Most Inspirational Moment
I loved visiting the Himba people & Etosha is amazing with huge quantites of wildlife in a stunning setting - I'd suggest it can rival the Mara as a safari destination. The landscapes around the Palmwag concession, and seeing the Elephants in the Hoanib River were also very special. We saw a leopard in Etosha too, which was a treat. Watching 12 Rhinos come and go around the floodlit waterhole in Okuquejo (1st night in Etosha) was also memorable. I think the scenery really makes Namibia special as although dry, it is surprisingly varied.
Thoughts on Group Leader
The leaders were Hans and Richard from Tracks & Trails, the local operator. Hans had led Exodus tours before, but it was Richard's first time. Both were excellent guides. Nothing was too much trouble and they cooked some amazing food and drove a VERY long way in hot conditions, jumping out of the 4WD and straight into camp to start working again. They constantly volunteered information and taught us a huge amount about the country, and basically, worked extremely hard, yet both still managed to be enthusiastic about everything we did. They were both among the best guides I have travelled with.
Advice for Potential Travellers
1. The trips notes are not quite accurate. The first night is in the Safari Hotel in Windheok and the second night, in the Erongo mountains, is not at Farm Eileen as the joining instructions suggest, but somewhere else, and according to the guides, a better campsite.
2. Alcohol cannot be bought or sold in Namibia on Sunday's, which is why the first night in the hotel (on a Sunday) is a good idea as hotels CAN serve alcohol and you are on the road on the second day, Monday, when beer CAN be bought for the subsequent six or seven nights before you will have another chance to purchase any. We bought a LOT of beer on the Monday to see us through this period - the guides were a little surprised by the quantity, but there was room for it on the trucks and there are powered fridges on the support vehicle to keep a day's worth cold each day.
3. You don't spend much money at all on this trip - when you do, everything is very cheap. Beer was less than a pound a can when bought in bulk and food also cheap. The Rand is currently about 20 to the pound, which certainly helps.
4. You don't need to take towels with you as these are all provided for the camping.
5. You won't have access to your luggage during the day as these are in the lockups on the 4WDs, so don't take things you think you "might" need as you will only have access to your day pack while driving.
6. The weather is hot during the day so shorts are better than long trousers generally, and while camping you won't need to be changing clothes all the time so pack light for this trip as you will be in a 4WD or a campsite for most of the holiday.
7. It doesn't actually get that cold at night either, despite what the trip notes suggest. There was only 1 or nights when you needed your fleece, in PalmWag and Hoanib when the wind gets up in the evening. In Etosha it stayed warm into the evening. I would stick with a fleece and long trousers for the evenings, when required and the tents never felt cold. Certainly, hats and gloves are not required (based on September departure).
8. On the last day on the way back into Windhoek you stop at a huge wood carving market where you can do loads of shopping - although bear in mind you are en route to the airport by that point.
9. You only spend around 1 hour with the Himba, so don't expect an immersive experience. It's more of a photo opp and a chance to buy some rather overpriced trinkets from the village which can transform itself in to a market in only a few minutes it seems.
10. There may be a little walking on rocky ground - we had a couple of goes at getting closer to Rhinos in Palmwag. I found an old pair of trainers fine for this so you may wish to leave your walking shoes at home if you are comfortable with some basic hiking. This also includes Twyfelfontein, which involves a walk to the rock paintings. If you are not confident, make sure you have some sturdy walking shoes, but otherwise, trainers will be fine.
11. you have to work hard for your wildlife in the Palmwah concession as the wildlife is very skittish, being so remote, so your initial photos may be of distant blobs or bottom shots. Don't worry too much as Etosha is very different with stacks of photo opportunities with much more habituated animals in much greater quantities.
12. In September, the sunrise / sunset times meant getting up and going to bed in the dark, so a light you can hang from the centre of the tent would be a good idea.
13. South African Rand could be used everywhere we went, so no need to buy Namibian at the airport if you can get a good rate for Rand before you go.
14. Don't worry about the camping if you've not done too much before, it's very comfortable and a great way to see the remote locations in Namibia.
