Cruising across Africa to great adventures in Namibia

Since last update our two beautiful VW Polos have had the test of their lives. They have driven more than 4000 Ks (800 Ks on bumpy gravel roads) across the African continent from Kruger National Park in Eastern South Africa to Cape Town in Western South Africa via Fish River Canyon and Sossousvlei in Namibia. Needless to say that we have spent countless hours on the road, and some might wonder why we would drive such a detour (to Namibia). First of all, the hours on the road have been in good company and full of adventure and secondly…. well… read on, see the photos and you will understand.

The long drive from Kruger NP to Fish River Canyon in Namibia proved to be more than 1700 Ks and was covered in two days. It was an amazing drive where the landscape slowly changed from lush farming land near Kruger over savannas and green plains in central South Africa to desert-like countryside after passing the border to Namibia. Even though the official safari had ended we saw lots of animal just by driving on the roads, including Zebras, Ostriches, Springbucks, Oryxs, Giraffes and last but not least two Cheetahs running in front of Danielle’s car on a gravel road in Namibia, what an experience!

The long distances were of course not covered only for the scenic drives, but because we wanted to visit two of our favourite sites, namely Fish River Canyon and Sossousvlei. The latter being one of the greatest natural wonders in the world, at least according to our measures. Fish River Canyon is considered to be the 2nd largest canyon on the planet and it is a jaw-dropping experience to stand on the edge looking 550m down to the bottom of the canyon, some times nature creates things that are so abnormal that you just do not believe your own eyes. Sossousvlei is our favourite spot in Africa, even though the desert sands have taken the life of two of our cameras, one in 2008 and one on this trip. To share our experiences, see the photos from the dry, dry desert and you will hopefully understand why we love this place so much. Do not be mistaken, nothing beats the feeling of climbing a 150m sand dune to watch the early morning sun paint the gigantic sand dunes in a palette of red and orange. This should of course only be the smile on your face when you run (and fall) down the dunes afterwards ☺. A part of the Sossousvlei experience is also visiting the dead vlei, which is an amazing sight. A dried out riverbed with petrified trees in the middle of a gigantic desert, need we say more?

The amazing sights and Kodak moments are of course amazing, but the thing that makes the greatest impression on us all is how lonely you feel in Namibia. You can drive several hours without signs of civilization! Even though you are looking at these great wonders, you see almost no other tourists and when standing in the desert the complete silence is breathtaking…

The accommodation has also been fantastic and has ranged from a Route 66 roadhouse to tranquil cottages in the desert plains. The food at the lodges was surprisingly great and the wines likewise- Since the Namibians and South Africans loves meet and sure knows how to cook it, we have now had our fair share of proteins for this trip. However, we are also looking forward to cook our own meals at our house in Cape Town. As you can imagine the schedule has been packed with experiences, but we have also been able to squeeze in a couple of hours at the pool (skin = white –> red) and the nights has been spent playing games or chatting about the adventures of the day. You definitely learn to appreciate the evening breeze when the merciless sun forces the thermometer up in the area of 45 degrees Celsius during the day.

After an amazing visit to Namibia, we have now driven our (very dirty) Polos to South Africa again and are looking forward to spend the remainder of our vacation in and around Cape Town, where we among other things will visit Cape the Good Hope and plenty of wine castles.

Take care back home and see you soon.

Love from all of us.