Southern Africa

 

The 035-350 Southern Africa trip late summer 2017

Worldwide motor home escorted holidays

This is our trip to Southern Africa, we hired a motor home and toured round for 36 days and traveled 6500Km (4050miles).

 

 

26 August 2017

Our tour escorts Chris & Hilary.

We left Johannesburg on route to Pretoria, we stopped for a coffee at the motorway services and found this as the view.

 

 

 

26 September 2017

Our first camp site Monateng Caravan Park

 

28 August 2017

We went to see “Gods window” but the visibility was so poor we could not see across the car park so we went on to “The three Rondavels rock formation”

(rondavel is an African hut) the visibility was still not good but we could see them.

 

Kruger National Park

29 August 2017

The first animal we saw on entering the park.

Then our first Elephant of many.

 

30 August 2017

“A Zebra Crossing”

Kudo

Hyena

Impala

Kingfisher

Wildebeest

Waterbuck

Elephant family

Buffalo

We found this Leopard (with a little help from one of the rangers).  There had been two in the same tree but by the time we got there one had gone walk about.

31 August 2017

Baboon

Mongoose

Warthog

In Kruger Park we came round a bend in the road to find this Elephant standing in the middle of the road.

Then we found ourselves surround by Elephants  there were about 30 of them.

Of all sizes

The came very close to our motor home.

You find many things in the middle of the road.

Hippopotamus cooling off.

In Kruger we went on a night safari starting with a very nice sun set.

 

It was getting quite dark when we found these Rhino

 

3 September 2017

Woodlands Stopover Francistown Botswana.

Wishy-Washy working hard on the sewing at the camp site

4 September 2017

The swimming pool at Nata Lodge.

Dani our mechanic with Don and Kay enjoying the sun.

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All set up ready for the BBQ to be lit

BBQ going well

5 September 2017

Senyati Safari Lodge

Is the home to more that 400 Elephants.  There is a large water hole just behind the camp site bar where we could sit and watch the Elephants both during the day and at night.

 

The little ones are great to watch

Drinking from the water hole.

This was taken at night from the Bar at Senyati Safari lodge, we were only 10 feet from the Elephants.

 

This is the Donkey at Senyati Safari lodge that the Rangers light each afternoon to heat the water for the shower.  It worked very well, but by the morning  the water was cold.

6 Sept 2017

We went on a game drive into Chobe National Park.  2 wheel drive vehicles are not permitted in the park so we were taken in 4 wheel drive vehicles.

 

A pair of African fish Eagles

Lilac breasted roller

Zambezi river with Crocodiles, hippos and elephants to name just a few.

 

7  Sept 2017

We went to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe we left the motor home at Senyati Safari Lodge and went by coach to the boarder then walked across the boarder where we had a coach waiting to take us to the Kingdom hotel which is very close to the falls.

The hotel and the room was rather nice, and is within walking distance to the falls via the gate at the rear of the hotel.

 

The first evening we went on a boat trip on the Zambezi and the locals put on a show as we were boarding.

Sun set over the Zambezi.

 

In the evening we had a traditional meal plus entertainment.

8 Sept 2017

The Zambezi after the falls.

Our first view of Victoria Falls, this is the dry season.

 

 

Devils cataract 73m drop complete with rainbow.

Main falls 93m drop.

Main falls from the other end.

People swimming at the top of the falls on the Zambia side of the falls!!

You cannot go to Victoria falls with out seeing Dr Livingstone.

We were really there.

9 Sept 2017

Now into Namibia

A typical village on the road from Senyati to Zambezi river lodge in Namibia

The campsite at the Zambezi river lodge, see the river in the back ground.

The warning notice 6 feet from the back of the motorhome.

 

One of the better roads in Namibia.

 

10 Sept 2017

Mahangu Safari lodge

In the evening we went on a river trip, lots of Hippo’s

 

Our boat was a lot larger than these canoes.

Close enough in a large boat!!

A lodge on the waters edge.   A bedroom with a view!!

12 Sept 2017

Lake Otjikoto, you may have seen this on TV when Monty Hall lead an expedition to see if they could find the safe containing £6M in gold that the Germans in 1915 were reported to have thrown into the lake to stop the allies getting the hands on, along with all of their guns and ammunition.

 

13 Sept 2017

 

Etosha National park in Namibia

The park in the dry season consists of a huge dry pan, how the animals live here I don’t know!

I think this is a yellow billed kite but it may be a tawny eagle.

Kori Bustard

A baby one of:-

One of these Ibex.

The ground in Etosha is very light in colour hence the elephants look much lighter.

Southern pale chanting Goshawk

14 Sept 2017

We stopped at a water hole the day we left Etosha National Park and I was taking pictures of an Elephant, when Jenni shouted “there’ s a Lion”.

It appeaerd from behind the van in front of us and walked over to the road.  Note the tracker round its neck.

He went over to the “wife”

 

15 Sept 2017

On route to Khorixas we diverted to see Vingerklip (finger rock)

Finger rock is about 35m high formed over 15 million years ago.

As we followed  Hilary and Chris to the camp site we got stuck in the sand but managed to back out and have another run at it.

16 Sept 2017

A Namibia road at rush hour.

Namibia lots of nothing with a few rocks and mountains here and there.

 

Jenni driving

Our first view of the south Atlantic at the skeleton coast.  The air temperature dropped today from 40C to 9C, it was a shock to the system!!!.

17 Sept 2017

Swakopmund

On the pier at Swakopmund, it was cold and the waves were breaking over the pier in places.

Alte Brücke camp site Swakopmund.  We each had our own private bathroom.

 

 

18 Sept 2017

Oil support ships in Walvis Bay mothballed waiting for the price of oil to go up.

 

Seals on the point

 

Feeding the Pelicans

 

Well held!

 

The air temperature was well down (9deg C).   Waiting for the local oysters and champagne to be served.

 

20 Sept 2017

Number 7 Sand dune.

The picnic site had been over run by the sand dune

Time to stop and share tea and cake.

 

20 Sept 2017

The road Swakopmund to Sesriem

Namibia desert

 

 

The next few pictures are of the rocky gorge of the Kuiseb and Gaub passes

 

 

 

 

We did not walk up to the top as Jenni had gone down with a migraine

 

 

 

 

 

Then back to desert.

 

21 Sept 2017

Campsite Sesriem

The camp site is surrounded by sand dunes, they vary in colour from yellow to red.

This is where I got the motor home stuck in a sand drift that blew in during the night.

This was our pitch at the campsite, not a blade of grass anywhere.

How do the animals survive in the desert with no grass, trees or bushes?

22 Sept 2017

This is a new hotel not an old castle

The road surfaces in Namibia are very rough but they are very straight.

Jenni driving again.

Weaver bird nests

More desert with rocky outcrops in the distance.

22 September 2017

Campsite Betta Camping

The only electric comes from a bank of solar panels and a small wind generator.

Again no grass only more sand!!

 

23 Sept 2017

Duwisib Castle

Built in 1908/9 by Baron Von Wolf and his American bride.  A glimpse of German colonial times.

One of the bedrooms at the castle.

The wifi was good in the courtyard.

The courtyard of the castle

23 September 2017

Campsite Klein-Aus Vista

No electric on this site and no shop or restaurant within walking distance.

 

24 Sept 2017

Canon Roadhouse where we stopped for lunch

We found this Wolsley 6/110

and this Morris minor inside the restaurant with lots of other cars.

Fish River Canyon

Not as spectacular as the Grand Canyon but very spectacular.

 

 

At this time of the year there is only a very small amount of water at the bottom of the Canyon.

Jenni decided not to do the 8 day hike!!!

26 Sept 2017

On route to Cape Town (this is not Table mountain)

27 Sept 2017

Melkbosstrand

Table mountain with its tablecloth of cloud starting to form.

The beach at Melkbosstrand.

28 Sept 2017

The inside of the Castle of Good Hope with  Table mountain in the background.

Table mountain from the castle roof.

Jenni on the roof of the castle.

Ceremony of the keys, which happens everyday at 10:00 when they unlock the gate of the Castle of good hope.

 

 

 

These are the gates that they unlock.

At the end of the Ceremony they fire a cannon.

Looking up the coast to Melkbosstrand camp site where we were staying.

Looking up at the cable cars and to top station.

 

Cape of good hope in the distance.

Robben island from the top of Table mountain

 

29 Sept 2017

Our farewell Dinner in Cape Town

 

 

 

 


The end of our great adventure to Southern Africa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

28 Aug

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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