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Campsites

In this page we have listed all the campsites we have stayed in to date. Hopefully the info will be useful to others doing a similar route. I guess it is only fair to describe our ideal campsite. Because we are completely self-sufficient, we are happiest in a very basic site, but one with a good setting. The campsites listed below are for:



South Africa    Top
 
Site Date Description
Laingsburg Caravan Park 20 June Cheap but right by the train line and N2. Used due to a vehicle breakdown.
Vanrhynsdorp Caravan Park 21 June Fair spot with reasonable facilities. 
 
Namibia    Top
 
Site Date Description
Ai-Ais 22 & 23 June Big site with plenty of facilities (shop, fuel, restaurant, tennis courts, pool, spa) on the Fish River. However, very busy and commercial. Also quite expensive especially when taking the per person s entry fees into account.
Hobas 24 June This site is 12km from the Fish River Canyon lookout and in our opinion much better than Ai-Ais. It is smaller and much more rustic. Facilities are reasonably basic but adequate.
Kokerboomwoud 25 June This campsite is 13km outside of Keetmanshoop. It has a Quiver Tree forest which is a National Monument right alongside the campsite. There is also the "Giants Playground" which is piles of rocks. However the campsite is very expensive for what is provided.
Duwisib Castle 26 & 27 June This campsite is reasonably priced (as Namibia goes) and is in a beautiful setting. Each site has a great tree and the entire campsite is situated in a grassy valley full of trees.
Naukluftberge 28 & 29 June The Naukluft Mountains are well worth a visit with a rich mixture of vegetation and wildlife, all supported by a good supply of fresh water. The campsite is at the bottom of a step valley which is a great setting but makes it quite cold at night and early morning (we had ice still forming at 8:30am one morning). 
Sesriem  30 June This campsite was in a beautiful setting on the plain at the edge of the dunes. There are a fair few facilities (fuel, shop) but the campsite was very expensive with the addition of per person entry fees.
Kriess-se-Rus 1 July This campsite is a very basic and rustic campsite in the Namib section of the Namib Naukluft National Park. It was our favorite campsite to date with few to no people, very rustic and "bush". The campsite is on the edge of a dry riverbed running through a grassy desert plain.
Brandberg 7-9 July In the Brandberg one basically finds a good spot and camps there, so there is no organised campsite as such. The spot that we selected was on the Western side of the mountain and was just perfect. So good in fact that we stayed there for three nights.
Khorixas Rest Camp 10-14 July We were stranded in Khorixas for 5 days waiting for vehicle repairs. The campsite was pretty good if one were to pick a site to be stranded. There was cable TV, a pool, a bar and a menagerie of animals to keep one entertained.
  15 July A great place for an extended stay. Small and peaceful with all the facilities.
Halali Rest Camp 16 July This is the middle campsite of the three in Etosha National Park. We saw a heap of game at the watering hole at the campsite. The campsite itself is not all that great. There is no grass, so it is very dust and was pretty crowded when we were there.
Namitoni Rest Camp 17-18 July This is the far Eastern campsite in Etosha National Park. There is obviously more water here because the site is grassed and much more spreadout. The site was better than Halali, but the waterhole was a bit of a non event for game viewing. Too much competition from other waterholes close by probably.
Tsumeb Municipal Caravan Park 19 July The caravan park is right near town, but has wonderful green grass. Such a welcoming site - all the grass - after the dry dust of Etosha.
Poppa Falls Campsite 29 July This is a great little campsite on the edge of the Okavango river. The facilities are pretty good and lots of green grass. By Namibian standards it is about average price. However, if the armed guards are anything to go by, petty theft may be a problem.
Kubunyana Campsite 30 July This was one of the best campsites we've stayed at to date. It is a community run site and is not easy to get to (4x4 required). Take a right turn just outside Kongola. After 7km on the dirt there is a little sign on the right for the campsite. The road is more of a track than a road, but it is worth the drive (4km). There are 4 sites and a number of fixed tents in a large shady knoll, not far from the Kwando River. Plenty of wildlife around, and only USD$2.50 per person per night.
 
Botswana    Top
 
Site Date Description
Thebe River Safaris 31 July This campsite is just outside Kasane, which is near Kazangula - the border post between Botswana, Zambia and Botswana. It is highly recommended that your independent traveler avoid this campsite at all costs. It is swarming with overlanders, the ablutions are dodgy to say the least, there is no running water in the mornings and the blaring music from the bar goes on to about 2am (fine if you've been sleeping in your overland truck all day, but a bit rough if you've been driving all day and are knackered.
 
 
Zambia    Top
 
Site Date Description
Maramba River Lodge 1-3 August While this spot just outside the town of Livingstone is well located for jaunts to the Victoria Falls. Although it was more expensive (USD$5 per person per night) than a couple of the alternatives, it was definitely worth it. Facilities were good, it was very green and shady and there was plenty of space.
Eureka Campsite 4 August This is the best camping Lusaka apparently has to offer. The site is about 10km South of Lusaka. It is a convenient stopover en route to the East or West of Zambia. The campsite is adequate, complete with a zebra which tends to gallop through the campsite late at night.
Zambezi campsite 6-7 August This lodge - about 20km from the town of Luangwa, on the banks of the Zambezi - was excellent. However it is only reachable via boat from Luangwa or an adventurous 14km 4x4 route (turn right - as your going to Luangwa - onto a small track about 3km out of Luangwa). We had to sleep a night on the road because it was not really safe driving it at night. There is a plethora of wildlife around. Daytime is ruled by the humans from the local village. The animals rule the night. Elephants come through the camp every night to drink. There are plenty of crocs and hippo around, and a host of other game. This spot is well worth the extra driving.
Sinda Motel 8 August We were pretty much forced into staying here - just outside the village of Sinda - because it was getting dark and the Zambian Great Eastern Highway had degenerated into a seriously potholed tarmac road. However, if it can be avoided it is well worth doing so.
Sweetwater Lodge 2 October On our second time round in Zambia we stayed at the Sweetwater Lodge, 30km North of Mkushi, on our way to Tanzania. The lodge is more setup for room accommodation but is quite and peaceful for a nights stopover on the way North.
Kipishya Lodge 3-6 October This lodge is based at a hot spring to the West of Shira Ngundu (a large Estate in the North of Zambia). This is an absolute must for anyone passing this way.
 
Malawi    Top
 
Site Date Description
Kiboko Campsite 9-10 August This spot in the middle of Lilongwe is very convenient if one needs to spend a few days in the city. The campsite itself has all the necessary facilities. It is also a favorite with the overlanders though, so be warned.
Chembe Lodge 11-13 August This lodge at Cape Maclear, on the lake shore, has the best camping in the area (only our opinion though, of course). Fat Monkey campsite is much cheaper, but is slap bang in the middle of the village. Chembe is in our opinion well worth staying in.
Zomba Forest Campsite 14-15 August This little campsite is at the top of the Zomba Plateau about 500m from the hotel. It is very basic but cheap, relaxing and the people are very friendly.
Doogles Lodge 16-19 August This campsite/bar/restaurant seems to be the spot to stay in Blantyre. It is reasonably situated near the centre of town and has all the necessary facilities (including Internet/Email). However, be warned that - especially on Fri nights - the music from the bar goes on till late and is not particularly conducive to sleep.
Forest Lodge 20-21 August This lodge is about 12km outside the main town of Mulanje, on the slopes of the Mulanje Mountain. Camping is in the rear garden of the lodge.
 
Mozambique    Top
The tourist infrastructure in the parts of Mozambique that we went to were still developing, so there were not as many campsites as we expected. However, we have listed those that we did find, below.

Site Date Description
Blue Bay Diving Lodge 24-28 August This is the only spot we could find to camp in Nacala. The campsite is 10km out of Nacala on the road to Fernao Veloso. The turnoff is opposite a large military base. The lodge has a good restaurant and pool. Arthur - one of the owners - has a large collection of books and allows book swaps.
Isla de Mozambique 29 August The only campsite at Isla de Mozambique is actually on the mainland, on the left just before the bridge to the island. The campsite is basic and is run by very friendly locals.
Nampula 30 August We didn't manage to find any official campsites around Nampula but about 15km out of town on the Ribaue road there is a restaurant at the end of a side road to the right (look for the big signposts). They allow camping for free on the farm.
Zalala 31 August We couldn't find a campsite at Quelimane so headed for Zalala which is a village on the coast. There wasn't a campsite there either, but camping is allowed outside one of the local restaurant. There are no facilities and your basically just on the side of the road, but it is right next to the beach.
Biques 1-4 September Biques is the only campsite we could find in Beira. It is really a restaurant/bar with a few camping facilities on the side. The restaurant as good food and the patrons are a mixture of expats and colonials from all over Southern Africa. They've got plenty of interesting stories to tell.
Gorongosa Camp 5-6 September The Gorongosa Main Camp was the hotly contested headquarters of various (over time) factions in the civil war. This has left it in a pretty poor shape. Work on the camp is under way, but it is still a nice clean, basic campsite.
 
Zimbabwe    Top
We didn't spent much time in Zimbabwe, and we spent most of the time that we were there with friends. However we did get to a few of the campsites up North.

Site Date Description
Mana Pools National Park 25-27 September Mana Pools is in the North of Zim, down river from Kariba. The campsite itself is pretty basic and a bit rundown, but the setting and the game all around makes it an absolute must for any nature lover. You get elephant and buffalo wandering around the camp during the day and a whole host of animals at night.
Lomagundi Lakeside Lodge 28-29 September This lodge is just outside Kariba near the Cutty Shark Hotel. It is right on the edge of the lake with big green lawns for camping. Nearby are the Warthog Bushcamp and Mopani Bay campsite as well.
 
Tanzania    Top

Karabuni Lodge 8-13 October Karabuni Lodge is the best spot to stay in Mbeya - if one has to stay in Mbeya. We had vehicle maintenance issues so spent a fair bit of time there.
Kisolanza Farm 15-26 October Kisolanza farm - 50km West of Iringa and is an ideal stopover when driving between Mbeya and Dar es Salaam. The campsite has separate facilities for Overlanders and private campers which is great, and the farm produce of vegetables and meat is for sale. We ended up helping out on the farm and with the campsite for a couple of weeks. It was good to be stationary voluntarily for a while.
Riverside Campsite 27 October Just on the other side of Iringa, this spot has plenty of spots for camping. The campsite is okay, but nothing to write home about.
Baobab Campsite 28 October About a one and a half hour drive from Iringa on the way to Dar Es Salaam, this campsite is well situated on the Rauha River in a valley covered in Baobabs. It's an interesting spot and worth a stop in.
Silver Sands Campsite 29 October This is one of the three campsites in Dar Es Salaam, and in our opinion the worst. It is 25km out of town on a pretty shitty road and the facilities are very average. It is also overrun with the overlanders. The next day we moved to Kipipeo Lodge, which was much better.
Kipipeo Lodge 30-31 October & 1 November This spot is situated right on a great beach to the South of Dar Es Salaam. If one has to spend time in Dar Es Salaam, then this lodge is well recommended.
Badeco Hotel 2 November This hotel in Bagamoyo has a grassy area where they allow camping. Bagamoyo is an interesting spot for the history, and Badeco Hotel was okay. We hear later that the Traveler's Lodge is the spot to stay in Bagamoyo.
Piponi Lodge 3-4 November 30km South of Tanga, this lodge is well worth a visit. Be prepared for a good shaking on the road to the lodge. It is right on the beach with good facilities and hot water. Well worth a visit.
Muller Lodge 5-7 November In the Western Usumbala Mts, this spot is just wonderful. It is 14km outside of Lushoto. Well worth a visit.
Masai Camp 8 November The Masai Camp - in Arusha - is a reasonable spot. It was pretty quite when we were there, but apparently can become overrun with our friends the overlanders.
 
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