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Soul places
We love discovering unknown, hidden, wild, unspoilt places - and spending the night there. Or to stay longer to get to know and feel the details of the place. That is one of the reasons why we are travelling as overlanders. These are usually the places that become true soul places for us. Because they touch us deeply in their originality, because they make us feel quiet, we feel at home and we will never forget their beauty and uniqueness.
Our favourite thing is wild camping, but this is not allowed or possible everywhere. But there are also many places off the beaten track on farms, in communities or in nature reserves that offer you the experience of wild & free camping.
In my irregularly published series "Insider tip soulful places", I am happy to reveal some of them to you. Perhaps they will become yours too?
Ohrigstad Dam Nature Reserve in South Africa
The state-run Ohrigstad Dam Nature Reserve is located in the South African province of Mpumalanga: there are several tourist hotspots and their attractions nearby, such as the world-famous, third-largest canyon in the world, the Blyde River Canyon. Or many thundering waterfalls in deep gorges. Or a green Highveld plateau with cool valleys and pine forests. Or old gold mining villages where time has stood still. We also visited these places on various day trips. But we lived in our ever-memorable, beloved Ohrigstad-Dam Nature Reserve. This nature reserve is centred around a dam and reservoir that supplies the surrounding farms with water.
After paying the rangers at the entrance gate for our permit, we drive along a narrow path alongside the lake further and further into the beautiful depths of the valley. Even here we are completely enchanted by what surrounds us: green mountains, clear water reflecting the sky and a welcoming, peaceful atmosphere.
At some point we reach a picnic area enclosed by a wooden fence, an area with a few fire pits, benches and a small ablution. And: camping is also allowed there! We are slightly elevated with our Keiler trailer 2.5 weeks above the end of the reservoir, where 7 hippos live and come out of the water to feed in the evening. Herds of buffalo, waterbuck, zebra and sable antelope pass between us and the lake every day, monkeys and wild boars visit us and green mountains rise up all around to form a breathtaking backdrop. Apart from a few anglers trying their luck on the lakeshore from time to time during the day and the rangers passing by, we are completely alone here. In total peace and seclusion, without the internet, just one with nature. We love it. There are two 4×4 tracks that you can use to explore the reserve. To work and keep in touch with family and friends, we take one of these tracks up the mountain opposite, as we have network reception there. Then we sit in the shade of our favourite tree, do our online business, celebrate the sundowner and then drive back to our small, happy world without outside contact.
Our starting point: We are standing with our Keiler trailer on the 30,000 ha Louvain farm in the Klein Karoo in South Africa. In addition to farming and livestock farming, the farm has several beautifully restored chalets for rent, a church and a banqueting hall for weddings as well as a campsite in the middle of a shady forest. We start our adventure in the footsteps of the old Voortrekkers directly from here:
We scramble slowly in our Prado along the steep, very rough 4×4 Oxwagon Track that winds its way from the farm over the Outeniqua Mountains. This Old Voortrekker Pass was an important trade route between the coast and the Langkloof for around 100 years (from around 1772 to the late 1800s). After what feels like an infinite number of bends, ups and downs, we reach the highest point of the pass with a unique panoramic view from the Swartberg Mountains in the north over mountains and valleys to the coast in the south.
As the day slowly draws to a close, we enjoy the last rays of sunshine and this breathtaking place. The setting sun on one side and the rising full moon on the other conjure up a mystical, unreal atmosphere "on the top of the world". Spending the night in a roof tent in such a place on a clear, windless full moon night is an incomparable, unforgettable experience and a privilege for us! Before dawn, I get out of bed and the spectacle is reversed: the rising sun and the setting moon create a very special experience of light and colour - I love these moments. After a hot coffee in the morning sun, we take the same route back over the pass to the Keiler Trailer. Otherwise, we would continue down the pass on the supposedly even more challenging track to the sea. We'll do that next time 🙂
Kukome Island (also known as Kukonje Island) in Botswana
This forgotten island is located in the Magkadigkadi Pans, more precisely on the eastern side of the Sua-Pan in Botswana. Here, too, we leave our Keiler trailer on a farm and go on tour with just the Prado. From the A30 motorway in the south of the salt pan, we turn left onto a narrow path that leads us further and further inland. Then, at a dilapidated veterinary checkpoint, we turn into the salt desert and into a sea of white crust stretching to the horizon.
Suddenly the island appears in front of us - now deserted and lonely, the open spaces scattered across the island used to be managed as campsites by the local community. We are immediately captivated by the atmosphere, the solitude and the scenery of baobab trees, steppe grass and salt desert. On the edge of the pan, on a small hill, lies the old Campsite 1, our favourite spot for the next few days. Can you imagine how incredibly moving it is to spend the night here under the leafless silhouettes of the ancient trees in absolute silence, surrounded only by the sounds of nature? You can find out more about this quiet place and what it did to us here in the blog article "Of salt pans, silence and being"
Mirabib in the Namib Naukluft Park in Namibia
Namibia, the land of endless expanses. We come from Swakopmund and Walvis Bay on the coast and drive back inland via the gravel road and boundless landscapes. Then we turn right, away from the main route and into the endlessness of the Namib Naukluft Park. After a few bumpy kilometres, we see a rock formation on the horizon - our destination. We pass the Tropic of Capricorn and then get closer and closer to our "rock in the surf".
Once we arrive, we drive almost all the way round it and look for a nice spot for the night. Around the rock formation there are 5 widely spaced "campsites", i.e. places where you can spend the night and make a fire. We bought the permit for the Naukluft Namib Park and Mirabib Camp beforehand at the Wildlife Office in Walvis Bay. There was no on-site inspection, but we are happy to support these organisations and the community with the permit.
Then we climb the rock from our stand and marvel at the fabulous 360-degree view over the Namibian desert in the setting sun. It feels unreal to be standing in the middle of nowhere and experiencing this beautiful, reduced nature. After a good night's sleep in absolute peace and quiet, I climb up again before sunrise, do my yoga exercises on a rock platform and welcome the day with the rising sun. So beautiful.
Namaqualand NP on the West Coast in South Africa
Namaqualand National Park is famous for its flowers, which transform the otherwise dry desert into a blooming sea every spring after the first rains. This time we choose the part of the park that nestles on the west coast of the country on the South Atlantic. After passing the park gate, we continue along a mostly sandy track towards the sea. And although it is cloudy this afternoon, the first bright flowers in all colours greet us to the right and left of the path.
Here in the park there are 10 camp areas directly on the coast, each with 2 to 6 pitches, each of which has a round stone kraal for a fire and sheltered seating. Apart from that, you have to bring everything with you: enough fuel and water, food and firewood. During our 4 days in the NP, we are always right at the front of the surf in two different areas and have an unforgettable time:
Cooking collected Lipp mussels, looking out for whales and enjoying a sundowner. Explore this wonderful landscape via the Coastal Track and can't believe what we see: roaring sea, rugged coastline and brightly coloured flowers right down to the water's edge. Small and large animals and secluded sandy beaches. Fascinating sky formations of clouds and glowing sun. Nothing but wild nature. We breathe in the purifying salt air and savour every moment. Never before have we experienced such a natural spectacle so close up and in the thick of it, by day and by night.
