This past March, I hunted the Gras Ranch and really enjoyed the total experience. After viewing my photos and hearing of my experience there, my wife now wants to go to Namibia.

We are in the process of scheduling a 4 week sight seeing tour of the country starting the beginning of February. My wife is spending alot of time on a website called The Cardboard Box. Is anyone familiar with this outfit?

Also, does anyone have any recommendations of what we should include in out tour or what we should avoid?

Is it safe to drive east along the Caprivi Strip and on to Victoria Falls? Does anyone recommend The Ultimate Lodge as accommodations?

Bobby B.

We used Cardboard box for our after the hunt tour in 07. The web site was invaluble with its information. They booked some things for us and we booked some ourselves.

I would avoid the medium priced lodges near Soussevlie, they are all close to the very dusty main road and do not seem to offer much privacy.

We stayed here while in the Soussevlie area,
http://www.zebrariver.com/

It is 90k from the dunes but offer private tours with incredible personL touch.

Rent a Toyota Condor, not a pickup with a dustproof(not) cap.

You already know your wife will be hooked and you will get to go back again!!

Dulcinea

etosha park is a must see and plan to spend a few days there. some of the best animal viewing is at night by the waterholes. i loved the time i spent there last year and took over a 1000 pictures.

Great call on the Namibia tour. You might want to get in touch with Uwe Trumper at

http://www.airportfarm-namibia.com/

In addition to an excellent PH, Uwe is a tour operator in the off season. He will not steer you wrong.

Cheers!

My wife and I did just that last September but for only 2 weeks. You will have a great time. With 4 weeks you should be able to see a lot. Dulcinea provided me with a good bit of advise. I however did not have much luck with The Cardboard Box. Once they learned that I had already made my rental car arrangements on my own, they did not respond to any more of my booking requests. It is still a very good resource and I used it to plan almost my entire trip and book my own accomodation (cost is the same either way).

I would highly recommend traveling east across the Caprivi Strip into the Caprivi, Bostswama (Chobe National Park) and on to Victoria Falls. We had absolutely no problems and you get a true appreciation once you get into the communal areas. If I had it to do over again, I would arrange for my rental car to be dropped off in Vic Falls and depart from there so that I could spend more time in the Caprivi and along the Zambezi. Although, if I had 4 weeks, I would head back through Botswana and spend some time in the Okavongo Delta.

Another thing I would do over is spend more time in Chobe National Park. I actually enjoyed it a bit more than Etosha.

Shoot me a PM if you have any questions.

George

Hello Jorge,
I found a posting of yours in regards to Namibia travel. My husband and I are planning a trip this coming winter and would like some advice as to where to go and stay etc.
Would you be adverse to contacting me directly?
meboychuk@shaw.ca

Email sent.

My recommendation is to stay one night at the Rostock Ritz on the way to Sossusvlei from Windhoek. The scenery is enchanting. My daughter and I camped there but the small dome shaped individual chalets are more comfortable. At Sossusvlei I recommend the Sossus Dune Lodge. The primary reason is that the best time to view the spectacular dunes is sunrise and sunset. Sossus Dune Lodge is in the park so you can get out there early and come back late, which you cannot do if you are outside of the Park boundaries. Depending on your arrival time at Sossosvlei you may want to spend two nights. You can Google both places for contact and reservation information. For some photos, see my hunt report of July 2009.

That gives you three consecutive nights of your trip. I don't know much about the other areas of Namibia, but these are truly great places.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/9851035311

Great timing as I had been thinking the same thing, but I missed this thread going up.

We had been talking about whether to stay in Namibia the entire trip, and go to the Dunes and to Swakopmund, which puts us there for 3 to 4 weeks . Or whether to try to head over to Kruger after the hunting. But we might then have to come back for the rifles and other gear etc. I hate the back and forth clearing, and sometimes I am not so keen on the in country air travel in some countries.

Any compairison of Etosha to Kruger? I have been up to Kruger before but not my wife or my children. I have not been to Etosha or to Namibia for that matter.

The dunes are a must see. While there hike to the Dead Vlei, only 1 or 2k. Make sure you have a sunshade for your camera. Peice of cardboard works fine.

Swakopmund is a delite, two days there is plenty.

Dulcinea

Eighteen months ago six of us (including my 83 year old mother) spent two weeks driving thru Namibia, the Caprivi, Botswana and onto Vic Falls from the Zambian side. Very easy to do and we felt safe at all times.Due to the issues with insurance of rental vehicles we left our rented VW Combi ( very appropriate vehicle for the job) with the Lodge in the Caprivi and got transfers to Chobe Lodge, private little boat across the river (beats waiting in a queue for the vehicle ferry at Kasane)and onto Livingstone. We did the same for the return and would do this again. Alternatively you can organise insurance and cross over via the bridge at Katima Mulilo ( i think this spelling is not correct). We all agreed this was the most fantastic experience of our lives - even got my Mom into a Chopper for a flight over the falls. Rented the Combi from a VW dealer. Drove 4500 kilometers and total cost without fuel was under $2000. I made all the final choices but used the services of Barbara Huber -Schenck from nuevas-ideas@mweb.com.na for advice, bookings and vital info. Cannot say enough good things about her service.
Happy to provide you with more detail if you want. PM me if you like.

Thank you Dulcinea. We may have to decide between heading toward Swakopmund and Etosha or heading east toward Chobe if we did that. Any input on one versus the other?

Wow Ridgeman that sounds like a great trip. Were you coming from hunting too? I cant see having the rifles. If I did we would have to come back or we could get the PH to supply the rifles. Yes I am interested and will PM you. I am sure there are others that would like to share your story should you post it or maybe it is already. Did you think Chobe was the equal, or more, of Kruger? And did you like the Chobe trip more than Etosha? We would be coming form Windhoek of course. Thanks again.

TexKD, the two options is very differant as you will be in desert versus water rich Chobe. Depending what time of the year you want to do the trip; during the rain season (Feb-April) Etosha is green and lots of water in the pan so animals do not frequent the waterholes, less game viewing. Chobe will be warm and humid but the better option during these months.

Reading some of the posts and questions I would suggest a trip that include the following:
Windhoek - Pick up rental vehicle. Depending on your flight arrival time you might want to stay one night in Windhoek as the drive to Sossusvlei can take up to six hours. Drive the Spreetshoogte pass, the scenery from the escarpment is breathtaking.
Enter Sossusvlei at sunrise the next day, visit the Deadvlei and Sesriem canyon - Sossusvlei x2 nights

A five-hour drive north takes you to Walvisbay and Swakopmund. Visit the Walvisbay Lagoon - a RAMSAR wetlands site. Many activities can be organised from Swakopmund: Scenic flight over Skeleton Coast, Boat cruises, Sandwich Harbour, Quad biking, and Sand boarding in the sand dunes and Desert Tours etc. – Swakopmund x2 nights

Drive north along the Skeleton coast via Uis, visit Twfylefontein rock paintings, Petrified Forest, Organ pipes and Vingerklip. Twyfelfontein Lodge x1 night

Enter Etosha at the Anderson gate, first night Okaukuejo camp, second night Namutoni camp.

Long drive to Caprivi West, Popa falls x2 nights. Game viewing in the Mahango Game Park, river cruises, fishing and water safaris
Three hour drive through the Bwabwata National Park to the Kwando River x 1 night

Drive through Katima Mullilo to Ngoma Bridge where you enter Botswana and the Chobe National Park x2 nights.

The drive to Victoria Falls is about an hour. You will leave Botswana and enter Zimbabwe via Zambia. Vic Falls – fly out from Livingstone Airport

Tip: leave your rifles home, rent from the outfitter especially if you are crossing the border, and pre-arrange with the rental company that you will leave the vehicle in Vic Falls.

quote:

You will leave Botswana and enter Zimbabwe via Zambia.

Why not just cross the border at Kazangula?

Thank you Roger . That is a complete itenerary. While it would be great to see the whole country complete as you have outlined, it is more likely that we will just concnetrate on a couple of areas. We will hunt then more likely travel either to Etosha and on to Swakopmund or just travel to Chobe and see that area and maybe the Vic Falls. We will see Windhoek on arrival for two days and atleast one prior to departure. I am starting to think Chobe is the way to go. Still got some time.