Namibia Day 2 - Game Drive in Kalahari Dunes

Namibia 2021

GAME DRIVE IN KALAHARI DUNES

DAY 2 : SUNDAY AUGUST 29, 2021

The morning started with a nice buffet breakfast before heading out for a four hour drive to our first lodge, the Kalahari Anib Lodge. We had lunch on the lodge patio under the supervision of an owl hanging out just above us while a bunch of Common Elands stood nearby easily ignoring us.

After lunch we set out in a four wheel drive vehicle along a rough road into the Kalahari Dunes. We soon found that our driver liked to go off road to head into the brush following different animals (a sign of what to expect for future drives). I must say, he was really good at getting unstuck from soft sand and popping over sand ridges - fun!

This first game drive on our trip was a great introduction to some of Namibia’s main residents - wildlife. As you can see in the pictures below, we were introduced to all sorts of mammals and birds. Some of the more interesting ones were the Sociable Weaver Birds (their nests in the trees were massive), Kori Bustards (the largest bird that can fly) and possibly my favorite - the Cape Ground Squirrel.

We actually had a running joke on how to pronounce squirrel by saying the first ‘i’ as a long ‘e’. You had to have been there. It was interesting to me how the squirrels actually more resembled both in stature and behavior a small prairie dog from the Dakotas compared to a typical North American squirrel.

At the end of the ride as the sun started going down, we were treated to a great tradition - a sundowner. Basically a nice light spread of snacks and drinks to toast to a great day. The first of many more on this trip.

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