2023 Southern Nam Tour

[Mad Manny]

Nice trip and photos! Mind placing a map of the route traveled?
And places you visited that you wouldn't visit again, or others you wished you went to visit?

My next trip will be southern Namib and inputs will be appreciated.

Peet you can find the map here www.plotityourselfyoulazytwat.cum

I wouldn't change anything, except the visit to Hentjies, but even that was a pleasant drive...

[iandvl]

Sounds like a great trip.

A side note: Everybody does the dead vlei at Sossus. Whilst it is spectacular, there are always a gazillion tuorists and rabid photographers. The least visited pan is "Verlore vlei", which is about a 2km hike south from the parking lot where the non-4x4 vehicles stop. It is stunning. Also dead trees and one is normally the only person there.

A second side note: you camped at Sesriem but there is no mention of Sesriem canyon ? This is also a hidden gem - just south of the campsite. One is also normally the only person there as the gazillion tourists and rabid photographers are always all at the dead vlei...

Edit - added a few photos. Verlore vlei and Sesriem Canyon.

[grips]

Ian we did visit Sesriem Canyon. Must say I did not expect such a sighting as you almost cannot spot the canyon.

[iandvl]

Ian we did visit Sesriem Canyon. Must say I did not expect such a sighting as you almost cannot spot the canyon.

Christo - I gathered so after I saw the photos you posted on your LandCruiser thread. I personally blame Manny for making such a terrible oversight in what would otherwise have been a good trip report...

I love Sesriem canyon. Awesome place.

Sadly, I've postponed my Namibia trip to next year because of the busted foot. But I've arranged a Namaqua flower trip for August / September - including a few nights in the coastal section of the Namaqua park...

[Saxj]

Thanks for the invite....

Ditto

[Mad Manny]

Sadly, I've postponed my Namibia trip to next year because of the busted foot.
But I've arranged a Namaqua flower trip for August / September - including a few nights in the coastal section of the Namaqua park...

OK Princess, enjoy the flowers...

[Mad Manny]

Thanks for the invite....

Ditto

What's you maximum range, towing & loaded, on dirt roads?

[iandvl]

What's you maximum range, towing & loaded, on dirt roads?

There is fuel virtually everywhere on that trip you did...

[Saxj]

Thanks for the invite....

Ditto

What's you maximum range, towing & loaded, on dirt roads?

300km on a tankful. Plus 2 Jerry cans makes it 600km.

[Mad Manny]

If you guys saw the crap Henry got in for an unscheduled fuel stop & for having to stop to fill his gas guzzler from a Jerry you'll understand why we require a real world range of 400+ minimum.

[Saxj]

The plan is to fix the range before the next long trip.

[Mike-PS]

Sounds like it was a lekker tour irrespective of some of the mechanical failures - nice one


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[iandvl]

Nice trip and photos! Mind placing a map of the route traveled?
And places you visited that you wouldn't visit again, or others you wished you went to visit?

My next trip will be southern Namib and inputs will be appreciated.

Peet,

Here are some of mine:

https://patrol4x4.co.za/viewtopic.php?t=9358
https://patrol4x4.co.za/viewtopic.php?t=8536
https://patrol4x4.co.za/viewtopic.php?t=8172
https://patrol4x4.co.za/viewtopic.php?t=8060

Please PM if you have questions...

[Mad Manny]

The long road home:
OK, to recap:
Wessel had left a day earlier % was well on his way home - two HARD day's of driving as he only did one stop from Swakop to Centurion.
Christo was heading south to Marienfus as has returning to Kathu.
Andreas was also heading south, to used the Ariemsvlei border.
Bugger & the Ekhurlenians were already nearing Windhoek.
Sueanne & I left Swakop in the afternoon for a slow drive to Windhoek, nursing the newly repaired & spotlessly clean Disco.

We arrived at the Urban Campsite. It's a weird Muesli, Steam Punk camp site, with windy roads.
You camp VERY close to one another & the ground is pink crusher stone.
It's a bit like the Gauls Village in Asterix & Obelix.

We set up (in the dark due to the leisurely drive) & were welcomed by the Ekhurlenians & Bugger.

The Ekhurlenians hosted a braai & handed out some Jaeger shots - a very pleasant evening.

Buffer left to his B&B & vague 'meet up the next morning' arrangements were made, sort of.

The next morning we were all up & packing by 06:00, we rolled out at 07:00, 30 minutes earlier than agreed.
We could not get hold of Bugger by Radio, WhatsApp or calling, so we went to fuel up & grab coffee.

We finally headed out & Bugger came on line, he was far behind, so we took it easy & he pushed to catch us.

Finally we waited at a Puma filling station at an airport on the A@ & he caught up.

The Border was a PITA as there was some stuff up with a Road Tax that they never told us about& then processed it slower than a person in a Coma moves.
Finally we entered BOTS & continued on the Trans Kalahari Freeway.

[Mad Manny]

The Long Road Home... continued...

We overnighted at the Kalagadi Rest Camp just before Kang.
The Ekhurlinians made a stunning Spaghetti Bolognaise - thanks Clark Kent with a C.

Another early start, by 08:00 we were out of there - we filled up & headed to the Piomeer Gate/Skilpadshoek (?Skilpadsnek. ?Skilpadshek) border.
There were lots & lots of goats, sheep, horses, donkeys, ostriches & lots of cattle on the or on the side of the road on the TransKalahari Freeway.
You need to keep your eyes open.
At one stage we came to a stop for cattle & a young bull even challenged us.
Through the border, fuel in Zeerust & then home to loadshedding, crap careless driving, toll roads, litter & all the things we hadn't seen for two weeks...