Road Trip To Namibia

[BrerFox]

I need to be in Namibia in 2 weeks time for a meeting and am planning to visit interesting places on the road.
Photography is my priority.
Google has been helpful to an extent, but, as always, it is best to get current advice from people with experience.
I can get in at Kgalagadi on the way up, so I want to do that, as this is a park that I have never been to.

I would appreciate any advice on the following questions:

1) Is the Mata Mata border post open? I understand that this is not a regular border post, but one can use it. What exactly is the situation?

2) Any advice regarding Etosha. I understand that Etosha is expensive and many people feel that other reserves offer better value for money.
However, some people say that the viewing there is very good by water holes if you go in the dry season. Will mid-June classify as dry season?

3) Can I drive from Walvis Bay to Luderitz? I believe that this is a restricted area, but that permission can be obtained. I will be driving in a
Subaru Forester, which handles sand pretty well as it is a permanent all-wheel-drive, but it does not have low ratio, or special off-road tyres.

Thanks in advance ...

[Chris F]

IF you do Kgalagadi - you MUST sleep over at least TWO nights before you can exit at Mata-Mata. Jsut plan your first night to be at Twee Rivieren, take a nice slow drive up to Mata-Mata and take many pics. Sleep over at Mata-Mata then carry on.

Remember to have your pasport stamped at TWEE RIVIEREN - else you cant exit at Mata-Mata.

Other than that just ENJOY it.

[Christa S]

I don't know about other reserves that offer better value for money, but if you can do it, go to Etosha, the viewing at the waterholes is fantastic! Yes, mid-June is dry season. Enjoy!

[Callie Muller]

You do not mention from where you will be travelling from. Makes a difference to the route
Etosha is nice but Kgalagadi is something else, especially if you do a bit of Botswana as well

[BrerFox]

Thanks, people, for the helpful advice.
Callie, I will be leaving from Johannesburg.
I have decided to leave Botswana out of the equation on this trip, because I have a friend
who is moving to Maun and we plan to do Botswana fully at a later stage.
Thanks for the thumbs up on Etosha, Christa. I know it is well-known for its night-sightings
at the floodlit waterholes, but you make it sound more attractive than that even. Etosha is in.

[Roberto]

My apologies for bombing this thread Andre but I would please like to know if it's possible to access all the roads in KTP in a sedan (polo)?

I'm considering flying to Upington, hiring a car and driving to Twee Rivieren (around 240km). East London - Twee Rivieren is around 1300km and you will have to stay overnight somewhere. There are parks on the way which I have visited already but would rather visit an area I've never been to (same as Andre) and flying I would only waste two days travelling opposed to four days on the road.

A Polo because I managed 1100 km on a single tank once from ESL to Tzaneen.

[Chris F]

yes - sort off ....

At Nossob there was a researcher in his VW Polo. The three fenced camps and most of the roads is passable in a sedan, but bear in mind the corrugations.

Only a small number of roads are reserved for 4x4's.

[Gerrit Laubscher]

Roberto I've sent you PM.

Andre if you can, I'll suggest you stay a tad longer than the two days required on the road between TR and MM in KTP. It can deliver magic moments.

Ethosa is for me one of the best parks of Afrika and is a must if you can afford it. The floodlit hole at Okukuejo must be the best and delivers a spectical every day. Not sure how your route would go but try to travel via Twyfelfontein area from Ethosa to WB.

I have never done the dunes between Luderitz and WB but I think you can only drive it south/north and there are permits and other rules that apply. Alternatively you can drive through the desert via Sossosvlei. Just check if there will be fuel at Solitaire - I saw a notice that there might not be for a while.

Anywhere in Namibia is magic so enjoy what ever you will be seeing in the end.

[Leo Theron]

WVB to Luderitz…

You can only travel from WVB - Solitaire - Hobas - around Ais - Luderitz.

The coastal 'route' is only available if you travel in a guided group that has the necessary permits. You will need a 'by four' for that trip - no question.

[Morkel Erasmus]

I agree with Gerrit. Try to spend 3 nights in KTP as opposed to the obligatory 2.
Sleep in Twee Rivieren upon entry, with all the action in that area I would spend 2 nights there.
Work the Nossob river area on your first whole day.
2nd day, leave early and travel up the Auob to MataMata - travel down from MataMata for the afternoon drive to Craig Lockhart and Dalkeith waterholes.
Sleep one night in MataMata, and if possible, do a morning drive down the Auob to 14th borehole and back before exiting through the border post (the cheetah action here is usually spectacular).

@Roberto - we always see people travelling in normal sedans (polo, hyundai atos etc). Besides the corrugations, in the Nossob area you will have difficulty seeing as the small cars are not even high enough to see over the side-walls of the sand road in many places (it's scraped that deep). If you stick to the Auob river you should have awesome sightings (Twee Rivieren to Mata-Mata). I've blown a tyre on my SUV when others have made it through unscathed with small mariebiscuit wheels...just watch for the sharp rocks

[anco85]

I need to be in Namibia in 2 weeks time for a meeting and am planning to visit interesting places on the road.
Photography is my priority.
Google has been helpful to an extent, but, as always, it is best to get current advice from people with experience.
I can get in at Kgalagadi on the way up, so I want to do that, as this is a park that I have never been to.

I would appreciate any advice on the following questions:

1) Is the Mata Mata border post open? I understand that this is not a regular border post, but one can use it. What exactly is the situation?

2) Any advice regarding Etosha. I understand that Etosha is expensive and many people feel that other reserves offer better value for money.
However, some people say that the viewing there is very good by water holes if you go in the dry season. Will mid-June classify as dry season?

3) Can I drive from Walvis Bay to Luderitz? I believe that this is a restricted area, but that permission can be obtained. I will be driving in a
Subaru Forester, which handles sand pretty well as it is a permanent all-wheel-drive, but it does not have low ratio, or special off-road tyres.

Thanks in advance ...

Etosha is nice, but there are so many other reserves that offer a lot more, for much better prices. Erindi is a great choice and the drivers are pretty clued up. Wildlife is a little scarcer that Etosha though.
Na'ku'se is another awesome location and you get to meet lucky, the infamous 3 legged cheetah. I'd highly recommend staying there for a night and doing the game drive/tagging session the next day.

You can only do Walvis to Luderitz on a guided tour, permits are near impossible to get.

If you're in Windhoek for a night or 2, let me know and we can have a nice Eisbein and some beers at Joe's Beerhouse.

[BrerFox]

Thanks, folk, for all of the input. Your help has been invaluable.
I leave in 24 hours, with the KTP leg fully planned (4 nights).
Thing are less distinct later into the trip.
No social time allocated to Windhoek on this trip, but Anco, I will
take you up on the beer at Joes next time.

[Richard CFD]

Envious of your trip so enjoy!

Just a bit of advice touring Nam - fill up when you can! I recently came short assuming there was fuel at Solitaire but the garage owner had not paid his fuel bill so there were no deliveries and a que of cars was waiting for fuel there! !80km round trip to Sesriem to fuel up! This also happened at Palmwag a few years back. Probably OK if you stick to the main highway but beware.

The Mata Mata route into Nam via Mariental is a fantastic road - must be one of the least used but best condition gravel roads I have ever had the pleasure of using which was quite a contrast to the roads in KTP where the corrugations are horrendous - 7 hours from Tweeriviern to Nossob and you need to glue your teeth back in after!

[AstraPics]

I have never done the dunes between Luderitz and WB but I think you can only drive it south/north and there are permits and other rules that apply. Alternatively you can drive through the desert via Sossosvlei. Just check if there will be fuel at Solitaire - I saw a notice that there might not be for a while.

Yes, my last information was that you can only go from Luderitz north to Walvis and only as part of a concession tour. Never mind, there is MUCH more to photograph on the southbound inland route including the Sossusvlei dunes. Get in as early as possible (4am) to be in place for sunrise pictures. There is a very nice new filling station, workshop and tyre fitment shop at Sesriem, so I doubt you will have any problems getting fuel there. And don't leave out Kolmanskop at Luderitz - the holy grail of urban decay locations.

[AstraPics]

Just a bit of advice touring Nam - fill up when you can!

The Golden Rule of travelling further afield in Africa - Never drive past a filling station without topping up!

[anco85]

Astra, Kolmanskop is fantastic. There's this neat rest camp crafted from an old stranded ship, a must for anyone visiting.

I would love to meet some of you guys when you make trips to Nam, not many togs around here to talk to

[AstraPics]

I spent an entire day taking pictures in Kolmanskop, but had to eventually stop because the others in the touring group were getting bored. I would happily make the trip again (even though it's two days travelling each way from Joburg) to be able to further explore that location. Ideally, you would need to get in the day after some heavy wind so that the footprints are blown away and the sand is pristine. I think a week there would yield some incredible pictures, especially if a model could be taken along.

[Gerrit Laubscher]

@Astra - Derek Antonio Serra did a nice shoot there and in other locations in Namibia with models. http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set...3832941&type=3