Windhoek
It was great to be back in Namibia for 2 weeks. Most of my previous visits here had been during the dry winter season (May-October). Now summer is the wet season, when storms generally occur in the afternoons. On this trip, after some good rain, I got the chance to see a very different Namibia. I did not know it could be so green, with large areas just covered with wild flowers! In Etosha I could hardly recognise the Okaukuejo waterhole. It was like a pond in the middle of a grass field, with not one single animal around...
Even if this time of the year is very scenic, and there is less dust, I still think winter is a better time to visit, especially for the game viewing but also for some easier travelling. A number of times on this year’s trip there was too much water in the rivers to get across, along some of the gravel roads. One day I got seriously stuck in the middle of Omaruru River...
The locations that I visited are: Sesriem/Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Spitzkoppe, Brandberg, Twyfelfontein and Okaukuejo Camp in Etosha Game Reserve.
I started writing this blog while in Namibia. I am posting some pictures now and will try to complete the narrative later on.
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That's it, after a 11 hour flight from Perth, a night couch surfing at a friend’s place in Johannesburg, and a 1.5 hour flight to Windhoek, I am finally back in Namibia, this time for a holiday..., so no need to go to the back office at the airport immigration to have a business visa endorsed on my passport as I've had to do so many times in the past, when I would come to visit clients in this country.
The car rental company person was waiting for me at Windhoek International and took me for the 40km drive to town to pick up the vehicle. After this long trip and still suffering from jet lag, I decided rather than to hit the road immediately, I should stay for the night in the capital. Too tired even to go to Joe's Beer this evening, hopefully I can go to this Namibian institution restaurant before my return trip.
So I went to do some shopping at Pick & Pay, 30 litres of mineral water and a survival stock of food to take with me in case I get stuck in the middle of nowhere and there is no one around to come to my rescue...
On previous trips I used to go to the Safari Court Hotel next to Eros airport and close to the city center. It is a good place where to stay especially if you are booked on a domestic flight. This time I decided to try the Safari Hotel. These 2 hotels are right next to one another. The Safari Hotel doesn't have such a fancy lobby as the Safari Court Hotel, but the rooms are just as good and are cheaper. They have done some renovations 2 years ago.
After a good night's rest and I can finally head off South in the direction of Sesriem.
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I have stayed numerous times at the Safari Court while on business. On this trip I thought I'd try the Hotel Safari. Well let me say that there is not much difference between the two, except for the price! I could not see any difference in the rooms, except perhaps the shower instead of a bathtub in the bathroom. I thought it was also more convenient to have the vehicle parked close to the room, although this means that it could be a bit more noisy.
They have recently made some renovations at the Hotel Safari and the rooms are just great.
This is the perfect location if you are in transit on a domestic flight. Eros airport is just down the road. There used to be some direct flights from Eros to Johannesburg but now they all depart from Windhoek International.
Both hotels have great restaurants. The Safari Court has a Business Center which you can also use if you are staying at the Hotel Safari, with broadband Internet.
