My Ten Cents Worth

Our friends' enquiry about the weather in Zimbabwe got the ball rolling rather unexpectedly. We were on our way to Mana Pools for the summer holidays when I put a spanner in the works. I like glamping. Sadly, a wet tent doesn’t do it for me.  I’ve got the (wet) T-shirt to prove it.

Picture the scene: 2005 Kgalagadi, Easter weekend, a cloud burst and a river ran through our tent. Some of our books came floating past as we sat on crates. We covered up in black garbage bags. My hair frizzled while my sister-in-law belly-laughed, but remained perfectly groomed. Precious and I looked like drowned rats. Nothing was spared. For three days we had to share one miserable sheet.

By mid-October, most National Parks or Game Reserves are fully booked. Precious, who is a fundi on anything African, began his search. We secured a 7-day booking at Erindi Private Game Reserve in Namibia. The following facts sealed the deal

There are three accommodation options: camping, self-catering bungalows at Camp Elephant and a luxury lodge, Old Traders Post. We prefer self-catering. Camping here is a notch or two above the norm; the facilities are top drawer, and each campsite has a thatched area for the tent. Individual “kitchens” and bathrooms too.

Old Traders Lodge is luxurious, and all your needs are catered for. The lodge is situated on a waterhole; the large colonial veranda is the perfect spot to while away the hours with a gin and tonic, enjoying nature as it takes its course. Having lunch there was to be our special holiday treat; unfortunately, I was disappointed. A very ordinary buffet was served, although I did enjoy the baked pudding and custard. I recommend a trained chef with a better-than-basic understanding of a kitchen. I believe that when one pays top dollar, one is entitled to above-average home fare.

All the bungalows at Camp Elephant are situated very close to a large artificial waterhole. Comfortable benches under thatch gazebos dot the perimeter of the fence, and it’s here that some of the best sightings can be made. After our daily game drives, we would find ourselves there waiting for one of the three crocodiles to make a splash, or kill, and we enjoyed the antics of the hippos. It’s here that we saw most antelope species, elephants, giraffes, and a great selection of water birds. Sunsets are magnificent, especially when the black wildebeest kick up some dust. After the thunderstorm, a large rainbow coloured the sky at sunset.

The bungalows are comfortable and well-stocked with utensils, crockery, and cutlery. The furnishings are all adequate and comfortable. The shower was very good! We were disappointed by the maintenance staff's lack of urgency in repairing a nagging leak in the kitchen; they were aware of the problem but only attended to it after we complained.

Cleaners only come in daily on request at an additional fee, but do come in every third morning to freshen up and replace linens and towels. Given the luxury accommodations, I would’ve thought a daily cleaning would’ve been nice.

There is a very well-stocked convenience store at the gate where most necessities can be bought. The wood is excellent and the price very reasonable. We should’ve stocked up on essentials like insect repellent, sun protection, and binoculars before arriving, as these are vital for a comfortable safari experience.

Fees are charged for all game drives, self-drives too. We treated ourselves to two game drives with a very accomplished guide, Josh. He was friendly, informative, quick to spot the game, and very enthusiastic about showing us as much as possible, even if it took a while longer or meant we had to drive farther.

Seeing Black Wildebeest, Caracal, and African Wild Dog (endangered species) was special; it was a unique experience to see Springbok and Impala grazing together and to see Hippos and Crocodiles, especially with a pod of young 'uns, was a treat, both species in very unusual conditions!  Sadly, due to the severity of the drought, rangers put out lucern to augment the animals' grazing.

Erindi boasts an amazing array of diverse landscapes - from golden savannah to dense bush with mountains, natural waterholes, grasslands and pans. It was fascinating to see how the earth changed from barren and overgrazed to green once the rains came. Namibia boasts an extraordinary landscape, and its trees, grasses, and plants are varied and hardy. Single animals or small herds were common; we surmise it minimizes competition for food and water. They, too, regrouped once grazing became more abundant. Impala ewes can prolong gestation until conditions are conducive to labour. Sometimes up to 6 weeks. We missed the lambing season this time.

Although we enjoyed our stay at Erindi, it is my opinion that a 2-3-night stay would suffice. We found it quite frustrating but understandable that many roads are exclusively reserved for game-driving vehicles.  The National Road Dept. has a public road running through the park; unfortunately, maintenance is an issue, and upkeep seems neglected. We are always flabbergasted that 4x4 drivers don't deflate their tyres on gravel roads; one would think everyone knows they cause the ruts and corrugations. 

Until a decade ago, which is very recent in wild animal terms, hunting was done on this piece of land; we found many of the animals to be very skittish and shy. It was quite challenging to set up our cameras and capture an excellent shot. Eventually, we did see two lions and some cheetahs. This, of course, is luck of the draw, as many guests were lucky to experience a lion kill at the waterhole the previous week. We just missed out.

Would I return to Erindi? Certainly, if I were en route to either Etosha or Swakopmund, I would overnight there and possibly stay for an extra two days. I doubt I’d make it my holiday destination, as it’s simply too far to travel from the Western Cape; we have myriad options much closer to home.

ERINDI PRIVATE NATURE RESERVE