6 OF THE BEST

Six great sunsets to see with your 4x4

1 Tankwa Tented Camp, Northern Cape

If you walk westwards from the Tankwa Tented Camp in the late afternoon, and you see a ship on the horizon, it’s not because somebody sneaked something dodgy into your drink earlier at the camp’s Onverklaar Bar. This is a sunset photo that your friends at home will really enjoy, and one that you’ll never forget. The Tankwa Karoo is one of South Africa’s driest regions, but when the sun sets over the rocky earth, and darkness starts to gather, that ship looks like it’s bobbing out on the open ocean. The story behind the ship goes like this: TankwaT ented Camp is situated in the Stonehenge Nature Reserve, the same property where the annual Afrikaburn festival is hosted. A bunch of strange vehicles, floats, statues and structures appear each year at this outdoor music and art festival. Some of the owners of Stonehenge are also involved with the festival, and thus one year the ship cast its anchors here at the tented camp after Afrikaburn had ended. In fact, the area where the festival is held is just a kilometre or so from the Tented Camp. Most of the structures that are built for the festival are burned as part of the ceremonies, but often a few manage to survive. So if you want to take more interesting photos, drive to the grounds around sunset and take a look at all the strange structures that are standing there. Contact: Maryke 082 899 1333; bookings@tankwa.net

2 Sesriem campsite, Namibia

The Sesriem campsite is known for a few things.Yes, accommodation at this campsite is no longer inexpensive. And if you get your timing right (or wrong) there might be an overlander full of European backpackers that’s stopped there for the night. According to most tour guides and articles, the campsite is just a halfway stop en route to the Sesriem Canyon, just a little more than 3 km south, or to Sossusvlei, about 61 km south-east by 4x4. And yes, while the plains and surrounding areas are beautiful, there is one thing few people mention, and that is the unbelievable (it’s a cliché, but valid in this context) sunset in the campsite. Because for about 20 minutes the sandy terrain and the Naukluft Mountains to the east are drenched in an orange-yellow light, just before the sun dips behind the western horizon for its nightly rest. If you want the best view of the sunset, be sure to stand near the camp’s northern border. It’s more open there, and you have a better view over the plains next to the camp, as well as the Naukluft Mountains in the east. Contact: nwr@nwrnamibia.com or 013 751 2220 (Nam Wildlife Resorts’ SA number)

3 Kamchab campsite, Namaqua 4x4 Eco-Trail

One of the Namaqua 4x4 Eco-Trail’s many highlights is a night or two on the banks of the Orange River at the Kamchab campsite. To get there, you need to turn off at S28.97204, E17.99513 and follow the dry path of the 20 km Kamchab riverbed for about an hour. When you get there, you can basically camp anywhere along the river, because this is wild camping at its best. The campsite is more or less situated at S28.85302, E18.02908. Keep in mind that due to floods the bank of the river changes every year, so use good judgement. Once you’ve pitched your tent, set up your camp chair and enjoy your first beer, check your watch and keep an eye on the sun. Because when it starts to go down on the western horizon, the cliffs on the Namibian side of the river, just behind your left shoulder, will display the sun’s rays in a kaleidoscope of orange, yellow and light red. Make sure you’re ready for it, because the best colours are on display for only about 20 minutes. And once the shadows start to grow and the last colours have drained from the cliffs, you can start to make your fire, because things can only get better from here. Contact: Namaqua Tourism 027 712 8035/6

4 Namaqua National Park, Northern Cape

The West Coast has the most consistently beautiful sunsets in the country, especially during the winter and autumn months, when there are often wide stratus clouds streaked across the sky.Whether you’re standing on the pier in Saldanha or angling in Alexander Bay, you’re almost guaranteed to see a spectacular sunset. The campsites in the coastal region of the Namaqua National Park, between the Groen and Spoeg River mouths, are the best places to completely get away from civilisation. And it’s one of the few places in the country where you can camp so close to the sea while driving kilometres of sandy trails with your 4x4. Needless to say, you’ll see the sun set over the sea, something that you don’t see all across South Africa. It’s an excellent place for silhouette photos against the setting sun, and if you aim low enough, you can capture the colours of the sky reflecting on the wet sand near the water. If you couldn’t be bothered with a camera, you can simply sit back in your camp chair (hopefully with a fish on the braai) with the knowledge that you’re the last person in the whole country watching the sun disappear over the colourful horizon. Contact: 027 672 1948 of elanza.vanlente@sanparks.org

5 Kubu Island, Botswana Kubu Island on the Makgadikgadi Pans in northeastern Botswana is one of those places that you simply have to visit if you consider yourself to be a serious African explorer. The pans are more than 12 000 km2 wide, and for most of the year they are dry plains. But when it rains during the winter months it’s flooded, and your chances of getting stuck are good. So if you take the rainy season into consideration, it’s clear why Kubu is called an island. This rocky outcrop, with its collection of colossal baobabs, stands completely isolated in the wide pans, and when you have to camp here the feeling of seclusion is tangible. You’re alone here, and you need to bring everything that you need to survive with you, but that’s what makes this place so special. The best way to experience the sunset is to grab your camp chair and walk out onto the pan (just don’t drive on it) with a sundowner in hand. Sit with Kubu behind you so that the seemingly endless plains stretch out before you. Contact: (+267) 297 9612, (+267) 7549 4669 or kubu.island@btcmail.co.bw

6 Chobe River, Botswana Botswana’s Chobe National Park is known as Africa’s super park, due to its high concentration of game, and the reserve’s trump card is the river from which it gets its name.The park offers game viewing cruises on the river at sunset, and it is without a doubt the best way to see game.You can get within several meters of crocodiles, hippos and even elephants on the bank. As the temperature drops, the animals come to the water to drink, and if you’re lucky, you might see a few elephants swimming to one of the islands in the river.You don’t need a huge telescopic lens for good wildlife photos here. Indeed, you’ll probably be able to capture the eyelashes on a hippo with your cellphone! Besides the beautiful wildlife, the sun also offers a spectacular farewell each night. The lower it sinks, the redder it gets until all the air around you is painted in shades of pink and orange. You have a choice between a large boat that can take up to 40 people and has a pub on board, or a smaller private boat which will cost you a bit more. There are also operators that specifically focus on photography tours. More information: www.chobenationalpark.co.za/tour/chobe-boat-cruises