Fri. 7th June ’24
Yesterday we tried to visit Popa Falls on the River Kavango from the south side but we told we could not enter through the Popa Falls Resort so I had a plan B for today. We needed to drive east on the B8 to our next destination anyway and off that road we could detour 2.5km to the falls. We thought we may need to pay an entrance fees, which was not a problem but when we were told to go ahead to the parking where we would be met by a guide to show us round we thought “really?”. Even more so when we were told the tour would be tailored to our wishes up to an hour or so long.
We knew the waterfall was small and close to the parking and politely said we only had half an hour max. The guide smiled and said no problem. True to his word he took us to three viewpoints throughout the Sands Resort complex which is the accommodation on this side of the river. The resort was started in 2019 but soon put on hold until after Covid. The bar and restaurant area overlooking the river and falls looked very inviting but we had things to see and places to go. Although the falls are only a few feet high the experience was worth the detour.
Back to Dave’s friend, the tarmac, and we move swiftly on to Nambwa Lodge where we are staying. Our notes said “arrive early afternoon to enjoy the facilities” and “be aware of deep sections of sand on the road”. The resort is in Bwabwata National Park so fees paid we thought we would cover the 14km quickly and arrive in time for a late lunch. Four wheel drive at the ready we set off down the not too bad sandy track. Dave did comment it was the trickiest conditions we had driven through but Mungo, as usual, took it all in his stride.
And then we literally ground to a halt about 4km from our destination. Going through all of Mungo’s options right the way down to turning on the differential lock there was no moving out of the deep sand. On closer inspection we had grounded but the tyres had not dug in that deep. Out with our shovel and a bit of digging then using the plastic tracks provided in Mungo, we managed to reverse ourselves free. We found an alternative route missing out the deep sand but that was no better so we called the lodge for help. At this point, some Germans in a standard 4×4 arrived. We explained that the sand was deep ruts and we had got stuck but managed to reverse out. They decided they could miss the ruts and get through but landed getting stuck in deeper than we were.
Help then arrived and dug out the other car using our shovel and tracks before towing it out. The Lodge staff said yep that is the spot everyone gets stuck!! Fortunately they then showed us an alternative route around the bad patch and escorted us all to the lodge. Over a very necessary beer we did feel confident and pleased that we are capable of dealing with the sand. I have been worried about being stuck in Botswana but did not expect to get stuck in Namibia. At least our 4×4 training has paid off.
We then settled down to enjoy the view from the lodge and watch the antelope, baboons and waterbuck on the open plains. Our “tent” is enormous and I am pleased to see our first accommodation with a bath and that it also has views over the plains to watch the animals whilst lounging in the bath. The room, and indeed the entire lodge, is on stilts so the wildlife can roam freely below us. It is surprising how noisy the antelope can be. We also saw warthog wandering below us and the cheeky monkeys came right up to us before scampering noisily over the canvas roof! Fortunately when night came the animals fell silent so when we snuggled up to our thoughtfully provided hot water bottles we slept soundly.