Our return flight was due to leave Windhoek until 19:55 so we had the whole day to play with on Saturday 19th April. I made sure we had a lazy lie in, before taking a taxi to the iFun park. This. This was was actually only 1km away so I guess technically walkable but it was pretty hot so we took a taxi. It was fairly deserted but we got our swimming costumes on and they switched the water on for us. It seemed very much like a place popular for children's parties and, of cours

On 18th April, we left Etosha National Park (Gondwana Etosha Safari Lodge), for our long over 420km drive back to Windhoek. By Google maps this is 4 hours, but in reality it was more like a six hour drive! I had decided to break our journey in Otjiwarongo which was essentially half way and visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund. The drive there was beautiful - we went through the Otjiwarongo and out onto a farm following the sat nav! We had up to this point only seen two cheetah

Having eked out our time at the Toshari Lodge a bit (we could have done another game drive but I felt that relaxing and swimming had a higher priority!), we drove the 11 minutes down the road to our next stop, Gondwana Etosha Safari Lodge which I had booked for 2 nights on Booking for 5941 NAD (£272). This lodge had a much bigger feel than Toshari the night before. It would be hard to recommend one over the other and we really did enjoy both. Gondwana was great though to meet

After an incredible time at Omaruru Game Lodge, we left at midday on Sunday 13th April to drive the 3 hours to the world famous Etosha National Park where we finally used our rooftop tent! I could have camped with the car and rooftop tent throughout Namibia but I wanted a bit more comfort. Still, we did manage the camping for two nights at the Etosha Okaukuejo Camp which I booked online for 860 NAD (£39). As Tiger was still under the age of six, she was free which was a bonus

Leaving Swakopmund behind us on 12th April, we left just after lunchtime to drive the 3 hours to the Omaruru Game Lodge for one night. I had chosen this as it was roughly halfway towards our next stop, Etosha. It absolutely wasn't cheap (3100 NAD and £145 for just the one night for the cheapest room on Booking including dinner, bed and breakfast) but I was completely blown away by the place. Omaruru Game Lodge is a bit zoo-like as the animals are fed and as such come to gathe

On the late afternoon of 10th April, we drove into Swakopmund which seemed to have a completely different climate from everywhere else we had been to in Namibia up until this point. As we drove in, we spotted thousands of flamingos at Walvis Bay, it was far cooler, very misty, wet and windy but in a great many respects a lovely change from the heat we had experienced up to now! We checked into a lovely homestay with a family complete with kids, dogs and cats called Japie's Ya

On 10th April, we left Desert Camp and were headed towards Swakopmund for two nights. Upon leaving Sesriem though we stopped at the petrol station to get one of our tyres fixed as it seemed to have a slow puncture. This seemed like a very common problem - as common a need as petrol - and super cheap too (under £5)! Finally at around 9.30am we were on our way. Now the journey from Sesriem to Swakopmund is a fairly substantial, bone rattling, 350km but there is a completely gor

On 9th April, our second day at Namib Naukluft Park, we were up at 6am (sunrise) and straight back into the park but first (and very importantly it turned out) stopping at the Sossusvlei Lodge on the way in for a breakfast basket. We reached the park gates at 7am and drove straight to Deadvlei, so-called as some 900 years ago the dunes cut off Deadvlei from the river and it became too dry for the trees there to ever decompose. They were burnt by the sun but still stand proud

On Sunday 6th April, having picked up our 4x4 in Windhoek and met our new traveling companion, Ella from South Korea, we did a...

On Monday 8th April, we drove the 120km (about 2 hours) to Sesriem, arriving at our next accommodation, Desert Camp. It was hot hot hot and we arrived just after midday. Our little 'twin unit' was brilliant and comfy for us all with twin beds and a sofa bed for Ella. I had booked this via Booking for 4860 NAD (£222) for 2 nights. We had a rest in the heat of the day and eventually emerged to check out the pool at 4pm. After this we went into the Namib-Naukluft National Park a

With flights booked almost a year in advance with Lufthansa, finally we were on our way to the glorious country of Namibia. I had...