Namibia, Africa - Okonjima Bush suite, August 31, 2012

Driving from Cortina to Venice (2 hours); Flying from Venice to Paris (2 hours); Quick train into Paris for dinner; Overnight flight from Paris to Johannesburg (10.5 hours); Flying on old 727 from Johannesburg to Windhoek, (2 hours) Namibia; Pick up Jeep Sahara 4X4 (fun vehicle to have on desolate desert roads and game drives) and drive 2 1/2 hours to Okonjima Bush Camp. Whew! This makes for a long journey plus we got lost in the Namibian desert.

We are doing a self drive safari through Namibia. We are staying at different camps and lodges through the savannah and the desert. We will see the Namib and Kalahari deserts and the Skeleton coast and visit Etosha National Game Park as well as a couple of private game parks.

A 4 X 4 is a must in Namibia.  The Jeep was awesome for us, as we could pop off the top over the front seats quickly.   Driving was a blast.

The Okonjima Bush Suite is like having your own luxury home in the savannah complete with your own guide, chef, housekeeper and gardener. They were waiting for us when we arrived with drinks, fires burning in the inside fireplace and outside fire pit and dinner to start and serve on our command. They told us that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie also stayed here. We were not impressed but the animals around our floodlit water hole were impressive.

Our own chef made our own private dinner

Our room

The bathroom

Inside our Suite

The Okonjima Bush Suite Entrance

Our Room

The room opens to a patio overlooking a firepit and the watering hole.

Okonjima means "Place of the Baboons". It is a conservation camp where they rescue animals. They also put collars on some animals to track and observe them.

After taking a shower built in the great outdoors, having a nice dinner, and relaxing for a bit, we went out on a night game drive, only to be followed up by an early morning game drive.

Albert was our driver, and we tracked a leopard. We found an Aardvark which is a rare find. They are an animal that has DNA that hasn't changed from dinosaur times. Along the way we spotted giraffe, oryx, kudu, heartebeast, and mongoose. We also found the elusive wild dogs.

Our game drive

Helmeted Guinea Fowl

Red hornbills and Guinea Fowl

Wart Hog (males have 4 warts on their faces and females have 2)

Crimson Breast Strike bird

My favorite animal---the southern Giraffe

Meercat (Timon)

Leopard has a collar because it was a rescue leopard and they are reintroducing it to the wild on their reserve

Oryx

Wild Dog (not related to the domesticated dog)

Green bee Eater

Zebra

Scott going on a game drive

Here is a list of animals we saw today.

Aardvark (quite a find)
Montiero Hornbill
Helmeted Guinea Fowl
Red Billed Spur Fowl
Steenbok
Warthogs
Crimson Breast Strike Bird
Oryx
Greater Kudu
Meercat
Southern Giraffe
Tortoise
Baboons
Heartebeast
Scrub Hare
Spring Hare (moves like a Joey)
Leopard
Swallow tail bee eater (green bird)
Masked Weaver Birds (yellow with black face)
Wild Dogs
Korhaan birds