May 7, 2017 Comments (0) Extreme Tours- Experienced riders only, Kaokoland-Namibia, Namibia - Kaokoland, Uncategorized

NORTHER NAMIBIA / KAOKOLAND April 2017 – Trip report

Tour profile:

Northern Namibia / Kaokoland, the remote region in the north west of Namibia is most likely the last unspoiled gem in Africa. Our adventure begins in Windhoek, the capital and only city of this vast country with a population of a little over two million people. The opening two days we head north to the Angolan border along the Kunene River, through the Outjo region and alongside the Etosha Game Reserve. From Kunene River Lodge we follow the river trail before turning south, traversing the infamous van Zyl’s Mountain Pass to the open plains of the Marienflus and rejoining the Kunene at Camp Syncro. We bid the huge fresh water crocodiles of the Kunene farewell and turn south to the Orupmbe plains and into the vast network of riverbeds and canyons of the Hoanib and Hoarib Rivers to Puros , Sesfontein and Palmwag. Here we get to ride amongst vast herds of free ranging game like springbok, kudu, oryx, giraffe and of course the famous desert elephants. The tour continues south to twyfelfontein into the rocky canyons of Damaraland and the mountains of Brandberg before we set our GPS to the west and meet the skeleton coast at Henties Bay on route to Swakopmund. Another tour highlight is a blast up the face of magnificent Dune 7 at Walvis Bay before our final day back over rolling hills to Windhoek. Along the way we’ll meet the local people of the region, including the nomadic Himba people famed for the women covering their bodies in a mud paste and their unique hair braids.

April 13-23 Namibia/ Kaokoland Tour report.

Well all of the above as well as unseasonal late summer rain that meant flooded rivers and a few last minute route changes as well as getting both bikes and on one occasion the support vehicle well and truly stuck in the muddy rivers. An awesome group of guests from Germany and Norway mucked in and the conditions added to the experience and a tour of a lifetime. Although the antelope were abundant and obviously well fed the availability of water meant the elephants had no reason to come down from the remote higher regions and we sadly missed them. The riding in Kaokoland is often tough in the thick sandy riverbeds but the high water levels meant easier going firm tracks for this group, something not likely to happen again in the near future.