Breakfast, Kalahari Lion Hunt and Kalahari truffles!

 

"Lion hunting" at Outpost Safari Lodge
Kalahari, Namibia 2026

While staying at Outpost Safari Lodge, we can choose a daily activity — typically a guided walk, a morning game drive or an afternoon drive or the traditional sundowner from a beautiful viewpoint.

This morning we have chosen the morning game drive.

We are going "lion hunting"!

Breakfast at Seven

Breakfast at dining table
Outpost Safari Lodge
Namibia 2026

 Breakfast is served at 07:00 around the enormous dining table.

Our attentive hostess, Elize and her two assistents, have prepared Greek yoghurt with fresh fruit and muesli, followed shortly afterwards by freshly made omelettes filled with delicious spinach and other greens.

A very welcome change after the many substantial breakfasts we have enjoyed at some of the other wonderful places on this trip.

After breakfast, our ranger Thomaz arrives with his assistant, who will accompany us as guide and tracker.

Blogger and wife, heading for morning drive
Outpost Safari Lodge
Namibia 2026

We take our seats high up on the back of the Toyota, while Elize brings a cooler box with cold drinks, should we feel the need for refreshments during the drive.

There are also warm blankets waiting on our seats to protect us from the chilly Kalahari morning.

Nothing has been left to chance.

Following the Lion

We head out into the Kalahari, which is particularly green this year after good rains.

In places we follow tracks in the sand; elsewhere we simply make our own track through the bush.

There are animals everywhere.

Kudu, springbook, eland, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, giraffe and, of course, plenty of oryx.

Our ranger Tomaz shows us sorted ostrich eggs
Outpost Safari Lodge, Namibia 2026

We also pass an ostrich sitting on a nest.

And what a nest!

There are eggs everywhere — enough for some seriously large omelettes. ;-)

The ostrich has apparently sorted the eggs into different groups, sitting on those considered viable while the others have been pushed aside.

It is remarkable that she can apparently keep track of the whole arrangement.

Ostrich runs away, we leave her in peace
Outpost Safari Lodge
Namibia 2026

She gets up and runs away as we suddenly appear "around the corner".

We take a few photographs and then leave her in peace.

We see lion tracks
Outpost Safari Lodge
Namibia 2026

A little later, Thomaz spots lion tracks in the sand along the fence bordering Botswana.

This is what we have been looking for.

He suggests that we get down from the elevated back of the vehicle and sit inside the Land Cruiser, as we are now following fresh tracks and could encounter the young male lion at any moment.

That sounds perfectly sensible to us.

We have experienced lions right outside our tent in 2012 in Central Kalahari Game Reserve with our children in a roof top tent — a rather terrifying experience (link). Read the scary story! I also had the same experience with my son in 2015, but at a slightly safer distance (link). 

Along the Botswana Border

We drive slowly along the fence
Outpost Safari Lodge
Namibia 2026

We drive slowly along the fence while Thomaz leans out of the window, carefully following the tracks.

Eventually, we reach a hole underneath the fence leading towards Botswana.

According to Thomaz, this is where the lion has crossed through.

He believes the lion is still somewhere inside the area, but despite searching carefully, we cannot find him.

So we climb back, now onto the elevated seats again and continue our drive.

For the next couple of hours we travel through the beautiful Kalahari landscape, constantly encountering large groups of animals.

Giraffes running away 
Outlook Safari Lodge
Namibia 2026

What an extraordinary abundance of life.

Eventually we reach the place where the lion killed the zebra.

There are tracks everywhere.

But no lion.

He has clearly moved on.

Back to Our Little Oasis

Our little oasis
Outpost Safari Lodge
Namibia 2026

After three hours in the bush, we return to our little oasis at Outpost Safari Lodge.

Elize is waiting for us in the sun lounge with a freshly baked apple pie.

It is difficult to imagine a better welcome after a morning in the bush.

Then it is time to relax beside the plunge pool.

Wife relaxing in (cool) plunge pool
Outpost Safari Lodge
Namibia 2026

What a life.

We feel extremely fortunate to be able to experience this.

Later that day, Elize tells us that Thomaz has returned to the site where the lion killed the zebra. He followed the tracks all the way through the bush to the same hole in the fence that we discovered — and closed — earlier that morning.

According to Thomaz, the lion is now back outside the property.

Good for us.

But probably good for the lion as well.

It is clearly dangerous to be an uninvited lion killing animals inside a private wildlife area — particularly one where hunting also takes place.

A Kalahari Delicacy

!nabas, Kalahari truffles
Photo Benutzer Chtrede, wiki (link)
Outpost Safari Lodge, Namibia 2026

And then there is lunch.

We are served warm, breaded pork with fried potatoes and a very special local delicacy: freshly harvested Kalahari truffles, known locally by their Nama name: !nabas.

These unusual desert fungi appear in the Kalahari after good rains and are a highly prized seasonal food. Unlike European truffles, they grow underground in the sandy soil and have a more subtle, earthy, nutty-mushroom flavour.

We have never tried them before.

Freshly dug from the Kalahari and now served with our lunch, they are a rather extraordinary addition to the meal.

What a privilege.

We enjoy every bite.

Okonjima Nature Reserve – The Jurassic Park experience

Okonjima Nature Reserve
Main building
Namibia 2026

After wonderful days at Ai Aiba Lodge in the Erongo Mountains, our final destination before returning to Windhoek is the Okonjima Nature Reserve, where we will spend our last two nights at the beautiful Okonjima Plains Camp.

Internationally recognised for its conservation work, Okonjima is particularly well known for its long association with the AfriCat Foundation and its research into Namibia’s large carnivores, especially leopards and brown hyenas. The focus here is very much on conservation, research and understanding these elusive predators in their natural environment.

We have visited Okonjima once before, and our memories from that stay are still very vivid. If you would like to read about our previous visit, you can find it here (link).

Jurassic Park – with a touch of Alien

Our leopard
Okonjima Nature Reserve
Namibia 2026

Last time we were here, we felt a little like we had entered Jurassic Park. We were surrounded by fences designed to keep the large predators inside — and, as we all remember, fences in Jurassic Park did not exactly prove foolproof! ;-)

During that visit, we went out to track leopards. Our guide sat at the front of the safari vehicle with an antenna, tracking a collared leopard somewhere out in the bush.

Beep … beep … beep.

The signal became stronger and stronger as we got closer to the leopard.

For some reason, that sound immediately reminded me of Sigourney Weaver and Alien from 1979. Surely I cannot be the only one old enough to remember that movie?

This time, we are once again looking forward to joining one of Okonjima’s guided leopard-tracking excursions. After several weeks of travelling through deserts, mountains, canyons and along the Atlantic coast, Okonjima feels like the perfect place to slow the pace one final time.

It is also a great opportunity for my brother and sister-in-law, who have joined us on this journey, to see some of Namibia’s wildlife that we have not encountered elsewhere on this trip.

A very comfortable final stop

We check in at the large reception at Plains Camp after the long drive through the reserve, passing no fewer than three gates, two of them manned.

We are allocated Classic Rooms C9 and C10, surrounded by peaceful bushveld, abundant wildlife and the warm colours of the African afternoon.

I remember the Classic Rooms very well from our previous visit. They were enormous, tastefully decorated and in immaculate condition. Somehow, the owners have managed to make them even more inviting this time.

Our room
Okonjima Nature Reserve
Namibia 2026

The rooms are absolutely spotless, with attractive African art and decorative details carefully placed throughout. And, for those who appreciate being connected to the outside world, there is now Wi-Fi in the rooms as well.

Even the drinks we ordered at check-in are waiting for us in the fridge when we arrive.

On our first afternoon, we decide not to rush off on an excursion. Instead, we simply relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings and the peaceful atmosphere of the camp.

Our leopard-tracking excursion is already booked for the following afternoon.

We are looking forward to it.

Our private terrasse
Okonjima Nature Reserve
Namibia 2026

The leopard hunt

The next afternoon, we head out for our leopard-tracking experience.

We drive through the large gate into the reserve, surrounded by what appears to be a substantial electrified fence designed to keep the reserve’s large predators from wandering onto the surrounding farmland.

We are seated in rows of high seats on the back of a large open Toyota Land Cruiser — almost like a rolling outdoor buffet

Our vehicle has been assigned a particular leopard to track: an approximately six-year-old female, born in Okonjima.'

Guide Zwane tracking leopards
Okonjima, Namibia 2026

At first, there is no signal.

Then our guide Zwane suddenly picks something up.

Beep.

We drive on.

Beep … beep.

The signal gradually becomes stronger as we approach a waterhole.

But then things become confusing. The signal seems to be coming from somewhere nearby, yet we cannot see the leopard. We drive around the area, scanning the bush, before turning into a dry riverbed and eventually climbing back onto the earth bank beside the waterhole.

We stop.

The signal is now very strong.

The leopard must be close.

Very close.

I stand up on the highest rear seat to get a better view over the vegetation.

And suddenly I see her.

She is lying perhaps five metres below us, deep in the shade beneath the bank.

And she is looking directly at me.

For a moment, we simply stare at each other.

It is not exactly an ideal position for the vehicle, so our guide carefully drives around and down along the slope. We continue through the dense bush towards the leopard, ducking as thorn branches sweep across the vehicle.

Eventually, we reach her.

And she could not care less.

Which, from our perspective, is rather perfect.

Leopard looking directly at me
Okonjima 2026

She lies there completely relaxed, occasionally yawning. 

Heading for the waterhole

After a while, she gets up, walks up the bank and heads down towards the waterhole.

She stops to drink
Okonjima 2026

She stops to drink.

We follow slowly and take photograph after photograph.

Watching a leopard from only a few metres away is an extraordinary experience. She is completely at ease, apparently regarding us as little more than an occasional curiosity in her afternoon.

 

Sister-in-law and leopard
Okonjima, Namibia 2026

A stalk in the bush

From the waterhole, the leopard continues along the bottom of a small, dry riverbed.

Then she spots something.

A steenbok.

Steenbok not aware of danger
Okonjima, Namibia 2026

Instantly, her behaviour changes.

She lowers herself and begins to stalk.

We are only a few metres away, watching this beautiful predator move almost silently through the dry vegetation.

For a few moments, it feels as though we are watching a scene from a wildlife documentary — except that we are sitting right there in the middle of it.

The steenbok eventually manages to escape.

And so do we!

We were probably never in any real danger, but being so close to a leopard in the wild is nevertheless a very special experience.

There is something quite different about seeing a leopard from a distance through binoculars and having one lying just a few metres away, looking directly at you.

Close encounter
Okonjima, Namibia 2026

Sundowners above the reserve

By now, it is time to head towards our sundowner location.

We climb to the top of a hill overlooking the reserve, where we have a magnificent panoramic view across the surrounding landscape.

Sister-in-law, brother and wife enjoying sunset
Okonjima, Namibia 2026

The sun begins to sink towards the horizon, bathing the bushveld in warm golden light.

We enjoy the sunset in the company of a German family who are also staying at Okonjima.

Another beautiful African evening.

Kudu´s at sunset
Okonjima, Namibia 2026

As darkness gradually settles over the reserve, we make our way back towards camp. There are several more wildlife sightings along the way, including some magnificent kudu standing quietly in the fading light.

It is a wonderful end to our final full day at Okonjima.

A perfect finale

Okonjima has turned out to be everything we could have hoped for as the final stop on this part of our journey.

A beautifully situated and exceptionally comfortable Classic Room, a lovely restaurant, attentive and friendly staff — and, above all, a memorable encounter with one of Africa’s most beautiful and elusive predators.

Okonjima main building
Namibia 2026

Classic Room with a view
Okonjima, Namibia 2026

The leopard experience alone would have made the stay worthwhile.

The following morning, it is time to leave.

As we drive out of the reserve, my wife suddenly spots something out of the corner of her eye on the right-hand side.

A brown hyena!

How lucky can we be?

We slow down and watch as the hyena quietly disappears into the bush.

One last wildlife surprise before leaving Okonjima.

And then we are on our way to Windhoek.

Back to Olive Grove

Stellenbosch Wine Bar for last dinner
Windhoek, Namibia 2026

Arriving back in Windhoek feels almost like coming home.

We are delighted to return to Olive Grove Guesthouse, which has proved to be the perfect base in the city. It is peacefully and securely situated in beautiful green surroundings, with a courtyard, plunge pool, a cosy little restaurant and secure parking.

But above all, it is the warm and attentive staff who make the place special.

We have enjoyed our stay here so much that we already know this will become our regular base for future trips to Namibia.

That evening, we celebrate our final night together at the lovely Stellenbosch Wine Bar, enjoying dinner in their atmospheric courtyard.

Sitting there, we reflect on what an extraordinary journey we have had with my brother and sister-in-law.

It was rather brave of them simply to join us on a trip that we had planned ourselves — a journey involving long drives, remote places, deserts, mountains, 4WD tracks, early mornings, wildlife adventures and more than a few unexpected experiences.

But they embraced it all.

And we have all enjoyed the adventure enormously.

The following day, my brother and sister-in-law head home, while my wife and I continue our journey.

We have another three weeks of adventure planned in southeastern Namibia and northwestern South Africa.

And that is where the next chapters of our African journey begin.

You can read about those adventures in the following blog posts.

Stellenbosch Wine Bar Garden
Namibia 2026

Back to the Kalahari Desert

Back to the Kalahari – Sharing Our Favourite African Destination

Our Dune Chalet and view Kalahari Desert
Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch
Namibia 2026

It is wonderful to finally share our favourite part of Africa with my brother and sister-in-law. After years of talking about Namibia's vast landscapes, extraordinary wildlife and endless open spaces, they are now about to experience it for themselves.

From Windhoek we head south into the Kalahari Desert, where we will spend two nights in one of the spectacular Dune Chalets at Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch, perched high on top of the red sand dunes.

Rather than following the obvious route south along the B1, we choose the quieter and far more scenic C23 through the countryside. The road winds its way across Nauaspoort Pass, past the tiny historic German fort at Klein Neuas, before continuing via the C21 and D1268 to Bagatelle.

One thing immediately catches our attention. Compared with our previous visits, Namibia seems cleaner than ever. On previous visits, it was not uncommon to see discarded plastic bottles, cans and other rubbish along some of the roads. Today, it is surprisingly rare. Considerable effort has clearly gone into protecting the country's natural environment, and it shows. Few African countries can match Namibia's combination of well-maintained roads and pristine landscapes.

Sunset over Kalahari Desert
Bagatelle Kalahari Guest Farm
Namibia 2026

Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch, Dune Chalets

Our arrival at Bagatelle sets the tone perfectly. The reception staff greet us with warm, moist towels to refresh our hands and faces, followed by a generous glass of sparkling wine—alcoholic or non-alcoholic, according to preference. After a short tour of the beautifully designed main lodge, we are shown to our two Dune Chalets, each standing on its own private sand dune with uninterrupted views across the Kalahari.

Unlike the dramatic sand seas of the Namib Desert, the Kalahari is a semi-arid sandy savanna. Its characteristic deep red dunes are stabilised by grasses and scattered acacia trees rather than constantly shifting with the wind. The result is a surprisingly green and surprisingly rich ecosystem, supporting an abundance of wildlife despite the dry climate.

We first stayed in these Dune Chalets with our children back in 2009, and although they were already memorable, the accommodation has been upgraded considerably since then. The spacious chalets now stand elegantly on stilts above the sand, each with a large private terrace overlooking the desert.

Inside, a charming claw-foot bathtub faces the panoramic windows. Naturally, it has to be tested. There are certainly worse places in the world to enjoy a hot bath than overlooking the endless red dunes of the Kalahari. A comfortable king-size bed with mosquito nets completes the room, although at this time of year there are virtually no mosquitoes to worry about.

Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch
Namibia 2026

Wife relaxing Dune Chalet
Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch
Namibia 2026

Blogger relaxing Dune Chalet

'Night Drive, elusive nocturnal species remain elusive this evening

As darkness falls, we gather around the fire outside the main lodge before enjoying an excellent three-course dinner. Afterwards it is time for one of Bagatelle's popular night drives.

The ranch advertises opportunities to encounter springbok, eland, kudu, giraffe, ostrich, numerous antelope species, meerkats, aardwolves, African wildcats and other nocturnal wildlife.

We climb aboard an open Toyota Land Cruiser and head into the darkness. There is something very special about experiencing the Kalahari at night. The air becomes cooler, unfamiliar scents drift across the dunes and, although the moon is almost full, it has not yet risen above the horizon. We scan the surrounding bush with powerful spotlights, discovering springbok, gemsbok and ostriches in a completely different setting from daylight.

The more elusive nocturnal species remain elusive this evening. No aardwolves, African wildcats or owls for us. Even so, driving silently through the desert beneath a sky filled with stars is an experience that hardly needs rare animals to make it worthwhile.

Night Drive at Bagatelle
Namibia 2026

The following day is intentionally unhurried.

After a generous breakfast buffet—enthusiastically shared with a number of opportunistic birds—we simply enjoy the peaceful surroundings before joining the afternoon activities: a cheetah feeding experience, a nature drive and, of course, a classic Namibian sundowner from the top of one of the red dunes as the sun slowly disappears beyond the horizon.

The nature drive offers several more wildlife sightings, including blue wildebeest and a few particularly rare species that we deliberately choose not to mention here. In an age where information spreads instantly, discretion remains one small way of protecting vulnerable wildlife from those with less honourable intentions.

The cheetah feeding experience feels slightly artificial, as these encounters inevitably do. However, Bagatelle's conservation programme deserves recognition. The resident cheetahs have been rescued from commercial farmland, where they would otherwise most likely have been shot to protect livestock. Here they have relatively large enclosures and professional care. Seeing these magnificent cats up close is impressive, even for us after many previous African safaris. They are noticeably larger and more powerful than many people expect.

As the sun begins to set, we climb one final dune with drinks in hand. Few things symbolise Namibia better than watching the last golden light illuminate the red Kalahari sands while the temperature slowly drops and silence settles across the landscape.

Nature Drive
Kalahari Bagatelle Game Ranch
Namibia 2026

Cheeta feeding
Kalahari Bagatelle Game Ranch
Namibia 2026

Bagatelle, a beautiful desert game reserve

Bagatelle remains one of our favourite places to begin or end a Namibian journey. The location is beautiful, the facilities have been thoughtfully modernised and the level of service is exceptional throughout our stay. The staff deserve particular praise. Friendly, attentive and genuinely welcoming, they elevate an already excellent lodge into something rather special.

If this is your first safari in Africa, Bagatelle offers an excellent introduction to many iconic African species in a spectacular setting. Experienced safari travellers should not expect wildlife densities comparable to Etosha National Park or the great reserves further north. Instead, think of Bagatelle as a beautiful desert game reserve where outstanding hospitality, stunning scenery and relaxed luxury take centre stage. For us, it remains one of those places we are always happy to return to.

Restaurant at Bagatelle
Kalahari Desert
Namibia 2026

Sundowner at Bagatelle
Kalahari Desert
Namibia 2026

Dune Chalet at Bagatelle
Kalahari
Namibia 2026

Relaxing safari days near Etosha National park

In Mountain Lodge bordering Etosha National Park

Mountain Lodge, Etosha

After a very long 9 hours’ drive in our hopeless rental car (se previous post) with alarms flashing all the time on the corrugated gravel roads, we finally reach Mountain Lodge, looking forward to 3 nights with full board and all activities included. It´s in the middle of nowhere with few signposts. Therefore, we are very happy to see, that there is actually a lodge after the long drive. We are also very grateful for our never failing Tracks4Africa app. If we are lost – at least we know where ;-)   

Mountain Lodge, border

We are meet by the staff and kind manager who had upgraded us to a “villa with own plunge pool” on the mountainside (!) What a treat and wonderful surprise after the long drive. 

Mountain Lodge, private plunge pool room 1

The lodge itself is typical safari style. A old fashioned, or traditional, safari lodge with dark wooden panels, heavy wooden furniture’s, brass, and large mirrors. Surrounded by an enormous balcony overlooking the area. It´s nicely situated on the mountainside (surprise given the name ;-) overlooking a small nearby, and distant bigger, waterhole. The food is what I would call “solid and plentiful”. The biggest asset is the staff. They are absolutely amazing and genuine friendly. It’s not a “posh lodge” like e.g. Ongava Lodge, we stayed in last time (link), but more relaxed/friendly style.

Mountain Lodge, enormous balcony

Mountain Lodge, Room 1, balcony

On arrival, we had to decide on activities. Options were morning and afternoon game drives, walking safari and night drive. We decided to skip walking and night drive and only go for the morning and sunset game drives (one of the next places we visit, we have to walk in the bush for 3 days).  

Safari drive at Mountain Lodge

Our guide throughout the whole trip “Mansy” was fantastic, and for the first two drives, we were joined by a nice couple from Scotland. The landscape in itself was not very variated, but we enjoyed driving slowly around in the bush with many breaks looking for animals. Also, we enjoyed the nice “pit stops” watching the sun go down.

Sunset Mountain Lodge

The sightings were very spectacular!

See the lion?

Zebras sunset, Mountain Lodge

Elephants, Mountain Lodge

White rhino, mother and child