adri and johan snyman's namibian and zambian trip diary

ADRI AND JOHAN SNYMAN’S NAMIBIAN AND ZAMBIAN TRIP DIARY - 

31 AUG TO 30 SEPT 2007 

BACKGROUND 

While on a previous long trip to Namibia in Aug/Sept 2005 with Malcolm and Margaret Jackson, 

we started discussing the possibility of visiting Zambia. While I can plan and organise a trip to 

Namibia at the drop of a hat, Zambia was new territory for me and a serious amount of effort 

was put into doing research on the country. 

We had several planning meetings, and preparations started in earnest in February 2007. 

Zambia is about 2500km from Stellenbosch and we decided to drive through Namibia on the 

way there and back. After taking the climatic conditions and personal constraints into 

consideration, we decided to do the trip in September without making any advance bookings. 

We had no fixed time schedule apart from a start – and an end date and the basic itinerary of 

our trip would be as follows : 

We would travel north to Windhoek, then east to Gobabis, from where we would travel north on 

the different Eco Trails that form part of the first leg of the Dorsland Trek route to Andara (near 

Poppa Falls) in the Caprivi, and from there east to Katima Mulilo where we intended to cross the 

border into Zambia. Then east to the Victoria Waterfalls at Livingstone, north to Lusaka and 

Kitwe, south-west to Kafue, west to Mongu, and south along the Zambezi River to Katima Mulilo. 

Depending on how much time we had left, we would explore some of the National Parks in the 

Caprivi Strip before tackling the long haul back to Stellenbosch. 

© J Snyman Page 1 of 45

PARTICIPANTS 

The participants in the tour would be the following : 

Malcolm and Margaret Jackson in their 1994 Land Rover Defender Tdi CSW. 

Adri and I in our 1998 Land Rover Defender Tdi Hardtop. 


PREPARATIONS 

Both vehicles, and their equipment, received a thorough service and going over before the trip 

and a fairly comprehensive list of spares were taken along. 

As the northern regions of Namibia and the whole of Zambia falls within a high risk malaria area 

we used Mefliam (generic equivalent of Larium) as malaria prophylactic and sprayed our tents 

with Peripel 55 – a treatment that repels biting insects like mosquitoes. Although it was not a 

requirement, we were also inoculated against yellow fever, hepatitis and typhoid, to supplement 

the up to date ones we have for polio, tetanus and diphtheria. 

On a tour like this your selection of clothing is extremely important as you need to make 

provision for different temperatures, insects, dusty conditions etc etc. We have found that the 

technical clothing sold at outlets specialising in hiking- and outdoor wear best suit our purposes 

as they fit comfortably, come in neutral colours, are easily washed and are fast drying. Trousers 

with zip-off legs are also easily converted from day-time to evening wear. Light-weight hiking 

boots are comfortable to wear and protect your feet a lot better than open sandals do. 

We take a laptop computer along on our trips to download photos and GPS data and also keep 

a trip diary. But, you need to keep the security of your data in mind and for this we take along an 

external hard drive and CD’s to make back-ups. These are kept separately from the laptop – 

preferably in another vehicle. 

LEGALITIES 

Licenses for our 29Mhz radios were obtained for Namibia and Zambia. The Namibian one is 

obtainable from the Namibian Communications Commission, Private Bag 133309, Windhoek or 

Fax 00264 61 222 790. The licence is valid from 1 Jan to 31 Dec and is issued within a matter of 

days and is the form of a disc that is stuck to the inside of the vehicle’s windscreen. The 

Zambian one is available from the Zambian Communications Authority and a very helpful 

Mr Kezias Mwale can be contacted at kmwale@caz.gov.zm in this regard. Please note that this 

licence will take a while to obtain ………… 

We all displayed ZA stickers on the rear of our vehicles as it is a legal requirement to display the 

vehicle’s country of origin when it crosses international borders. We also affixed strips of 

reflective material to our vehicles to comply with Zambian regulations. 2 x white strips to the 

front and 2 x red strips to the rear (minimum 75mm long x 50mm wide each). Each vehicle also 

carried 2 warning triangles as this is an item often asked for at police checkpoints in Zambia. 

We paid our Namibian Road Tax of N$160 per vehicle upon entry at Noordoewer and again 

upon re-entry at Katima Mulilo. 

As Malcolm and Margaret hold British Passports they had to obtain Visas to enter Zambia. 

These can be obtained at the border but you need to take the required documentation with you. 

The Taxes to be paid, and the administrative process involved, upon entry into Zambia is a 

complicated and laborious affair. You pay a Local Council entrance tax, carbon emission tax 

(dependant on engine size) and 3 rd party insurance for your vehicle. 


THE TOUR 

Friday 31 August 

It was cold with a light drizzle when we left Stellenbosch and travelled via Klipheuwel and 

Malmesbury to the N7 from where we started travelling northwards. Near Malmesbury we saw 

fields of green wheat and yellow flowering Canola and from Citrusdal onwards we saw some 

beautiful flowers along the way. 

Malcolm and Margaret left Cape Town a bit later than we did, so we kept our speed down so 

that they could catch up and they managed to do so as we arrived at the Noordoewer border 

post. As 3 busses had arrived at the border post just before us, we had to stand in a queue for 

almost 1½ hours to have our passports processed. The fact that the Narcotics Bureau had all 

their equipment set up in the middle of the road to search the baggage of the bus passengers 

did not improve the flow of traffic either. But, we passed through both control points without 

incident and after refuelling our vehicles we pitched camp next to the Orange River at Abiqua. 

The campsite was neat and tidy and the cost of accommodation was N$55-00 per person with a 

further N$10-00 for the use of an electrical power point. 

Total distance for the day was 713km (709 on tar- and 4km on gravel roads) and travelling time 

was a leisurely 9½ hours. 


Saturday 1 September 

After a very quiet night we had an uneventful drive to Windhoek, where we first visited some 

family before we settled in at the camping sites at Arebbusch for the night. The campsite was 

neat and tidy and the cost of accommodation for the 4 of us amounted to N$300. 

As the landscape on the Namibian side of the Orange River is a lot more arid, we had a hard 

time locating a flower for spring day …… 

Total distance for the day was 841km (837 on tar- and 4km on gravel roads) and travelling time 

was 9½ hours. 


Sunday 2 September 

After a not so quiet night, due to the proximity of some busy roads and an airport, we first did 

some last minute shopping in Windhoek before we departed for Gobabis where we refuelled the 

vehicles and filled our Jerrycans, as the availability of fuel on our intended route was uncertain. 

We travelled along the MR119 towards Rietfontein and turned off on the Dorsland Trail at 

Talismanus. Petrol and diesel was available at a building on the left-hand side of the road in 

Talismanus. 

The route was very sandy right from the start with bush encroachment right to the edge of the 

track. This is not the place for the faint-hearted with vehicles that have shiny paintwork ! We 

slept on the site reported to be the last camping spot of the late Jan Joubert and spent a 

considerable time contemplating al the things this remarkable man might still have achieved if he 

did not meet his untimely end. 

Total distance for the day was 497km (227 on tar- and 270km on gravel- and sand roads) and 

travelling time was 8½ hours. 

Monday 3 September 

We had a very quiet night and awoke to the plaintive cries of a lonely jackal at sunrise. 

We visited the site where Jan Joubert was murdered and also the site where his body was 

eventually found. 


The sandy track continued to a point where it intersects the Epukiro River and from there on is 

called the Bushmanland Eco Trail. It continuous along this river over farmland with lots of cattle, 

but hardly any game animals or birds were to be seen. 

We drove along a sandy road right alongside the Botswana border until we reached an open 

space in the vegetation where we set up camp for the night. 

Total distance for the day was 170km (all of it on sand roads) and travelling time was 9½ hours. 


Tuesday 4 September 

We had a very quiet night and awoke to the toc-toc-toc calls of the hornbills roosting in the trees 

before continuing along the sandy track until we reached the Veterinary Control Point on the 

D3831. Meat may be transported to the north of this position but may not be transported south. 

From there we continued along a good gravel road until we entered the Nyae Nyae 

Conservancy and turned off onto the Nyae-Nyae Eco Trail to Tsumkwe. The scenery changed 

with more open grasslands and some huge baobab trees. 

The local bushman villages were a bit of a disappointment to see as the people have adopted 

western-style culture and seem to be struggling to survive. There is no attempt made to grow 

any crops and meat is obtained by hunting. As the area is so dry at present, a bowl of water is 

used as bait in traps to catch birds. They are also setting fire to the veld to improve visibility and 

stimulate new growth of grass to improve hunting opportunities. One of these veld fires got the 

adrenaline going when the wind changed direction and we almost got caught up in the flames. 


Although there were plenty of signs of elephant, we only encountered a solitary animal as we 

proceeded via Keba-, Nyae Nyae- and Vogel Pans. 

We set up camp at the Tsumkwe Lodge and the cost of the accommodation amounted to N$55 

per person. They have very good facilities, hot water in the showers, firewood is supplied and 


we even had a very nice cooling down in the swimming pool. One of the dogs of the Lodge 

owner came to introduce herself and faithfully sat next to our vehicles for the whole night. 

Total distance for the day was 197km (all of it on sand- and gravel roads) and travelling time 

was 9 hours. 

Wednesday 5 September 

We topped up the fuel tanks at the Offices of the Department of Agriculture before undertaking 

the Baobab Eco Trail. There are some huge baobabs to be seen along this route and some of 

them are of historical importance as they acted as landmarks for the Dorsland Trekkers. One 

half of the “Dorsland” baobab has collapsed and is lying in a rotten mass. The names of some 

German Schutztruppen (H Gathemann, E Hewer and D Hanneman) are carved into the bark of 

the remaining part of the tree together with the date 18 February 1891. Can you imagine what 

these ancient trees must have witnessed during their life spans ? 


From there, we departed for the Kaudom National Park where we set up camp at Sekerreti 

Campsite where the facilities are so dilapidated that it can be considered to be non-existent. We 

only had to pay Park Entrance Fees (N$30-00 per adult and N$10-00 per vehicle) and not for 

the camping sites. Here we also encountered the first other tourists and vehicle since leaving 

Talismanus. I also discovered that the dust cap on the hub of the right rear wheel had gone 

astray along the way and that the grease on the protruding end of the half-shaft was covered in 

sand. Instead of removing the affected parts and cleaning them properly, I merely wiped most of 

the grit off and covered the hub with duct tape. This would prove to be a stupid mistake later on 

in the trip …… 


Soon after we retired for the night the elephants moved into the campsite and started feeding on 

the trees and some hyenas giggled in the distance. 

Total distance for the day was 149km (all of it on sand- and gravel roads and -tracks) and 


Thursday 6 September 

Apart from the noise the elephants made during the night, everything was very quiet night and 

we awoke to the shrill calls of francolin at sunrise. 

We made our way via the Soncana waterhole, along the Nhoma River to the Omuramba 

Waterhole, Tari Kora Waterhole, Leeupan and Tsau Waterhole - where the adrenaline flowed 

when an elephant charged our vehicle, to Kaudom Restcamp. We saw some large herds of 

elephant, 3 small herds of the endangered Roan Antelope, some very unafraid kudu and a 

number of duiker along the way. There was a huge fire burning in the western regions of the 

park and the flames were being fanned by a wind blowing in an easterly direction. Some of the 

tracks had very loose and deep sand and the going became more difficult. 


The facilities at Kaudom Restcamp were also non-existent and we were invited to make use of 

the ablution facilities at the staff village. We again only had to pay Park Entrance Fees (N$30-00 

per adult and N$10-00 per vehicle). 

Total distance for the day was 113km (all of it on sand tracks) and travelling time was 8 hours. 

Friday 7 September 

We awoke with the strong smell of wood smoke from the approaching fire and therefore made 

an early start. Parts of the veld we drove through have been devastated by a recent fire and the 

road was a very loose sandy track. Numerous trees were also lying across the track – some 

have fallen over after being burnt, but most had been pushed over by elephants - and this gave 

rise to some very interesting and challenging detours. 



The sandy track ended at the tarred B8, which we crossed before continueing along the gravel 

D3411 and then on the D3402 alongside the Okavango River to Andara and Divundu. 

Andara was the end of the first leg of the Dorsland Route and we visited the Roman Catholic 

Mission Church and the cemetery, which covers a large area and is sadly neglected in some 

parts. 

The Shell Garage at Divundu had no fuel, but we managed to fill our tanks at the nearby Engen 

Garage. From Gobabis to Divundu (1065km) our Landy used 156- and Malcolm’s one 151 litres 

of diesel. The heavy fuel consumption was mainly as a result of the very loose sand 

encountered along the major portion of the route and is a factor to be reckoned with when 

planning to undertake this route. 

After 8 days of travelling it was time for a short break and we decided to spoil ourselves by 

booking into a 4 bed bungalow at Popa Falls. The cost thereof amounted to N$360-00 per day 

for the 4 of us and included breakfast. All the facilities were neat and tidy, with hot showers and 

electrical power points in the bungalows and at the campsites. 

A lonely hippopotamus was roaming the campsite and made a beeline for the protection of the 

reeds next to the river every time it saw someone. 

Total distance for the day was 167km (9km on tar- and 158km on sand- and gravel roads) and 




After a very good night’s sleep we awoke to a chorus of birdsong. As this was to be a rest day 

we did not even start our vehicles and instead explored the area on foot. We also tried to catch 

some tiger fish and Malcolm did manage to catch one while I hooked and lost one. I also spent 

some time updating the trip diary, sorting the photos and making backups on a portable hard 

drive and on CD’s. 


After another good night’s sleep we again woke to the chorus of birdsong and were soon 

packing our vehicles to start off on the next leg of our trip. 

We made our way via the B8 to Katima Mulilo where we did some last minute shopping before 

making our way to the border post to cross into Zambia. The border post was bustling with 


activity as a new complex is being constructed on the Namibian side. To have al the formalities 

completed on the Namibian side took about 5 minutes but it took 1½ hours to be cleared on the 

Zambian side. As the Jackson’s travel on British Passports they had to get single entry visa’s on 

the border, but the official manning the desk had no idea which forms were to be completed 

even though Margaret had obtained and completed them beforehand. He also only knew the 

cost of the visa in pounds sterling and had no idea of the exchange rate to be used so that it 

could be paid for in the currency we had available. For each of the vehicles we had to pay a 

Local Council entrance tax of ZAR75-00, Carbon Emission Tax amounting to ZAR300-00 and 3 rd 

Party Insurance amounting to ZAR220-00. These moneys can be paid in US$, N$, ZAR or 

Kwacha, but you need to keep a calculator handy as each official uses a different exchange rate 

and it is to your advantage to pay in the currency giving the most advantageous price. 

There were a few noticeable differences between the Namibian and Zambian side of the border. 

Although the people look the same, live in similar houses and in similar villages, the people on 

the Zambian side have planted fruit- and flowering trees between their houses and many also 

had vegetable gardens while this in not often seen on the Namibian side. You also saw many 

people on bicycles in Zambia and there were lots of small children everywhere ……. 


About halfway to Livingstone we encountered a Foot and Mouth Disease Control post….. They 

only wanted to know if we were transporting any beef or dairy products and then we had to climb 

out of our vehicles to wash our hands in a basin with water. The officials were unable to explain 

why we had to do so and did not spray the undersides of the vehicles, treat their tyres or the 

soles of our shoes, etc 

We made our way to Livingstone where we stayed in the safari-style tents of the Maramba River 

Lodge. Camping would have cost us US$10 per person while the tents cost US$45 per couple. 

However, it would mean that we did not need to pack up every morning. The tents have 

electrical power outlets which we used to power the fridges in our vehicles for the duration of our 

stay. 

That evening we had our first encounter with the campsite’s resident population of bushbabies. 

As darkness fell, these inquisitive animals soon came to have a look at what we were doing and 

having for supper. It is actually quite amazing to see how far they can leap from one place to 

another without any apparent effort. They are very partial to certain types of food, such as 

biscuits and sausage, and this should not be left unattended. 

The tarred road between Divundu to Katima Mulilo and from there to Livingstone was in 

excellent condition. Total distance for the day was 556km (554 km on tar- and 2km on gravel 

roads) and travelling time was 9½ hours. 



We awoke with the sounds of aircraft, as all types of craft, ranging from microlights, helicopters, 

vintage bi-planes etc fly tourists over the Falls from sunrise to sunset every day. This day was 

set aside to explore the Zambian side of the Victoria Waterfalls and we were soon doing just 

that. 

As we were visiting the area in the dry season, the flow of water over the ±100m high Falls are 

much reduced but they are no less spectacular. The rock formations, normally hidden behind 

and below water and spray, can now also be seen. There is a whole network of paths to different 

viewpoints and it is impossible for photographs to do justice to the sights that await you. 


Afterwards we visited the new Spar shopping complex in Livingstone where we exchanged 

some money (Instant kwacha millionaires !) and bought fresh bread and beers. Products sold in 

the shops in Zambia are very expensive compared to what we are used to at home (About 3 x 

SA prices). For example, the local beer, Mosi Lager costs about K4000 while the SAB products 

are selling at about K7000 each (±R13-00). 


As Adri and I wanted to see the Falls from the Zimbabwean side as well, we joined the queue of 

people that were crossing the border on foot early the morning. There were also a large number 

of trucks waiting to be cleared on both sides of the border. Trucks leaving Zambia were mostly 

carrying sheets of copper and timber while those entering Zambia were loaded with mining 

equipment and coal. 


We were not disappointed as the Falls are even more spectacular when viewed from the 

Zimbabwean side. 

During the afternoon we visited the very interesting Livingstone museum and after that we went 

on one of the sundowner “booze” cruises. Food and drinks are included in the cost of the cruise 

and, unless you stop them, the waiters will bring drinks faster than you can consume them. 



We made our way along the T1 highway from Livingstone to Monze and soon encountered the 

first road block. There are a countless number of these Police check points along all the major 

routes but we found the officials manning them to be very courteous and did not experience any 

problems whatsoever at any one of them. The road between Livingstone and Zimba (76km) was 

potholed but from there onwards the road surface improved and good average speeds could be 

maintained. 

Near Kalomo we visited the “Administrator’s House” – the first non-traditional brick house built in 

Northern Rhodesia in +- 1903 for the British South African Company’s Administrator of North 

Western Rhodesia. It is a National Monument and is currently undergoing renovations. From 

there we proceeded to Choma, where we visited the museum and then on to Monze, where we 

stayed at the Moorings Campsite under some large shady trees. The cost to camp was US$5-00 

per person. They have clean ablution facilities with hot showers and each campsite is provided 

with an electrical outlet and water on tap. 


Total distance for the day was 335km (316km on tar- and 19km on gravel roads) and travelling 

time was 7 hours. 


We made our way along the T1 to the junction with the T2 and from there to Lusaka – the 

Capital City of Zambia. It is a big place with high rise buildings, shopping malls and lots of 

vehicles. We replenished some of our supplies and also refuelled our vehicles at about R9-87 

per litre of diesel. 

We turned off the T2 at Kabwe and made our way via some gravel roads towards Mita Dam, 

crossed the Lunsemfwa river by pontoon and then proceeded on a gravel track towards the 

Wonder Gorge – a spectacular 300m deep gorge where the Mkushi- and Lunsemfwa Rivers 

meet. On this section of our route you could see the effects of deforestation to feed the charcoal 

industry and also to clear new lands for agricultural purposes. Is the bag in the picture filled to 

capacity with charcoal, or not ? ………. 



There were also numerous markets along the road where you could buy just about anything : 

fruit, vegetables, live chickens, goats, rats, monkeys, parrots, bicycles, furniture, clothes – you 

name it, and someone would supply it …… 


time was 12¼ hours. 


After a very quiet night and not a bird call to be heard at sunrise, we walked to Bell Point which 

is a National Monument and also the best vantage point into the Wonder Gorge but the angle of 

the sun and the presence of smoke from a nearby fire made photographing it almost impossible. 

From there we made our way through areas where subsistence farming with cotton, maize and 

tomatoes is practised via Old Makushi, Mpulo and Kapiri Mposhi to the T3 highway and from 

there to Kitwe where we stayed on the Kamfinsa Dairy Farm belonging to ex-South Africans, 

Eugene and Marlene Meintjies. They run a beef- and dairy farm and have an excellent butchery 

on the farm. Accommodation in the form of rooms and campsites are available and additional 

accommodation is under construction. 





We undertook a day-trip to Chingola where we visited the home of acquaintances and in the 

evening enjoyed a barbeque dinner with Eugene and Marlene and their children. 


time was 6½ hours. 


We made an early start and after refuelling our vehicles at about R10.95 per litre of diesel we 

made our way from Kitwe along the M18 to Kawana, then on the M8 to the D181 and along this 

road through Kasempa until we reached the turnoff to the Kafue National Park. We followed this 

track and finally pitched camp in a clearing next to the road about 16km north of the entrance 

gate to the Park. 

The trees along this section of the route were truly amazing. The new leaf growth on some trees 

were red in colour while it was bright green on others, some trees were flowering while others 

were busy shedding their leaves. 





After yet another very quiet night we made an early start and were soon inside the Kafue 

National Park. Entrance fees are US$15-00 per person and vehicle per day. In contrast with the 

countryside we have driven through the past few days, the area was teeming with wildlife and 

we saw elephant, hippo, red lechwe, bushbuck, impala, crocodiles, warthog, kudu etc and lots of 

birds. We also encountered large numbers of tse tse flies – a non-descript fly with a bite that 

burns like hell ! The condition of the roads in the northern parts of the Park indicate that they 

would be very “interesting”, if not impossible, to drive on during the wet season. Some sections 

are covered with logs to make them passable when the area becomes water logged and there is 

lots of powdery dust that promises to turn into very slippery mud when wet. 

We did nor encounter any other tourists in the Park except for a group of guys at Lufupa 

Campsite who were fishing for bream on the Kafue River. The cost to camp at Lufupa was an 

additional US$12 per person per day and a fishing permit cost US$5-00 per day. 

Soon after we arrived at Lafupa Campsite an elephant bull strolled into camp to feed on the fruit 

of the makalani palm trees. Once he got hold of the tree with his trunk it looked at if a tornado 

had a grip on the tree and the fruit rained down on him. I spent some time casting an artificial 

lure into the Kafue River and landed a nice size catfish. That evening Adri and the Jacksons 

went on a game drive while I worked on the trip diary and backed up our photo’s with bats 

catching the insects attracted by the light emitted by the laptop’s screen. 



Total distance for the day was 91km, all of it on gravel tracks, and travelling time was 6 hours. 



While making our way south through the Park my oversight of the 5 th of September finally caught 

up with us when our Landy lost drive to the rear axle. The sand, which I had not removed 

properly when the dust cap went astray, had ground the splines of the half shaft down…. 

Fortunately this did not present a major problem as I had the required spares and tools and with 

the tse tse flies giving us ample encouragement, it took 24 minutes to get the spares and tools 

out, complete the work, pack everything away, clean up and drink a cup of coffee ! 

After we exited the Park we drove east on the M9 and turned off to Mukambi Camp Site. The 

cost to camp was US$10-00 per person and there were actually 3 other sites occupied. 

We again cast some lures into the Kafue River and caught a few small pike. They are vicious 

fighters with a set of very sharp teeth. 

Total distance for the day was 107 km (10 km on tar- and 97 km on gravel roads and -tracks) 

and travelling time was 7¼ hours. 


We made our way westwards towards Mongu on the tarred M9. This road is badly potholed and 

some sections are extremely dangerous as they have started with preparations to repair the 

potholes by cutting them into a square shape and leaving them like that. In Mongu we topped up 

the fuel tanks with enough diesel to reach Katima Mulilo in Namibia at about R12.23 per litre. 

From Mongu we drove south on the M10 to Senanga on a tarred road that is mostly in good 

condition although there is a section of about 20km where you have to drive next to the road. On 

this part of the route the effects of major tree felling are visible as there are very few big teak 

trees to be seen near the road. It takes 3 people 2 days to fell the tree and chop the logs into a 

rectangular shape by axe. The log is then dragged to the roadway where it is loaded onto trucks 

and they receive about 300 000 Kwacha (± ZAR 550 or US$78) as payment for their effort. 


Near Senanga there are sections with fairly dense forest, but the trees are much smaller and 

there are also some huge open plains next to the Zambezi River. 

We stayed in the 2-bed rondavels at Senanga Safari Lodge and the cost thereof was 120 000 

Kwacha (±ZAR220-00). Each rondavel has its own bathroom, aircon, fridge and, for what it’s 

worth, a TV. Although they do have campsites available, the cost of 50 000 Kwacha per person 

per night do not make them a viable option. We caught, and released, a number of small tiger 

fish and some nice bream while fishing from the bank of the Zambezi River in front of the lodge. 

Total distance for the day was 414 km (394 km on good and potholed tar- and 20km on gravel 

roads) and travelling time was 8 hours. 



We started casting lures at sunrise and caught some small tiger fish and bream. One small 

bream had no reservations in tackling a lure that was almost its own size ….. 

We continued south on the M10 and the tar ended 4km south of Senanga. Teams of workers 

are repairing stormwater culverts and reconstruction of a section of the road that winds through 

vast open plains with sections of swampland. Thereafter the road conditions were actually quite 

good. 


We crossed the river by means of the ferry at Sitoti (US$20-00 per vehicle), where fisherman 

were also selling their catch, and from there onwards the road conditions deteriorated a bit. 

Innovative structural repair work has been done to a bridge and this section of road could be a 

interesting challenge to negotiate in the wet season. 

We explored the area around the Sioma waterfalls and I caught a very nice tiger fish in the 

rapids below the Falls. 


We made our way to Thembe lodge where we camped under trees on a spot overlooking the 

Zambezi river. We were the only visitors and it cost us 35000-00Kwacha (±R60) per person to 

camp there. They have clean ablution facilities with hot showers. 

Total distance for the day was 97km (4km on tar- and 93km on gravel roads) and travelling time 

was 7 hours. 


We continued south on the M10 on a road that got progressively worse the further we travelled 

and there are some sections that could present serious obstacles in the wet season. We made 

detours to some of the other lodges along the route until we eventually stopped at Kabula 

Lodge. This is a neat and well run facility and here we encountered the first 2 South African 

registered vehicles since leaving Livingstone – one belonging to the owner and the other to a 

couple that were staying in one of the bungalows. The cost to camp amounted to R75 per 

person. We went for a sunset cruise on one of their boats. 


Total distance for the day was 72km, all of it on gravel roads, and travelling time was 4 hours. 



We continued along the last section of the M10, which obviously has not seen a lot of 

maintenance during the past few years, and then it was time to re-enter Namibia again. 


Crossing the border was a mere formality. We stocked up on some supplies in a very busy 

Katima Mulilo and refuelled our vehicles before heading west on the tarred B8 and then southwest 

on the M125/C49 to Nkasa Rupara National Park (Mamile). This small Park is a wetland 

and in the rainy season 80% of it is under water. Even now, almost at the end of the dry season, 

there are still lots of marshy areas and water crossings. 

Malcolm had to recover our Landy when I managed to bog it down and I recovered the vehicle of 

a British tourist. This couple visited the area on their own in a rented Nissan Hardbody and after 

bogging it down and unsuccessfully trying to recover themselves, the husband decided to walk 

to the Park Rangers office ±16km away, leaving his wife to fend for herself. After being 

recovered she then decided to drive off on her own to find her husband. We came across her 

again later that afternoon and by this time she had 2 other tourists with her that had also 

abandoned their vehicle after bogging it down. She had not found her husband yet and 

proceeded to drive to the office. We arrived there soon after she did and I had a very interesting 

and “informative” discussion with her husband who had arrived there earlier. According to him it 

was quite all right to abandon your vehicle and walking out for help in an area with dangerous 

animals. If you come across a dangerous animal you apparently only have to break a stick and 

the animal will be scared away as it will think it is a rifle shot ! Fortunately he never got the 

opportunity to test that theory … 


As mentioned before, there were many water crossings, and not all of them had bridges …… 

There are a lot of elephants in this area and they have caused extensive damage to the 

vegetation in some areas. Entrance fees for the Park amounted to N$30-00 per person and 

N$10-00 each for the vehicles. 





We made our way back to the M125/C49 along a sandy track and 2 log bridges and from there 

to the Mudumu National Park. 

Entrance fees to Muduma amounted to N$30-00 per person and N$10-00 per vehicle and there 

was quite a bit of traffic on the roads inside the Park with plenty of game-viewing vehicles from 

adjacent lodges. From there we made our way back to the M125/C49 and B8 to the Susuwe 

Triangle Nature reserve. Once again entrance fees amounted to N$30-00 per person and N$10- 

00 per vehicle and we pitched our tents on the banks of the Kwando River at Nambwa 

Community Campsite for N$70-00 per person. The individual campsites are well spaced under 

shade trees and they have spotless ablution facilities. We saw lots of elephant, impala, warthog, 

hippo and birds. 





We awoke to the most incredible birdsong and had to marvel at the huge variety of species of 

birds to be seen here. We went on an early drive through the Park and again saw a lot op 

elephant, hippo, kudu, impala, some buffalo and a solitary sable antelope. 


We returned to the B8 and made our way to Rundu and then down south towards Grootfontein. 

Meat and dairy products may not be transported south along this route and about halfway 

between Rundu and Grootfontein we had to pass through a veterinary control point. The officials 

manning this facility went to the trouble of looking in our fridges. 

We pitched out tents for the night at Die Kraal campsite situated on a farm on the outskirts of 

town and the cost amounted to N$50-00 per person 




After an uneventful night, I discovered a slow puncture in the right rear tyre of our Landy and 

had the tyre repaired in Grootfontein. We continued south along the B8 to Otavi and then the B1 

to Okahandja before we made our way along the M87/D1972 to the hot spring at Gross Barmen. 

The cost of the accommodation amounted to N$50-00 for the campsite, N$20-00 per person, 

N$20-00 per vehicle per day and you have to pay a further N$20-00 per person per day to use 

the inside pool. The water in this pool is “only” 39°C …… 

We had a good meal in the Resort’s restaurant before retiring early that evening. 

Total distance for the day was 434km, all of it on tarred roads, and travelling time was 6 hours. 


We made and early start and headed south on the B1 to Windhoek, where we stocked up on 

some supplies, headed east on the B6, then south again on the M23/C15 to Dordabis and from 

there on the M48/C23 and D1319 to the farm of a friend of ours. 

We went for a drive on the dunes in the afternoon, filled the freezers in our vehicles to capacity 

with succulent Kalahari lamb and watched a beautiful full moon rising over the veld that evening. 





After a not so early start we made our way along the D1033 (alongside the dry Olifants River) 

and M30/C17 towards Keetmanshoop where we camped at the Mesosauris Fossil Camp. A 

guided tour to the fossils of these creatures amounted to N$40 per person and afterwards we 

were free to explore the quiver tree forest. The cost to camp amounted to N$65-00 per person. 


Total distance for the day was 406km, all of it on sand- and gravel roads, and travelling time was 

8½ hours. 


We made an early start and travelled along the D608, D298 and M97/C10 to Ai-Ais. We saw lots 

of kudu along the way and their presence is something to be kept in mind if this route is to be 

driven on at dawn or dusk. 


The cost to camp at Ai-Ais amounted to N$50-00 for the campsite, N$60-00 per person and 

N$10-00 per vehicle per day. We had take-away french fries and cold beer for lunch, spent the 

afternoon lazing in, and around, the pool and enjoyed a delicious meal in the restaurant that 

evening. 




As we had to tackle the long haul home today, we made another early start but were unfortunate 

to again arrive at the border post behind 2 busses and had to stand in a queue to have our 

documentation processed. We crossed the border without any problems and made our way 

south on the N7 to Malmesbury where we turned off to Stellenbosch. 

It was considerably greener on the South African side of the border and we were soon able to 

see the remnants of yet another spectacular flower season. 




CONCLUSION 

Yet another memorable trip with my favourite travelling companion and some good friends. 

We drove a total distance of 9498km in the 30 days, of which 6035km was on tarred roads and 

3463km on gravel roads and -tracks. The average fuel consumption of our Landy was 8.35km/l 

diesel. We took 3316 photos and recorded 9 hours of video footage. 

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adri and johan snyman's namibian and zambian trip diary

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