After the exciting animal adventures in Etosha National Park, we were looking forward to some relaxation and especially hippos up close at the Kwando River! The drive from Etosha through the Caprivi Strip is quite long. Therefore, after a grocery shopping in Tsumeb, we recommend a 1-night stopover at our favorite campsite called Roy’s Camp. It is perfectly located at the intersection of the two roads that lead one way or the other into the Caprivi.
After a quiet night we made the many kilometers on the B8 behind us. Arrived in Kongola, a super friendly and well prepared campsite manager Roxy awaited us. The Bush Camp by Camp Kwando is a brand new built campsite and belongs to Camp Kwando. After a short briefing on the possibilities, we pitched our tent on site 4. A wonderful lush tropical paradise directly at the river course!
In the coming days we should be able to experience many hippos very closely at the Kwando River. Even directly at our campsite they passed by at night. Not without pointing out to us with a loud snort that the place and the grass around it is reserved for them at night!
Hippos up close at the Kwando River
Hippos are among the largest land-dwelling animals. According to a widespread opinion, the hippo is one of the most dangerous animals for humans. This is certainly due to the fact that hippos spend most of their time in the water during the day, can dive for a long time and often appear completely unexpectedly.
The best way to experience the hippos is on a boat trip across the Kwando River. Here it is advisable to have an experienced helmsman who can interpret the water and the behavior of the hippos well. We were lucky enough to go on a sunset boat trip with the owners of Camp Kwando, Anke and Michiel. The two are quite familiar with the hippos around their campsite and lodge. Especially Otto and Anna, who have settled around the Bush Camp. These two should also keep us distant company every evening!
Kwando River Fishing
A nice option of relaxation is fishing. The waters are especially good for fishing tiger tetra. Either you go on a boat tour and let yourself be driven to the best current places. Alternatively, you can hold the rod directly from the campsite into the water and hope for your luck. This year the peculiarity was that the water level was very high due to the extremely good rainy season. New watercourses and currents had formed everywhere. A magnificent sight!
While Martin challenged his fishing luck, I made myself comfortable with my book in our hammock. The desired relaxation as well as the hippos very close at the Kwando River we should get in full extent. We liked it so much that we spontaneously added an extra night. Well strengthened, we were able to start the next stage of the honeymoon.
After the wedding traditionally follows a honeymoon. The destination was clear – Namibia! But how to plan a honeymoon as a self-drive camping safari in the current time? How do family and friends react to such a plan? How unproblematic is a trip to Namibia in times of COVID-19?
Curious?…
There are always two parts to traveling. The journey to the destination and the journey itself. With Namibia as a destination, the destination country is first considered safe. However, a flight is inevitable. This brings us to the point where many currently have reservations.
But what is flying really like in…
Almost every Namibia trip starts in Windhoek. So did the big safari honeymoon. However, in addition to the usual things that every other traveler experiences, there were a few more items on our itinerary. In sum, enough to spend a complete week in Windhoek. What exactly – you can read…
After spending our first week completely in Windhoek, it was time to go on the actual trip. According to our plan, the route should first go south. After a drive of about 3 hours on the well paved B1 we reached the Bagatelle Kalahari Desert Ranch near Mariental. Our first…
After a very nice start in the Kalahari, our route takes us further south. Near Keetmanshoop the next special features of southern Namibia are waiting for us. quiver trees, dolorite formations, as well as mesosaurus fossils unknown to us so far. In short, fascinating landscapes with exciting details awaited us…
With all the beautiful experiences of the past days in our hearts, we continue south to the region of the Fish River Canyon. Here the way leads through a stony lunar landscape, in which one can see continuously new rock formations. Our hope was to find the canyon still filled…
In the next part of our honeymoon, we traveled further west towards Lüderitz and its surroundings. In this area, the traces of the German colonial period can still be seen in many places. Here our starting point should be the Klein Aus Vista Lodge, which is located a good 100km…
As the saying goes, if someone goes on a trip, then he can tell a story. Such a tale we will also have in the future from our honeymoon. On the last morning in Klein Aus Vista, Martin lost his crown from his tooth during breakfast. The weekend is coming…
After a long period of drought, Namibia was blessed with a very good rainy season in 2021. Until now, we were lucky to find water even 3 months after the heaviest rains. Therefore, we cherished the hope to also experience water in the Namib. We should not be disappointed -…
The next destination was Swakopmund and its surroundings. On the one hand, after the heat of the Namib, it was time for a little cooling down at the sea. On the other hand, it was an opportunity to meet the founders of the Dusty family and especially Carlien, the youngest…
Following our time with the Dusty Family, our next destination was refreshment at Ongongo Waterfall. We discovered this wonderful place very close to Warmquelle a few years ago for ourselves. And so it was clear that the honeymoon had to include a few days of leisure including refreshment at Warmquelle…
The Etosha National Park is certainly a highlight for every Namibia trip. Since we have taken 2 months for our honeymoon, there should also be an extensive stop in Etosha National Park this time. We reserved a whole week for the wild adventures in Etosha! So much time in the…
After the exciting animal adventures in Etosha National Park, we were looking forward to some relaxation and especially hippos up close at the Kwando River! Arriving in Kongola, a super friendly and well prepared campsite manager Roxy was waiting for us. The Bush Camp by Camp Kwando is a brand…
The watercourses around the Caprivi offer a lot of leisure to relax. So we made our way from the Kwando River to the Okavango River, where many lizards and gray giants awaited us in the water. The Mahangu Safari Lodge is already very familiar to us from various other safaris…
After relaxation and water, it was now about experiencing traditions and pure nature. To do this, we first had to drive back the entire Caprivi. Due to the extreme rainfalls, crossing the Khaudum National Park with only one car would have been too risky. Our destination was the Elephant Song…
As we near the end of our honeymoon, it’s time to take a closer look at African wildlife and restore some hope to abused or injured wild animals. We are talking about the Harnas Wildlife Foundation, also known from television as the orphanage for wild animals. This organization, which has…
For the last stop of our honeymoon we chose Duesternbrook, the first guest farm in Namibia. It is located just outside of Windhoek and thus offers total peace and pure nature. Just the right place to slowly get used to civilization again after a few days or even weeks in…
