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NAMIBIA: June 3 to 19/August 10 to 24 WINDHOEK June 3 and 4/August 22 to 24 One hour 55 minutes after leaving Johannesburg we touched down at Hosea Katuka (Windhoek) international airport where we were met by Donny's Transfers, an airport transfer service organised by Amanda at the Hotel Pension Christoph, our usual destination on arriving in the city and where our Hilux was waiting for us. Accommodation: We wouldn't stay anywhere else but the Christoph: the management and staff are welcoming;it's spotlessly clean and serves a tasty hot and cold breakfast. We paid N590 a night, including breakfast. Dining: After a huge meal on the SAA flight to Windhoek we skipped lunch the first day and just had a snack in the evening. The next day we had lunch at our usual spot: the Ocean Basket in downtown Windhoek. The staff there are great and the meal tasty and reasonably priced. On our return in August we again ate at the Ocean Basket plus Cafe Schneider (situated in one of the arcades in the CBD) and a steakhouse in the Maeura Mall. At the time there was talk of the Ocean Basket opening up in the Mall. Shopping: The city's CBD has numerous boutiques and souvenir outlets, however the best place to go is the Maerua Mall (Amanda will give you directions) which was opened last year. This mall houses numerous supermarkets, boutiques, restaurants, a movie theatre, and all the main franchise stores such as Edgars, Mr Price etc. It's well worth a visit. Tips Most privately-owned businesses houses in Namibia close at about 1300h-hours on Saturday and reopen Monday morning. Most of the large franchise stores stay open on Saturday afternoons and open for a few hours on Sunday morning Alcohol cannot be purchased in retail outlets from about 1300-hours on Saturday until the open of business on Monday morning. Internet: We suggest you buy a Telstra wi-fi voucher giving you access at hotspots throughout Namibia. We purchased ours at the Telstra shop in the mall and used its wi-fi hotspot.That's best for Windhoek as we found the few i-cafes not very reliable. The internet speed is extremely slow in Namibia and i-cafes hard to find in the country areas. SKELETON COAST WALVIS BAY June 5 to 15/August 17 to 21 Leaving Windhoek we travelled along the all bitumen Trans Kalahari Highway to Walvis Bay, a distance of about 400-kilometres. The scenery is varied an in places quite spectacular, especially as you get into the stark desert area. Usually the weather is really cold and misty, but this year the last few days of our stay were reasonably warm and sunny. If you visit Walvis Bay you won't find many souvenir shops: you're better off going to Swakopmund for your 'retail therapy'. And Salon Sir (barber shop) is still there where you males can have a chat to Wolfgang whilst having a trim and the females can partake of some retail therapy at Mr Price, just across the road. Accommodation: Originally we planned to try to get accommodation in Swakopmund but changed our minds and emailed (from Narromine) Francois and Lala at Loubser's B&B at 11 Third Street West in Walvis Bay where we stayed a few nights in 2008. The accommodation was just what we hoped for: plenty of space with two huge rooms (double and single beds), a self-contained kitchen, bathroom all spotlessly clean and fresh, and satellite TV. The tariff is about N$330 a room per night; very reasonable for what you get. There is secure parking and the premises are a short (walking) distance to the Bay and a short drive (or 25-minute slow walk) to the main CBD. We found out the walking distance, and time, as the Hilux had a few problems so we were without a vehicle for a week, and had to extend our stay in Walvis, whilst awaiting spare parts from South Africa. Another customer at the B&B there was Basque national, Kepa Acero: a delightfull young professional surfer who planned to spend one month in Namibia searching for the 'big wave'. He plans to travel to five continents this year (including Australia, Chile and Ireland) to find the elusive BIG one. His exploits can be found at www.fivewavessurf.com. He also has some fantastic videos on Youtube. The Loubsers were exceptionally good to us during this time: they are very kind people who look after their customers extremely well. We would go so far as saying they are the nicest people we have stayed with over the many years of visiting Walvis Bay. We thorouhly recommend Loubser's B&B. Loubsers also run Loubser's Tours which will take you to all the popular tourist spots in Namibia. Dining: Not having a vehicle for a week we walked to our favourite cafe, Willie Probst Cafe in the centre of town, for lunch every day. This restaurant has a large, varied menu, the meals are huge (even the small servings) and all are reasonably priced: eg Kingklip, chips and salad for N40. And they serve the best iced coffee!! In the evening we walked to the Raft Restaurant, situated right on the Bay waterfront, which serves reasonably-priced pizzas in the bar and has an a la carte menu in the main restaurant area. The drinks are also very reasonably priced. Barmen Josh and Samson really looked after us. Another great place for a meal is the Walvis Bay Yacht Club. We ate there on Saturday and Sunday: the meals are delicious and cheap and the drinks reasonably priced (cheaper than the Raft). In addition the management, staff and members are very welcoming. Strongly recommended for a nice relaxing day and evening looking out over the water and partaking of delicious meals. On the day we did have a vehicle we drove the 30-kilometres to Swakopmund and dined at a new eatery - the Fish Deli in Sam Nujoma Drive - and very nice it was too. In addition to the usual seafood it also serves sushi; much to Anne's delight! On our return in August we stayed with the Loubsers again and ate at the places we visited during our June stay. We were also able to drive to Swakopmund a few days for drinks at the Lighthouse Pub (yes it's still there) and the Bachuus Taverne. Internet: We only found two outlets in the Bay. One at the Protea Hotel - very expensive at about N45 for 30-minutes, compared to N10 for 30-minutes in the video shop in Sam Nujoma Drive, next door to the Spar supermarket. And the internet speed is faster there than at the Protea. In Swakopmund there is an i-cafe in one of the malls in the main CBD which also has a wi-fi hotspot. Tip: Vehicle repairs. If you have a Toyoto and break down in Walvis Bay, we suggest you find another repair shop other than Indingo Toyota: slow, unreliable and alll the other things you don't want to experience whilst awaiting repairs. We were stuck in Walvis, without a vehicle for seven days; and they couldn't really care less! |
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| INLAND OMARURU June 16 Whilst we really enjoyed our stay on the Skeleton Coast we were happy to get back in the Hilux and head north to visit our friends in Rundu, via Omaruru. From Walvis Bay it is about 260-kilometres on a fully tarred road. Omaruru is a very nice, tidy and 'arty' town with craft shops, internet cafes and supermarkets. Accommodation and dining: Once again we stayed at the at the Central Hotel in the thatch roof chalets. The rooms are spacious, clean, there is a bath, and shower, but no television. At N$330 a night, bed and breakfast, the price is (fairly) reasonable The hotel has a large, reasonaby-priced dinner menu. RUNDU June 17 to 19/August 11 and 12 On our way to Rundu we stopped over in Grootfontein and found Arie's Pub Restaurant and Takeaway which was more like a coffee lounge serving delicious coffee and light snacks, as well as full lunches. A nice find. Some 630-kilometres from Omaruru we arrived in Rundu to meet our Namibian family. How wonderful it was so see them again, Every time we visit this large town we notice how much it has grown from the previous year; this year was no exception. There are a large number of supermarkets, China shops, and clothing stores, plus varied accommodation. There is an i-cafe with wi-fi along the main drag as you enter Rundu, and internet access in the same area near a funeral parlour. Accommodation: The latest Rundu accommodation is the newly-opened Rundu B&B run by Pitie and Diana who also run the adjacent Forget-Me-Not Coffee Lounge. The establishment comprises three spacious units, each with its own en suite, TV, microwave and tea-making facilities. It can be found behind the coffee lounge in the main business area of the town. Dining: Breakfast is served in Forget-Me-Not Coffee Lounge, which is a popular breakfast and luncheon spot for tourists and locals alike with its delicious food and reasonable prices. Well worth a visit. To the border June 20: From Rundu we drove to Katima Mulilo and crossed the border there in to Zambia at Shesheke. A lot of paperwork to fill out but we were through fairly quickly. A double entry visa cost US$80 per person. The drive from Rundu to Livingstone is just under 700-kilometres on a very good, sealed road. KATIMA MULILO August 10 It was with a heavy heart that we left our Zimbabwean family and friends and crossed the border into Botswana then through Chobe National Park to the Namibian border and Katima Mulilo. It's a good road all the way and there is not a lot of hassle at the border posts (a breeze compared to the Tanzanian border). Accommodation: We had phoned a reservation through to the Mukusi Cabins but, as usual, there was no record of our phone call and we had to stay in one of their new module-type accommodation which was AWFUL. The tarrif of N$560 a night, excluding breakfast is an absolute rip-off. Dining: There was absolutely no way we were going to eat at Mukusi so had a main meal at the Baobab Bistro.The bistro is highly recommended; it has an extensive menu, it is spotlessly clean and the owners and staff make you feel welcome. It's situated in the main street past the highway turn off to the Namib border. The other good piece of news is that they mentioned an alternate place to stay in Katima - Fish Eagle's Nest - so we'll be trying to get accommodation there next year. Failing that we'll stay somewhere along the highway from Katima to Rundu; anywhere than go through all the hassle with Mukusi. HORABE FARM August 13 and 14 From Rundu we travelled in convoy with our Namibian family to Horabe Hunting Safaris on Horabe Farm some 300-kilometres south south-east of Rundu. While the last 100-kilometres is on a gravel room it is very well maintained. The farm is situated on the edge of 'Bushman Land' and is home to a variety of game. From all reports the hunting is excellent. We didn't go hunting but were driven around the huge area the farm takes up. It really was a highlight of our stay in Namibia. Accommodation: The accommodation is superb, the meals out of this world, the game drives stunning and the owners and their family are so friendly and hospitable. It is well worth contacting Pieter-Schalk and Chrisna +264 67-232616 or email. OTAVI August 15 and 16 From Horabe Farm we travelled to Otavi via Grootfontein. The road from Horabe Farm to about 20-kilometres from Grootfontein is well maintained gravel, and from there the road is sealed. Otavi is only a couple of hours drive from Etosha Game Park so we decided to stay at our usual accommodation for two nights and spend the day in the park. Accommodation and dining: We have stayed at the Otavi Gardens Hotel (phone+264 67 234336) for many years and enjoy the small town and hospitality provided at the hotel. Unlike last year we didn't run in to the former president, Sam Njumo who was holding a rally in the town at that time! You have a choice of accommodation: in the old hotel or in one of the new thatched-roof chalets. We chose the latter which are very spacious with en suite and a local channel TV. The menu is very basic but the meals are nicely prepared and reasonably priced. We paid N$640 for two nights accommodation, including a cooked breakfast. Good value for money. ETOSHA GAME PARK: NAMUTONI August 16 We bought day passes to the park and stayed about five or six hours, driving around on the well-maintained gravel roads (unlike the Serengeti in Tanzania). I think the passes costs about N$140. Saw heaps of game including lion, elephant, impala, springbok, zebra, giraffe. Namutoni has changed a lot in the last two years: now there is no accommodation in the fort area itself which is occupied by bars, restaurants and souvenir shops. I have read that accommodation is very expensive which could account for the lack of tourists on the day we were there. |
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