Kaokoland & Puros
Namibia & South Africa, July – August 2024
Day 15 – Jul 25: Opuwo – Kaokoland
After our Himba experience it was time again to leave the human world behind, and drive deep into one of Namibia’s most remote and desolate areas, Kaokoland.
There is not so much wildlife in Kaokoland, as it is very dry and inhospitable. But it offers one of Namibia’s most breathtaking desert scenery and is an absolute thrill to explore. Most roads here are only narrow sandy tracks and sometimes bone- and nerve-breaking rocky trails. This is the ancestral land of the Himba, and Namibia at its best!
Our destination was Marienfluss, close to the border with Angola. This vast place had been on my “to visit” places ever since my first trip to Namibia in 2015, for its spectacular scenery and sheer remoteness…
From Opuwo we first drove northwards, soon leaving behind the last few Himba settlements. After a few hours driving, following our GPS, I started to have the feeling we were not going where I wanted to go… Our destination was clear on the map, but the GPS indicated said “Van Zyl’s Pass ahead”. Ouch…! The Van Zyl’s Pass is the most dangerous mountain pass in Namibia, and only drivable for the absolute most experienced off-road drivers. It is therefore strictly forbidden with a rental car, as it is simply too dangerous. Lucky I found out on time, before it would have been almost impossible to turn around the car…!
So we turned around and soon got back on the actually planned route. The sand trail soon changed into basically a long pile of sharp rocks, laid out in a long narrow trail over the mountains ahead of us… Not an easy drive, but quite exhilarating! Unfortunately our little detour meant that we didn’t have enough time left to make it to Marienfluss. So after we had cleared the mountain pass we decided to set up camp, as the sun was starting to set. We found a beautiful spot to camp, overlooking the vast Namib desert plains right down in front of us.
The sun was soon gone, and temperatures started to drop fast. The sky was filling up with stars, and the Milky Way became increasingly clear, as every night in Namibia! Time for campfire, some wine and a braai.
Day 16 – Jul 26: Kaokoland – Puros (Ngatutanga Campsite)
We enjoyed warming up under a slowly rising sun, before we were heading further down the mountain pass and to the desert plains ahead of us. Along the route we kept looking out for leopards, as somehow I had the impression they must be around. We came across a few Himba girls herding their goats here up in the mountains, but no leopards… The few Himba herders here clearly don’t see many tourists, as they refused to come to our car for some lollipops; so we just tossed the sweets as far as we could, for them to pick up. Big smiles!
We slowly closed in on Puros, and in the far distance we could see the green valley of the Hoarusib river; one of very few places in this part of Namibia where water flows underneath the riverbed and occasionally reaches the surface, providing water for the sparse wildlife.
“PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE FOOD WHERE IT CAN BE SEEN OR SMELT BY ELEPHANTS”
Day 16 – Jul 26: Kaokoland – Puros (Ngatutanga Campsite)
We woke up in a thick blanket of mist, covering the entire riverbed. This fog is fairly common here this time of year, and actually blows in all the way from the Atlantic Ocean. So we waited patiently for the fog to clear, as today’s drive to the Hoanib river basin was something to really enjoy under clear skies! I knew this from my first trip to this part of Namibia.
Southwest of Puros the Hoarusib river valley is narrowing, eventually flowing through a narrow gorge. The only way to pass through this gorge by car: following the river!
After the gorge the road splits; continuing through the riverbed all the way to the west coast, and south towards the Hoanib river basin. We turned south, and soon drove through wide open plains and some spectacular desert scenery!
