Time for reflection?
It was an early breakfast before we all boarded the coach once more for our drive to Two Rivers.
This was the part of the adventure that I had been looking forward to the most: time that was going to be spent in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
An endless straight road made napping an option for the passengers. Something that I enjoyed as I was NOT driving.
Bennett drove like the professional he is, and Mike remained awake in case there were tales to tell or information to share.
Roadside laybys.
I remember these from childhood road trips. The ones that we passed on this tour seemed clean and well maintained.
Back in the day, if you were going to spend time at one of these, then you needed to have the obligatory cheese and tomato sandwiches as well as a Tupperware filled with hard-boiled eggs.
My Mom used to draw faces on the egg shells to entertain us. A trait that continued into my adult years.
Used with permission.
This was the fellow guarding the toilets in Griquastad. I should imagine that there is an easy revenue stream to be made by those wanting to use the facilities.
This stop cost R2.00. Cheap at the price, as there is not much you can buy with R2.00.
This is Tienie, who runs the coffee/home industry shop in Griquastad.
Good coffee and baked goods on sale.
How fresh is the bacon?
This fresh!
A goat was wandering around the front of the shop, but it was the family of pigs that caught my attention.
The signposts showed us the diminishing distance to the Park.
One of the pros of being on a coach is that I was able to walk to the front to take pictures of the road ahead.
On a previous road trip that my wife and I did, I do believe I began to annoy her as I would have to stop the car, get out, get the camera out of the trunk and then turn the whole event into a photo shoot.
This way, I was able to get the shot while moving…thanks to Bennett keeping the windscreen clean.
This was to be our base for the next 3 nights.
Just outside the Park gates.
And what a welcome it was.
Something wet and welcoming…
There were drinks both with and without alcohol.
Accommodation on the lower level as seen from the car park.
In the background, you can see the chalets on the ridge, where we stayed.
The ridge accommodation offers stunning views to both east and west
Our accommodation. (More of this in an upcoming Blog post)
To quote Cat Stevens… “Morning has broken”…
And the dessert surises and sunsets are truly spectacular.
Very early morning. Well before either the sunrise or the sound of fellow travellers waking.
The clear, starry sky with the lights of the main building in the lower right corner.
There was seldom a queue for the gents’ toilets; however, the ladies had to wait patiently. But on more than one occasion, if there were no other visitors around, we kept watch while they used the gents ablutions…
Day 4
After an early breakfast, we enter the park at the Two Rivers gate. We spend the entire day exploring the park, hoping to see lion, antelope and the ever-elusive leopard. We receive a packed lunch from the lodge. Our route for the day takes us to Samevloeiing, Leeudril, Kij-Kij and Melkvlei.
We travel the dune road to Auchterlonie, Gemsbokplein, Kamerboom, Monro and back to the Two Rivers gate. We return to the lodge where we can enjoy a swim or a sunset drink at the restaurant.
One of the stone cottages that you can visit at the toilet stop.
It was in accommodation like this that the early inhabitants of this area lived.
Day 5
Another exciting day is spent in the park, alternating our route to ensure a different experience. We will have a packed lunch from the lodge to enjoy during the day.
And speaking of packed lunches… no tired sandwiches! Freshly made wraps together with some other snacks saw us through the day as there are no shops in the parts of the park we traversed.
Our route takes us through Two Rivers Gate, Samevloeiing, Monro, Gemsbokplein, Batulem, Montrose, Rooibrak, Kamqua, 13th & 14th Waterhole, and then back to Two Rivers Gate.
Time to say goodbye.
This is where a tour of this nature can fall apart very quickly. But it never did. Suitcases were whisked to and from rooms and lodge accommodation with military precision. Nothing was ever left behind, or lost.
The lounge in our Executive Suite at Dundi Lodge.
My wife and I had the top floor, which comprised a full bathroom, a balcony, this lounge and a large bedroom.
We spent the night here before visiting the Augrabies Falls the following morning.
Day 6
After breakfast, we travelled via Upington to Augrabies Falls, a waterfall on the Orange River, South Africa’s largest river.
Since 1966, the waterfall, set in desolate, rugged terrain, has been enclosed within the Augrabies Falls National Park.
The falls are around 56 m in height. The original Khoikhoi residents named the waterfall “Ankoerebis” — “place of great noise” — from which the Trek Boers, who settled here later on, derived the name “Augrabies”.
The last leader of the area’s native residents was Klaas Pofadder, who lived on an island upstream of the falls, now known as Klaas Island.
The first European to see the falls was the renegade Swedish mercenary Hendrik Jakob Wikar. He arrived at the falls in October 1778, after years of wandering in the wilderness.
When the Scottish merchant and explorer George Thompson was guided to the falls by his Koranna guides in 1824 (his account was published in 1827, and some sources mistakenly cite 1826), he was so overwhelmed by the spectacle that he decided to rename the waterfall King George’s Cataract, in honour of King George IV.
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BREAKING NEWS.
Two new awards for Travel & Things.
I am grateful for them both, but the storytelling award is the one that makes my heart sing.
In all the years that I have been publishing stories, I have strived to make them read like a travel story, rather than just a review of the properties I visit and the wildlife I see.
And it seems that my persistence has paid off.
That being said, the other award is for reviews, so I guess I am doing something right.
Travel & Things is the proud winner of these prestigious awards from the digital British lifestyle magazine Luxlife.
The awards are in the categories:
Best Travel & Experiences Blog 2024 – South Africa
Best African Game Reserves & Lodges Travel Review Site 2025.
Best African Resorts and Retreats Award 2025.
Most engaging Travel & Lifestyle Blog 2026.
And now I can add:
Best Luxury & Safari Travel Review Platform 2026
Authentic Storytelling Excellence Award 2026
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“Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?”
Edgar Bergen
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