Luxury on the Open Road: Camper-living for the ultimate Namibian self-drive adventure!

Endless stretches of both asphalt and gravel dissect and are scattered across, over and through the vast plains, hills and valleys of this beautiful country. So often the greatest Namibian adventures lie just around the next bend or just beyond the next turn-of. For the avid traveller, the adventurer at heart, nothing quite beats the freedom and wonder of a self-drive safari through this spectacular corner of Africa. But what if staying in lodges isn’t quite your thing? Do you prefer the rugged appeal of camping, minus the hassle? Well, what if we told you that there’s a middle ground? The term is ‘glamping’. A combination of the luxuries and style of lodge-living and the freedom and often unparalleled immersion in nature by camping.

Endless stretches of both asphalt and gravel dissect and are scattered across, over and through the vast plains, hills and valleys of this beautiful country. So often the greatest Namibian adventures lie just around the next bend or just beyond the next turn-of. For the avid traveller, the adventurer at heart, nothing quite beats the freedom and wonder of a self-drive safari through this spectacular corner of Africa. But what if staying in lodges isn’t quite your thing? Do you prefer the rugged appeal of camping, minus the hassle? Well, what if we told you that there’s a middle ground? The term is ‘glamping’. A combination of the luxuries and style of lodge-living and the freedom and often unparalleled immersion in nature by camping.

We set off on our trip on a crisp winter morning. The sun edging over the Auas Mountains that surround the country’s capital. Our first destination: Namibia’s most visited and most highly acclaimed national park, situated in the central north. Etosha lay ahead like a beacon. With a quick pit stop to stock up on some supplies along the way, we were travelling in style. The Hilux bakkie may have been one of many such vehicles on the road but ours was special. We had a few key enhancements, you see… On the back of the Supercab we carried with us our home for the week. Not unlike a snail, our comfortable accommodation was perfectly and snuggly assembled. Making the most of the space and permissible dimensions, the Hertz 4×4 camper came fully equipped for an utterly luxurious camping trip – with everything we might need, wish for or even dream of.

Being salted campers we are used to a far less lavish setup. What a treat it was to be able to set up your whole camp in less than five minutes! A click of a clasp, a table quickly pulled out and chairs popped open, a slight push to the tent’s top, the awning pulled open and secured… and there we were. Done and dusted! Reaching into one of the two built-in solar fridges we pulled out two beers and said cheers to a job well (and very easily) done.

We set up camp so quickly that there was still a lot of time to just chill. Later that afternoon we watched animals from the hide overlooking the waterhole below us. Back at our campsite, there was a braai-place, but we chose to cook our food on the little gas stove on the inside of our camper’s door. The fire was made simply for the sake of it. After all, what is a camp without the crackling of flames? We sat around the table, chatting and slicing veggies for our salad. The evening stretched ahead of us and it was almost too easy to feel at home. And so we sat and watched the sunset from our perch at Etosha’s Olifantsrus campsite, reminiscing about camping trips prior to this one… How much easier life had just become.

From Etosha, after a quick pack-up, we travelled back south and took an easterly turn to Waterberg National Park. We cruised over the open roads and sang along to our road trip playlist as the stunning sight of the Waterberg Plateau loomed before us. Under a massive camel thorn tree, we popped up our glamp-camp and said cheers to another day while kicking up our feet.So, if you are an adventure lover, keen to explore this amazing country, but want do so without the unnecessary discomfort and trouble often associated with camping in the wilderness, pick up a camper on your next self-drive trip! ‘Roughing it’ has never looked this good. TNN

The camper comes fully equipped with everything you may need:

Jack, compressor pipe gauge, jack block

Tyre repair kit

Safety triangle

Spare wheel toolkit

Braai bag with braai

Casserole with lid

Tongs

Shower equipment

Can opener

Cutting board

Bread knife

Egg lifter

Cork screw

Utility knife

Mugs, wine glasses, stainless steel glasses

Plates and bowls

Kettle

Cooking pots and cutlery

Mattress, sleeping bags, pillows, pillowcases

Bath towels and hand towel

Long range fuel tank 75l

220V charging system

3kg gas cylinders

Gas cooker

Geyser and water basin

Rooftop tent

Ladder and awning

Table and camping chairs

72l Fridge/Freezer

Tyre pressure monitor

Solar panel

Compressor

This article first appeared in the Spring 2017 edition of TNN.