Al-Qalam 
Senior Al-Qalam journalist Ismail Suder is on yet another solo camping adventure – this time to savour the pristine desert life of the Great Karoo.
For months, I’ve been painstakingly planning a 4000 km solo camping road trip into the arid Great Karoo region of South Africa, but after two failed attempts, the idea fell flat.
The first attempt failed when I came down with the flu. The second attempt had to be cancelled because an order for crucial camping equipment – an awning for my Suzuki 4×4 that would protect me from the wind, rain and sun – was not delivered on time. Then the blessed month of Ramadan came and the road trip had to be put on hold – indefinitely.
Then last week, as I lay in bed contemplating the meaning of life, I could hear my late mother’s words: “Never give up, son!”
‘That’s it, I muttered. ‘I am going,’ – attempt number three!
A few days later, after fajr salah and lots of dua for protection, I hit the road with Bismillah on my lips.
It was also the day when fuel prices went up, but it wasn’t going to stop me – not now.
The moment I hit the freeway towards PMB, I felt a mixture of euphoria and liberation. My first stop was at the Glensheiling campsite, set in the lush green countryside of Nottingham Road, in the Midlands. But before that, I dropped in at the only halaal establishment called the Field House Café & Musallah, which serves the finest burgers, shawarmas and pizzas. Set on a sheep farm, the corrugated iron farmhouse-style café was a welcome sight after a monotonous drive from Durban. After Zohr Salah read at the onsite Salah quarters, I was ready for my first night of camping.
Back at the “Glensheiling” campsite, Julie, the owner, welcomed me warmly. I set up camp opposite the lake and climbed up to my rooftop tent and went to bed, lulled into sleep by the sounds of night birds and crickets. The campsite is set alongside a privately-owned indigenous forest where you could go on trails alongside a gurgling stream.
The next camping spot was about 40km away, close to Howick, called Bushwillow. The manager, John and his wife made sure I was comfortable. It was Easter weekend and the campsite was buzzing with people – including shrieking kids, but my campsite, set opposite a trout dam, looked stunning as the waters shimmered in the moonlight night.
By the time you read this, I would be camping at the spectacular Mahai campsite set beneath the foothills of a mountain in the Royal Natal National Park.
The Jimny is a little mountain goat eager to take on any mountain or river crossing. So many people ask me: “Aren’t you afraid to travel & camp solo? Don’t you get lonely on the road? What would you do in an emergency in the middle of nowhere?
If I still have fuel in my tank, then I might still forge on to the Karoo National Park to camp amidst the nama-Karoo shrubs and hills to absorb the beauty of quiet Karoo nights – if Allah wills.
In January last year, I undertook a 5000km road trip – 40 days in all – camping all along the coast of the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, the Atlantic West Coast, Namaqua and almost to the border with Namibia. This trip is somewhat different. The route will take me into the vast semi-desert natural region located in the central and western interior of South Africa. It spans 400 000 square kilometres, making it one of the largest arid regions of the country.
The only advice my brother Yusuf gave me is: “Just DON’T break down in that part of the world, OK!”
*To check out Ismail’s adventures on his road trip, follow him on his Instagram channel: @jimny_go Afrika
