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Trip Planning


vespax

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We are trying to plan a great southern Africa trip in July. We want to explore Namibia, Botswana, SA and Lesotho while we are gone. I want to find caches in all these countries (and will!) while the non-geocacher just wants to see lots of cool spots. So I am asking for all of your local knowledge to help us make a great trip out of it. We virtually know nothing about Namibia, Botswawa and Lesotho, and little about the northern parts of SA.

 

Our very early route would be: Leave Cape Town! :lol:

 

Drive to Windhoek, Nam. Is it worth going to Walvis Bay? Then drive the trans-kalahari highway to Gaborne. Once there look around. Then decide about going back into SA or try a little Zim. :laughing: (avoiding donating money to Bobby of course) Then see Jo'burg. Never been there, and you Guatangers say caching is nice! Try and see that region and drive into Lesotho. Then down to PE and back to CT.

 

This is all very open. I hope to spend 3-4 weeks en route, but might be cut down to 2 if we are unlucky. Where can you suggest we go? Please share your secret spots worth visiting (ie:nice caches en route).

 

The only real limitation we have is Malaria. We have to stay away from Vic Falls, Chobe and Cabrizi Strip since the non-geocacher is expecting. Too risky from what the docs say. Could we visit Fish_Eagle in Nelspruit?

 

Thanks for all the suggestions in advance.

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Hiya Vespax, such a pity about the Malaria problems. Moz is a cool place to go and visit and not too expensive either.

 

Going to Nam and not going to Walvis Bay is like going to Cape Town and not going to the V&A and of course you must pop into Etosha up north. REALLY cool game park. Then there is Ais-ais and Hardop Dam just as you go over the border into Nam. If you have time, visit Swakopmund. If you're a fisherman, take your rod with, fishing in Nam is outstanding.

 

As far as Nelspruit goes, thats cutting it a bit fine, although according to www.malaria.org.za it is a low risk area I wouldnt risk it.

 

Zim is also a fantastic country to visit, but then again we may never see or hear from you again and your car may be part of some land claim process :laughing:

 

Botswana and Lesotho I'm afraid I'm of no help. Although I have been there, as a travel guide I would be useless.

 

If you need a spot to stay in P-town you're more than welcome to visit my humble abode.

 

Dont forget Gariep Dam on the way back down to Cape Town and if you can visit those little dorpies like Craddock and Graaff Reniet, Addo etc.

 

Good luck with the planning, I envy your trip mate!!

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Congrats Vespax and the non-Geocacher. And now if i can look into my crystal ball - i see an infant - with a good sense of direction - always poking around heaps of stones - looking at every nook and cranny as if its filled with possibilities and of course not touching a GPSr on Sundays.

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Hi,

 

Firstly congrats on the great news, secondly we are very jealous about the trip! We hope to do a similar trip once Cara is slightly older and more willing to travel long hours in a car.

 

I have limited knowledge of Namibia, but can recommend that you travel the "back" road from Windhoek (where you must go to Joe's Beer House - though sadly no more cahce there) to Walvisbaai (route C28). It is a dirt road, in good condition that takes you through some very desolate landscapes. There is also a cool cache on this route, which I found many moons ago. Walvisbaai is nothing spectacular on approach, very regimental in its planning, but the restaurant on stilts (forgot its name) is a must for having sundowners, while the sun is setting over the Atlantic.

 

From there I can recommend that you go to Swakopmund, a pretty town all round, with heavy German architectural influence. There is also a cache there. The B2 out of Swakopmund is something else - real lunar landscape that looks like something out of a science fiction movie. There was also a cache off this route, but you might want to go further north along the coast to well known Hentiesbaai instead of travelling east?

 

This is as far as my first hand knowledge goes. There is a good article in one of the recent outdoor magazines on touring southern Namibia, which might also be of some help. The guys did it in a VW Caravelle, cant recall which mag it was though.

 

Enjoy and share the photo's once back!

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The restuarant in question is The Raft, Perdix. A very firm favourite of ours - wonderful pub, delicious food and stunning pelicans and sunsets!

The moon scape cache is a must, too - there's also one on the beach near the Swakop River just outside Swakopmund, which is fun to find.

Ohhhhh ...................... would give anything for another visit to one of the most beautiful countries in the whole wide world!

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Hey congratualtions :sad:

Is the baby going to be a South African or American, and a non-geocacher or geocacher?

Choices, choices!

 

I've always thought that the canoeing trip down the orange river on the Namibian border was my favourite thing in all the world, but I guess thats out for you - and its a bit chilly right now.

Augrbies Falls and national Park looks great, but i've never been there.

 

Have been twice to Namibia and think you cant miss out on Swakopmund - a lovely small German town on the coast. i preferred Etosha to kruger park myself, so its a pity you cant go there. Ai Ais is great to stay over en route in Namibia.

Stay away from Zim, I say, and Ive heard wonderful things about Botswana, although it can be costly I beleive.

I loved lesotho when i went years back, and shame on me, have never been to the drakensberg, so do stop in there for me!

 

I hope you are allowed to get all the caches you want to en route!!!

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Thanks for all the well wishes with the baby everyone. We found out the week of the CITO event, but were keeping it quite until after the first tri. Looking at December to not sleep at night. :ph34r: The non-geocacher has been feeling really well.

 

All the suggestions sound great. Thanks for the tips and emails about where to stop and restuarants to eat at. They all sound really nice. We figure we should get to Swakopmund and see all that is out there. I see there is a Kalahari cache that has been sitting for 5 years without a FTF! Anyone know of this and has anyone driven that highway to Botswana? We are going to stop in Gaborne just to see it.

 

Where are some interesting spots in and around Guatang to see and en route to CT? We would like to swing past Wolkynou area since there are so many caches being placed out there. Place them and they shall come! We will most likely stop through George on the way back. I will try my best to find all the new caches out there, Anlufu. :ph34r: And of course PE. Always PE. ;)

 

We hope to meet up with some other cachers en route if anyone wants to meet us. We can make arrangements later.

 

Thanks again and please keep any suggestions coming our way. We still have a month of planning.

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Is the baby going to be a South African or American, and a non-geocacher or geocacher?

Choices, choices!

 

Oh, lets say African American. :ph34r:

 

dual: SA & US citizen. The only time the US allows dual is when the child is born outside the US and one of the parents is a US citizen. He/she gets the best of both!

 

As soon as I get one of those baby backpacks, geocacher! :ph34r:

Edited by vespax
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Parts 2 and 3 stopped passed the (cache ?) on the MOUNTAIN above Ais Ais after walking the 80 or km Fish River :ph34r: We were not prepared for the 400 m straight upwards climb. All the same, it was great fun, but would not suggest for an expecting mother.

 

If you are on the way to PE from JHB definitely stop past the upper Eastern Cape, Silvermere (part 3's farm) is always ready for a visit!

 

Let us know.

Have fun. Very Jealous!!!!

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Hey guy first of all congrats to the two of you.

Now why is it everybody avoids Durban we have the best winters, lovey beaches, there is nothing for the baby to worry about, i know the drivers here are abit of a pain. Everybody always just avoids us :laughing: .

Ok enough of that. There is good caching here to, As for Lesotho a wonderful a lovely spot to visit relatively unspoilt the only caches are on the KZN side, but only accessable with a 4X4, as you have to negotiate sani pass and of course your reward a drink at the highest pub in Africa. If you come from the N1 a car can be used to get to Katse Dam (one cache there) a site worth seen.

 

Thats my 2 cents worth

enjoy

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