Africa Notes (2002)

OBJECTIVE: To provide insight and information supplementary to that found in published guidebooks and on the internet on touring Southern African places with natural beauty or wildlife. These notes are based on our experiences from two Southern African trips; 7 months of March-October 2002 and 6 months of April-September 1999. Comments are personal opinions. With the passage of time, the notes become memory aids for our fabulous trips to Southern Africa.

VEHICLE: A regular sedan should be sufficient for South Africa. Some of the major sites in Namibia and Zimbabwe can also reached by sedan. The really interesting bits of Namibia, large parts of Botswana and some of Zimbabwe require a 4X4 for access.

RENTING A VEHICLE: Small cars can be rented for as little as 15-20 USD (200 km/day) in Johannesburg (we have done so by phoning around for the best rate). 4X4's can be rented for 60-100 USD/day (unlimited km/day) in Windhoek (many people book them on the internet). A monthly rental of 4X4 costs about 1,100 USD (11,000 Rand) in South Africa.

BUYING A VEHICLE: South Africa is the place to purchase used vehicles. They are quite affordable. In Johannesburg, We purchased a 6 year old single cab 4X4 "bakkie" with 112,000km for about 60,000 South African Rand (10 Rand was roughly 1USD during 2002) in Johannesburg. When purchasing a vehicle, seek out the more desirable models because they will be easier to sell. Otherwise, when it is time to sell, you'll have to sell at a deep discount. Few people have ready cash to purchase so bargain hard when you are buying.

VEHICLE INSURANCE: Rentals include insurance. If you are purchasing, insurance is not mandatory in Southern Africa. Comprehensive insurance for used vehicles should be less than 500 Rand (50USD) per month.

BUYING EQUIPMENT: We purchased most of our camping gear at Makro, a large retailer. Prices are low and items often on sale. You'll need to apply for a card (you may need to represent yourself as a small business person). Camping equipment is generally considerably less expensive in South Africa than in Europe or North America.

EQUIPMENT FOR A LONG TRIP: There are the obvious items such as folding chairs, tables, propane canister & cooker, brai grill, fuel jerrycans, water containers, etc that are all available in South Africa. We are not providing a list of the obvious but here are a few unusual items that we found useful: ski jackets (evenings are cool in the winter), pail with lid (for cloth washing and to allow water to warm up for bucket baths), shovel (digging fire pits, latrines), short-wave radio, and pressure cooker (good for potatoes and serves as large pot for pasta).

GUIDEBOOKS: Lonely Planet and Footprint offer good guidebooks. Internet searches on specific locations are also useful.

MAPS: General maps are widely available. We also purchased some useful 1:250,000 topographical maps at "Map Office" in Braamfontein (Joburg) for selected areas.

BORDER CROSSINGS: Zimbabwe excepted, border crossing within Southern Africa are relaxed and tourist friendly.

WHEN TO GO: You'll have to do your own research on this. We found the winter months (April-September) are comfortable for most of the game reserves and are the time of year when you'll see the most game. The vegetation suffers at the end of the dry season and migratory birds disappear, but the nice weather and abundance of game at waterholes makes up for that.

COSTS: Our monthly expenses for everything (except for the flight and most of our film) ran about Rand 11,000 (USD 1,100) for two people (i.e. USD550 per person). That included food, booze, vehicle costs, purchase of 5 4X4 tires, purchase of camping equipment, accommodation (mostly camping), park fees, souvenirs, etc., etc. Vehicle costs included in the total costs ran about 4,000 Rand per month (fuel, maintenance, tires).

MALARIA: As we were in the dry season, we did not take malarial prophylaxis. On the few occasions that we encountered mosquitoes (primarily along the Chobe and Zambezi rivers) we used mosquito repellent. We carried emergency malaria treatment.

SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOL HOLIDAYS: Beware of the school holidays when South Africans pour into many of the better know places. You'd be wise to do an internet search to determine when they are in a given year and book ahead if you are going to overlap with these busy times.

South Africa is a very easy to travel in with a vehicle. It has the best infrastructure in Africa. It is very affordable. There are few "wild" areas but there are many spots worth visiting. We traveled through South Africa for about 5 months over 2 visits. It is a huge country and we only saw the "tip of the iceberg' so we can only comment on what we know!

Kruger National Park; Remains as one of the best and cheapest parks in Africa. It has a wide variety of mammals and birds with good chances of seeing plenty of elephant and lions. Check out their website. Book we ahead (6 months or a year) if you plan to visit during South African school holidays. 10 days would be a reasonable visit to cover most of the park (it is huge). Otherwise spend a few days in one or two of the camps. We would recommend Shingwedzi and Letaba camps as well as the Balule campsite. Food shopping at the larger camps is surprisingly good.

Blyde River: we've heard the views and area are worth the visit but we have not been yet.

Pilanesberg National Park: Surprisingly beautiful with plenty of game. It is quiet during the week (non-school holidays). Highly recommended and only a few hours from Johannesburg. Rhinos,elephants and cats are normally seen. We stayed at the pleasant Manyane Camp.

Rustenberg Nature Reserve: Nice short stay spot (campground). Quiet during the week. Plains animals (large sable population) and hikes.

Lapalala Wilderness (Waterberg area): beautiful small camps (all exclusive) are nice places to take a short break. Affordable accommodation. Book ahead by visiting their website for more information.

Botsalano Game Reserve (near Mafikeng): a small but attractive reserve full of animals (though skittish) including rhino. Similar to Khama Rhino Reserve in Botswana but more game, less expensive and fewer visitors. Large quantities of Black Wildebeest. Very Inexpensive. Similar game can also be seen at the nearby Mafkeng Game Reserve.

Molopo Game Reserve: North of Vryberg. Great, quiet campsite and interesting sandy tracks in Kalahari environment. Game is plentiful but shy. Nice overall atmosphere.

Leon Taljaardt Nature Reserve: Outskirts of Vryburg. Pleasant stopover campground is just outside of the reserve. Nice 2-3 hour game drive. We saw plenty of rhino and eland.

Ithala Game Reserve: One of the most beautiful game reserves in Southern Africa. Inexpensive, pleasant, basic (cold showers) campground. Plains animals including rhino. Some sort walks on the upper slopes of the escarpment. Feels like a private reserve.

Mkuzi Game Reserve: Outstanding waterholes provide upclose viewing of game including rhino, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest. The Kumasinga waterhole was one of the best we have seen anywhere. Mkuzi is thick with nyala and is an excellent place to see blue wildebeest.

Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve: We found the reserve green and attractive even at the end of the dry season. Rhino is the main attraction. The area towards the north gate of Hluhluwe was very productive; you could even use nearby False Bay as a base. Along the Black Rhino river in Umfolozi is also productive. No camping makes this reserve a less economical option. Book ahead as both main camps are often full. Our feeling was that a two day, one-night visit would be reasonable for someone going to see other game parks.

Cape Vidal (St. Lucia): Highly recommended coastal spot. Undeveloped, beautiful coastline with swimming, beach walking and conveniently located campground. Sneaky vervet and samango monkeys.

Sodwana Bay (St. Lucia): Similar but not as nice as Cape Vidal. Fairly inexpensive diving (best April or winter months) on coral reefs in full wet-suits.

Drakensberg Mountains: We did only a few day hikes (we were mid-winter) but enjoyed the Royal Natal Park and Giant's Castle areas.

Grahamstown: nice stop-over town (good campground).

Addo Elephant National Park: Very nice small park with pleasant campsite.

Plettenberg Bay: The Robberg peninsula is a great day hike.

Otter Trail: book it well in advance because it is stupendous.

Hell: We have heard it is worth a visit (in Swartberg range). Oudtshorn: The Kango Caves is a fun excursion.

Bontebok National Park: Pleasant short stay or stop-over.

De Hoop Nature Reserve: Nice dunes and lots of plains animals.

Hermanus: Nice spot to watch whales (September is best). Not from boats but nearby from land.

Cape Town and Environs: Table Top Mountain is obvious outing. Aquarium is excellent. Chapman's Peak Drive superb. Simon's Town for penguins (best early morning) is not to be missed. Walking about on the cape of Good Hope enjoyable.

Cape Winelands: one of, if not the best, wine regions to visit in the world. Worth a few days to kick around.

Cederberg Wilderness: Best kept secret in South Africa for hiking.

Richterveld National Park: we didn't visit (to much driving for our liking) but we heard it was worthwhile.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (Kalahari-Gemsbok): Beautiful scenery, good place to see cheetah with big distances so focus your visit (e.g. Nossob area).

Augrabies Falls National Park: worth a visit. The 3 night Klipspringer hike is a good option if you want to stretch your legs from too much driving. Day walks are also rewarding.

 Botswana is a sandy flat expanse with plenty of wild places and wildlife. A 4X4 vehicle is generally a prerequisite. It is a little more expensive than other Southern African countries. The national parks boast relatively hefty daily fees but sometimes it is worth paying the price.

National park fees are per day. If you overnight it in the parks, you are not charged for the exit day. Technically, you must leave by 11:00 a.m. but it is not always enforced. To reduce costs, we have wild camped in the general vicinity of the entry gate, entered the park early morning, thereby gaining a full day then left late the following day and wild camped beyond the exit gate, thereby getting 2 days for the price of one.

We suggest that you purchase Mike Main's "Adventurer's Guide to Botswana" for about 100 Rand, available at larger book stores in South Africa. The author is sometimes overly generous with superlatives but it is an excellent guide to off-the-beaten track Botswana.

Veterinary fences: You'll cross many vet fences at most of which the attendant will wave you through. Heading east out of Maun towards Francistown, the attendants search for raw red meat, starting first with your cooler. Bring chicken instead. They rarely search inside the cab.

Chobe National Park: The Chobe waterfront is tough to beat in the dry season. Spend a full day along the waterfront. Savuti is an obvious transit or connection between Moremi and the river; we think it is a little over-rated as a destination and skipped it all together on our last Chobe visit.

Moremi National Park: Third Bridge and Xakanxa camps need to be booked well in advance for a feeling of being deep in the Okavango delta. Kwai area (North Gate) is normally much better for game. South Gate is a last alternative. Wild camping south of the south gate (outside the park by 5-25km) is very good with plenty of game, particularly early in the dry season. Wild camping outside of the North Gate are looks also possible but trickier as there are more concession areas. We found Moremi works best as a leisurely single destination from Maun, rather than as part of a Moremi-Savuti-Chobe rushed trip.

Nxai Pan National Park: Apparently it is best visited in the wet season but we found it interesting in the dry season; lion's often hunt diurnally at the waterhole.

Central Kalahari Game Reserve: Interesting scenery, more animals adapted to arid environments. Some visitors trip over lions and cheetah while others not. Easiest access is from Rakops. The Ghanzi access is possible but it is a long sandy grind in. Nice camping sites that we encountered were CKK2 and CKK3 at Deception Pan and the superb view from CKJ2 at Sunday Pan.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: the Mabuasehube-Nossob track has been recommended by all that undertook it. People enjoy the scenery and the incredible sense of solitude.

Tsodillo hills: They are interesting despite the relative heat and flies. A two night stay would be sufficient. A new gravel road will open up and facilitate access. Free admission and camping in 2002.

Okavango Swamps: Poler's trust at Seronga is generally considered to be the best budget access to the swamps (about 20 USD per person in 2002 plus own food and camping fees).

Kasane and Chobe Forest Reserves: offer many (free) sandy tracks and plenty of elephants. The area South west of Ngoma Bridge might be interesting.

 Hunter's Road: This is a track along the Zimbabwe and Botswana border. We did the entire track but would only recommend the stretch between Mpandamatenga to Kazungula. South of Mpandamatenga was disappointing. There were some nice wild camping spots, particularily near a waterhole on the Botswana side of Kazuma Pan. The track described in Mike Main's book.

Boteti River: The western edge of Makgadikadi Pan Game Reserve (but outside of the park) is recommended in the dry season. Camping at "Leroo La Tau" lodge which is just north of Xhumaga. Sign up for a night drive to observe lions that are attracted to the large migratory zebra and wildebeest population.

Nata Lodge Campsite: Very pleasant. A must stay if only to see the adventurous bushbabies that appear each evening.

Sowa Pan: We enjoyed the unique experience of pan driving along the eastern edge of Sowa Pan and Kukora (aka Kukonje) Island that is less "crowded" than the more popular Kubu Island. We encountered no one.

Khama Rhino Reserve: Pleasant half-day stop-over with good campground. Very well run reserve.

 Namibia is a wonderful place with fabulous scenery and plenty of depth. Namibia also offers plenty of hiking opportunities. The south and central area is all fenced farmland. Access to private land is possible if you stay at private campsites of guesthouses. North of the "red line" (vet fence) is generally communal land and things get more interesting. Wild camping is very possible away from settlements.

Orange River: The Rosh Pinah to Aus route is an interesting alternative entry point from South Africa (all gravel roads). There is a 4X4 road (apparently graded) into Ais Ais (Fish River Canyon) off this road. Camping at the farm south of Fish River and Orange River Junction (canoe rentals at the farm) or wild camp near the mouth of the Fish river. Hiking is possible at the Fish River mouth and above.

Fish River Canyon: Great area. Very busy during South African school holidays. We also accessed the canyon via the Fish river L.O.D.G.E. in 1999.

Klein Aus: Just west of Aus is the beautiful campground with surprisingly good hiking.

Tirasberg: North of Aus, a group of farmers have established accommodations and campsites on their properties. Moderate accommodation prices allow for access to explore the Tirasberg mountains and dunes.

 Wereldend: Small, quiet campsite beautifully situated (ask at the BP farm fuel station). They allowed us to walk around their dunes (stunning and full of life). The farmer has plans of developing the dunes for tourism (neighbouring dune properties are "eco-tourism" spots).

Naukluft (Mountain) National Park: the Olive trail is highly recommended (4 hour walk). We also walked the Waterkloof trail and recommend the first part of it which gives access to refreshing swimming pools.

Sossusvlei: the dunes are simply not to be missed. There are plenty of dunes to scramble up. Don't miss Dead Vlei.

Namib National Park: While many recommend the Bloedkoppie area, we preferred the open savannah area at Ganab.

Ugab River (Brandberg): We have good memories from our 1999 trip, staying at a campsite in the river bed. Desert elephants and interesting hiking.

Twylfontein area: We found this area to be over-visited and we would avoid this area unless camping surrounded by groups travelling in overland trucks is your thing.

Palmwag: Great campsite and pool if you can get in often full). The lodge holds concession rights to some interesting areas that are open to independent travellers for a reasonable fee. The Hoarib River is covered in our Kaokoland Travel Notes.

Kaokoland: Fascinating region. Detailed notes are located in our Kaokoland Travel Notes. Kaokoland Travel Notes

Hobatere: The campground is open to the public. We didn't visit but the private reserve has been recommended to us. We had already explored the nearby Ombunde river bed.

Kamanjab: we did not have a good experience at the nearby cheetah guest farm.

Etosha National Park: Simply unbelievable during the dry season with absurd quantities of animals at the waterholes. We recommend booking well ahead of time if possible. If unable to get the campground of choice, book another and pay your fees at that camp for the duration of your stay. You can then camp at any of the camps as no one seems to check permits except when exiting the park. While Okakujo is a fantastic waterhole, the campsite is not appealing. Halali has a reasonably good camp, great pool (mid-day rest) and sometimes excellent night time viewing at the waterhole.

Grootfontein and Nearby Roy's Camp:Roy's Camp is 55km NE of Grootfontein on the B8. It is well run with game wandering about and makes a pleasant stop-over.

Khaudom National Park: Wild, sandy woodland features a moderate though not overwhelming population of game. Elephants and kudu predominate with some sightings of roan antelope. We were slightly disappointed with both our visits (July 2002, July 1999) though elephants raoming the Khaudom camp on both visits was exciting. The northern access track from the B8 is best done early morning before the sand heats up. Good wild camping can be found just outside of the park on Khaudom omuramba. Southern access is best via the track that passes the Tsoma waterhole with good wild camping outside the park near a borehole. Do not follow the Khaudom signs from Tsumkwe (the normal southern access that goes directly into Sikereti Camp), but instead find the track directly north of the Tsumkwe telecom tower. We have tried both and this route (via Tsoma waterhole) is much easier and far more scenic.

Bushmanland: Tsumkwe is the gateway to Eastern Bushmanland. We have camped at Holboom (giant baobab) and undertaken activities with the local village. We also enjoyed camping just south of the Nyae Nyae Pan area. It is now possible to continue along the Tsumkwe road east into Botswana and vice versa (border post was opened in 2002).

Caprivi Strip: Rundu is a very good town to buy supplies in. Katima Mulillo is OK for supermarkets. Basics are available in Divindu.

Divindu (Popa Falls area): The Popa Falls community campground (follow the signs on the eastern side of the Kavango bridge) offers good access to the river and falls. We found the generator noise at the over-priced Ngepi camp to be a turn-off. Better to stay at the Mahango Lodge (camping) if you want to stay on the western side of the Kavango for Mahango and Botswana access.

Mahango National Park: Is one of the best small game reserves in Africa. Keep near the Kavango river and you'll see plenty of mammals and birds.

Susuwe: The western banks of the Kwando provides interest (wild country). The Nabwe camp (free) alongside the western shore of the Kwando River is nice and close to the oxbow beach for good elephant viewing. Herds of upto 1,000 elephant are seen in this area. 

Mudumu National Park: We saw little game in the hunted out reserve but we did enjoy camping (free) overlooking the river with hippos and elephants below.

Mimili National Park: Once the water levels recede(we were able to cross some channels by mid-July 2002), you can get alongside the Botswana border in the famous Linyanti Swamps (more like grassland in dry season). Plenty of elephants, buffalo and hippos. A free permit and map was provided at the Park office. We camped (free) along the river in the Madura Forest area. We also enjoyed camping near Mparamure (water was too deep to drive across, but we were able to wade across for a hike). Mamili is lightly visited and has a wild feel about it. Recommended.

 Political repression, land redistribution, drought, food shortages and economic crisis dominated the news in Zimbabwe. However, as tourists during the winter of 2002, we found it safe and friendly. Supermarkets were well stocked (few could afford more than bread), fuel was available, prices were low, and the game parks nearly empty of visitors. We had the place to ourselves. We enjoyed our visit and we were much appreciated by the many people who depend on tourism for a living.

Entry: Visas were issued at the border and cost 30USD for most visitors. Zimbabwe car insurance was mandatory. Once we were in Zimbabwe, it was an inexpensive country, so don't let the border formalities put you off.

"Parallel Market": In 2002, the official 55 Zim dollars to 1 USD was meaningless. The unofficial (black market, real rate) ranged between 350 and 1,000 to 1 USD. Currency exchange or travel agents were best bets. Street traders were virtually all tricksters. .In 2009, the Zimbabwe Dollar was abandoned; USD and other foreign currencies are now used.

Hwange National Park: bursting with elephant (35-40,000) and some fine waterholes where you can comfortably watch the action from well designed hides in a great park. Of the three large camps, the most game was to be found around the Main Camp. The real magic is staying overnight at one of the "picnic sites" that can be booked through the Harare National Parks office. As tourists were so few, we were able to book these exclusives at short notice from within the park. Mausma (sleeping with elephants) and Ngweshla are outstanding picnic sites. It is also possible to sleep in the Guvalala platform. Deetema dam was one of the busiest hides for elephants; the Deetema picnic site was nearby.

Chizarira National Park: this scenic park is light on game (poaching has take its toll) but worth a visit. It does not receive many visitors. Mucheni Gorge campsite was spectacular. There are a fair number of buffalo in the park.

Matsuadona National Park: The poor road into Matsuadona keeps arrivals by land to a minimum. Day visitors are encountered as the park can be accessed by boat. The Tashinga campsite (near HQ) is beautiful. However, the Changachirere campsite provides access to wide open lakefront areas, particularly on the north shore. When lake levels are low, lions and buffalo are plentiful. When water levels are high, you have to settle for elephant, hippos, impala and the occasional cat.

Zambezi National Park: The park is located on the western outskirts of Victoria Falls. Beautiful, basic (no facilities) campsites are situated along the Zambezi just upriver from the falls. Game was light but the setting was terrific. Kandahar would be our first choice campsite. Chundu campsites looked nice.

Victoria Falls: The falls are magnificent. The touts were persistent. We have heard the rafting is best done from the Zambian side because you enter further up the river than from Zimbabwe.

Mana Pools: we visited Mana Pools many years ago and loved it. We hear it remains an excellent experience.

Great Zimbabwe Ruins: An interesting half day visit.

Chimanimani National Park: Nice, quiet hiking area. We kept to the northern end of the park and also crossed over Skeleton pass into Mozambique for a few nights.