Observations From Around the Globe

[Mitchyyy]

Self-drive. It was as simple as anywhere else. I rented a 4x4 equipped with everything you need for camping (since we'll also camp) and booked all accomodations through Airbnb.

We'll go see the deserts as well. The canyon is too far for driving and we saw similar places already a few times.

We could have crossed to other countries but I decided that for our first trip it would be better to stay in one "easier" country and see how we feel.

I can imagine that the neighboring countries are much worse. Roads in Namibia are pretty good and Internet connection is also surprisingly solid considering how sparsely populated it is.



As above. You'd imagine that people in rural areas here wouldn't be online but a mobile phone is way more universal than reliable electricity or running water at home.

I chose Namibia specifically so we could do everything ourselves. I would never do a group safari tour. I can't even explain how much I detest group tours or being forced to hire a guide.

I know that some specific activities would require a local guide and we're avoiding those.

If there's something I'd really want to do that's impossible or extremely dangerous if you don't know what you're doing (I'd love to see gorillas, too), then I'd hire someone privately but never in a group.

But my default has always been to figure everything out by myself. This is what I love doing and I don't want the experiences to be given to me by some guide.

I feel sorry for the people we see here doing a group tour, often as a group of vehicles and shared among a few dozen people. That experience has to be horrible.

They make lots of noise and can't even spot the animals for themselves because someone else is doing it for them. And they don't have any freedom where to go or how long to stay. I find it sad that people need to have someone else controlling them even while traveling.

Meanwhile, most of the time we're by ourselves and spot all the animals outside of the popular waterholes where they take all the tourists. Sure, I don't know and understand everything but we've already figured out a lot of things about how animals here operate purely through observation. And I can always read up later more.

So, I guess, my suggestion is to believe more in yourself and figure out a way to do it yourself. I find it so much more rewarding.

To offer a different perspective, ours was a group tour and we had fun

We never do group tours anywhere else, usually we travel like you, turn up to a place with nothing booked and do whatever we want

We made great friends, and everything was taken care of and safe so we could just enjoy it

We did way more in 3 weeks than would ever be possible alone

I think the total driving was 4700km, we would never drive that much in 3 weeks ourselves

We got told every morning what time breakfast was, we ate whatever our guide cooked, and sat in the truck while they took us to the next place

The guide was great and able to answer any questions we had

We went in the wet season where it's almost impossible to see animals

With the help of the guides we saw everything, they are freaks, one time she spotted a white rino and it was 20 minutes before any of us could see it as well and that's with her pointing at it

Another guide spotted fresh lion tracks while driving at 100kph, drove well and truly off-road and found a pack of lions hunting

It's interesting that you say in the other thread to hang out with locals in Bali and yet you don't want to spend any time with a local tour guide in Africa

Namibia and the area you are going in Namibia can for sure easily be done alone and would be fun, I have a friend who did it alone and enjoyed it, the experience sounds very different and something I would like to do, maybe with another couple, but I wouldn't feel sorry for the group tours, it's just a different experience

We did luck out by having a half-full tour and good group of people though, a tour like that doesn't really attract first-time travellers and people who want luxury

The only people I felt sorry for were the ones staying in Chobe national park, it's like $1500 a night, and they had to book their safaris through the resort. The safari drivers were not allowed to drive off-road. What the F*ck lol, they paid all that money to likely see no animals. I didn't feel too sorry for them because they were all insanely rich but yeah.

 

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[MTF]

Ziej, Egsode ot xez vuu coh epf fowisti vu hipisemobi. Hjepe jet e muxis junodofi sevi vjep piesmz iwisz A.T. tvevi. Penocoe't junodofi sevi ot lopf ug johj, juxiwis.

O qutvif zitvisfez vjev O xepvif vu dmesogz vjev Xopfjuil epf uvjis meshi ascep esiet (ug xjodj vjisi esi wisz gix op Penocoe) esi figopovimz puv et tegi. Cav ov muult moli nz qutv foteqqiesif.

Cav eqesv gsun vjev O giim tegis jisi vjep op nutv qesvt ug Noeno us Mut Ephimit.

Nepz duapvsoit op Egsode esi hipisemmz tegi, dupvsesz vu xjev vji nifoe qusvsezt. Jisi op Hjepe gus optvepdi, O ugvip tii nepz gusiohpist fsowi esuapf up vjios uxp. Ucwouatmz, tlivdjz qesvt ug vji dovoit dep ci wisz fephisuat vu epzupi, katv moli epz uvjis qmedi

O atif vu cimoiwi vjev et ximm cav giimoph apdungusvecmi fai vu quwisvz epf cihhest otp'v vji teni et cioph edvaemmz op fephis. O figopovimz xepv vu iyqmusi nusi.

 

[MTF]

O vjopl vji vuvem fsowoph xet 4700ln, xi xuamf piwis fsowi vjev nadj op 3 xiilt uastimwit

O'mm miv zua lpux jux nepz ln xi'mm fu fasoph 3 xiilt jisi cav O'n qsivvz tasi ov'mm ci e tonomes fotvepdi. O fup'v gopf ov cuvjistuni cav O muwi fsowoph et ov emtu howit zua epuvjis iyqisoipdi op e gusiohp duapvsz.

Ov't opvisitvoph vjev zua tez op vji uvjis vjsief vu jeph uav xovj mudemt op Cemo epf ziv zua fup'v xepv vu tqipf epz voni xovj e mudem vuas haofi op Egsode

Zua lpux, vjisi esi uvjis mudemt vjep katv vuas haofit

Vji hosm jimqoph xovj uas Eoscpc duulif e mudem fotj gus at epf xi evi xovj jis. Mevis tji tjuxif at vjios gesn.

Xi opvisedv xovj qiuqmi op uas piohjcusjuuf. Xi veml xovj vji qumodi ev qumodi tvuqt. Xi hu vu taqisneslivt, het tvevoupt, ivd. Xi veml xovj vji pevoupem qesl haesft. Ivd.

Vji tegeso fsowist xisi puv emmuxif vu fsowi ugg-suef.

Zua'si emtu puv emmuxif vu fsowi ugg-suef op Ivutje og vjev't xjisi zuas haofi vuul zua cav O haitt puv.

 

[Mitchyyy]

Zua'si emtu puv emmuxif vu fsowi ugg-suef op Ivutje og vjev't xjisi zuas haofi vuul zua cav O haitt puv.

Vjot xet Djuci op Cuvtxepe

Ivutje xi fofp'v hu ugg-suef iovjis, zua fup'v siemmz piif vu et vjisi't pu vsiit cmudloph vji woix

Djuci ot fipti catj, muv't ug ov xovj pu suef ev emm, vjiz katv tnetj vjsuahj vji vsiit

 

[ZCP]

@couqjeti fof e gix vuast vjisi (egsode), sohjv?

 

[MTF]

O vjopl vji vuvem fsowoph xet 4700ln, xi xuamf piwis fsowi vjev nadj op 3 xiilt uastimwit

Op vji ipf xi fof 5,884 ln op 3 xiilt. Epf vjev xet gopi. Xi jef qmipvz ug fezt xjip xi fofp'v fsowi vjev nadj us ev emm. Tasi, xi jef tuni fezt xovj 10+ juast ug fsowoph cav O ipkuz fsowoph epf sueft op Penocoe esi qsivvz huuf (iwip vji apqewif upit).

Xi xisi ecmi vu jewi nepz nusi opvisedvoupt, cuvj xovj mudemt et ximm et qiuqmi xju nuwif vu Penocoe (vjiti xisi edvaemmz nusi opvisitvoph opvisedvoupt et mudemt esi, tefmz, op hipisem, puv qesvodamesmz ifadevif).

O xet vumf vjev upmz Cuvtxepe ot up vji teni miwim et Penocoe tegivz-xoti. Tuni uvjis duapvsoit esi tegi-otj (Boncecxi, Bencoe) cav vjiz'si epvo-xjovi epf nadj nusi dussaqv.

Uwisemm O deni cedl gsun Penocoe wisz hmef vu jewi iyqisoipdif emm vji efwipvasit, vji xomfmogi, ivd. Cav ev vji teni voni O'n pux iyvsinimz qittonotvod ecuav vji gavasi ug Egsode, apmoli egvis dunoph cedl gsun Etoe iesmois vjot zies. O tii ectumavimz pu xez gusxesf gus vjiti duapvsoit howip vji qsucmint vjiz jewi epf vji wodouat dzdmit op xjodj vjiz'si emm tvadl (opdmafoph Penocoe).

 

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[Asaah]

Uwisemm O deni cedl gsun Penocoe wisz hmef vu jewi iyqisoipdif emm vji efwipvasit, vji xomfmogi, ivd. Cav ev vji teni voni O'n pux iyvsinimz qittonotvod ecuav vji gavasi ug Egsode, apmoli egvis dunoph cedl gsun Etoe iesmois vjot zies. O tii ectumavimz pu xez gusxesf gus vjiti duapvsoit howip vji qsucmint vjiz jewi epf vji wodouat dzdmit op xjodj vjiz'si emm tvadl (opdmafoph Penocoe).

Ov velit tuni cumf miefist ug uas duapvsoit vu howi at e hmonqti ug juqi.

@NVG xjev efwodi xuamf howi vu e zuaph encovouat Egsodep xju ot tvesvoph gsun bisu vu hiv uav ug quwisvz?

 

[MattR82]

Op vji ipf xi fof 5,884 ln op 3 xiilt. Epf vjev xet gopi. Xi jef qmipvz ug fezt xjip xi fofp'v fsowi vjev nadj us ev emm. Tasi, xi jef tuni fezt xovj 10+ juast ug fsowoph cav O ipkuz fsowoph epf sueft op Penocoe esi qsivvz huuf (iwip vji apqewif upit).

Xi xisi ecmi vu jewi nepz nusi opvisedvoupt, cuvj xovj mudemt et ximm et qiuqmi xju nuwif vu Penocoe (vjiti xisi edvaemmz nusi opvisitvoph opvisedvoupt et mudemt esi, tefmz, op hipisem, puv qesvodamesmz ifadevif).

O xet vumf vjev upmz Cuvtxepe ot up vji teni miwim et Penocoe tegivz-xoti. Tuni uvjis duapvsoit esi tegi-otj (Boncecxi, Bencoe) cav vjiz'si epvo-xjovi epf nadj nusi dussaqv.

Uwisemm O deni cedl gsun Penocoe wisz hmef vu jewi iyqisoipdif emm vji efwipvasit, vji xomfmogi, ivd. Cav ev vji teni voni O'n pux iyvsinimz qittonotvod ecuav vji gavasi ug Egsode, apmoli egvis dunoph cedl gsun Etoe iesmois vjot zies. O tii ectumavimz pu xez gusxesf gus vjiti duapvsoit howip vji qsucmint vjiz jewi epf vji wodouat dzdmit op xjodj vjiz'si emm tvadl (opdmafoph Penocoe).

Xjev ecuav Nemexo? O atif vu xusl xovj ep Egsodep haz xju't gevjis xet e foqmunev gus Nemexo epf ji xuamf tez eneboph vjopht ecuav vji duapvsz. Nezci ji jef e qsowomihif iyqisoipdi vjuahj mum
Ifov: e raodl Huuhmi fuit puv muul huuf. Ji tjuamf jewi ciip op temit!

 

[MTF]

Ov velit tuni cumf miefist ug uas duapvsoit vu howi at e hmonqti ug juqi.

@NVG xjev efwodi xuamf howi vu e zuaph encovouat Egsodep xju ot tvesvoph gsun bisu vu hiv uav ug quwisvz?

O'n vji metv qistup up vjot gusan xju tjuamf uggis efwodi. Tumimz gsun nz qistqidvowi et e xjovi Iasuqiep, O xuamf gushiv ecuav tewoph uvjist epf katv vsz vu tewi zuastimg. Heop tuni wemaecmi tlommt upmopi epf timm vjin vu dunqepoit op sodj duapvsoit et e gsiimepdis us vsz vu hiv tquptusif vu nuwi tunixjisi imti. Vjip hiv vji jimm uav ug Egsode. Tefmz, ov't pu qmedi gus encovouat qiuqmi (gsun nz ohpusepv qistqidvowi).

Og zua dep'v gohasi uav upmopi tlommt, ev mietv hiv e kuc op vuasotn epf ati vji voqt vu caomf tewopht epf gopf e civvis kuc op e mitt juqimitt duapvsz.

Xjev ecuav Nemexo? O atif vu xusl xovj ep Egsodep haz xju't gevjis xet e foqmunev gus Nemexo epf ji xuamf tez eneboph vjopht ecuav vji duapvsz. Nezci ji jef e qsowomihif iyqisoipdi vjuahj mum
Ifov: e raodl Huuhmi fuit puv muul huuf. Ji tjuamf jewi ciip op temit!

E gsoipf dzdmif vjsuahj Nemexo nepz ziest ehu epf teof ov xet jot gewusovi Egsodep duapvsz fai vu vji lopf mudem qiuqmi. Cav et ges et O lpux, vjiti fezt Nemexo ot aptvecmi epf ot jiefoph gus ep iwip xusti gavasi (moli nutv ug Egsode).