We had a weekend with a difference recently when we decided to hike up Gamsberg, a Namibian mountain with an elevation of 2347 m above sea level.  This flat-topped mountain closely resembles Table Mountain in South Africa and it is famous (or infamous) for more than just the tortuous walk to the top.

Namibia and Botswana have a wonderful system of helping the indigenous population to share in the spoils of the tourism industry and to realize the benefit of preserving wild animals and the environment.  In association with Conservation Tourism, community campsites have been set up that are run by the local community and the money earned is used to benefit the people of the area.  Not only do they learn new skills running campsites and chalets, but they can display their cultural activities, art and craftwork, do guiding and have gainful employment in the rural areas.

We stayed recently at a community campsite, called Granietkop, about 19 kms from Twyfelfontein in Damaraland.  This delightful spot had about six campsites on and around a granite outcrop, each with its own excellent ablution facilities.  Twice a day the wood burnng stove was lit, so there was always hot water available.  We were sad to see that this immaculate campsite was not as well supported as the rather overcrowded and run down Aba Huab River Camp closer to Twyfelfontein.  Their rates were more reasonable and we had peace and quiet as well as amazing facilities.  If you’re heading in that direction, please give Granietkop your consideration and business – you won’t be disappointed.  And if you want excellent views over the landscape, ask for campsite no. 5!

A visit to the Palmwag Concession in north-west Damaraland has long been on our ‘to do’ list, so it was with great anticipation that we left the Skeleton Coast Park and headed to our campsite at Palmwag Lodge.  The scenery along the way was quite spectacular, made even more enjoyable by the remoteness of the area and lack of other vehicles on the road.  This 450 000 hectare Concession is home to Africa’s largest population of free-roaming desert-adapted elephants, black rhino’s and  occasional lions.

We’re always scouting for camping venues close to home, and have discovered a great farm about 140 km east of Windhoek.  Not only does it have campsites and chalets, but Namibia’s largest cave system is situated on the property as well.  As an added bonus, the farm is serviced by a quiet dirt road, which makes it ideal for Rob to cycle to without having to worry about traffic.  So we headed off to Arnhem Cave for an adventure weekend.

We left early to ensure that Rob rode mostly in the cool of the day and by doing so we were assured of abundant wildlife on the lonely road.  I drove a short way ahead and waited for Rob at various points along the way.  We both saw loads of kudu, hartebeest, warthogs, black-backed jackals and shy little buck in the early morning light.  As the day warmed up the meerkats peeped curiously out of their burrows, keen to see what we were doing when we stopped to watch them.

If we made the slightest movement, or grabbed a camera, they dashed back into their holes and popped up a few meters further along!  It was lovely traveling like that, as the journey itself became as pleasurable as the destination and Rob had a good workout on those hills!

Our campsite, under enormous acacia trees, was really nice and we had an ablution block to ourselves, complete with resident bat that eyed us every time we ventured in.

The birdlife around the camp was also good so we knew we’d be fully occupied the whole weekend with walking, caving and photographing the birds and animals.

We booked a tour to visit the caves and were soon being led deep into the bowels of the earth.  The caves stretch for 4,5 kms underground and are well worth a visit if you aren’t scared of bats, because they host the largest bat population in Africa with five different varieties being found there. It’s a bit disconcerting having bats flying past your face in their dozens, but their radar is excellent and they never actually touch you (don’t believe that myth about bats going for your hair – it isn’t true!)

The five varieties of bats found there are:
1.    Giant leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros commersoni)
2.    Long-fingered bat (Miniopterus schrelbersi)
3.    Leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros caffer)
4.    Egyptian slit-faced bat (Nycteris thebalca)
5.    Horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus denti)

We learned that more than 100 000 tonnes of bat guano was mined there during the Second World War  Apparently bird guano is rich in mineral nitrates and was used for the manufacture of both explosives and fertilizer.  When, during the war, the use of bird guano collected at the coast was curtailed, the farmers turned to bat guano as an alternative organic fertilizer as it wasn’t subject to the same restrictions, and Arnhem Cave came into its own as a large scale guano producer.

The grotesque remains of a porcupine from the 1930’s is also on display in the cave.  It was very hot and dusty down there and I was relieved to leave at the end of an interesting tour.

There are pleasant walks on the farm and at the end of the day it was wonderful to sit under the stars with a crackling fire and a cold beer reliving the experiences that we felt so privileged to have had.

Rob and I were full of happy anticipation when we drove up to the Reception area of the campsite at Hobatere Lodge, on the western side of Etosha.  We’d heard that the place was game-rich and that the birding was very good so the weekend seemed quite promising.  Imagine our dismay when the gentleman manning the gate advised us not to wander too far from the campsite as there were lions in the area.  When you’ve just driven over 400 kms to have a birding weekend, hearing that does somewhat put a damper on your plans, but we reckoned that a (safe) lion encounter would no doubt make up for the inconvenience.

We located a nice campsite on the edge of a rocky outcrop and then drove the 16 kms further up the road to the lodge to confirm what we’d been told.  And sure enough, the manager said that we did have to be careful of lions.  He told us, however, that there were folks doing research on black mongooses and that we should go with them when they checked traps.  This didn’t really suit us at all from a birding perspective.

There is an enormous hide at the lodge itself where one can look out over the plains.  We didn’t have much luck with animal sightings there though, possibly due to the time of day.  We were hesitant to book a guided early morning walk* (see footnote below) because of the rather long road we’d had to negotiate to get from the campsite to the lodge.  It looked like we’d be confined to the campsite for most of the weekend.

On our way back to the campsite we came across this beautiful chameleon making its jerky way across the road.   What a magnificent specimen!

We also saw a pair of double-banded sandgrouse sunning themselves in the road.  I love the striking markings on these birds.

In spite of the lion warnings, the weekend turned out to be very enjoyable after all.  We managed to take a short walk down the river bed and saw lots of different birds.  There was actually also plenty of bird activity around the campsite – enough to keep us occupied and not fretting about not being able to walk far.

The campsite also has a hide that overlooks a waterhole, but we didn’t have any unusual animal sightings – all we saw were a couple of klipspringers on the rocky mountainside, baboons and dassies.

The campsite is very well laid out – each site has its own ablution set-up surrounded by sticks.

There were literally thousands of koringkrieks (armoured ground crickets) around, which was rather unpleasant as they are ugly-looking creatures and make a horrible popping noise if you step on them accidentally!  So an inspection of the shower and loo area was necessary before entering.

If you like to take long walks, then Hobatere campsite is not the ideal spot, but it is a great stop-over if you’re going to Ruacana or if you’ve braved (and survived) the Khowarib-Schlucht.  The rocky scenery is very pretty and the remoteness of the campsite is a big plus as far as we’re concerned.

As a footnote to what I’ve written above about not going on a 6.00 a.m. guided walk at the Hobatere Lodge:  I have four acquaintances who actually went on the walk together, with an armed guide.  They were given strict instructions not to run if they encountered a lion, but to stand dead still and face the animal.  Well, the adult, John, was at the back, with the guide leading everyone in single file, when he noticed two lions nearby.  When John pointed them out, everyone, including the guide, ran for their lives.  John stood his ground and faced the two lions that started to walk slowly towards him.  With the whole party watching, he stared the lions down for a couple of minutes before they turned around and walked off into the bush.  Afterwards they asked the guide if he would have shot the lion if it had attacked John and the surprising answer was that unless you can guarantee to kill the lion with one or two shots, it is better not to injure it, as this would only worsen the situation.   So be warned if you’re taking an early morning walk in lion territory – make sure your guide is a crack shot, and that he won’t run if you’re in danger!  Or maybe you should just be able to run faster than everyone else.

Geologists would tell you that the Erongo Mountains are rich with minerals and gemstones like aquamarine, schorl, jeremejevite, quartz, fluorite and garnets (amongst others), but I have news for you, these mesmerizing mountains are full of magnetic rocks.  They must be magnetic because they are so awesome they draw us back to them time and again.  We have visited the Erongo region often during our stay in Namibia and for the sheer beauty and majesty of the dramatic granite boulders, valleys and incredible landscapes it cannot be beaten.

Our latest weekend getaway was to the farm ‘Omandumba’ in the Erongo Mountain Nature Conservancy.  The Conservancy lies in a flat basin surrounded by the imposing walls of the remnants of an enormous volcano that collapsed millions of years ago.  The name ‘Omandumba’ means ‘place of bitter bushes’ which obviously doesn’t deter the animals, because the farm abounds with wildlife and birds.

The appeal to us, of this particular farm, is its remote bush campsite, where we were the only campers and had the entire area to ourselves.  What price can one put on solitude like that – not another human being around, just us, the wild animals and the soothing presence of the silent looming boulders.   At night the silence enveloped us and we often just sat quietly straining to hear something – anything, even if it was just a cricket, but there was nothing.

Our walks were very productive as we found a waterhole in the rocks where we positioned ourselves for hours to photograph the birds that came to drink.

Admittedly there wasn’t a very large variety, it being winter, but the ones that came were very colourful and varied (acacia pied barbets, grey go-way birds, red-headed finches, waxbills – both violet-eared and common, bulbuls, larks, buntings, rosy-faced lovebirds, doves and canaries to name a few).  We even had the pleasure of an enormous black-chested snake eagle.  On a previous visit we saw the resident pair of Verreaux’s eagles and caught a glimpse of their chick in a nest high up on a cliff.

Animals we saw included kudu, warthogs, Damara dik-diks, baboons and the usual dassies that live on the rocks.

Our special treat was a black mongoose that we saw for a few seconds.  We were saddened to hear that leopards had been preying on the farmer’s cattle and had to be hunted down.  It’s awful to imagine these magnificent animals being shot for being a nuisance.

The mountains were once home to the San Bushmen and there is a good collection of their rock art on one of the walks.  We didn’t linger too long there as the overhanging rocks were covered in hornet’s nests and we didn’t fancy being casualties of their nasty stings!  Folks who would like to learn more about the Bushmen can visit a living museum in the area and meet with a local community of them, who demonstrate their survival skills and way of life.

One has to be totally self-sufficient at this campsite as there is nothing but bush.  There are a couple of long-drop toilets (for the very brave), but no showers or water.  This is part of the charm of the place though and it is a privilege to be in such pristine untouched surroundings.

If you’re a regular reader you will know that we are avid campers and have camped all over Namibia.  We considered ourselves extremely spoilt therefore when we were given a night at the luxurious Erongo Wilderness Lodge for my birthday (thanks again Mick).  Not to be outdone by Mick, Rob chipped in for an extra night to make it a whole weekend treat!

Situated in the beautiful Erongo Mountains, this lodge stands proud as one of the leading lodges of Namibia.  Guests stay in fabulous tents perched on the side of the mountain.  Each tent has an en-suite open-air bathroom with all the mod-cons.  The entire tent sits under a thatched roof and has its own wooden patio overlooking the valley and the magnificent views.

Just getting to there is an experience in itself.  To self-drive one has to have a 4×4 as the road up the mountain is very rocky and cannot be negotiated in an ordinary car.  Guests who don’t have 4×4’s are greeted at the gate and offered a lift up.  The drive up to Reception is spectacular and before we reached the office, baboons and rock rabbits (dassies), that sit like sentinels on the rocks, had already called out their welcome.

After checking in we were offered a guided walk to the top of the mountain so that we could watch the sun going down.   The views from the top were amazing and we were very amused by a lone chair perched on the highest point, that looked out over the vast expanse of land below.   The dry Omaruru River could be seen cutting a swathe through the barren landscape.  Our guide carried snacks and drinks for us to make the sunset even more memorable!

The open-air dining room overlooks a floodlit waterhole where animals come to drink.  We also saw many nightjars and bats catching the insects that gathered around the floodlight.  We were delighted when a porcupine ambled past the dining room on his way to the kitchen for a snack.  This was the first time that we’d seen a porcupine in the wild as they are nocturnal creatures.  In Namibia you have to carry a camera with you at all times otherwise you miss out on special moments like this

We were up at six the next morning to take a guided hike around the mountains.  We specifically asked for a guide who was knowledgeable about birds and were very impressed by the young man who accompanied us.  He identified a Verreaux’s Eagle flying overhead and took us on a long detour to find its nest perched on the side of a rocky cliff.   When I mentioned the nightjars that we’d seen at the waterhole the night before, he offered to show us a pair that he said slept quite near our tent during the day.  We notched up a ‘lifer’ with the Freckled Nightjars and were happy to be able to photograph them.   Here local knowledge was essential for finding them, as they blended into the rocks so well.

I was fortunate enough to  spot a rare and elusive black mongoose on a rocky plain.  We also saw leopard footprints, a horned adder soaking up the sun and numerous birds.   A common resident in the Erongo area is the White-tailed Shrike. I love these birds with their sweet little grey waistcoats!

As always, the weekend was very special.  Whether we’re in a tent or a lodge, wherever we spend our weekends in Namibia they are certain to offer up many delights in the way of scenery, birds and nature.  This weekend was no exception and we came away with many more memories of this awesome country.

The campsites were a fair distance from each other and were well equipped with a shelter, a barbeque area and a private, albeit very rustic, bathroom. Firewood was provided and on arrival we were offered a number of activities to choose from. We opted for a guided walk up on the plateau and an exorbitantly priced game drive in the afternoon.

Our guide for the hike was a friendly young man called Wesley, who turned out to be very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna in the area.  He took time to stop at the more interesting plants and trees to describe their uses to the indigenous people of Namibia.  His first plant of interest was the sansevieria, similar to a mother-in-law’s tongue, which the Bushmen used for making bow-strings.

He gave Rob a quick lesson on how it was done.

The hike up to the Waterberg plateau wasn’t too strenuous as we stopped often to photograph the trees or discuss our surroundings.   Lots of wild animals live up there, but we were only privileged to see two little klipspringers peeping at us through the trees before they made off at great speed.

Whenever we take a guided hike  I like to ask about the spiritual beliefs and traditions of the African people.  Wesley belongs to the Herero tribe, who often combine Christianity with ancestral worship.  His family commune with their paternal ancestors through dreams.  He was delighted that we had taken an interest in his community and their traditions and explained at length about life in their village.  I will write more about this in a blog dedicated to the Herero people of Namibia.

The views from the top of the plateau are amazing.  We stretched our eyes for miles and miles over the plains of the Kalahari sandveld.

Just being at the top of the mountain with the air so fresh and our bodies invigorated by the climb up there, was wonderful.  We almost had to drag ourselves away as we had already overrun our three hour time for the hike.

That afternoon we joined the game drive for a tour around their massive ranch.  We saw lots of giraffes, kudu and other little animals, but the highlight of the trip was seeing a pair of white rhinoceros.  Our guide and Rob left the vehicle and tracked these two enormous animals on foot in the bush, managing to get really close to them.  I had my camera poised and ready in case Rob came haring back with a rhino on his tail!!

This beautiful Spotted Eagle Owl was flushed out of the bush as we drove past and settled on a tree just long enough for us to get a nice photo.  It’s not often that birds are so obliging.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.  The June weather was perfect and we were treated to a beautiful full moon – always lovely to have that when one is out camping.

One of the things that strikes us about living in Windhoek is the fact that once you leave the city you are immediately out in nature and you really don’t have to drive very far to see game  in the countryside.  We chose Dusternbrook Guest Farm for a weekend away because it is so close to Windhoek (only 50 kms) and also because, unlike a lot of other game farms, it also offered camping.

In the 1960’s Dusternbrook was the first farm in Namibia to open its doors to paying guests with a view to offering them hunting and game viewing opportunities.  This concept was so successful it spawned the thriving guest farm business that operates throughout the country today.

The beautiful old farmhouse sits on the top of a mountain with stunning views over a dry river bed and the plains below.  There is an abundance of birdlife and one is able to wander around the farm (heat permitting) on various hiking trails, which we took full advantage of.

On our first morning we walked for about six hours, spending time at their dam where we were shouted at and followed by inquisitive baboons.  The dam is home to many birds, especially cormorants and ducks.

I was fascinated by the numbers of brightly coloured dragonflies that were flitting about and spent a long time trying to capture them on camera.

That afternoon we booked a game drive and were driven into their leopard enclosure where we were able to photograph this magnificent animal up close.

The guide fed it chicken pieces which it obviously enjoyed. Even though we were only meters away from it in an open vehicle, we never felt threatened by the leopard at all.

From there it was on to the cheetah area.  Cheetahs are always fun to watch as they are so agile and interact with each other a lot.

As their enclosure is very big , they would be difficult to spot if one wasn’t there at feeding time when they rush to the vehicle expecting a meal!  Later we came across a small enclosure with a little cheetah with one leg missing.  It seemed quite happy in spite of its disability.

We were somewhat disappointed with the campsite at Dusternbrook.  The camping area was fenced off and very small, especially for the number of campers that they had.  In a land where space is no problem, it feels like an invasion of privacy to be so close to one’s fellow campers.  We thought that they could have made so much more of their camping facilities.  One thing that we did enjoy about the campsite was the huge tree we were parked under.  It was home to a Pearl Spotted Owl that we picked up in our spotlight.  Owls are always welcome visitors in our campsites!

The birdlife alone is enough to encourage us to return to the farm for another visit.  It’s a photographers paradise, although a little expensive as their rates for accommodation and game viewing are not cheap compared with other places in Namibia.