Namibia May 2023 - Zambezi region and more!

[mungopark]

After checking in and having a brief rest, Wilson and I met for a quick lunch.  He suggested that I do the afternoon game drive in the reserve rather than a game drive into Etosha.  He said that afternoon drives in Etosha were often unproductive and that I was likely to have a better game viewing experience in the much smaller reserve.  I think part of his rationale was that with the afternoon game drive being much shorter, much time would be lost in Etosha just trying to get to where the animals might be, only to possibly have to turn right around and start heading out in order to be out of the park by closing time.  Of course the counter argument to this is to simply leave for your game drive much earlier, something I think he really didn't want to do, whether from being tired or poor work ethic I'm not sure.

 

So, instead of getting a much anticipated look at the world-famous Etosha NP I found that I would have to settle for a possibly less enthralling game drive in the Onguma Reserve.  And what's more, I'd be sharing a vehicle with five other guests, which from past experience I'd learned can be ruinous to a game drive if your goals are not aligned. 

 

But at the time I was mostly just excited to be there and at having the chance to see more wildlife.  It was mostly after I returned home and had a chance to see just how unproductive (at least from a photography standpoint) the drives (yes, unfortunately I ended up doing multiple game drives in the reserve) were that I came to realize that I should have rolled the dice and taken my chances with a drive into Etosha. 

 

I wonder now if I'd insisted on going into Etosha if my "guide" would have flat out refused?  The whole concept of doing a private safari, which again is what I'd paid for, is having the flexibility of doing things how and when the client wants (assuming rules and laws aren't being broken, etc). Sadly, this was not the experience I had on this trip...

[mungopark]

So at around 3:30 pm I went to the main area to await my game drive.  Snacks were offered and gladly accepted and i spent my time waiting by photographing some giraffe who had come down to the waterhole for a drink.  

[Peter Connan]

Thanks for the report so far @mungopark.

I must say, the more I read of your trip, the more I think you would be happier self-driving...

Certainly there are drawbacks, but in areas like this, there is not that much risk, as long as one applies just a modicum of preparation.

Worst case, take food and water for a week and hire a sat phone. But there are many other usable options too.

[mungopark]

@Peter ConnanIn retrospect, yes, as a self driver I would have had the luxury of spending as much time in the park as my heart desired.  But as a first time traveler to Namibia the thought of self-driving seemed daunting.  Hope this trip report isn't making me look like a complainer, but we all know how in the build up to a trip we create all kinds of expectations about what we hope to do and see and sometimes anything less ends up feeling like disappointment.   But in a way, not getting everything we want can be used as motivation for a future return trip!

 

Anyways, back to the narrative.  At around 4:00 or so I met my vehicle mates, fortunately all very friendly and outgoing.  Our guide asked us what we wanted to see and the consensus amongst us was "Lions".  Probably a pretty common request I would think.  And so we set out into the Onguma reserve looking for big cats.  Our first sighting of note was a pair of black-backed jackal.  They weren't in hunting mode but rather seemed to be enjoying the last warm rays of the bright sun.

 

 

Moving on, we encountered a single lioness doing what lions do best - absolutely nothing!  She seemed to be healthy and I was told belonged to fairly decent sized pride resident in the reserve.  We stayed with her for a good 15 minutes or so before heading off for sundowners.  That was the extent of the game drive as per my recollection. 

 

Edited February 8 by mungopark

[mungopark]

I returned to camp tired and hungry.  Dinner was soon ready and I dined al fresco with Wilson at our own private table. The food was good if not memorable.   We discussed our plans for the morrow and planned to be at the Von Lindequist gate before the park opened in the morning to be able to enter in as soon as able.  

 

On my way back to the tent the staff member sent to "protect me" startled a civet that was in the bushes just outside the dinning area and cried out "oh, leopard!" before being corrected by one of the more experienced staff members who was nearby.    Talk about how NOT to inspire confidence in your guests. lol I think he was a member of the kitchen staff and probably had little contact with the wildlife side of things.  I'm just not sure what he would have done to help the situation had it really been a leopard or something else more lethal than a civet.  

 

Arriving in my tent, it was nice to finally get a chance to lie down and appreciate the sounds of the bush at night, something I'd missed in Okonjima due to my room there seemingly being sound-proofed from the outside world.  I could see the floodlit waterhole while lying in bed and I think there were a few nocturnal visitors that I watched as I drifted off into oblivion...

[mungopark]

After a good night's rest I met up with Wilson for a quick breakfast and, as promised, we were at the gates of Etosha before they opened.  There was one car in front of us in the queue but otherwise things seemed pretty quiet.  The

sunrise was quite pretty and seem to portend an eventful and fruitful morning game drive.

 

 

 

The hour arrived and we entered into the park with the one vehicle in front of us.  Almost immediately we encountered a pair of lionesses who seemed to be on a mission, pacing back and forth on the road in front of us while we could hear roaring in the distance.  It was then  that my guide decided that he too was on a mission - to be a one-man enforcer of what he insisted were official park rules.  He thought that the car in front of us was too close to the lions and furthermore, that the passenger had too much of his body hanging out of the vehicle.  He quickly drove up to them and began threatening to report them to park authorities.  While this was going on the lions were quickly slipping away out of photographable distance.  I managed a single decent shot and then they were gone, all while the haranguing continued.   

 

This was the first of what I believe were three, four or possibly more instances of Wilson driving up to visitors and yelling at them for their poor etiquette or lack of adherence to park rules.  Needless to say this detracted greatly from both the focus as well as the overall enjoyment of the game drive.

 

  We drove from one waterhole to the next, each more empty of game than the last.  Prior to visiting I'd had an unrealistic expectation of waterholes teeming with a variety of different species, each jockeying for position to secure access to the precious life-giving water.  Maybe it was the time of year I was visiting, or perhaps there had been recent rains or perhaps it was just plain bad luck - regardless, we didn't really see any real action at any of the waterholes.  I completely lost track of which ones, by name, we were visiting.  Didn't really matter anyways since nothing occurred to distinguish one from another.

 

Fortunately, en route from one waterhole to the next we did see a really good variety of game, at least when Wilson wasn't otherwise  preoccupied with finding and castigating rule breakers .  Here is a brief selection of some of the more memorable sightings...

 

What would a visit to Etosha be without a photo of the highly localized black-faced impala?

 

 

We saw a fair number of kudu, and this was one in particularly nice warm surroundings...

 

 

I find it hard to take a picture of zebra that doesn't turn out really nice.  Their black and white profile tends to always pop out so nicely from their surroundings

 

 

 

Edited February 9 by mungopark

[mungopark]

Although perhaps not as exciting as predators, plains game have a certain charm of their own, and it was interesting seeing the various species comingling with one another.  We next saw wildebeest, herds of springbok and ostriches and even (a first on this trip) finally some elephants!

 

This guy has that sort of mad look about him that seems to be an intrinsic characteristic of his species

 

 

We saw several herds of springbok, which seemed very relaxed around the vehicle.  

 

 

One of the few trees I remember seeing. Not surprisingly it was dead.

 

 

I was quite pleased to run into a herd of red hartebeest, a species I'd only briefly seen once before in the Kalahari GR from afar.  That is, I think, the Etosha pan in the distance behind him

 

 

We did see some gemsbok.  Such a regal antelope.   Unfortunately I could never seem to get a frontal shot of one, having to settle for a profile shot as they attempted to flee.... 

 

[mungopark]

We encountered the first elephants of the trip along one of the many roads that meander throughout the park.  This was the only real shared sighting of the day and, though brief, the encounter was one of my favorites of the morning.

 

 

Other species seen on our drive included Angolan giraffe, white rhino, eland and (I think) dwarf mongoose.  All of these sightings were made away from the many waterholes.  All-in-all I was pretty satisfied with the variety and quality of our sightings.  By late morning the light had become very harsh and not amenable to photography so, after a quick stop at Namutoni to look at the fort, we headed back to Onguma tented camp. 

[mungopark]

Really more due to lack of technique rather than interest, birds did not often fall victim to my camera.  Here is the one exception from my visit to Etosha, which should surprise no one who has visited Southern Africa.  The ubiquitous LBR

 

 

[mungopark]

We got back to camp in time for a quick lunch and a siesta.  There wasn't much to do about the camp except hang out in my tent and write in my trip journal.  I'd spoken briefly with Wilson during lunch about our evening plans and he stuck to his guns and insisted a game drive in the reserve was the better option.  My protests about the game drive in the reserve the night before having been kinda slow fell on deaf ears.  I honestly think he was trying to rest up for the long drive we had ahead of us the next day, which I understand, but I still felt like I was being shortchanged.

 

The afternoon felt kind of like deja vu.  There were the giraffes at the waterhole in front of camp getting an afternoon drink, just like the day prior.  Up and into the safari vehicle at 4:00 pm with the same folks as yesterday and, if I recall, with the same guide.  I don't even remember whether we were asked about any preferences we had for the game drive, but the group must have asked for lions again and that's what we got. 

 

After not seeing much, maybe a distant gemsbok and some wildebeest, our guide did some tracking and, after noting some lions pawprints in the dirt, found us a nice pride of 6 or 7 lionesses resting in the shade.  We spent a good 10 minutes with them but, as they were not moving about we soon left them and went in quest of a good sundowner spot.

 

 

When wildlife is scarce I tend to try and find other things to take pictures of such as interesting clouds, trees, termite mounds, etc.

 

 

 After enjoying snacks and drinks at a spot that looked like it was sometimes used for bush breakfasts (there were some large tables already set up, with a discarded tablecloth nearby) it was time to go back to camp.  After a quick trip back to my tent to leave my camera equipment I was back to the dining area to meet Wilson for our last dinner at Onguma.

 

Without waiting for him to ask I told Wilson that I wanted to do another game drive into Etosha in the morning.  He hesitated, seemed to be trying to think up an excuse to say no, and then finally said that it would be fine but that it would have to be only a partial game drive.  I went to bed still full of hopes and expectations for some more Etosha magic...

Edited February 11 by mungopark

[Kitsafari]

Thanks for sharing the negative as well as the positive aspects of the safari, it's good to keep those of us planning for Namibia safaris aware of the cons of using a non-specialised safari guide. I don't think it was unfair of you to ask for morning drives into Etosha. I hope the etosha drives delivered! 

[mungopark]

@KitsafariPart of the fun of going on safari is that, far from being scripted, the experience is different each time and oftentimes full of surprises.  Unfortunately sometimes the surprises tend toward the negative rather than the positive side of things.  But in the end, the balance almost always swings in favor of the good rather than of the bad.

 

Up early the next morning, having packed the night before, I did my final check-out from the camp.  Imagine my surprise when they billed me (if I remember correctly)  40 USD for my laundry!  I think that was for two pairs of pants, two shirts and maybe some socks.  I'm sure somewhere  in the fine print of the travel material I'd been given it might have included info about the cost of laundry services.  At the time it seemed like I was being price gouged.  Needless to say, I left Onguma with kind of a bad taste in my mouth.  But no worry, let's see what Etosha has to offer ...

 

We were the first ones at the gate before it opened, which I think must have been right at 7:00 am.  We immediately encountered the same lionesses (or at least members of the same pride) as from the day before.  The light was still dark and so my photos may not be crisp but at least I was not having to contend with a malcontent driver who was more focused on berating other drivers than on catering to his client.   The lioness was collared, but I managed to get an angle where it was not evident.   

 

 

 

I had commented to Wilson that I was keen on seeing some giraffe. He knew of an area in the park where there were some woodland which he felt confident would contain giraffe.  With that area as our destination, we bypassed some of the waterholes we'd visited the day before, so I'll never know what I might have missed out on.  But find giraffes we did, so it was mission accomplished!

 

 

This area happened to be near the edge of the pan, and we had good views of the flat expanse of the shimmering pan extending to the horizon.  I think I may have tried some photos, but they did not do justice to the scene.  Based on the relative success of the game drive up til this point (by then it was not yet even 8:00 am), I began to become hopeful about getting in some more good sightings.  It was at that point that Wilson announced that the game drive was over and that we needed to be on our way!?   

 

When planning my itinerary I knew that my time in the Etosha region was going to be limited, but now that I was leaving it felt like I'd barely even had a chance to experience it at all.  However, I was confident that sacrificing time here to be able to visit the Caprivi region was going to pay off in a big way, and in this I was not disappointed!

 

Summarizing my stay, I would say that a return trip to Etosha for me would be something I'd consider, but likely only after visiting (or re-visiting) other areas of interest in Southern Africa.  The lack of variety of scenery, the lack of that truly wild feeling left me wanting more, irrespective of the quality or quantity of game sightings.  And as far as Onguma  reserve was concerned, in my opinion my stay there did not add much enjoyment-wise to my trip. I would stay elsewhere were I to pay Etosha a return visit.

[mungopark]

Leaving Etosha behind, we actually had to backtrack quite a bit along the highway past Tsumeb (and another pitstop at the Farmhouse Deli) all the way to Otavi, where the highway branched off going south toward Windhoek and East, where we want to go. 

 

Along the highway heading due East was a point of interest we planned on visiting - the Hoba meteorite!  Billed as the largest of its kind in the world, the meteorite is estimated to have crash landed 80,000 years ago.  It was found by a farmer in the 1920's as he was plowing his field and it's importance was immediately realized.  It is now a national monument and is, I think, a somewhat popular place to visit, if number of tripadvisor reviews are anything to go by.  

 

Much like our visit to Lake Otjikoto earlier in the trip, here we were required to hire a guide for a fee.  Other than offering to take our photo, she didn't do much "guiding".  Both Wilson and I were somewhat horrified when we saw her encouraging another group touring there to climb up on top of the meteorite for photos and selfies!  She gave us the same suggestion, but we elected to just stand in front and not contribute to its slow destruction.

 

 

[mungopark]

Our final destination on this day was Taranga Safari Lodge, about 35 km west of Rundu and situated on the Kavango (aka Cubango aka Okavango) river which separates Namibia from Angola.  Although the decision to stay here was merely to break up an otherwise long stretch of travel, yet it ended up being one of the highlights of my whole trip!

 

We arrived in Taranga in the later afternoon.  My tent was right along the river and I had a nice peaceful view of the same.   We'd been given a sack lunch by the kitchen staff at Onguma and I ate mine while listening to the honking of hippos and of what sounded like a whole flock of grey louries.  It seemed like an oasis of peace after the hustle and bustle of the last few days.  

 

My TA had booked me on a river cruise up the Kavango and I arranged to meet with Wilson at the appointed time.  We had changed time zones, however, and so he overslept and missed out.  I'd been expecting the type of river excursion where they cram as many folks as possible into a single boat.  To my pleasant surprise, I was the only participant other than the boat captain!  Without wanting to sound snobbish, there is something so nice about having an experience all to yourself.  

 

I was told not to photograph any of the villagers that we might see using the river for fishing, bathing, clothes washing, etc., of which we saw several.  I mostly chose to just relax and enjoy the experience.  I had hoped to see perhaps some hippo, but had to settle for some village cattle instead, impressive in their own right...

 

View of the Kavango river from the deck of my chalet, with Angola in the distance.

 

 

 

 

Looking back towards the safari lodge hidden in the trees.  I particularly enjoy taking pictures involving reflections in the water, as it give a kind of surreal look to the scene.

 

 

 

 

The boat ride was not completely devoid of animals, albeit of the domestic sort.

 

 

Wonderful sunset to cap off an eventful day.

 

[mungopark]

After a delicious dinner in which we were serenaded by the croaking of frogs, there was time enough for a bit of stargazing before heading back to my tent for the night.

 

I’d made it a point to not really unpack anything since it was only a one night stay.  Therefore, bright and early everything was loaded back up in the vehicle.

 

Wilson and I waited for the lodge staff to arrive to prepare our breakfast.  It was very tasty and we both ate well.  We needed a hearty breakfast as we would be traveling near the entire length of the Caprivi strip before really getting a chance for our next meal.  
 

We stopped for fuel in Rundu and again in Divundu as well as purchasing snacks.  It’s always nice to try new flavors chips, sodas etc that are encountered when traveling internationally and two in particular that I found I enjoyed were these.

 

[wilddog]

Lovely LBR photo. It is such a classic, and essential, sighting. 

So pleased you got some lions and giraffe, with lovely photographs. 

One of the benefits of a road trip is seeing Africa from the residents eyes and sampling the snacks etc. The Simba crisps say it all.

An excellent and interesting TR.

[mungopark]

@wilddogRoad trips definitely help you to better experience the feel (and taste) of a country!

 

Our next destination was Nambwa Tented Lodge in the Kwando region of Bwabwata National Park.  The park encompasses a significant portion of the Caprivi strip.  Most of the park is multi-use land.  There is a highway that runs straight through the park and we saw many small villages along the roadside.  I'm not sure how far back into the park they extend, but the Namibian government decided to allow these "Caprivians" to remain in their traditional homesteads rather than expelling them from the park.  I think farming, ranching and maybe even some areas for hunting occur here.

 

At the Western end of the park are several separate game viewing areas including the Buffalo core area and the Mahango GR.  I did not visit these areas and so cannot comment on them any further.  My target area was the Kwando game viewing area, not surprisingly, located along the western margins of the Kwando river.  Our drive crossing one end of the park to the other along the highway was peaceful if somewhat uneventful.  I did not see any wildlife along that stretch other than a few ostrich and a warthog.

 

 

Whenever possible, I like to get a photo at the gate of the park I'm visiting, especially if it is for the first time.  It helps to capture the moment when my excitement is at its peak.

 

 

 

Here is a map of the Kwando core area of the park.  I think many of the lodges on this map don't even exist anymore.  For example, I think Susuwe burned down. Kazile island had same owners as Nambwa but it was shut down and staff were staying in the bungalows there.  The game activities that I participated all took place near the horseshoe lagoon. 

 

   

[mungopark]

After another pit stop, this time in Kongola, the next big town outside the park, we entered into the park proper and wound our way to the park HQ so that we could check-in.  There were a variety of animals skulls lined up along the parking area and they helped me gauge what species I might hope to see.  I believe I was given a list of mammal and bird species for the park, and there was a white board listing recent pertinent sightings including of wild dog.

 

After the formalities of checking-in, we finally began our first game drive into Bwabwata on our way to camp.  Hurrah!!!  Here were a few of the great sightings we had almost right away.

 

 

A very stately waterbuck in lovely surroundings.  Maybe it was the shade, but he seemed a little bit more of a dark chocolate color than other water buck I'd seen before.

 

 

Hard to resist not getting a picture of Kudu.  Even when the lighting isn't ideal, they are just so photogenic.

 

Yeah, we're going to photograph everything!  This guy is up to some monkey business..

 

 

We also saw elephant and warthog, and all of this was in the 20 minutes or so that it took for us to get to Nambwa!  We saw at least one vehicle along the way struggling in the sand, and we ourselves required several failed attempts before going up a steep hill.  Later on in camp, I would meet a couple who said they gotten stranded in the vehicle on the way in due to getting stuck in deep sand and had to wait several hour until someone could extricate them

 

 

[mungopark]

Now for a little about the lodge.  It is technically the only lodge actually within the confines of the park itself.  It was built right next to the Kwando river, with several of the rooms overlooking the same.  The lodge was built on stilts, presumably to account for seasonal flooding but also to allow animals to roam freely while minimizing close encounters with guests.  As an example, here was  a sweet bushbuck doe  that greeted me shortly after my arrival, walking right below and under me.  

 

 

 

 

 

There was a nice lounge area, covered as well as open air dining, a swimming pool, a hide and a somewhat extensive walkway the wended its way through a canopy of fig and jackalberry trees.  It was all very peaceful and relaxing.  My room was luxurious beyond belief, with a large sitting area, king sized bed, double sinks and an outdoor solar-heated shower.  The food was quite good and plentiful, all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) included and laundry services were also included.

 

Guests were entitled to two game activities per day, which could included either game drives or boat cruises along the Kwando river.  I got to do both while I was there.  Afternoon game drives left at around 3:00 pm or so and my morning boat cruise left just after sunrise.  My time here was well spent, easily some of the most fun I've ever had on safari, and the park provided a veritable bonanza of wildlife sightings!

 

 

Edited February 16 by mungopark

[anthracosaur]

@mungoparkEnjoying your report on an area that is less frequently visited and discussed. My wife and I had a similar experience with a 'Driver/Guide" in Tanzania seven years ago. I think your critical perspective is fine for a Trip Report. It is useful for people to hear about the less than spectacular side of some trips, helps people in their future planning. I know that I plan trips rather differently and with a different focus after our Tanzania experience.

[mungopark]

@anthracosaurFortunately at this stage I was close to parting ways with my guide.  A fine fellow, no doubt, but not really what I envisioned a guide should be.

 

After a quick lunch I was ready to meet my fellow travelers who were to be sharing my adventures here in Bwabwata.  There was a couple from Germany  who both worked in the airline industry and apparently flew to Namibia with some frequency for free.  There was also a nice young couple from France, who I think had already visited Bwabwata once before and liked it enough to make a return  trip.  On our first game drive, which took place in the afternoon, I sat in the middle with my driver (who gave up all pretense of guiding at this point) sitting next to me.

 

The highlight of any game drive in Bwabwata NP is the Horseshoe Lagoon, frequented by elephants, buffalo, and pretty much all game in the park.  We headed out with that as our initial destination.  Along the way we encountered a herd of lechwe, new for me on this trip, as well as a troop of baboons, impala and even a very sick female kudu who looked not long for this earth.  The guide got out and approached her and she made a half-hearted attempt to stand up but did or could not run.  We found her dead the next day, though what her ailment was remained a mystery.

 

The water-loving lechwe was abundant here, not an animal one typically associates with Namibia!

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of water, soon we were at the lagoon.  There was a small family of around a dozen or so elephants enjoying an afternoon bath, as well as a lone bull sable antelope who came down for a quick drink.

 

 

 

We probably spent a good half an hour or so watching the elephants.  There were no other cars around.  It seemed like we had the park to ourselves! 

 

Multiple times while trying to get into a good position for photographs on this game drive I had to ask Wilson to move out of the way.  He had mentioned to me somewhere along the way that he'd only been to Bwabwata once before a few years earlier, so I can understand him enjoying the game drive and so forth, but he seemed to have completely forgotten at that point that I was the client!  Humph! 

 

Our time with the elephants was very enjoyable but there was still so much to see!  The French couple told me they'd seen wild dogs on the evening drive the night prior, so we continued along hoping maybe to find them or something else of interest.

 

[mungopark]

Soon we came to a grassy area where we noticed something of interest was upon us.  Literally every tree was festooned with vultures and other associated carrion eaters.  This suggested maybe a kill, maybe predators? ...

 

What could it be that they were so interested in?

 

Whatever it was, either everyone had fed well and were resting, or something was keeping them at bay.  Which would it be?

 

 

We had to off road to get into the middle of the grassy area where suddenly our noses were assaulted by the fetid stink of death.  A huge mostly eaten giraffe carcass greeted us, absolutely swarming with maggots.  We kept our distance, as the smell was truly unpleasant, so my photos aren't great...

 

 

The eyeballs and other soft parts are always the first to go.  The flies were having a field day with this one!

 

 

There was a lone skulking hyena but no other evidence of large predators around (unless we count this marabou stork as a "large predator").  Our guide thought that perhaps the giraffe had died from natural causes and stated that both the dead giraffe and the sick kudu would be reported to park staff.  Not the prettiest sight for sure, but the dead giraffe encounter was an unexpected, if not an overtly welcome, deviation from typical safari experience. 

Edited February 17 by mungopark

[mungopark]

Moving on to less stomach-churning game sightings, we soon encountered a herd of sable antelope. they were a little camera shy, but a great sighting nonetheless.

 

 

They didn't tolerate our presence for long, or else I would have loved to spend more time with them.  Such magnificent antelope, and not always the easiest to find either... 

 

Moving along, we soon encountered herds of zebra and buffalo as well as a giraffe that was not dead and rotting.

 

Nice to see a herd of buffalo in the woodland rather than in the typical grassland.  They blend in so nicely with the trees..

 

Zebra also deciding to make an appearance.  With all the zebra and buffalo around I kept expecting to happen upon a pride of lions.  But alas, not on this game drive..

 

 

And as promised, a lone giraffe.  As always, showing some interest in who we are and what we are doing.

 

[ElenaH]

Very nice pictures, @mungopark!

I've been to Susuwe lodge in 2013 but it didn't have its former glance anymore. However, we had very good sightings, too! The Horseshoe is a very nice place as I remember, There where you saw elephants, I assume?  One picture I made there were published in magazines. And we saw also wild dogs there who made attempt to hunt a Kudu. 

 

[mungopark]

@ElenaHyes, these elephant photos and many subsequent photos I took at the horseshoe lagoon, which one can see nicely illustrated in your photo above.   Quite the hotspot for wildlife in Bwabwata!