We love traveling, but we had never taken a long trip as a family. And none of us had ever been to Africa. Namibia came to us through friends and seemed to fit our desires for nature, independence, movement, and landscapes… A few emails later with Julie and Vincent, and we were off on our adventure!

We were not disappointed, and the trip was an intense experience for all of us: we found ourselves immersed in a magnificent world, harsh but beautiful. It’s difficult to sum it all up: the sunrises, the colors, the night sky, the vegetation, the animals roaming around us, the endless roads with changing landscapes, the campsites, the feeling of being alone in this wild world, the drives in search of leopards and elephants… it was all incredible.

Obviously, you have to love adventure and camping in natural surroundings, and there were times when we were tired. But everywhere we went, we were made to feel welcome and the people were very friendly and helpful. It’s important to weigh up the distance, time spent at each location, interest of the place, and quality of the campsite in order to get the most out of your trip. This is very difficult to do without prior knowledge, but thanks to Tawana’s organization, everything was very well done from this point of view.

We did the loop clockwise, starting with the southernmost regions (deserts, Kalahari and Namib landscapes, the magnificent dunes of Sossusvlei) and then heading up the coast (Swakopmund: canoeing with sea lions, German bar: an unexpected interlude in these miles of tracks…), before returning north to wilder, hillier landscapes and reaching Etosha in several stages.

It is important to travel in this direction, as you encounter more and more animals every day. The first encounters with oryx, springboks, giraffes, and elephants in the wild are rare moments that remain etched in our memories. Towards Etosha and its watering holes, it is the extraordinary number of animals that makes an impression. On the way, special mention goes to Palmwag, a very popular stopover due to its location and friendly atmosphere, which help to boost the morale of those who find the desert a little stressful. We also liked Mowani for its unique location. We would also like to mention Okonjima, which was the end of our trip, because it sums up the whole of Namibia: typical rolling landscapes, a variety and abundance of animals, colors, and camping that is both comfortable and wild (only those who have been there can understand).

In short, a few thousand photos later, we returned home and this adventure remains an intense and special memory. If all trips were like this… we’ll have to come back!

Published on: 9 August 2024