We managed to spot this pride of lions lazing in the midday sun:



Right down the road from the lion pride was a mixed herd of gemsbok and blue wildebeest:





This zebra walked within 50 yards of our Toyota:



This impala was one of many we spotted from the vehicle:

These two jackels were hanging out at the Okaukuejo waterhole, but never actually pursued any prey:



What are African landscape pictures without the iconic lone acacia tree??

Thanks for all the photos and congrats on having a great hunt. I laughed at the John Wayne Gacey comment, but I am a little twisted myself. Etosha is a great park and one that doesn't get a lot of attention, but I thought the game viewing there to be much better than Kruger. I was there in September of 2003.

Congestion at the Etosha Waterhole:



Another type of waterhole. The wife and I eating at Joe's Beer House:



Another picture from Joe's:



I highly recommend the "Double Trouble Burger" at Joe's Beer House. Two huge patties of beef, a really tangy special sauce, a big ole portobello mushroom, topped by a giant prawn. Washed down with a couple of ice cold Tafels, and it doesn't get any better.

If you look closely, you can see at least five species at this waterhole: zebra, springbok, gemsbok, blue wildebeest, and impala:

Moving along with our tour, we spent a half day in Swakopmund touring the desert:



Now THOSE are dunes:



Some local desert flora and fawna:





Looks like the moon:

The desert variety of springbok are about 50% of the size of northern springbok:



Some unique desert plants that look a lot like underwater coral formations:



Some more desert plants:



Swakop River Oasis:

Last but not least, sunset over the Atlantic Ocean in Swakopmund:

Bud, if you're like the rest of us, you'll soon be booking your 2nd trip.

Hey Bud,

Thanks for this terrific report! I appreciate it!

I'm going myself in a year or two.....and enjoy getting all of the info I can right now before I book. I agree with you it's plenty of the little things that can help make a trip memorable. It ain't all about the kill and a dead animal.

Thoroughly enjoy your 'morbid' humor......great funny stuff and quite appropriate.

Take care, and glad you had a world record enviable trip and experience.

Thanks, Chris. While some parties here on AR badmouth my quirky sense of humor, it is what it is. There's lots of good advice on here, especially from people like Frostbit, M3Taco, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Darnell:
Hey Bud,

Thanks for this terrific report! I appreciate it!

I'm going myself in a year or two.....and enjoy getting all of the info I can right now before I book. I agree with you it's plenty of the little things that can help make a trip memorable. It ain't all about the kill and a dead animal.

Thoroughly enjoy your 'morbid' humor......great funny stuff and quite appropriate.

Take care, and glad you had a world record enviable trip and experience.

Nice trip Bud. I also laughed at the JWG comment.

Thanks, Todd. It's good to see someone else has a sense of humor.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
Nice trip Bud. I also laughed at the JWG comment.

Enjoyed your report and thanks for the tourist part too.

Bud,

We're doing a somewhat similar trip in about 2 weeks (good lord! )and loved your 'touristing' photos and descriptions.

I'm leaving Sept. 3 to hunt plains game for 10 days and my spouse-equivalent is arriving the 13th, renting a car and joining me on the 14th (last day of hunt), after which we're going to go to Etosha for 2 nights, Cape Cross for a night, Swakopmund or Walvis Bay for a night, then back to Windhoek for me to leave out on the 20th. She's staying on to tour Windhoek and take a 2-night Sossuvlei tour before coming back.

Any tips or info for some other first-timers you care to share are welcomed. PM me if it's convenient (I don't want to hijack your great thread). Thanks. -WSJ

WSJ:

My tips on Etosha: If you stay on the main dirt road from Okaukuejo to Halali (75km) you'll see a ton of game. We saw the most game at waterholes that are marked on most maps by a blue circle. Some waterholes were dry, however and were on rough narrow dirt roads. Avoid Helio, just outside Halali- bad road, rocks, no water. Take your time near Salvadora- that's where a pride of lions hangs out. When you start seeing LOTS of fresh elephant dung in the road, slow down and look off in the mopane bush-there's probably elephant nearby, but they're easy to miss if they're not moving.I'd discourage you from driving at night in the park, unless you own your own body shop in Namibia. Bring an adaptor for Namibian electrical outlets- it's three cicular prongs in a triangular pattern, about the diameter of golf tees. It's NOT the same as a South African adaptor, which has three rectangular prongs. There are NO adaptors in the park, nor in the closest town, Outjo. On your way into the park, stop at the Bakerie in Outjo, which is Afrikans for Bakery. Buy a half dozen "pig ears" which are flakey pasteries with the tips dipped in chocolate. Also buy a half dozen apricot turnovers- they're the best pasteries I've ever eaten. They're closed on Sundays. Get $N to buy gas- they won't take your credit cards. In Swakopmund,eat at the Brauhouse, which is a German style restaurant right downtown. I ordered the "madam" sized filet mignon, served with home made bernaise sauce, veggies and a salad for $N90, which is less than $12.00 US. Draft Hansa beer is $N15, or less than $2.00 US. There's an open air market in Swakopmund, right off the main drag. You MUST haggle with the local artisans. My rule of thumb was NEVER pay more than 50% of the asking price, and 33% is closer to what you should pay on average. I bought a beautiful carved kudu that was listed at $N300 for $N80, or less than $10.00 US.

quote:

Originally posted by wsj:
Bud,

We're doing a somewhat similar trip in about 2 weeks (good lord! )and loved your 'touristing' photos and descriptions.

I'm leaving Sept. 3 to hunt plains game for 10 days and my spouse-equivalent is arriving the 13th, renting a car and joining me on the 14th (last day of hunt), after which we're going to go to Etosha for 2 nights, Cape Cross for a night, Swakopmund or Walvis Bay for a night, then back to Windhoek for me to leave out on the 20th. She's staying on to tour Windhoek and take a 2-night Sossuvlei tour before coming back.

Any tips or info for some other first-timers you care to share are welcomed. PM me if it's convenient (I don't want to hijack your great thread). Thanks. -WSJ

Bud,

Thanks. And of course Kimberly immediately fixed on the Outjo Bakerie and Swakapmund filets! Me, I'm for the $2 beers!

We'll be staying outsid the park on the southwest side but should maybe consider entering from the east and driving through based on your advice. Still trying to find a vehicle, believe it or not, because she only drives an automatic and will be driving solo from Windhoek to Otjiwarongo. Wanted an SUV but may have to settle for a car unless I can convince her a double cab Tacoma isn't "big."

Where did you stay in Windhoek? Downtown?

Thanks for the advice. -Scott

THE place to stay in Windhoek is the Onganga Lodge. Rates are good (less than $100 US) hunter friendly (vault for storing guns) and is only about 3.5 miles from Joe's Beer House. If you hunt in Namibia and don't eat and drink at Joe's, you've missed the boat. Go early (before 5:30PM) or you'll wait hours without a reservation. The Onganga is about 5 miles east of downtown Windhoek, right off B-6, which is the main drag out to the airport, which is another 30km to the east.

quote:

Originally posted by wsj:
Bud,

Thanks. And of course Kimberly immediately fixed on the Outjo Bakerie and Swakapmund filets! Me, I'm for the $2 beers!

We'll be staying outsid the park on the southwest side but should maybe consider entering from the east and driving through based on your advice. Still trying to find a vehicle, believe it or not, because she only drives an automatic and will be driving solo from Windhoek to Otjiwarongo. Wanted an SUV but may have to settle for a car unless I can convince her a double cab Tacoma isn't "big."

Where did you stay in Windhoek? Downtown?

Thanks for the advice. -Scott

What did you do with your guns while traveling to Etosha, etc? Store them in the hotel vault?

Stored them at Onganga in their walk-in vault- no charge. That's why I recommended it to you in my earlier post.

quote:

Originally posted by wsj:
What did you do with your guns while traveling to Etosha, etc? Store them in the hotel vault?

quote:

Originally posted by wsj:
Bud,

Still trying to find a vehicle, believe it or not, because she only drives an automatic and will be driving solo from Windhoek to Otjiwarongo. Wanted an SUV but may have to settle for a car unless I can convince her a double cab Tacoma isn't "big."

Drove this automatic in 2010 from Windhoek through Etosha down to Swakopmund and then back to Windhoek without an issue. Carry lots and lots of water.




Bud,

You ought to send him the DVD if you are done with it.

Cheers
Jim

Bud, congrats on your hunt, very nice animals with both the male and female gemmy's being exceptional trophies.

Well done... nothing quite like one's first safari! Glad you had a wonderful time and even better that you had the missus along with you. Namibia is beautiful and great game country!

Please don't mind the self-appointed AR police on this site. Most of the guys and gals here are really super folks.

WSJ:

PM me your name and mailing address and I'll forward to you Frostbit's CD that he sent to me before our trip, complete with Etosha and Swakopmund info.

quote:

Originally posted by wsj:
Bud,

Thanks. And of course Kimberly immediately fixed on the Outjo Bakerie and Swakapmund filets! Me, I'm for the $2 beers!

We'll be staying outsid the park on the southwest side but should maybe consider entering from the east and driving through based on your advice. Still trying to find a vehicle, believe it or not, because she only drives an automatic and will be driving solo from Windhoek to Otjiwarongo. Wanted an SUV but may have to settle for a car unless I can convince her a double cab Tacoma isn't "big."

Where did you stay in Windhoek? Downtown?

Thanks for the advice. -Scott

quote:

"and he was deader than John Wayne Gacy's paperboy".

Oh man. Loved that! Freak'en loved that.

quote:

PM me your name and mailing address and I'll forward to you Frostbit's CD that he sent to me before our trip, complete with Etosha and Swakopmund info.

Done!

WSJ:

Heading to the Post Office with Frostbit's video this afternoon

quote:

Originally posted by wsj:

quote:

PM me your name and mailing address and I'll forward to you Frostbit's CD that he sent to me before our trip, complete with Etosha and Swakopmund info.

Done!

quote:

Heading to the Post Office with Frostbit's video this afternoon

Thanks! Can't wait to see it. And thank you too, Frostbit.

-Scott

Did you get the CD OK?? Won't be long before your trip.

quote:

Originally posted by wsj:

quote:

Heading to the Post Office with Frostbit's video this afternoon

Thanks! Can't wait to see it. And thank you too, Frostbit.

-Scott

Arrived yesterday! Return to you, Bud? Or Frostbit? If the latter, please PM me an address. Thanks. -Scott

quote:

Originally posted by wsj:
Arrived yesterday! Return to you, Bud? Or Frostbit? If the latter, please PM me an address. Thanks. -Scott

SCOTT: Please return the CD to Frostbit in Alaska. I couldn't read his return address- it was a carbon copy of a carbon copy, and not decypherable. Hopefully, Jim W. will read this thread and send his address to you in a PM.

quote:

Originally posted by wsj:
Arrived yesterday! Return to you, Bud? Or Frostbit? If the latter, please PM me an address. Thanks. -Scott

No need!! Keep it or toss it. It's only a burned copy from an iMovie file we built.

Hope you liked it. Have a great trip.

Cheers
Jim

Thanks for sharing Bud .

You`ll be back again..don´t worry.

J.

Great report and commentary Interested in going to Namibia as I have heard good things and sounds great especially the beer house. If no one wants it I'll take the CD to plan for a future hunt

Looks a bit nicer (the country and infrastructure) than what I can expect in Mozambique next month...

Gunslinger55: Send a Personal message to WSJ with your name and home address and he can forward the CD on to you.

quote:

Originally posted by gunslinger55:
Great report and commentary Interested in going to Namibia as I have heard good things and sounds great especially the beer house. If no one wants it I'll take the CD to plan for a future hunt

Looks a bit nicer (the country and infrastructure) than what I can expect in Mozambique next month...

gunslinger55:

Guess that answers my question about whether I need to return the cd or just send it on to you - in the mail this weekend! Enjoy.

Bud: After 2 days in and through Etosha I just had to look at your pics again. It's wild to look at them now and actually recognize things! Lots of elephants, and maybe even your same bull, although they were on good behavior for us. And though I started out hunting in thornveld country north of the Waterberg, I did spend 3 days in Damaraland, not far from where you were, for mountain zebra, gemsbok, and kudu.

I'll post a report of my hunts and touring when we get all the pictures sorted out. I arrived home very early Saturday morning and Kimberly's en route to JFK right now. All in all a wonderful vacation, great hunting and spectacular touring, alhtough we really did need a 4WD (we absolutely abused the Chevy Cruze she rented). -Scott

quote:

Originally posted by wsj:
It's wild to look at them now and actually recognize things!

Scott

Felt the same way Scott. Obviously many of the same locations and camera angles on the CD. Hope it got you a little fired up before you went.

Cheers
Jim

Uh-huh (like I needed extra incitement). And I'm still fired up! It's taking a while to de-compress and quit thinking about being there and when and if I can ever go back. -Scott

quote:

Originally posted by wsj:
gunslinger55:

Guess that answers my question about whether I need to return the cd or just send it on to you - in the mail this weekend! Enjoy.

Bud: After 2 days in and through Etosha I just had to look at your pics again. It's wild to look at them now and actually recognize things! Lots of elephants, and maybe even your same bull, although they were on good behavior for us. And though I started out hunting in thornveld country north of the Waterberg, I did spend 3 days in Damaraland, not far from where you were, for mountain zebra, gemsbok, and kudu.

I'll post a report of my hunts and touring when we get all the pictures sorted out. I arrived home very early Saturday morning and Kimberly's en route to JFK right now. All in all a wonderful vacation, great hunting and spectacular touring, alhtough we really did need a 4WD (we absolutely abused the Chevy Cruze she rented). -Scott

SCOTT: Welcome back. I was thinking you should be back by now. Can't wait to see your pics, especially zebra, gemsbok and kudu. It's like Jim W. started a chain letter with his CD- me, then you, then gunslinger. Hope it never ends.

Love the Mini!