XWORLD AFRICA tour diary Stage 10

Day 1:

We meet in the evening for our first meal together. In the garden of the Riley Hotel, we sit beneath Africa’s starry skies and take a look at the map, discuss the coming days, and look forward to our adventure together.

Day 2:

We have an early start today. Contrary to the original plan, we do not drive directly to Nata but instead take the “long route” through Chobe National Park. We are rewarded with huge herds of elephants along the way. We also spot zebras, giraffes, gnus, and almost always have gravel and sand beneath our tires. We reach today’s destination in the dark. Exhausted by our first day on the road, we eat dinner and enjoy the views over the nearby lit waterhole where elephants splash. After a final drink at the waterhole, we make our way to our safari tents in the dark.

Day 3:

We enjoy a leisurely start to the day. Shortly before our departure, we are once again surprised by a herd of elephants at the waterhole. Today’s routes leads us to the Makgadikgadi Pan. We travel a fair distance alongside the salt pan before actually driving onto it shortly before midday. It has rained in the past few days, which immediately makes this into an adventure. The ground is at times solid, then soft and muddy again ... fortunately we make it to Kubu Island without getting the vehicles stuck. We eat lunch beneath a huge baobab tree, and contemplate what this tree has witnessed during the 1,000 to 2,000 years that it has stood here.

We continue on with renewed strength after lunch to Rakops, past the Orapa diamond mine, and reach our lodge in the late afternoon.

Day 4:

We set off for the Central Kalahari Game Reserve before sunrise,

and enjoy an idyllic breakfast beneath a cluster of trees at the heart of the park. We then go our separate ways for the afternoon. We have arranged a meeting point around 150 km away so that each vehicle is able to explore the park under its own steam. When we meet again five hours later, none of us have spotted any lions but we have all enjoyed a fantastic tour through the park. We continue our journey, and observe a family of giraffes and at least a few traces of lions.

Upon arriving in Ghanzi, we move into our safari tents for the coming two nights, and enjoy a fantastic dinner accompanied by a bottle or two of wine.

Day 5:

After the early start yesterday, we enjoy being able to sleep in today. At around 11 am, we head into town together, refuel the vehicles, and take a look what the town has to offer – not so much ☺.

After lunch, there is still time for a swim and to relax before meeting up again for our bush walk. During the walk, we learn a great deal about the past and present-day history of the San people as well as about the different plants and roots. We are impressed by the knowledge that the indigenous people have acquired over the centuries.

Day 6:

It looks like rain! We drive through the Kalahari Desert and the sky is black, there is thunder and lightning, and the rain drums on the vehicle roofs – what a crazy experience! Luckily, the rain stops at around lunchtime and we are able to enjoy a tasty salad with tomatoes, cheese and onions in the sunshine. After around 350 km of sand and trails, we arrive in Kang. We completely refuel the vehicles before heading directly for our guest house. Once we have unpacked, we regroup at the bar for an unforgettable evening.

Day 7:

550 km of Kalahari Desert lie ahead of us. We set off early, and are glad to be able to cover the first few kilometres quickly on tarmac. The scenery we cross changes rapidly, and we enjoy the journey through Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. We marvel at vast eland antelopes, herds of gnus and oryxes, and “cruise” through Botswana all the way to South Africa. Our lodge is idyllically located beside a waterhole on the South African side of the park. We are once again treated to a fabulous natural display with a stunning sunset and cloud formations. We would like to have done without the rain when we arrived, though.

Day 8:

Today we do not need to drive ourselves, however the day is still filled with activities: bush walk, breakfast, visit to a modern-day San village, lunch, swimming in the pool, safari (again without any lions but with a storm and rain), dinner, night safari, fall into bed exhausted – what an exciting day!

Day 9:

We have not given up on our search for lions! We leave the lodge at sunrise and drive through the southern section of the national park. The morning proves a success even without spotting any lions. We reach the southern end of the park at around 2 p.m. The exit and entry formalities are completed rapidly without any issues, and around 200 km lie ahead of us to Upington that we cover quickly on tarmac. There is even time for a stroll through town before dinner.

Day 10:

We enjoy a leisurely breakfast to views over the Orange River that runs beside our guest house. Today’s destination lies about 200 km away. We reach Witsand Nature Reserve at around midday. After some light refreshments, we meet for a sandboarding session in the dunes a short distance from our accommodation. After a few descents, we have got the hang of sandboarding and are even able to surf down standing up rather than just sliding down on our bottoms. What fun!

We enjoy a sundowner to views over the dunes before returning to the cottage where we are treated to delectable grilled fare.

Day 11:

Today’s destination is Kimberley, South Africa’s former diamond centre. It is an easy drive and we reach Kimberley at around midday. We learn a great many fascinating facts about diamonds and their history in South Africa during a tour of the Big Hole.

In the evening, we dine in a traditional restaurant whose interiors remind of the city’s heyday. The food is fantastic, and the evening entirely different to those before it – though also extremely enjoyable.

Day 12:

Our final day of driving brings us to Johannesburg. We drive the around 550 km to the country’s economic centre. We decide to take a short detour through the Vredefort Dome region before reaching Johannesburg in the afternoon. Because everything is also closed in Johannesburg over Easter, we must already bid farewell to our beloved vehicles today and drop them off at the VW dealer.

We spend the final evening together in a restaurant close to our accommodation, and enjoy the best beef of the entire tour.

Day 13:

Time to say goodbye. We have experienced so much, and are already looking forward to seeing each other again ...