SANParks.org Forums

@stubby: The pontoon is normally moored on the SA side, Namibia border control phones SANParks when somebody wants to use the pontoon from the Namibian side. Regarding flash floods July is fairly safe as these floods (normally) occur in summer - round about Feb - April however yes it is something to keep in mind. Phone Sendelingsdrift at +27278311506 closer to the day of travel for a pontoon status report.

Travel time from Sendelingsdrift to De Hoop varies a lot. Due to water damage the condition of the road is changing as the seasons go by. Again July is fairly safe, by that time most of the earlier damage is repaired by SANParks or other road users. Travel time can be 4 hours or 2 hours (from my own experience). You can spice-up your Canon Roadhouse - Sendelingsdrift trip by taking the 4x4 shortcut at S28 12.653 E17 26.288. You will see an unmarked small track turning to the right at these coordinates - that's the road - not a time saving shortcut but very scenic. (It is marked from the other side (on the C13/D212).

Hope this helps a bit :-).

Thanks that's a great help :-) Is Ai-Ais worth a visit or night in your opinion (over De Hoop) - Just asking ?

We love Ai-Ais. It has recently been renovated, the indoor pools are great for winter time. It provides a different experience than Sendelingsdrif so not really comparable. Kids will just love it way more than Sendelingsdrift though. We visited both last year and enjoyed both for what they had to offer.

De Hoop is lovely.

Can one swim in July, it was ok in the May when we went.

I had a very experience there.

The water is quite chilly during July but yes we swam there early August with day temperatures into the 30's.

Sounds like a campfire story for the Eco

Remind me to tell you.....

But if you wet yourself don't blame me.

Is the RTP roads only for 4x4's or would a 4x2 diff loc bakkie do it?

@ototw;

This is a question very often asked, you will never get a straight answer. The local farmers go about in normal 4x2 bakkies without diff-lock but then they know the tracks very well, they seldom carry a load. However if you look closely at some of those bakkies you will see what state they are in:



Clearly it is a tough environment for a vehicle. My own answer is this: Yes it is possible to traverse the RTP with a 4x2 bakkie and you will find many testifying to that. However you don't hear about the broken diffs and side-shafts some encountered. The lack of low range and 4 wheel drive putt a lot of strain on the vehicle's differential and side-shafts in such terrain - especially with diff-lock engaged. Also the state of the tracks differ throughout the year. Remember you are mainly travelling in ravines so after heavy rains the track will look totally different than before the rain. The same track can thus be easy or impassable within days.

Thanks,I know what to do now.

Thanks to the advise,now my Isuzu 250 dteq 4x2 stay at home,planning of using the Nissan X-Trail 2.5 petrol awd, will this vehicle work, we enter the park at Sendelingsdrift en route to De Hoop.
The only hazzle now our packing space has tremendously been reduced.

Both the vehicles you mention have their advantages and disadvantages. Either way stick to the green routes and avoid the ones marked in dark red. They are bad for either of the two vehicles. The route hugging the river shoreline is very deep powdery sand with hidden boulders. The inland one has sections of deep river pebbles - very bad for good traction.



The frequently traveled routes are easy - even with a 4x2 bakkie, but your worst enemy in the RTP would be getting lost. There are route markers to keep you on the tourist routes but they are few and far in between. Also note there are tracks that does not appear on the map - avoid them! Once you are lost it is easy to find yourself on the wrong, less traveled track. Those are the ones that will bog you down and have you in trouble. A rout-able GPS with Tracks4Africa is a sure way to keep out of trouble. Dont' have the GPS decide which route you should take. Use a map (or MapSource) to decide on your route up front and program it on the GPS - it is the surest way to reach your destination in RTP.

Hope this helps more than what it may be confusing!

Which GPS should I buy? a garmin or tom tom,or am I out of date with this also??

I have a navigator on my cell,but its senseless without reception,therefore, I do not have a GPS,before I head out and go and buy a GPS,rather advise me what work and what is useless.

Tracks4Africa is ment to run on Garmin products to begin with. Your average GPS Street Navigator such as the Garmin Nuvi 200 is not a rout-able GPS - that's why they are called "Street Navigators". You need a proper GPS with multiple routing capability - such as the Nuvi 1410 or Nuvi 500. Along with that a computer on which you can install Garmin MapSource - it is bundled on the CD you get with Garmin Streetmaps. Then you need internet access to activate the software and register your GPS on the Garmin site. The latter can be done by the sales outlet as well - such as Outdoor Warehouse.

Once all is installed you can plan your route on the computer using MapSource on the T4A map, then download the route to the GPS. You can try doing it on the GPS directly but it is difficult (and very frustrating to me). It is a bit of a process but once you have the hang of it, it is a great tool to have.

Can someone advise on the following for the Richtersveld please? Is firewood available for purchase at Sendelingsdrift? How well stocked is the local shop here? thanks