For some reason it is strictly forbidden to do single day trips or so- called leisure hikes into the canyon at this time of the year. We never found out why? Maybe because it gets to hot in the canyon? Maybe because of the environment? But why is it then ok to do trips that go over several days?

However, since we got driven to the main view point by Ellis, the temporary administrator at Hobas, shortly after sunrise (5.54), it ment that by 9 we had seen pretty much what there was to see and walked what there was to walk. Linda suggested to continue to Ai-Ais that same day instead of staying at Hobas one more night as originally planed.

Getting a hitch back to the camp site was as hard as it had been the previous evening. Everybodies car was either full or they were going somewhere else. Finally, after we had walked the first three kilometers ourselves, four Russians picked us up. They were doing the exact same tour as we, just in the opposite direction, with a car and only in 22 days. Crazy people!

In the afternoon Ellis drove us back to the airstrip and interested watched us packing and pre-flying the plane.

After take-off we went down into the canyon (below the rim) which was great. It only took about 20 minutes till we were overhead the Ai- Ais Resort. As agreed we circled it twice to signal the needed pick-up from the air-strip.

There was a bit of discussion with the camp officer at Ai-Ais because he all of a sudden wanted NAD 240 for the pick-up, which was twice the agreed price. Again ... that's Africa.

It had gotten quite hot during the afternoon. We didn't feel the urge to go into the hot springs, which Ai-Ais (meaning 'Hot-Hot') is renown for. Only after dinner and when the sun had set it got cold enough to take a dip in the big swimming pool they have here. It really is low season in this part of the country and hence we had the pool all to ourselves. Nice! So nice in fact that we didn't want to go out of the water again.

Hobas Camp Site

This is, I think, the best camp site we have been to in Namibia. It is not all that much different from the others we have visited, but it is less crowded than Halali and the staff is infinitely friendlier than at Sesriem. The pool is clean (compared to others we have seen anyway) and every tent site has electricity, lights, water, benches (no table though), bins, etc. There is only a little shop that sells necessities, but that's fine. It's also 'only' 10km from the main canyon view point (the northern part of Fish River Canyon is much more impressive than the southern where Ai-Ais is located).

Ai-Ais

The pool with water from the hot spring is all the excitment there is. Not much more to report about the site. I don't think one would stay here much more than a night, but if it is on the route, it is well-worth the stop.