From Namibia to South Africa

The plunge pool at Gekko Backpackers Campsite and Lodge.

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There are some places on this planet which are just magical - special places which have a feel about them that defies rational explanation but which have a quality that calms the soul and soothes the mind.Gekko Backpackers Camp at Citrusdal is one of those places.

Our last day in the desert, and the second to last day of the trip, was a long (500km) hard drive down from the Orange River in Namibia to Citrusdal in South Africa, about 125km north of Cape Town with temperatures as hot as any we had experienced. As we started to head out of the desert the landscape started to change, with more signs of green, areas of cultivation and eventually substantial irrigation and agricultural activities. And then we reached Gekko.

It's a backpackers lodge with everything you need but nothing particularly special(unless you count the above ground plunge pool in the back garden) set amongst an orange farm sited in an area that has been occupied by people for many thousands of years (on the basis of the rock drawings reported to be in the area). And yet it just has that magical feel.

Annette takes the plunge.

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Being cynical, I suppose it could have been due to the sun, the honesty bar that night, the magnificent beefburgers Kori cooked for tea, the fact that it was the last night of the trip and we had an upgrade to a room with a double bed or any other number of factors. ...... But if you are in the area, go and see for yourself and let me know what you think.