A Himba boy and her mother in a village we visited during our Overlander trip.
The end of my travels in Africa was concluded with a two week overlander trip with my family. My family and family friends, the Stence family, made the journey to Africa to join me for Christmas but also as an excuse to visit the Dark Continent. An overlander trip is a tour in a truck/bus that allows the slightly apprehensive traveler a way to experience Africa without dealing with many of the hassles. It was the perfect way for my family to see so much of Africa.
The trip started in Swakopmund, Namibia, a coastal town that is a blend of a German retirement community and an adrenaline junkies playground. But don’t forget, its also the place where Brad and Angie had their baby!!! Our final destination was Victoria Falls. Along the way, we visited many famous game parks and natural wonders.
Highlights of the trip:
Etosha National Park in Namibia was the most luxurious accommodation of the trip. We went on a game drive the first evening and the following day. We were able to see all of the big five (Big Five-Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Rhino, and Buffalo, The big five gets it name for being the animals most valued to hunt either for prestige, ivory or hides.) except for the buffalo in a very short time. The first evening we were able to see two young leopards on a hunt, very rare. The following day we saw ten lions, dozens of giraffes, and hundreds of oryx and springbok. A very good game drive but the big highlight came at night. Because it was the dry season, all of the wildlife we saw was congregated around the water holes. The park built a water hole just beside the lodge and placed flood lights to illuminate the water hole at night. It was incredible. You can drink your tea, watch the animals come and go while sitting comfortably on the surrounding benches. At night we were able to see elephants and rhinos as close as thirty meters away.
Okavango Delta- Most National Geographic films that depict lush green water lands with literally every animal lurking about, it is the Okavango Delta. We took a scenic flight over the delta and then stayed on a house boat for two nights. The scenic flight was exactly like watching National Geographic only with being a little woozy from flying. “There’s a herd of elephants on the right,” we would yell. The pilot would immediately bank hard to the left to circle back around while only being a hundred feet above land. It was great ride but I was happy to set foot back on land.
As a kid, I loved playing the game Hungry Hungry Hippos. I never put much thought into why they picked Hippos emerge and chump down the white balls swirling around the board. Hippos are the most dangerous of all African wildlife but people still seem to forget it. It crossed my mind as I was boarding a mokoro, dugout canoe, getting ready to be lead through the delta propelled by a local guide with a pole, but like any tourist, I thought that if tourists can do it, then it must be safe. It was amazing to zig-zag through the waterways, created by hippos no less, but still not thinking about what lay ahead. As we approached an opening, we spotted three hippos at the other end of the pool. The guide’s tone quickly changed and they began poling very fast as we crossed the deeper water. We reached the other side of the pool and assembled close enough for the head guide to give a little speech about hippos. In the process the hippos submerged three times only to reappear closer each time. By the third time everyone was ready to leave, the charge being lead by my dad and rightfully so. The male hippo then raised his body out of the water marking his territory. We were all in agreement that is was time to leave then. The guides slowing inched backwards giving ground to the dominant male. After we reached the bank behind us and had nowhere else to retreat and the hippos were only about twenty meters from our “dug-out” canoes, the guides finally took us out of there but while everyone kept a close eye on the hippos. I had the mental image of our mokoros being the little white balls swirling around the playing board, in this case the water pool, awaiting for the Hungry Hungry Hippos to attack. Luckily, we made it out in one piece.
The Caprivi region of Namibia and the Chobe National Park in Botswana were also incredible. Chobe has the largest elephant population in the world with 150,000 elephants living in the park. Elephants and hippos littered the river banks along with various other wild game. It was very lush and green.
Christmas in Victoria Falls was incredible. It is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. I went rafting down the Zambezi just below the falls on Christmas Eve and lets just say it isn’t for the faint hearted. Going over the highest commercial drop in the world, 22 feet, and being thrown out of the raft every ten minutes made for a very taxing day and an every sorer Christmas day. It was a great time though.
We then headed for Cape Town to unwind and relax for a couple of days. Cape Town is an anomaly in itself. It is a very international city with breathtaking beaches and of course, the symbol of the city, Table Mountain. It is the greatest city I have ever visited to date. It has everything you could possibly want; great food, beaches, bars, hiking, people, parks, botanical gardens, and much more. I highly recommend a visit if you have a chance. It was a perfect way to end the family trip and for me, to wrap up my time in Africa.
