NAMIBIA & BOTSWANA
TRIP REPORT
By Bert Duplessis
This is a trip report of a 12-day visit to Southern Africa; two nights each at three different camps in Namibia (Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp, Damaraland Tented Camp and Ongava Lodge) and 3 nights at Xudum Tented Camp, Okavango Delta. The Namibia fly-in safaris (referred to as the 'BONWing' Safari) start every Sunday from Windhoek.Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp
Of the three camps we visited in Namibia I think my favorite was probably Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp. The thatched chalets with their individual plunge pools and panoramic desert vistas are superb - so was our guide Chris; he is a real jewel.
Bert and Kathleen Duplessis of Fish Eagle Safaris at the Deadvlei carpark, February 1999. The name refers to the large dead camel thorn trees found on the pan. The outing from Sossusvlei Camp to the dunes themselves starts very early in the morning with a wake-up call well before dawn for the 1 hour drive to Sesriem (entrance to the park) then another hour by road to the dunes. The drive from Sesriem to Sossusvlei is a great experience, as it takes place early in the morning when the soft light enhances the classic desert scenery along the route. The drive is 65km (40 miles) along the Tsauchab River Valley, with enormous dunes on both sides of the road. Along the usually dry riverbed there are good stands of camelthorn trees, and we saw many vultures perched, one in practically every good-sized tree.
The massive red sand dunes at Sossusvlei are magical and climbing one of them was a highlight of the trip. I was outwalked - both up and down the dune - by Jean, one of the other clients, a lady in her 60's or thereabouts. She was really fit! Unlike most safaris you do get a bit of exercise on this one!
We were also impressed with the vistas from Dead Vlei, where huge, dead trees - reminders of a bygone era when there was lots of water around - stand in stark contrast to the towering apricot-colored dunes seemingly pressing in from three sides. We had some excellent sightings of Gemsbok (a.k.a. Oryx) on our way back to camp, and also our best ever look at an African Wild Cat, complete with prominent red ears, just like the ones in the fieldguide.
Later that day we visited Sesriem Canyon which was fascinating. From the car park the ravine can hardly be seen, but a short walk brings one to the edge of a sharp drop. The walk down the path into the canyon takes you on a journey into the past, when events which took place millions of years ago gave birth to the present canyon. The various layers of conglomerate which form the upper part of the canyon, for example, demonstrate that there was a wetter, semi-arid phase in the Namib Desert's history, perhaps about 10 or 15 million years ago. Lumley and Nicki and the staff at Sossusvlei Wilderness were simply the best. The food was wonderful (loved that fillet with the peppercorn sauce!) and the spontaneous after-dinner singing performance was a nice touch. What harmony, what power! A couple of those ladies belong on a much bigger stage.
Surrounded by towering red sand dunes on three sides, huge dead camel thorn trees are a stark reminder of an earlier era when plenty of water allowed them to grow large and strong. On the way to Damaraland we had a marvelous time on the flight, checking out 'our' dune - and 'Big Daddy' - the biggest, meanest dune of them all, which we will leave for next time. Flying from there down to the Atlantic Coast and then further north, gave us a unique perspective over a truly fascinating landscape. Flying low alongside the dunes at Concepcion Bay, I tried my hand at a 'plane to plane' aerial shot, but all I ended up with was increased respect for professional photographers. The lunch stop on the beach at Swakopmund (fresh oysters and crayfish with waves breaking in the background) was out of this world. And our local Abenteuer guide, Danie, did a great job giving us a brief tour of Swakopmund - everybody loved the quaint, old-fashioned look of the place. As we did everywhere, Kathleen and I made a modest contribution to the local economy by buying yet another pair (in fact we ended up with 5 pairs in total) of the typical Namibia 'velskoens' made of kudu leather. We may never again have to buy shoes for another trip to Africa, ever! (To be continued)
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