A journey through our accommodations so far

One of the most fantastic locations, on the top of a mountain,
Kaokoland, Namibia, 2024.

We spent a lot of time in our rooftop tent on the Land Cruiser,
Here at Nossob 4x4 Eco Trail, South Africa, 2024.

Bagatelle Kalahari Lodge Campsite (no. 1)

Sunset campsite 1, Bagatelle Kalahari Lodge, Namibia, 2024.

Located on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, this campsite offers excellent facilities. There’s a covered area where you can set up your rooftop tent, along with a large covered terrace with a concrete deck, access to an outdoor wash/kitchen area, and a water hose for refilling your vehicle’s water tank (if you have one). The water for showers is heated by solar energy, and there’s both a shower and toilet in a neat little indoor building with a large table for placing your luggage. Everything was very clean, tidy, and well-maintained. Camping guests have free access to the Bagatelle Kalahari Lodge, where they can use the pool, bar, and restaurant. We dined at the restaurant one evening and used the pool – the service was excellent. A kudu even visited us by the pool! You can also sign up for activities like stargazing through a telescope and various drives.

We dined at the restaurant one evening!

We stargazed through a telescope and 
took this picture of the moon.

On the downside, our campsite (and most others) wasn’t very private. Other campers drive by on a road below your site, and you can see the main road leading to and from the lodge. But overall, it’s a lovely place to camp if you’re traveling north or south and need to break up your journey while still enjoying good facilities.

Kalahari Game Lodge Campsite

The last campsite. Namibia, 2024.

We stayed here twice, for a total of 3 nights. On the first two nights, en route to Kgalagadi, we had the last campsite, which was very private and located directly by the dried-up riverbed. On the last night, we stayed at the second-to-last site, which was also excellent. Kalahari Game Lodge Campsite was one of our favorite places, especially due to its incredibly beautiful location by the dried-up riverbed, offering lovely shade from large acacia trees. There’s a large concrete deck under a covered area, and a shower and toilet screened from the deck. There’s lighting powered by solar cells, but no charging facilities. Water is heated by a donkey boiler. While we were there, we tried the excellent 4x4 trail (link report) and dined at the very small restaurant (which must be booked in advance) – simple but great. The lodge had free, decent (but somewhat slow) internet. We’d happily stay here again. The manager was very friendly and accommodating.

Mata Mata Campsite

Sunset Mata Mata Campsite

Extremely clean and well-maintained communal facilities, with the ablution block particularly spotless and well-kept. The shop was surprisingly well-stocked, and you could buy internet access for both Mata Mata and the nearby Kalahari Tented Camp. The internet worked fine for basic tasks but not for streaming. We ordered delicious freshly baked rolls and bread from the shop, which were ready for pickup that evening (highly recommended). The border crossing from Namibia to South Africa was completely smooth, with minimal wait time. The officials were friendly and professional. Overall, Mata Mata was a great experience, and we’d gladly return.

Kalahari Tented Camp

An extraordinary experience and location! It was unique to sit on our own terrace in the middle of the national park, overlooking the dried-up riverbed with wildlife and a magnificent sunset. The manager was extremely helpful. We had a lovely cabin (wilderness camp) with a bathroom and toilet, plus a well-equipped kitchen area with all necessary facilities, including a gas stove and fridge, as well as all kitchen utensils. You bring your own food to cook in the kitchen. There was also a small swimming pool, which we didn’t use this time.

Sunset from our terrasse at Kalahari Tented Camp,
South Africa, 2024.

Nossob 4x4 Eco Trail

Navigating Big Bertha sanddune,
Nossob 4x4 Eco Trail,
South Africa, 2024

An exceptional trip with 3 nights camping in the wilderness at different “campsites” in the open nature of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park. You can read much more about our experience here, where I describe the journey day by day (link report), and here, where I provide more general information about the trip (link info). Highly reccommended experience!

Twee Rivieren Rest Camp Campsite

Spotted hyena with a cub near,
near Twee Rivieren Camp,
South Africa, 2024. 

This was one of the more “boring” places. You immediately get the sense that it’s a transit point for the whole Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park. However, the ablution block was spotless, and we had a decent meal at the simple on-site restaurant. The shop had a smaller selection than Mata Mata, and the service wasn’t quite as friendly as what we experienced at Mata Mata. The same goes for the gas station. The reception staff, where you check in, were very friendly and efficient. Overall, it was an okay experience, but there’s room for improvement in the service department.

Bagatelle Game Ranch

stunning infinity pool with views
 of a large pan and a waterhole,
Namibia, 2024

A very luxurious new place, set apart but connected to Bagatelle Kalahari Lodge. The place feels new everywhere, though maybe not as personal. The rooms, however, are lavish, with all facilities and exceptional quality throughout. We had an amazing meal in the restaurant, overlooking the pool, with very friendly service. There’s a stunning infinity pool with views of a large pan and a waterhole. Bagatelle Game Ranch is a great place near Windhoek for either the first or last stop on a tour around Namibia, just before or after Windhoek.

NamibRand Family Hideout Campsite (Venus)

NamibRand, Namibia, 2024.

Venus Campsite facilities,
NamibRand, Namibia, 2024.

One of the absolute camping highlights of the trip and, in general, one of the highlights of our six trips to Namibia. You can read our travel report with photos here (link report).

Desert Breeze Lodge Villa

The Villa, Desert Breeze, Namibia, 2024.

A fantastic, large 3-bedroom villa with its own fireplace, a spacious living room, and two bathrooms. It also had a large terrace with views of the Swakop River and an outdoor kitchen on the other side of the villa. There was also a private minibar. The staff were incredibly friendly and service-minded, helping with everything – including when our transfer to the catamaran tour didn’t show up. They resolved it with a few phone calls. We highly recommend this place, and the villa is ideal for a large family or 2-3 couples traveling together (though there are "only" two bathrooms).

Blog author, Sandwich Harbour,
Namibia, 2024.

In Swakop, we took a lovely, highly recommended tour to Sandwich Harbour, which you can read all about here (link report), and had an amazing catamaran tour! Sailing in Walvis Bay was surprisingly exciting. 

The Tug from the old pier,
Swakopmund, Namibia, 2024.

We enjoyed a great seafood dinner at the historic The Tug and another wonderful seafood meal at the modern Ocean Cellar. We also had sushi at Andy’s(?) Restaurant. All three were fantastic in their own way. At The Tug, we sat with white tablecloths in the top room with a 360-degree view. As we had mentioned we were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary, we received exceptional service. Ocean Cellar was much more modern in style, with fantastic seafood and a lovely view of the bay, also with excellent service. Swakop is the place for dining out!

Madisa Campsite

Sunset campsite 1, Madisa Camp,
Namibia, 2024.

An incredible location surrounded by impressive rock formations, right by a dry riverbed. We had campsite 1, which felt like the best spot (at least it felt that way to us). There was a massive shade tree where we ate dinner, which we cooked on the braai. The toilet and shower were in a tree tower (for the sake of the elephants), and there was a donkey boiler for hot water. At sunset, we climbed the nearby rocks and enjoyed the sunset over the cliffs, which was a great experience. However, the road from Uis to Madisa was in exceptionally poor condition with massive corrugation – some of the worst we’ve experienced in Namibia to date on our six trips, but that’s another story.

Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail

Wife and friends,
Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail,
Namibia, 2024.

One of the highlights of the entire trip. You can read our travel report here (link report).

Khowarib Lodge Campsite

Campsites were in serious need
of maintenance, Khowarib,
Namibia, 2024.

All in all, a lovely place where we had the Riverside Campsite 7. The campsites themselves were in serious need of maintenance. The walls had partially collapsed, and some campsites had fallen partially into the river. Trash bins weren’t emptied automatically, and the ash from fire pits wasn’t removed. There was litter in the ravine, likely blown down from overflowing trash bins at the campsites, either knocked over by the wind or animals. The ablution block was okay with hot water but not of the highest standard. The pool area was better maintained, and the pool was great in the heat. The "restaurant" at the campsite was surprisingly well-stocked with a very skilled chef and an extremely friendly waiter/receptionist. They were exceptionally accommodating. This made up for many of the other shortcomings at the place. On the other hand, we also ate at the lodge and found the meal quite underwhelming. 

One morning, we took a nice 1-hour walk
up the ravine along the riverbank,
Namibia, 2024.

One morning, we took a 1-hour walk up the ravine along the riverbank. It was a fantastic experience and highly recommended. Be sure to watch your step for snakes and scorpions. We saw a snake skin on the path. On the way back, we followed the car track, which was a quicker return.

Ogongo Hot Springs
was a disappointment, see below.
Namibia, 2024

We also took a trip to the Ogongo Hot Springs, which was a major disappointment. The campsite there wasn’t well-maintained, and the water was filthy, with visible animal droppings. Not very pleasant when swimming. Avoid submerging your head and consider whether it’s worth the trip. The guard at the site wasn’t very welcoming. This was our second visit (the first being in 2009), and it’s clearly deteriorated since then. We won’t be returning.

Puros Bush Lodge Campsite (no. 6)

Last campsite with fantastic location,
Puros, Namibia, 2024.

The kitchen area was a "cave"
under a huge tree, Namibia 2024.

We got the last campsite, which was very secluded and furthest from the lodge. The location was fantastic, with large trees and small sand dunes scattered around. The kitchen area was a "cave" under a huge tree, where you could sit "sheltered", and the same applied to the shower and toilet, which were like two separate caves among the branches. This meant there was free access for critters, but that’s part of the charm and didn’t bother us. You just need to be careful, especially after dark. On the second day (we stayed for two nights), the water supply failed, and it never came back. This was a downside to an otherwise perfect experience but didn’t ruin the overall positive impression.

The roads in Puros didn’t match up well with Tracks4Africa, and there was very deep powder sand in several areas, which you have to pass through in the riverbed. We needed traction control several times and almost got stuck. This is not a place for 2WD!

Etambura Camp

Situated on top of a mountain in the very remote Kaokoland
with views of "sacred mountains", Etambura Camp,
Namibia, 2024.

Location, location, location! Situated on top of a mountain in the very remote Kaokoland with views of "sacred mountains". The communal building was unique, and each small tent cabin had equally breathtaking views. You feel close to heaven – but also very far from civilization. On the approximately 4-hour drive from Puros, we didn’t encounter a single oncoming car (!), but we passed through rocky desert, mountains, and sand areas. At one point near Puros, we were 7 km off the track shown on Tracks4Africa, following an unmarked trail, though it was going in the right direction. Fortunately, we were in two Land Cruisers, fully equipped, including a satellite phone, but there were still some nervous moments!

The drive up to Etambura is quite extreme!
Namibia, 2024.

The drive up to Etambura, perched on an isolated mountaintop, is quite extreme! 4L and traction control with a sheer drop on the right side of the track. In some places, the road was almost completely eroded away on the right side. It didn’t help that the handbrake on our Bushlore Land Cruiser was practically useless, so the plan in case of an unexpected stop was to use the footbrake and put four large stones under the tires. Fortunately, we didn’t need to, though we were generally a bit disappointed with the quality of our Bushlore Land Cruisers, which felt worn out. After a few trips up and down the mountain over the next few days, we gained more confidence (and even made it to 2nd gear!).

Nearby marble quarry, Namibia, 2024.

We took a trip to the nearby marble quarry and walked around. It was a nice little 2-hour excursion, and we also took a very long and extreme round trip to "red drum" and "blue drum". It became the wildest 4WD experience we’ve had to date, which I’ll write about separately.