Sunrise Between Your Legs: Ngepi Camp, Namibia

Another upper Okavango Delta mokoro (watu) adventure with Christof, the outstanding Ngepi Guide!

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We arrived late to Ngepi Camp after crossing the Caprivi Strip, a a the second day of two day ride from Chipata, Zambia via a night outside Lusaka, riding with the very fascinating tour operator JP Botha of Blue Africa Adventure Expeditions, South Africa. He should have been more exhausted than we were since he drove and answered our endless questions about the countries in southern Africa, but he made dinner and continued to entertain us at the bar.

( From JP's website:

MOZAMBIQUE - NAMIBIA - ZAMBIA - ZIMBABWE - SOUTH AFRICA

Blue Africa specializes in hand picked tours and destinations. )

Thanks JP!

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The next morning, we were awakened by a cacaphony of bird and hippo calls, and without getting out of the tent we looked out between our legs through the door of our tent to the pink sky sunrise. What an experience, one we will never tire of, feels like coming home! Ahhhhhh! Ngepi ! Just fine, thank you very much!






This visit marks the third time we have been so fortunate as to experience this wonderful camp in remote northern Namibia. Our title today is a hat tip to the following article which really says it all about one of our favorite places in the world, Ngepi Camp :
Sunrise between your toes






This big water monitor was not really disturbed by us as we made our breakfast at the river's edge.

(Well, not too very close to the edge, for there are big crocs in the Kavango River which we really did not want to disturb. :)




Though we were quite happy to be back at Ngepi camping in our own dome tent with the occasional game to view across the river and birds galore day and night,

we highly rec the other forms of accomodation there, some details of which are pictured below.












Ngepi is "famous" for its humorous "toilet and shower theme park." These facilities are without a doubt some of the most photographed ablutions in the world! With all the beautiful scenery and birdlife to take pictures of, at first it might seem strange to think that people are taking pictures of toilets. Don't laugh, you just really must experience them for yourself!





The new waterfront building for dining, reading relaxing is really welcoming after days on the road, and it is a great viewing platform as well!





We really cannot emphasize enough the importance of the local staff who work very hard to make your experience memobable and enjoyable. Thanks again, guys!




Below are some pictures from our Mokoro ride with Guide Cristof, with chasing each other during our island walk and us as well! What a real adventure it always is, made safe by this very experienced and knowledgeable guide! Thanks for another great time, Christof! Ngepi Rocks!







We were delighted to see all the sustainable improvements at Ngepi this trip, including solar power and water heating! Great job, Mark and Margie!






Fishing for tigerfish at Ngepi is sustainable 'catch and release,' and depends on your luck, but what a fish that one is, all colorful and a mouth full of BIG teeth!








Brother Reggie always tells us before we leave for Africa to be on the lookout for Tarzan, Jane, and Cheetah. We finally met Cheetah, who was in this case an orphaned infant baboon instead of the chimp in the famous Tarzan movies of our childhood.

(Note: We are catching up with our posts, but will get behind again we are sure as we will leave in a few days, probably back to South Africa and eventually the Kruger Park. This was posted today from Kasane Computers, Kasane, Botswana.)


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For reservations and information on the wonderful Ngepi Camp, see their website:

www.ngepicamp.com/

Africa Self Guided Safari Series: Part 1 Prep

"Africa. Why are you going to Africa? How can you afford to stay that long? Is it safe? " These are all questions we are asked repeatedly.

Because of our trips to Africa, we have had over 1 million hits on another site where we post. Our work here will be more concise, and offer suggestions for having an adventure to remember!

Follow with us to Africa with us over the next weeks. We will post when we can. We will look forward to your interaction. It gets lonely on the road sometimes......

We will offer tips and strategies for getting the most for your travel dollar. Some of the countries we may visit are South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia. Zimbabwe and Malawi are also possibilities.

Pack Early
Cut down on stress and insure a more successful trip by packing early. Self guided safaris and backpacker style touring requires more planning than the all inclusive safari.

Write It Down
Laura uses lists in order to insure that all the essentials make it. She keeps a small tablet in a pocket and writes down things to purchase and pack as we think of them. Sometimes this occurs at odd times, i.e. late at night and she flips on the bedside light and writes it down.

Budget Planning
How many days is your trip? This summer we will stay 3 months ! We have researched places to stay where we can camp and cook 90% of our own meals. Because this is our 5th trip to Africa, and our 3rd self guided and self catering camping trip, we have an idea of what we want to spend. Staying in our own tent, and cooking 90% of our meals leaves money for guided safari drives. We have picked a number, $100 per day, and we aim to stick with this.

Money
Some folks take their ATM card and don't carry much cash. There are ATM scams and muggings in some countries these days, and ATMs are not always available out in the bush. Credit cards provide the latest exchange rate, but often include charges for use, and there are identity theft scams that raise concern. Traveler's checks are safe, but sometimes harder to use than cash, or cost a 5 % or more 'commission' at some lodges, etc. We use a combination of all of the above.

Checklists

Here are couple of links to packing checklists that include most everything we pack, and then some:

http://www.african-safari-journals.com/camping-list.html

http://www.african-safari-journals.com/safari-packing-list.html

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