply a “blank spot.” The next few days consisted entirely of off-road terrain—ideal conditions for the off-road vehicles and a huge source of fun for Alex. Here, you have to plot your course using topographic maps and GPS. Over the next few days, we were treated to one of Namibia’s most fantastic landscapes, featuring every conceivable variation of desert and semi-desert. In the vicinity of the Ugab River basin, we encountered a veritable labyrinth of gorges and valleys. It’s a landscape that only revealed its full beauty once we reached the plateau further north of the riverbed.
At the Gai Aas spring, we found ruins of an ancient settlement by nomadic herders. The dwellings—or rather, the ruins—are 5,000 years old. They have long since been abandoned due to severe drought. Until a few years ago, the spring was also a gathering place for animals.
Further north, the plateau slopes down to the riverbed of the Huab and Desolation Valley. The red rock that dominates this area has been carved by the river countless times, revealing the various shades of the rock layers.
In the Kunene Region, there is a petrified forest (Afrikaans: Versteende Woud; English: Petrified Forest), similar to those found in various other parts of the world.
The trunks have broken into countless smaller pieces, and even though they are millions of years old, the growth rings are still visible. Since the trunks show no traces of roots, scientists believe they were driftwood that was likely washed here from Angola by a major flood.
Because the wood was initially sealed airtight by sediments and silicic acid subsequently penetrated its cells, it fossilized over the course of many millions of years. Erosion brought them back to the surface. This is not “fossilization” in the literal sense, since in such processes the organic substances are not transformed into rock but are replaced by rock.
This tree trunk is 250 million years old.
We also passed by this riverbed with its beautiful, weathered limestone formations.
Once again, we spent the night in the middle of the wilderness, and once again we decided to sleep in our sleeping bags without a tent so we could gaze at the stars in the crystal-clear night sky.
In the evening, we could hear the geckos screeching from the rock faces.
A few more impressions from Day 5:
Day 5: Palmwag Lodge – (approx. 130 km)
We continued our journey northeast along this interesting off-road route. Around noon, we rejoined the road, which led us on to Palmwag, an oasis beneath the palm trees.
Palmwag is a nature reserve idyllically situated on a palm-lined tributary of the Uniab River. Water is scarce in this area, so the presence of the river often draws elephants closer to the camps. However, after the rainy season, elephants rarely stray this far, as there is plenty of lush greenery elsewhere. That’s why, unfortunately, we didn’t see any elephants passing through the Palmwag Lodge. The reserve is notable for its unusual palm species, Hyphaene petersiana, and for being home to the largest population of southwestern black rhinos in Africa.
Heute übernachteten wir in dem netten Palmwag to Go Camp, in einem großen festen Zelt mit Betten, Badezimmer und Küche.
We enjoyed an iced coffee at the bar, by the pool, and a Rock Shandy—the popular soft drink in Namibia and South Africa—at the buffet for dinner in the lodge restaurant. It consists of lemonade, mineral water, and a small splash of bitter liqueur. Ideally, it’s served with ice cubes and garnished with citrus fruit.
Before dinner, we had a sundowner. Usually, it’s gin and tonic with snacks as the sun sets, but wine is also available for anyone who wants it.
