* From the editor's desk: of endemic birds and earthworms
* On safari in Namibia, Africa's undiscovered jewel
* Things to do and see in Johannesburg and Pretoria
* Recent game-viewing highlights in Botswana
* Travel Bytes & Safari Titbits
Ex Africa - from the editor's desk
My introduction to Namibia - then known as South West Africa - took place under less than ideal circumstances, when I was sent there in 1975 for a three-month stint during a rather futile bush war. Looking back, I lament the fact that I had not developed my interest in bird-watching by then, and hard as I have tried, I cannot recall seeing a single bird during even one of the more than 90 days I spent in the country. Fortunately, I do recall - and very vividly, I may add - seeing a cheetah in Etosha Game Reserve, as well as rhino, lion and much else besides. A few fellow junior officers and I appropriated a weather-beaten Land Rover and twice drove to this magnificent reserve from our camp near Tsumeb. Our accommodation in white-washed Fort Namutoni, a splendidly anachronistic 'Beau Geste'-style edifice, was a pleasant change from the military barracks. Fort Namutoni may have once harbored German soldiers, but it felt like a grand hotel to us.
In the 20 years since then, I have made several return visits to Namibia, one long trip specifically in search of the country's great variety of endemic birds, which I had so badly overlooked the first time around. On this trip, I'm happy to report, I saw as many as 100 birds in one day, ending up with all but a mere handful of the many species that can only be seen there or in southern Angola. Etosha I have revisited three times, with growing appreciation for this reserve and its flat, open landscapes, which makes game-viewing relatively easy and very rewarding.
One other memory from my stint in the Namibian bush remains with me clearly. Once or twice, grown weary of boring, badly prepared mess hall fare, we tried to catch some fish in the sizeable Kavango River which flowed right by our camp. [I can't believe that I don't even remember seeing the kingfishers!] It was no easy task. The tiger fish were too powerful, and the bream too wily. Also, we had a problem with bait. Bream are wild about worms, as in night crawlers, but the sandy soil alongside the river held none. It was time for drastic measures. My late father was commandeered to send us - by military aircraft, naturally - a consignment of Pretoria-grown commercial earthworms. Big, juicy, wriggly ones, which we just knew those Kavango bream would find irresistible. And so it was. The worms, which made the 1,000 mile journey safely ensconced in moist organic material within a couple of cardboard wine bottle sleeves (my Dad had a D.Sc. in earthworms & knew how to keep 'em alive!) did the trick. The entire Air Force complement ate succulent bream for at least two weeks.
So, if you find yourself heading for the Caprivi Strip one day soon, don't forget the earthworms! All kidding aside, despite Namibia's 'desert and dune' image it is an excellent destination for the serious angler. The cold water of the Atlantic north of Swakopmund offers some of the very best surf fishing anywhere in Africa, and there's still plenty of tiger fish and bream in the Kavango.
Bert du Plessis, Houston
September 1996
On safari in Namibia, Africa's undiscovered jewel
What are the ingredients for the 'perfect' African safari destination? Lots of animals, few people, good roads, great weather and reasonable prices? How about political stability, a low crime rate and a currency which is at an all-time low against the US Dollar? Add to all that a low incidence of malaria, fascinating cultural experiences, interesting cuisine, and a long list of things to see and do other than just viewing wildlife. Namibia is surely the only African country which boasts all of these, and more.
Namibia, which is one of the world's most sparsely populated countries, is in south-western Africa. It is a wonderful destination for a wild-life safari, especially for people who enjoy rugged scenery and desert landscapes. Etosha National Park in northern Namibia is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest national parks in which to observe a remarkable diversity of Africa's wildlife, including the rare black rhino, elephant, lion and cheetah. The park has three camps which offer reasonably priced bungalow and chalet accommodation, while several private lodges just outside Etosha also give the visitor a choice of more exclusive, luxurious quarters.
The spectacular dunes at Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert are considered to be amongst the most impressive sights in all of sub-Saharan Africa. Namibia's landscapes and abundant wildlife are enhanced by a rich cultural heritage (Herero, Nama, Himba and many more) and some intriguing colonial influences, notably German. Swakopmund, a popular beach resort on the Atlantic coast, looks for all the world like a Bavarian village, buildings complete with steeply angled roofs, so that the snow can slide off, naturally... Imagine this in one of the driest places in the world, and you'll have a good idea of the contrasts and anachronisms that make Namibia such an interesting place to visit.
On a recent visit, driving from Windhoek, the mile-high capital city, via the Khomas Hochland to Walvis Bay on the Atlantic Ocean coast, I was again struck by how few other vehicles there were on the road. For someone used to the busy freeways of Houston, it is nothing less than miraculous to drive for an hour or more and not see another car. This is not unusual in Namibia, which is about three times the size of Germany, but has a total population of only 1.6 million people. Even in Etosha Game Reserve, the country's most popular tourist attraction, one can enjoy relative solitude at a water hole, observing game with little interference in the way of other vehicles.
Other highlights from my visit include simply spectacular game-viewing in Etosha, amongst others witnessing an altercation between an aggressive black rhino and a group of young elephant bulls at the famous floodlit waterhole at Okaukuejo camp. At one stage a black rhino came to graze on some green shoots at the base of the camp 'fence', and we found ourselves literally just feet away from this pre-historic behemoth, its prehensile, pointed upper lip clearly visible. A truly unforgettable experience, but one which was almost rivalled by the spectacle of dozens of boisterous elephant bulls jostling for position at the waterhole.
At Swakopmund the bird-watching was excellent, with hundreds of waders seemingly posing for the Kowa 'scope. We marvelled at some of the massive sand dunes in the area, which are no less imposing than the better-known dunes at Sossusvlei. Driving a few miles further north along the coastline, we tried our hand at a little surf-fishing and I caught a near 10kg (about 22 pounds) 'kabeljou' in relatively shallow water with a rod and reel best suited for a catfish pond! Grilled over the coals later that day with a baste of butter, garlic and a bit of lemon juice, the fish was as good as any my family and I have ever enjoyed. The A-frame accommodation at the municipal chalets, where many fishermen stay, is very basic and should be avoided unless one is on a very tight budget. The free-loading pelicans which feed on the cast-offs from the anglers do put up an impressive display, though. Swooping down from a chalet roof, they carefully calculate distance and wind speed, turning gracefully into the breeze just like an aircraft on short finals, losing just enough air speed to dip down to the ground and snatch up a 5kg (11 lb.) fish head as if it were a match stick. There are many really nice hotels and pensions in Swakopmund to choose from, including the highly rated Schweizer Haus and the Strand Hotel.
The drive from Swakopmund to Walvis Bay - just to see what the latter was like - turned out to be an expensive lesson as the front windshield of the VW Jetta was finely pitted by a desert wind which was sweeping huge amounts of abrasive sand across the road. Instead of stopping to minimize the potential damage, I pushed on at about 50 mph which was quite safe on this asphalt road, but which resulted in the windshield having to be replaced. If you ever find yourself in Swakopmund, look at the condition of vehicle number plates (aka tags) and you will see first-hand what I'm referring to: the lettering on many of them has been almost completely obliterated by the scouring effect of the wind-blown sand.
In the south of the country the Fish River Canyon is no less impressive than its more famous North American counterpart, although it is considerably smaller. The great advantage of the Fish River Canyon is that one can enjoy its natural, largely unspoilt beauty in almost complete peace and quiet. Ais-Ais, a popular hot springs resort at the lower extremity of the canyon, can become rather busy in the winter holiday months, but the upper reaches of the canyon and the Fish River Trail are very sparsely visited. This is not an area to be visited in the summer, though: day time high temperatures routinely reach 100F.
The best time of the year to visit Namibia - and Etosha - is in the dry winter months when game is forced to concentrate around remaining sources of water, either natural springs or artificial boreholes. Game-viewing is at an optimum from June to October, although some people prefer the months of April and May, just after the 'rainy' season, when the veld is in good condition and the climate is ideal. For keen bird-watchers the best time is from November through February or March, when large numbers of migrant waders are present and when spectacular concentrations of birds, often running into thousands, may be seen in places such as the Walvis Bay lagoon.
Bird-watching in Namibia
Namibia is a good choice for the serious birder, even if you had birded elsewhere in Africa previously. The country has a formal bird-list of 609 species of which 423 are resident. Namibia is one of two African countries (the other one being Kenya) with the highest degree of endemicity, and visiting birders would not want to miss special endemics such as Herero Chat, Dune Lark, Hartlaub's Francolin, Monteiro's Hornbill, Carp's Black Tit, Rockrunner, Whitetailed Shrike, Barecheeked Babbler, Gray's Lark, Rosyfaced Lovebird and many others. A representative birding tour should take in the desert towns of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, renowned for its concentrations of shorebirds, flamingoes and cormorants; continue on through Damaraland (lots of endemics) to the renowned Etosha Game Reserve, excellent for game and birds; and proceed further north to Rundu and the Mahango Game Reserve in the north-east corner of the country for more woodland species.
The best current information on Namibia is contained in the December 1994 issue of Getaway Magazine, which provides excellent coverage of adventure travel & eco-tourism in Southern Africa. The best guide books are Visitor's Guide to Namibia (Southern Books) and a Guide to Namibian Game Parks (Longman) by Willie & Sandra Olivier.
THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN JOHANNESBURG AND PRETORIA
In our previous newsletter we took a look at the long list of things to do and see in Cape Town, South Africa. Johannesburg and nearby Pretoria are not quite in the same league, but there is still plenty there to keep visitors occupied, no matter what their tastes. In the next issue of the newsletter, we will take a closer look at Durban.
JOHANNESBURG
Johannesburg has not been getting much good press lately, largely because of the high level of street crime, especially in the downtown area. Actually, it is not an unpleasant city and as one that has lived there for many years, I can attest to the fact that it has a wonderful climate, nice hotels, great restaurants, a thriving cultural scene, and some world-class shopping centres. This dynamic, vibrant city also offers its residents and visitors very sophisticated entertainment choices and sporting facilities.
Johannesburg - aka Jo'burg or Joeys - has a thriving live theatre and performing arts community and on most any night of the week performances ranging from intimate cabaret to politically correct ethnic plays may be enjoyed. The best place to catch everything from current hit shows to celebrities of the future is in the entertainment pages of the Johannesburg Star, where information on more serious stuff such as opera, ballet and the symphony will also be found.
By all means take a tour of (part of) Soweto, an acronym for South Western Townships. Soweto is not all 'little boxes'; there are some nice neighborhoods, a lively informal economy, and you may even stop over at a shebeen for something to drink. You can even spend the night at a private home, and be treated to some 'pap' and 'wors'. Pap is a rather bland maize-meal porridge, somewhat like grits, but of a stiffer consistency, so that it can be rolled between the tips of the fingers, if desired. Pap if often eaten with a tomato and onion sauce. Wors - the local variety of beef and pork sausage - we talked about at length in the previous issue of this newsletter.
Of course, Soweto is famous as the flash-point of the Soweto Riots which started at a local school (a mandatory stop on the proverbial "Cook's Tour" of Soweto) on 16 June 1976, now commemorated as a public holiday. The Soweto Riots, which spread throughout the country and caused great loss of life and damage to property, proved to be a seminal event in the democratization of South Africa. Essentially, it dramatically illustrated that black aspirations for freedom could no longer be ignored. By literally forcing the government of the day into a conciliatory position, the Soweto Riots signalled the real beginning of the end of apartheid. So don't miss this city, even if it does leave you somewhat depressed.
Another popular outing in Johannesburg is to the Gold Reef City complex, a replica of an 1880's gold mining village, complete with hotel (not a bad one, at that) and restaurants. Traditional African dancing may be seen at the museum on Sundays and there are opportunities to go underground and observe gold ingots being poured. One more thing to do in Johannesburg in the summer months is to go to a limited overs, night-time cricket match at the Wanderers. It will dispel any suspicions you may have harbored about cricket being a slow, genteel pastime.
Jo'burg is also synonymous with serious shopping. Take lots of plastic and tackle Sandton City, The Mall and The Firs in Rosebank, Hyde Park Corner, the Carlton Centre and the Fisherman's Village at Bruma Lake, or the Oriental Plaza, to name but a few.
Water sport enthusiasts will want to make their way to nearby Vaal Dam where sailing, motor boating, water skiing and fishing can be done. Other nearby places of interest include the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve, Hartebeespoort Dam near Brits, and the scenic Magaliesberg mountains. Johannesburg is within easy driving distance of the Sun City complex. This gambling and entertainment complex is an eye-opener and fun-loving folks could spend several days there without touching sides. The Pilanesberg Game Reserve which is adjacent to Sun City is a wonderful reserve, which offers good game-viewing, with all members of the so-called 'Big Five' species available, being Cape buffalo, elephant, rhino, lion and leopard. The bird-watching at Pilanesberg is exceptionally good, especially in summer.
PRETORIA
Pretoria is only about 35 miles or so down the freeway leading north out of Johannesburg. Drive it yourself, but be careful: South Africa has a deserved reputation for terrible driving. If you're at all interested in history, I'd say Pretoria is a 'must see'. There's a host of interesting monuments, museums & government buildings, and even a few good restaurants. The Voortrekker Monument is squat and rather ugly, but it can hardly be ignored. The inside is stark and cold, and the series of friezes depicting the history of the Great Trek, although interesting, does nothing to dispel the gloom.
The Union Buildings - where Nelson Mandela now occupies an office with a (terrific) view - is a charming sandstone edifice, designed by famed architect Sir Herbert Baker. In the centre of Pretoria is Church Square which is dominated by a statue of Paul Kruger looking north. Church Square has a nice western facade, and the Ou Raadsaal, old Reserve Bank Building, and the Palace of Justice all date from the days of the South African Republic. Unfortunately, Church Square also has lots of buses as the city council has, in its wisdom, turned it into a bus terminal. Melrose House, a well-maintained Victorian house on Jacob Mare Street is worth a visit, even if it is just to see the stained glass. The Transvaal Museum on Paul Kruger Street, between the station & Church Square, houses many fascinating exhibits of natural history. An hour or so spent browsing around the Austin Roberts Bird Hall is time well spent, and I recommend it as an introduction to the birds of South Africa. The Museum store has a good collection of natural history books at reasonable prices.
Even if you don't have official business there, you may want to drive by the American Embassy just to see how your tax dollars are spent: it is an imposing structure which must have cost an absolute fortune. If shopping's your thing, a mall that is as good as any is the Hyperama just east of Pretoria. It has everything from books & maps to clothing (good value at Woolworths), curios (at better prices than the airport's so-called 'duty free') & much more. Across the street from the Hyperama is a discount outlet where you can buy some good - cheap - leather items, clothing and the like.
Although Pretoria is culturally a bit of a backwater compared with neighboring Johannesburg, its imposing downtown State Theatre complex does offer some first class fine arts performances. The city also has many good restaurants including several above average steak houses. An old Pretoria favorite of ours is La Perla, on the fringe of downtown, where some pretty good Italian/continental fare is on offer. Their langoustines are fabulous.
RECENT GAME-VIEWING HIGHLIGHTS FROM BOTSWANA
So far this season, we have received many reports of visitors having enjoyed excellent game-viewing in northern Botswana. At Xigera camp in the central Okavango Delta, game-viewing has been good and there has been a cheetah, with cubs, in the area. Recently a group of lions crossed the foot-bridge right into camp while guests were eating dinner. At Savuti Camp there has been lots of game drinking at the waterhole right in front of the camp. A few weeks ago a pack of African wild dogs chased a herd of impala right through camp, with an impala jumping right over the dining room table just as the guests were getting ready to eat their dinner. The impala got away, but bar sales were exceptionally good that evening, according to the camp manager. A recent visitor to a Savuti camp reported seeing, "...pretty good size herds of zebra, wildebeest, sable antelope, tsessebe, lots of giraffe, warthogs everywhere, elephant, lots of lion and some cheetah."
The Moremi, however, takes 'first prize' with Mombo Camp coming out tops. Two guests who were there in June wrote, "..as you said, the game, especially at Mombo Camp was plentiful. In our brief stay there we saw two cheetah kills, a leopard, the wild dog pack, and were kept awake for an entire night by a lion announcing his territory 50 yards from camp." A late winter visitor to Kwara Camp in the northern reaches of the Okavango Delta, bordering on the Moremi, said that the area, "...was probably the most exciting for game animals. Within the first hour a bull elephant gave us a mock charge, we watched a breeding herd of 50 elephant pass in front of us, and we watched a pride of 12 lion as they
woke up from their day of rest. What more could anyone want for a first hour of game viewing! Four bull elephant slept outside our tent that night. We also saw four leopard there."
On the cross-country trips in Botswana, guests have been thrilled with many lion sightings, one group setting a new record of spotting no less than 70 different lions. Chobe has not been quiet either, and a spring visitor found it particularly rewarding: "Chobe was FANTASTIC. It exceeded what I saw in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania 25 years ago. One afternoon game run turned up probably 150-200 elephants crossing from island to mainland in the forefront while 20 yards away, a similar number of Cape buffalo were doing the same, some simultaneously, some minutes later. Moremi also had a substantial amount of game, but less than Chobe, particularly elephants and the big stuff."
TRAVEL BYTES & SAFARI TITBITS
Air Namibia to fly from New York
Air Namibia, which currently offers attractively priced fares to Namibia via London, is scheduled to start up twice-weekly direct flights between JFK Airport and Windhoek International from April 03, 1997. Air Namibia's TravelPass offers cost-effective connections to neigboring Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa and the introduction of a direct service from the USA will make Windhoek an excellent base for a multi-country Southern African safari.
1996 Satour Tourism Awards
In its July 1996 issue Getaway Magazine featured a round-up of the winners and runners-up of the annual Satour Awards. The prestigious 'Hotel of the Year' award went to Hunter's Country House, a small family run hotel in Plettenberg Bay. Known for its outstanding service, the hotel offers luxurious, romantic accommodation in 18 thatched 'en suite' chalets, each with fire-place and private patio. Runners-up were Grande Roche in Paarl, Mount Grace Country House near Johannesburg and Walkersons in Mpumalanga. 'Visitor attraction of the Year' - a new category - was won by Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in Cape Town, while Kruger National Park and the South African Museum, also in Cape Town, were finalists.
Machame Trek - Kilimanjaro
From the last Saturday of December 1996, Tanzania's George Dove Safaris will be offering a scheduled monthly Kilimanjaro climb by way of the scenic and rarely used Machame route. The 7-day trek, which begins and ends in Arusha, with departures every last Saturday of each month, will focus heavily on the natural history of the area.
Duba Plains camp now open
Duba Plains - one of the Okavango Deltas most remote camps - opened at the end of June 1996 and is going extremely well. On the very first game drive with guests, camp managers Alistair Rankin and Nancy Hart followed a leopard for 30 minutes. There has been lots of plains game and great birding and another highlight is the big herds of buffalo, often over 1,000 strong. Lions roar around camp just about every night, giving Duba a great atmosphere. Guests also enjoy the mokoro rides.
White-water rafting on the Zambezi
At the right water levels rafting the Zambezi below Victoria Falls is the best experience of its kind on four continents. According to guides October - when water levels are 'low' - is definitely prime time. Depending on the onset of the rainy season, November can still be excellent.
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