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2 weeks self-driving and photographing in Namibia - May 2014


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Posted

That last photo of the LBR is superb.

 

Thanks for the wrap up, some great information here. I'm so glad you posted.

Posted

Simply a beautiful trip report @@xelas thank you. Lovely photos of some lovely landscapes.

Posted

Just seen and read this trip report all the way through.

 

Wonderful photography especially the landscapes and trees

Posted

@@PCNW and @ZimGirl: thank you very much for your kind words. Namibia really delivers to whoever loves landscape photography.

Posted (edited)

@@xelas beautiful landscapes and sceneries, especially that of Grutberg. that last pix of grutberg showed how flat and straight those plateaus are - incredible.

 

i;ve heard of how Namibia is stunning for its landscape and your photos just showed me that it is so!

Edited by Kitsafari
Posted

@Kitsafari: Thank You! Myself I was more excited about wildlife, yet my wife (who is the photographer in our family) obviously has a keen eye for landscapes.

Atravelynn
Posted (edited)

You really captured the gorgeous scenery. Beautiful shots! (Probably all 7000 are) Your waterhole shots show exciting activity too. That final roller shot is just too much!

 

I recognize the trees in Post #34. Glad your search for cats resulted in lions and leopard. I was especially interested in your Eco Dune Tour (Living Desert) near Swakopmund. Thanks for sharing this fantastic trip.

Edited by Atravelynn
Posted

Your trip report is truly inspiring, so we planned a three week trip in Namibia for May of 2015!

Thank you for sharing it with us

Posted

@@Atravelynn Thank you so much for your kind words! We are both so honoured that we can give back at least a fragment of the knowledge we gathered from this fantastic forum.

 

@@xcrunch You are 1 week luckier than we were! For more inspiration look at @@Jochen report Namibia 2012 - that one was an inspiration for us; of course do not miss others us all will add a brick (or ten) to your knowledge of this country.

Atravelynn
Posted (edited)

Could you post your itinerary, day by day? I am especially interested in how many days you spent along the coast, a region I'd like to visit in the future. For you 3 Khori Bustard shot, do I detect a youthful look in one of them meaning it's a family shot? I hardly ever see 3 Khori Bustards together.

 

You have talent as a photographer when you can make a plain old car in the sunset look appealing and adventurous at the end of Post #1. You really caught the intentness in the eyes of the cheetah on its "prey" as it ran.

 

Car rentals in Namibia will spike after people see this.

Edited by Atravelynn
Posted (edited)

@@Atravelynn You are way too kind! Better not to tell my wife (she is the photographer in our family) about all the praise she is receiving on this forum :) !

 

My day-per-day itinerary:

 

May 2 arrival Windhoek

May 3 driving Windhoek to Walvis Bay

May 4 Walvis Bay + Sandwich Harbour tour

May 5 Walvis Bay to Swakopmund Living Desert Tour, driving to Ameib Ranch

May 6 Ameib Ranch

May 7 driving from Ameib Ranch to Khoraxias

May 8 Driving from Khoraxias to Grootberg Lodge, afternoon game drive at Grootberg

May 9 Grootberg Lodge Rhino Tracking

May 10 driving from Grootberg Lodge to Dolomite Camp

May 11 safari drive around Dolomite Camp

May 12 ditto

May 13 driving from Dolomite Camp to Halali via Okakuejo

May 14 safari drive Halali

May 15 driving from Halali to Otjiwarongo via Namutoni Camp

May 16 driving from Otjiwarongo to Windhoek via CCF and REST

May 17 departing Windhoek

 

We have had 2 nights in Walvis Bay, 2 nights Ameib Ranch, 1 night Khoraxias, 2 nights Grootberg Lodge, 3 nights Dolomite Camp, 2 nights Halali and 1 night Otjiwarongo. If going for longer, I would add 1 night at Swakopmund , 1 night at Grootberg Lodge and 1 night at Okakuejo.

Edited by xelas
Atravelynn
Posted

Very helpful to have it all laid out like this. Ameib Ranch is a great find. Really gorgeous scenery. You must get your wife to join!

Posted

@@xcrunch You are 1 week luckier than we were! For more inspiration look at @@Jochen report Namibia 2012 - that one was an inspiration for us; of course do not miss others us all will add a brick (or ten) to your knowledge of this country.

 

Thanks for the wake up call :D

 

L

Posted (edited)

@@xcrunch You are 1 week luckier than we were! For more inspiration look at @@Jochen report Namibia 2012 - that one was an inspiration for us; of course do not miss others us all will add a brick (or ten) to your knowledge of this country.

 

Thanks for the wake up call :D

 

Late to the party, as usual these days.

But I read your complete report and loved all of it.

 

The pics got me thinking about going again. Those landscapes... Namibia sure is beautiful!

 

J.

Edited by Jochen
Posted

With pleasure, @@Jochen! It was on purpose, the way to say Thank You. I hope my wife's photography captured some of the beauty of this gorgeous country.

Posted

Wow xelas your landscapes are magnificent and that lilac breasted roller with the bug was superb! We also saw one playing with a bug like that before devouring it whole. Glad you were able to get such a great shot of it!

 

Lucky you spotting a leopard and you got some great photos at the cheetah run in CCF. Most of mine were of the tail or head as they ran past me and only one where the whole cheetah was in the shot!

 

So much fun reading your report since you were just a few days ahead of me at some of the lodges. My jaw dropped too when we arrived at Grootberg - such an amazing view -- loved sitting on the veranda and looking over the canyon. The staff was the absolute best and really shows how well these community run places can be. Wish there were more community run lodges rather than those operated by NWR. It was obvious the staff was so proud to be working there. Unlike NWR run Dolomite where the staff just stood around chatting & giggling with one another and weren't the least bit interested in the guests.

 

Thanks for sharing this with us! :)

Posted

We are fortunate that you did decide to write a trip report. It is great and the photos great as well. Thanks!

Posted

@@KathBC Maybe it was the same bird <_< ?! As for cheetah our photo strategy was "spray and pray". Luckily camera did a good job. Absolutely same feelings about staff at Grootberg Lodge and at Dolomite Camp. I assume the transport over the hill was still on foot? BTW, how was the coffee :rolleyes: ?

 

@@marg After spending a year or so on this forum, and reading a lot of reports, it is difficult not to share back with this great community. Namibia is really worth a visit; if our trip report helps at least one to come, we have done our mission. And thanks for kind words.

Posted

I hope my wife's photography captured some of the beauty of this gorgeous country.

 

I think she did a fantastic job!

Posted

My jaw dropped too when we arrived at Grootberg - such an amazing view -- loved sitting on the veranda and looking over the canyon. The staff was the absolute best and really shows how well these community run places can be. Wish there were more community run lodges rather than those operated by NWR.

 

@KathBC;

 

Your post was like a feather tickling the inside of my ribcage ^_^

 

The reason I'm not on this board that often these days, is because I'm working on a business plan to start a lodge in an unknown reserve (at least to the international audience), partly owned by a local community and in part by the government. The idea is to empower the local people while at the same time making sure the reserve is thriving.

 

If all the pieces of the puzzle fit; more info soon!

 

Ciao,

 

J.

Posted (edited)

@@KathBC I assume the transport over the hill was still on foot? BTW, how was the coffee :rolleyes: ?

 

That hill with no cart at Dolomite practically killed me!!

 

Enjoyed some pretty good coffee along the way - Sossus Dune Lodge had a french press even! Dolomite may have also, can't recall as was too busy trying to catch my breath from climbing to my room!

Edited by KathBC
  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

@@xelas

An excellent report with superb photos. Really stunning landscapes (and great wildlife.

Very enjoyable - thank you!

Posted

@@TonyQ Thanks a lot for your kind words, really appreciated! Namibia is a photographers paradise. Waiting next 8 months to return would be difficult if not for this excellent forum!

Posted

I had to come here to get a dose of Namibia again. 7000 photos and you narrowed them down to post some of the best in about a month. I'm impressed. Since I asked for the previous itinerary I'll ask for the next one in 8 months.

 

@@Jochen, I read the exciting news above!

Morkel Erasmus
Posted

Lovely report and pics - it's great to see some scenery from Western Etosha, an area I have not visited yet.

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