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Episode 5/12: Northern Namibia - In this episode we show you what Ngepi and Popa Falls look like also our first stop in the Caprivi, Camp Kwando at the Kwando River. Ngepi campsite from the time you start driving and entering this campsite you will notice all the signage along the road, putting a grin on your face and some making you think. This is a campsite with a twist. So much detail has been spend in making this an amazing place. This is also the only campsite I have seen a crocodile free river pool where you can enjoy the river without getting chomped. Popa Falls - a NWR lodge - looks like an amazing place, as we are campers we only made a pitstop here. Spacious grounds, lovely river flowing and the sound of the the falls in your ears while having a sundowner at the deck. More about the Kwando River, where we will spend a few days exploring before heading to Chobe River. The Cuando River is a river in south-central Africa flowing through Angola and Namibia's Caprivi Strip and into the Linyanti Swamp on the northern border of Botswana. Below the swamp, the river is called the Linyanti River and, farther east, the Chobe River, before it flows into the Zambezi River. Caprivi, better known as the Caprivi Strip is a narrow tongue of land protruding in between Angola and Zambia to the north, the Okavango region on the east and Botswana to the south. The Caprivi area has an abundance of wildlife and mineral resources. The fact the the strip allows valuable access to the Zambezi river. About Caprivi Strip, Namibia (North) Highlights: Okavango River, Kwando River, Zambezi River, Chobe River, Linyanti River, tropical woodlands and swamps, 4 of the Big Five game, National Parks, Popa Falls Activities: Game-drives, bird watching, exciting fishing and boating activities. The abundance of water in the Caprivi attracts a large variety of game and bird species. Especially herds of Elephant. The wildlife is protected by several reserves: Mamili, Bwabwata, Lizauli and Mudumu. There are no fences, therefore the animals roam freely across the borders of Namibia's neighbouring countries, Botswana and Zambia. The Chobe National Park in Botswana, borders Caprivi to the south, is especially excellent for game viewing. Without any desert in sight, the Caprivi Strip is nothing like the rest of Namibia. This wetlands paradise is lush and swampy, harnessing the riverine beauty of 5 great rivers and receiving the highest rainfall in the country. Abundant wildlife roam freely in an unfenced wilderness and it is the only place in Namibia where you can see the Nile crocodile and Hippo. Caprivi land based activities include exciting game drives and walking safaris, while the tranquil waterways are ideal for game viewing by boat, canoeing and tiger fishing. Birdwatchers will have a wonderful time spotting more than 400 species of bird.. The Caprivi Strip is a narrow strip of land wedged between Angola, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This Namibia safari destination is simply outstanding when combined with the surrounding attractions of Chobe, Okavango and Victoria Falls which are just a day trip away. Hope you like our video. Please like and subscribe for more info and footage to come. In the future plans we will make a video of the what to do and go to places when visiting the Caprivi.

Episode 8/12: Caprivi Strip Namibia... this is where you find the Zambezi river. The next leg of our trip from the Kwando River led us to the Zambezi. As our trip headed for the end... we were amped to make the most of the few days left. The men went in search of the famous Tiger Fish. Catch and release. The guide at Gondwana Mubala Lodge took us out for a few hours. He was an amazing guide - each trip ended in a few fish. Tiger fish have interlocking, razor-sharp teeth, along with streamlined muscular bodies and can be extremely aggressive. The African tiger fish is the first freshwater fish recorded and confirmed to propel itself out of the water and capture flying birds. A tiger fish can live up to about 6 to 7 years. What does a tiger fish eat? They are fierce and voracious predators, feeding on whatever is available. While they mostly eat other fish, they will also consume some detritus and plant matter. The African Tiger Fish also serves as a food fish for many natives. Why is it called a tiger fish? It is called Tiger fish because of its hunting style and aggressive nature. It can move like a torpedo and it could be extraordinarily fast. The physic of its body enables it to move with a very high velocity. Do tiger fish have teeth? The goliath tigerfish is one of the most fearsome freshwater fish in the world and are said to be much bigger and deadlier versions of the piranha. It has 32 teeth that are of similar size to those of a great white shark and has been known to attack humans and even crocodiles before. After driving around we decided to stay at Gondwana Mubala Lodge. What a splendid campsite and lodge. They have an exclusive part to the lodge that is only accessible by boat. The part that stood out for me in the Caprivi is the green lush areas, all the animals and chameleons, giving it an island feel. Why is the Zambezi so special? Well let me tell you... Why is the Zambezi river famous? The Zambezi is the fourth longest river in Africa, after the Nile, Congo, and Niger Rivers. It is the longest east flowing river in Africa. It flows through six countries on its journey from its source in north-western Zambia to the Indian Ocean, an amazing 2 700 km. The Zambezi River (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. The area of its basin is 1,390,000 square kilometres (540,000 sq mi),slightly less than half of the Nile's. The 2,574-kilometre-long river (1,599 mi) arises in Zambia and flows through eastern Angola, along the north-eastern border of Namibia and the northern border of Botswana, then along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe to Mozambique, where it crosses the country to empty into the Indian Ocean. The Zambezi's most noted feature is Victoria Falls. Other notable falls include the Chavuma Falls at the border between Zambia and Angola, and Ngonye Falls, near Sioma in Western Zambia. What lives in the Zambezi River? The Zambezi River is widely used by wildlife and humans alike. Hippos, crocodiles, baboons, elephants, hyenas and lions are some examples of wildlife you might find along the Zambezi. You might want to reconsider your swim.

8 days 2100km through the North of Namibia. The tour started in Grootfontien Meteorite Camp, 3km from the biggest Meteorite in the world called the Hoba Meteorite. More info on campsites in our "where to stay in Namibia" playlist - including pricing as in 2021.We spend 1 night in Grootfontein, visited the meteorite and headed for Tunkwe, about 50km from the Khaudum National Park entrance. The park has a campsite in the south but it is under construction and one can not stay there now. The north gate has a campsite as well, but were to pricey.Day 1 we explored the Southern side of the Khaudum, on day two we drove from south to north and headed for the Kavango River.Tent issues? Car issues? First night at the Tunkwe Country lodge I made the mistake of keeping the tent light on but only with mesh closed... that made happy hour for all insects and I learnt from this rookie mistake as the mesh is obviously not small enough to keep everything out.On day 2 driving to Khaudum, our cart showed a battery light but with a slight wiggle I think what ever was loose and made bad connection was fixed and we finished the entire trip without having to worry about that again.The Khaudum itself is not for the feint hearted and not for sissys. The roads are 4x4 thick sand, but the environment is scenery is worth the long hours on not much km. A lot of elephants and wildlife, I can recommend doing this, even if it is only once in your life. The entrance fees for the park is very reasonable, the park it self is quiet. The road outside the park in the North heading to the Kavango river is a different story, that 40km you can work on about two to two three hours to finish the 40km.Khaudum National Park is an isolated Nature Reserve situated in the Kalahari Desert at the west of the Caprivi Strip in northeast of Namibia. It is a very remote and inaccessible reserve but is home to some magnificent animals such as the lion and the hyena. The park also has a campsite for visitors. At the Okavango river we stayed at Oukacuito River Camp. Amazing campsite. Each campsite has a thatched lapa and fridge. Fishing trips and cruises can be arranged. Comunal Ablution blocks, each site has electrical points and lights. Wood can also be bough at the restaurant at N$60 per bag. After a week of fun times spend with friends and many km, the group split up. Me and the kids did the longest drive, we drove from Okacuito to Mount Etjo, roughly 600km. When doing this trip one thing to keep in mind is that you will get to a police stop where they check for raw meat. Please make sure to have all your meat cooked or eat it all. This is due to foot and mouth disease. Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by viruses that belong to the Enterovirus family. As I was saying we finished our tour at Mount Etjo, close to Omaruru. Mount Etjo Safari Lodge is located in the heart of the Okonjati Game Reserve. One of the first private Game Reserves established in Namibia and founded by world-renowned conservationist Jan Oelofse. Home to over 8000 animals and a impressive variety of bird species the Okonjati Wildlife Sanctuary is a true Conservation Area, this historic lodge deservedly carries the name “Etjo”, meaning place of refuge. Mount Etjo Safari Lodge is where the most important Declaration towards Namibia's Independence was signed in 1989 (The Mount Etjo Declaration).Experiencing Wildlife activities and Enjoying Nature on the Okonjati Game Reserve is memorable and everlasting , while enjoying exquisite cuisine and luxurious accommodation, Mount Etjo Safari Lodge is and remains one of the most favorite destinations to visitors from around the world. License Options: tubebackrmusic.wixsite.com/tubebackr♬ ♬ You may use my music in your youtube videos, just credit me in the video description.. copy and paste..Artist: tubebackrTrack: RISE@tubebackrhttps://links.fanlink.to/tubebackrCreative Commons License. Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-ND 3.0)Chasing Gravel website: www.chasinggravel.comMerchandise store: www.chasinggravel.comFollow us on Instagram: chasing gravel

The dunes are alive SANDSTORM - NAMIBA DESERT Have you ever been in a sandstorm?? You might think that goodness this is a lot of sand - but it is so pretty. We stopped at the side of the road, to witness the sand dancing off crown of the dune. Nature at work is pure magic, raw beauty. What is the Namib desert? The Namib is a coastal desert in southern Africa. The name Namib is of Khoekhoegowab origin and means "vast place" It’s easy to imagine that the world has always been just as we found it. Take the Sahara, for example, which just 12,000 years ago, was a mixture of green savannah grasslands and forests. It was inhabited by the kinds of charismatic African mega-fauna that makes us all want to go on safari. Not so the Namib Desert. The Namib has been dry for at least 55 million years, and possibly as many as 80 million. While it may not be the world’s largest desert, it is almost certainly the oldest. Parts of the Namib rival South America’s Atacama Desert as the driest place on Earth. Some parts average just 2mm/0.08in of rain a year. Even when there were more than a million lions in Africa, they never managed to survive in the Sahara Desert. And yet, against all odds, a small population of desert lions exist in the Namib Desert. The lions somehow eke out an existence along the beaches, sand dunes and barren mountains of the Kunene region of the northern Namib Desert. The lions of the Namib nearly fell extinct during the 1980s. And setbacks still occur. Of the five males featured in the recent National Geographic film Vanishing Kings: Lions of the Namib, four have since been killed. But the population has made a remarkable recovery, with 180 to 200 lions thought to survive. Few first-time visitors to Namibia know that elephants survive in the Namib Desert. Even fewer can explain how that can possibly be. That the world’s largest land mammal can survive in one of the driest places on the planet is indeed a miracle. These desert-adapted giants are slimmer than their savannah brethren, and their feet are wider – the animal kingdom’s version of soft-sand 4WD tyres. Poachers nearly wiped out the population during the 1990s, and it remains imperilled. Accurate figures are difficult to come by but as many as 600, and as few as 100, are thought to remain. As for lions and elephants, so, too, for rhinos. Save the Rhino Trust claims that Damaraland is home to Africa’s largest population of free-ranging black rhino. This is remarkable as Damaraland is a barren region of treeless mountains, sand dunes and gravel plains. Poaching remains a concern, but for now the population survives. Better still, a small number of high-end Damaraland lodges offer the chance to go rhino tracking as part of their conservation-meets-tourism programs. The Namib Desert is one intriguing place, mystery, beauty, moments that will leave memories to last a lifetime. There is a few companies that can take you to explore this magic!

Episode 1/12: Northern Namibia - The gateway to Damaraland and Kaokoland - Brandberg Whitelady Lodge. Episode 1/10 We have just embarked on our 3 week trip to the North visiting the Kavango and Caprivi. Every time I ask myself how will the kids take the road, pitching camp almost everyday. We enjoy driving with a floor tent as we like to drive around and explore at every campsite we stay. What is so special about Brandberg? It is the highest mountain in Namibia. What is the Brandberg rock? The Brandberg Massif or Brandberg Intrusion is a granitic intrusion, which forms a dome-shaped massif. It originated during Early Cretaceous rifting that led to the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean. ... Remnants of Cretaceous volcanic rocks are preserved in a collar along the western and southern margins of the massif. How was Brandberg mountain formed? Over 120 million years ago, a single mass of granite punched through the Earth's crust and intruded into the heart of the Namib Desert in what is now northern Namibia. Today the mountain of rock called the Brandberg Massif towers over the arid desert below. Why is Brandberg a heritage site? It has an exceptionally rich palaeo-archaeological heritage with a high concentration of prehistoric rock art (more than 43 000 paintings and 900 sites alone). The two genres of rock art (engravings and paintings) are found in close association in the Brandberg and more than 120 archaeological sites have been recorded. More about our campsite that we stayed at the first few days of our Adventure trip... Brandberg White Lady Lodge in Damaraland is named after Namibia's most famous rock painting south of Torra, in the Namib Desert, is the Tsiseb (pronounced See-seb) Conservancy, which also partnered with a private business to open the lodge. The lodge was opened in 2004 and it is an ideal base to explore Damaraland, Brandberg and search for elusive desert elephants. It is very spacious campsite. Fire pit and a lot of trees for shade. They don't have electrical points at the campsites, so please remember your solar panels! Ablution is open air - hot showers and a unique door... leave that for you to explore. A few of the sites has a basin for your kitchen needs. All in all we love this campsite!!!! The swimming pools are amazing - one for the bigger kids and adults and a kiddie pool. The sunset spot will leave you in awe - when the sun sets on the "Brandberg" it is not something that can be explained. It is something you have to witness yourself. Wildlife is in abundance. When lucky you can have the desert elephants walking through the campsite. Scorpion hunt at night with your UV light. During the day you can visit Elephant rock, Cultural Village, Balancing rock, Landcruiser Hill, scenic river rides and many more. Please like and subscribe if you would like to see what we get up to over the next few weeks. Also feel free to have a look at our older videos - Damaraland and Kaokoland and the biggest open air gallery. Credits: Footage: Chasing Gravel Creator: Chasing Gravel Music: MBB Destination @brandbergwhiteladylodge

Episode 3/12: Travel Africa - Off the beaten track adventures. Follow us on our roadtrip throuhgh Northern Namibia, where we made most of the time we had visiting alot of the lodges and campsites for you to view. Catch and release Tiger Fishing on the Zambezi and dinner cruises. This specific episode is about keeping busy on the road. As most will know travelling with kids is not that easy to keep them busy while driving. We did almost 10 000km in one month. My kids were champs. Singing songs and playing games in the car and when going gets tough... taking a nap to make the time pass even quicker. In this episode you will see Etosha National Park. What is Etosha National Park in Namibia? What is Etosha National Park famous for? Etosha is famous for its wildlife For example lion, elephant, leopard, giraffe, cheetah, hyena, springbok, two kinds of zebra, eland and many more species of wildlife are found here. The Etosha Park was already declared a nature conservation area under German administration in 1907 by the governor of German Southwest Africa, Friedrich von Lindequist. The protection area at that time was four times bigger than today. How big is Etosha National Park? 22,270 km² Why does Etosha mean great white place? In the language of the Ovambo tribe, Etosha means 'great white place', a name passed on to the first Europeans to come across this “immense hollow”, Sir Francis Galton and Charles Andersson in 1851, with the help of travelling Ovambo traders. Unique for: It has a saltpan so large that it can be seen from space. Wildlife spotting opportunities: black rhinos, lions, leopards and giraffe can all be seen her. Birdlife: more than 340 species of bird have been recorded within the park. Great for: the whole area is malaria-free Inside the park you will find 3 loding and camping at NWR. Oukakeujo, Halali and Namatoni. Our favourite is Oukakeujo. We love the waterhole and the variety of pools, also the shop here is stocked well. Fuel is available and a gift shop. Our rest stop for the evening was at Kupfer Quelle, Tsumeb. Tsumeb (Otjiherero name: Okavisume)[2] is a city[3] of 15,000 inhabitants and the largest town in Oshikoto region in northern Namibia. Tsumeb is the "gateway to the north" of Namibia.[4] It is the closest town to the Etosha National Park. Tsumeb used to be the regional capital of Oshikoto until 2008 when Omuthiya was proclaimed a town and the new capital.[5] The area around Tsumeb forms its own electoral constituency and has a population of 44,113.[6] The town is the site of a deep mine (the lower workings now closed), that in its heyday was known simply as "The Tsumeb Mine" but has since been renamed the Ongopolo Mine. This concludes our trip enroute to the Kavango - North Namibia. Episode will feature our first pitstop in the North. Music: Song 1: Memories - Tobjan Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/2ql07h Social media: ►Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/30Nr7bnNn…wOTqaGJMTMn79n0Q ►Instagram: instagram.com/tobjanmusic ►Facebook: facebook.com/tobjanofficial ►Soundcloud: @tobjanmusic ►Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCCBdrWZb…iew_as=subscriber Video Creation: CG Marketing

Epoisode 9/12: The Great Zambezi - found in the Caprivi strip and border river to countries. As our time came to an end at the Zambezi, I could not help feel a bit sad. We absolutely loved it here. Unfortunately we could not do the day trip out to Victoria Falls but this would have been amazing - due to border lockdowns still and pandemic. Why is this the Great Zambezi? The Zambezi River is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. The area of its basin is 1,390,000 square kilometers, slightly less than half of the Nile's. This is truly a spectacular river, mighty... a lot of waters. We spend our week here camping, exploring the surrounding lodges and areas. The lodge had nice food and the vibe was also pleasant. For the fishing we got a guide that has been living here all his life. Zuma was an amazing guide and he made sure that the fish were on the hook. It is catch and release, so I wont be able to share a recipe or how it tasted. This is an amazing fish. Looks like a piranha and gets your adrenaline pumping when it is on the hook. Tiger fish have interlocking, razor-sharp teeth, along with streamlined muscular bodies and can be extremely aggressive. The African tiger fish is the first freshwater fish recorded and confirmed to propel itself out of the water and capture flying birds. A tiger fish can live up to about 6 to 7 years. Is a tiger fish a piranha? The Goliath Tiger fish is one of the world's most fearsome freshwater fish said to be a much bigger and deadlier version of the piranha. It has only ever been caught by a handful of fishermen due to the danger it poses and the fact that its habitat is notoriously hard to reach. … It is a very dangerous fish to handle. This is a family friendly channel, we share our travels and the beautiful nature out there with you. Camping all the way and going on the roads less travelled. Please like and Subscribe and hit that notification bell. Blog post: https://chasinggravel.com/ Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/chasinggravel/

LEAVING OUR COMFORT ZONE We have started our 3 week journey through the North of Namibia. Like the headlines says we left our comfort zone in search of Adventure, off the beaten track. Our journey starts in Hentiesbay. Part 1 is short and sweet as the spirits are high and the tanks full, anxious and excited of what is waiting. Northern Namibia is home to some of Namibia's greatest wildlife, wildest landscapes and least accessible areas, from the waterholes teeming with animal life in Etosha National Park, to the forbidding dunes of the Skeleton Coast, and the imposing mountains of Damaraland to free-roaming desert rhinos and elephants. On our previous vlogs we discovered Kaokoland, Damaraland and the Skeleton Coast, untouched raw beauty. Our first stop will be @whiteladylodge Brandberg, one of our favourite campsites in Namibia. Hospitality, food and environment splendid. Movie credit: CG Marketing

Episode 4/12: Kavango, Kwando, Chobe and Zambezi Just like that we arrived in an oasis, the Kavango River. This is the first river stop. Over the next few weeks we will take you along on our journey where we visit 3 more rivers. Mobola Lodge - lodge with a twist! Swinging bridge to the bar... no that is not it yet... the bar and a few of the tented chalets is on the island. You sleep on the island in the river. How amazing is that! It was developed in such a manner that everything is private and you get the island feel. You hike through the trees on white sand and then hidden is the chalets. This was one of my best finds in a long time. The Kavango and Zambezi river is known for their free roaming Hippo's and Crocodiles but also Tiger Fishing. Tigerfish can refer to fish from various families, and derives from official and colloquial associations of these with the tiger. However, the primary species designated by the name "tigerfish" are African and belong to the family Alestidae. How dangerous are tiger fish? This fierce looking, voracious predator has eight teeth per jaw that are prominently visible when both jaws are closed. These fish often hunt in packs. While most species of tiger fish are not known to be dangerous to people, attacks on human beings are rare but not unheard of, especially by the goliath tiger fish. Is a tiger fish a piranha? The Goliath Tiger fish is one of the world's most fearsome freshwater fish said to be a much bigger and deadlier version of the piranha.It has only ever been caught by a handful of fishermen due to the danger it poses and the fact that its habitat is notoriously hard to reach. ... It is a very dangerous fish to handle. There you have it, a stunning fish, a good find if you do find them. The Kavango River The Okavango River is a river in southwest Africa. It is the fourth-longest river system in southern Africa, running southeastward for 1,600 km. It begins at 1,300 m altitude in the sandy highlands of Angola, where it is known by the Portuguese name Rio Cubango. While most river deltas usually lead to an ocean, the Okavango River empties onto open land, flooding the savanna and creating a unique and ever-changing inland delta. ... The delta swells almost three times in size between March and August. It fluctuates between 6,000 square kilometres to approximately 15,000. What does Okavango mean? Okavango in British English or Okovango (ˌəʊkəˈvɑːŋɡəʊ ) a river in SW central Africa, rising in central Angola and flowing southeast, then east as part of the border between Angola and Namibia, then southeast across the Caprivi Strip into Botswana to form a great marsh known as the Okavango Basin, Delta or Swamp. Hope you enjoyed this video from our first experiences at this might river. If you like what you see please like and subscribe to our channel. Off the beaten track adventures in Africa.