Namibia Travel Journal
Caprivi - 1st leg of our Namibia Adventure

Sylvia Ferguson, Sedgefield, South Africa
www.discover-sedgefield-south-africa.com

More journal entries by Sylvia:
Ngepi to Etosha – 2nd leg of our Namibia Adventure | Etosha to Waterberg Plateau – 3rd leg of our Namibia Adventure | Waterberg to Epupa - 4th leg of our Namibia Adventure | A delightful Day on Knysna Lagoon (South Africa's Garden Route)

Editorial Note: Caprivi, also called the Caprivi Strip, is a narrow panhandle of Namibia stretching eastward about 450 Km (280 miles). Namibia has much to offer the adventurer, including wildlife, 4x4 trails, quadbiking, balloon flights over the Sossusvlei dunes and exploring the Skeleton Coast.

Caprivi – first leg of our Namibia Adventure
Sylvia Ferguson, Sedgefield, South Africa

Our Namibian adventure has begun! Our first destination is the narrow Caprivi strip which shares borders with Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana and where the 4 big rivers, the Zambezi, Chobe, Kwando, and Kavango define the character of the region! It comprises vast floodplains, riverine, mixed (teak, combretum, burkea, terminalia, acacia), mopane and savannah woodland, grasslands and acacia thickets.

Our Travel Preparations and Departure

We leave a misty rain-wet Sedgefield after weeks of arduous preparations, and cleaning and packing and unpacking and advice seeking and list making – so we really have done our level best to get this camping trip right! We are travelling alone into remote areas and need to be self-sufficient and ready for all possibilities. We have 2 complete spare wheels and 2 jerry cans for petrol. There are tools and spares for the vehicle, camping equipment and fridge, minimal clothing, basic non-perishable foodstuff, camera, binoculars, reference books, etc. Our Suzuki 4x4 is stuffed to the roof with a Thule box on top and packing it methodically is a work of art. Our staffie, Duke has just a tiny square to lie on but he’s so happy just to be going in the car, he’s in there at every opportunity, even though his space keeps getting smaller!

Our itinerary is fine tuned so that we don’t travel too far in one day because its winter and the days are short. For the most part we are spending 3-4 days at campsites so we don’t use up our days breaking and setting up camp. I have researched and pre-booked everything via the internet (what a great tool!). We are staying mostly at campsites of private lodges because then we have access to the lodge facilities and they are also the best value for money.  It promises to be a great experience and we relish missing our wet winter by escaping to tropical Caprivi and the West Coast Desert.

Duke is dropped off in Pretoria for a 2 month sojourn with my sister, Elizabeth where his rank will automatically be down graded from No 1 to No 5 as she has 2 corgis and 2 cats. After some last minute modifications we travel northwards and cross into Botswana without incident. Our first night at Palapye we nearly freeze as the air in our blow-up mattress becomes a block of ice under us.  Next day we buy a second duvet at Game in Francistown but fortunately it is never as cold as that again.

Camping in Botswana

Read More - Back to Caprivi Adventure Touring | Top of Page

Read about our other adventure travels in Namibia:
Ngepi to Etosha – 2nd leg of our Namibia Adventure
Etosha to Waterberg Plateau – 3rd leg of our Namibia Adventure

I live on South Africa's Garden Route and am always delighted to hear from visitors. You're welcome to visit my website if you would like to ask a question or learn more about the region.

___________________

Sylvia Ferguson
Sedgefield, South Africa 

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