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On the C19 near the Tsaris Mountains
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Namibia NamibiaTravel TravelCompanion Companion Your YourHoliday HolidayGuide Guide2014 2014
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Namibia surpasses most other African holiday destinations, primarily because of its vastness and wide open spaces. But there is so much more to discover when visiting this land of compelling beauty: The arid south of the country provides desert solitude and the world-famous Sossusvlei dunes which are famed for being the highest dunes in the world. The Namib Desert stretches along the western Atlantic coastline resulting in spectacular contrasts a photographer’s dream. Further towards the north-east, the countryside becomes riverine and lush and animals abound – you want the big 5? You’ve got it! The Namibia Travel Companion has been structured into distinct regions to assist you with the planning of your journey. Each region showcases enlarged maps and places of interest to visit, but also describes places to stay, whether it be camping, self-catering or the more upmarket lodge. This year we feature specific routes you could follow, highlighting establishments and camps along the way. We have also formed an association with Open Africa who aim to uplift the lives of the locals by promoting tourism within their traditional areas. They say: “Some roads aren’t meant to be travelled alone” - with the Namibia Travel Companion by your side, your journey is destined to be a good one. We hope that you will be able to put it to good use and that it will become your travel bible on your Namibian adventure. “To travel is to live” - Hans Christian Andersen May your journey be one to remember! Your partner in travel,
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ibian Nal m Companio
Namibia Travel Companion Your Holiday Guide 2014
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Contents
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... . . . . . . . . . ..
. . . . . . Namib Sky Balloon Safaris Inside Front Cover . . . . African Art Jewellers 1 . . . . Welcome 3 . . . . Quick Reference & Key to Icons 6 . . . . . Magnet Bureau de Change 7 . . . Distance Chart . 8 . . . . 9 . . . Reservations Africa . 10 . . . Travel Safety Tips . 11 . . . Demographics . . . . Suggested Routes 12 . . . . The Open Africa Initiative 13 . . . . Introduction to Namibia 14 . . . . History - Shaped by the Land 16 . . .. Geological History 17 .. . . Political History . 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Central Region . 20 . . . Central Region Introduction . . .. Central Region Map & Listing 22, 23 . . . . Windhoek - In the Heart of Namibia 24 . . . . Central & Windhoek Establishments 26 - 69 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Western Region . . . . . . Western Region Introduction 71 . . 72, 73 . . . Western Region Map & Listing . 74 . . . Welwitschia Plains . . 75 . . . Gobabeb . . . Cape Cross 76 . . . . Sandwich Harbour 77 . . . . Brandberg - Mountain of Mystery 78 . . . . Swakopmund - Namibia’s top Seaside Resort 80 . . . . . Swakopmund Establishments 81 - 99 . . . . 100 . . . Walivis Bay Lagoon - Internationally Important Wetland . 101 - 107 . . . Walvis Bay Establishments . 108 - 114 . . . Western Establishments . . .. .. .. .. .. North-Western Region .. .. North-Western Region Introduction 115 .. .. . 116, 117 .. .. North-Western Region Map & Listing 118 .. .. Twyfelfontein . 119 . ... Skeleton Coast .. Burnt Mountain 120 . ... Kaokoland 121 .. .. Epupa Falls . 122 . .. .. 123 - 126 . . North-Western Establishments
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... . . . . . . . . . ..
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Namibia Travel Companion Your Holiday Guide 2014
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... . ... . ...
Contents
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... . . . . . . . . . ..
. . . . . . . . Northern Region 127 . . Northern Region Introduction 128, 129 . . Northern Region Map & Listing 130 . . Etosha 131 . . Otjikoto & Guinas Lakes . . Northern Establishments 132 - 146 . . . . . . North-Eastern Region . . North-Eastern Region Introduction 147 . . North-Eastern Region Map & Listing 148, 149 . . Open Africa Route: River of Life 150, 151 .. North-Eastern Establishments 152 - 165 . . Caprivi: A Tropical Riverine Paradise 159 . . Open Africa - Caprivi Wetlands Paradise Route 160, 161 . . . . . . . . Eastern Region 166 .. Eastern Region Map 167 . . Kalahari Desert . . . . . . Southern Region . . Southern Region Introduction 168 . . Southern Region Map & Listing 170, 171 . . Open Africa - Nama Padloper Route 172, 173 . . Fish River Canyon 174 . . Quiver Tree Forest 175 . . Garub & the Desert Horses 176 . . Farm Sandhof 177 . . Sesriem Canyon 178 . . Sossusvlei 179 . . 180 . . Sperrgebiet Kolmanskop 181 . . 182 . . L端deritz - Place out of Time South Establishments 183 195 . . . . 196 - 217 .. Suggested Routes .. 218 - 235 .. People of Namibia .. 236 - 239 .. Alphabetical & Categorised Listing .. 240 . Magnet Bureau de Change ... Fold-out Namibian Map Inside Back Cover ... Back Flap . Beach Hotel Swakopmund (Luxury Apartments) ... Namibia Reservations Back Cover ..
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Quick Reference This guide is divided into 7 colour coded regions, each with an enlarged map of the relevant region, detailing each accommodation establishment’s number which can be found in that region. The establishments are grouped under towns or specific areas of interest for ease of reference. At the beginning of each region you will thus find the enlarged map with a listing of all accommodation establishments and referenced page numbers, plus an introduction of the region and various editorials and photographs of the specific areas of interest within that particular region. A complete fold-out map of Namibia appears on the inside back cover. If you are looking for a specific place, please refer to the complete alphabetical and categorised Index at the back of the book on pages 236 - 239.
Key to Icons
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Boating
Airstrip
Excellent Views
Caving
Air-Conditioning
Bed and Breakfast
Horse Riding
Dune Boarding
TV
Camping Facilities
Bow Hunting
Telephone
Conference Facilities
Wildlife Viewing
Ballooning
Credit Cards
Restaurant
Hunting
Sundowners
Internet
Liquor Licence
Birding
Canoeing
Casino
Shuttle Bus Service
Quadbiking
Water Skiing
Swimming
Diesel Available
Scenic Drives
Children Welcome
Petrol Available
4x4 Route
Parking
National Monument
Cycling
Special Amenities
Golf Course
Hiking
Namibia Travel Companion Your Holiday Guide 2014
Bushmen Paintings
Fishing
River Rafting
Star Gazing
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Namibia Travel Companion Your Holiday Guide 2014
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8
KARASBURG
GROOTFONTEIN
AROAB
ARANOS 6
KARIBIB
Namibia Travel Companion Your Holiday Guide 2014 3
6
96
1014
680
1748 342 228
368 482
747
NOORDOEWER WALVIS BAY WINDHOEK
377 1060
662
670 803
382
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648
385 627
209
462
707
1002 1261 146 601 629 1105 185
985 213
304 893
1253 495
2048 1509
836
573 772
381
646 404
302 337 807 439 1267 812
719 1803 39 178 1474 858 385 848 926
1202
SEEHEIM 405 206 114 580 SWAKOPMUND 746 1025 662 566 TSUMEB 814 1093 1079 634
861
11
680
910 332 430
730
10
15 11
12
14 9 12.5
6
10
14 13
4
295
180 643 671
3 7
6 4
5
8 5 10
3
2
7 6
267
532 518
267 553 698
801
1596 1057
71
870 327
1351 605 1022 292 615 360
515 553 177 585 483 247 178 890 160 967 1148 629
633
887
320 202 1005 743 1084 629 272 1075 813 1154 699 274 1342 406 747 292 743 553 1195 1536 1081
996 179 594 1070 57 1138
4 1
2
4 4 13
1182 1067 452 338
114
3
3.5
5 12 13.5
3 6
1362 746 1087 632 518 1130 1209 1550 1093 981 1159 1237 1578 1123 1009
1463 1296 1637 1182 566 907
1634 1520
3
4 8.5 17
4 7
4 3
1.5
66 757 696
986 114
566 452
1021 2089
7 7
OTJIWARONGO 631 910 896 451 214 955 OUTJO 701 980 966 521 284 1025 REHOBOTH 294 573 559 292 551 618 RUNDU 1083 1362 1348 909 238 1407
1037
958 1421 1449
350 340 368
899 454 1362 923 1390 945
569
1508 778
427 313
212
481
1449 1010 672 719 274 391
223 381
MALTAHOHE 252 509 MARIENTAL 138 395 OPUWO 1184 1463 OKAHANDJA 454 733 OMARURU 634 913 OSHAKATI 1079 1376 OSHIKANGO 1125 1404 OTAVI 749 1028
957
795 1298
541
554 440
272
508
843 729
153
167 341
8
KEETMANSHOOP 366 LUDERITZ 707
6
12 2 7 15
4
7 16.5 KARASBURG 578 183 293 753 1169 KARIBIB 590 847 833 388 416 892 12 KATIMO MULILO 1634 1915 1901 1462 791 1960 1438
9
KATIMA MULILO
6
KEETMANSHOOP
665
LUDERITZ
865 851 1124 1110
MALTAHOHE 2
MARIENTAL
5 3
OPUWO
6
OKAHANDJA
5 2
9
466 538 803 578
348
98
5 6
8 3
13 9
10
12 6 9
3
8
12 11.5
9
6
494 564 831 606
376
2.5
1
5
782 380 183
70 337 452
1
4.5
4
1.5 1
4 6
9 5
6
10 2 8
2
4
8 7.5
6
852 450 253
407 770
251
714
742
366
248
318
89
710 487
445 452 520
789
3
4 3
1
7
7
1.5 3
2 8.5
6 2.5
3.5
5 2 11
5
2.5
5.3 5
2.25
1.5
5
4.5
2 1.5
5 5
10 6
7
8.5 2 9
2.5
3
9 8
1050 1443 1541 1165 1047 1117 279 1112 909 533 415 485
900 498 65
117 188 455 334
3
2 2
5 7
10 6
7
9 3 7
0.5
4
9 8.5
6 5
8 4
13 9
10
12 6 9
3
8
13 12
785 1178 1276 244 1077 874 319 283 311
136 206 340 590
254
674 630
1.5
4.5 9
9 5
6
8 1 11.5
3
4
8 7.5
5
OMARURU
3
OSHAKATI
2 1.5
OSHIKANGO
14
OTAVI
17 16
OTJIWARONGO
5
OUTJO
8 7
REHOBOTH
5
700
1495 1099
534 363 431
6 6
4
3
5
4
5 5
8 9
13 9
10
12 6 5
2
8
12 11
9
RUNDU
2 2
6
7
8 5
12 563
2 4 4
1.5
5
2.5
2
3 3
5 5.5
11 7
4
9.5 3 7
0.5
5
9 9
4 4 3
3
4
7.5
9
2 2
5 10
7 4
7
9 1.5 12
5
5
7 5.5
6
10
2 9.5
9 6 12.5
9
10
13
12
7 9
4 15
5 5
3
1 8 17
11
8
5 3
534
363
431
799
271 1162 1230 741 35 598 1197
776 965
7 4 4.5
6
7.5
11
10
5 7
2 12.5
3 3
0.5
1.5 6 15
8
5
2.5 1
3
SEEHEIM
7
SWAKOPMUND
10 9
TSUMEB
320
4
NOORDOEWER
GOBABIS 211 GROOTFONTEIN 845
3
7 8
BETHANIE
3
GOBABIS
5
4
398
6.5 3.5
3.5
5
4.5 3
2.5 0.5 6
2
3
6.5
6
1 2
2 8
7 3
4
6 1.5 10.5
4
1.5
6 5.20
10
6 0.5
4 4 9
3.5
4.5
7.5
9
2.5 2
4 8.5
6.5 3
7.5
9 2 12.5
5
5
9.5 5
7
WALVIS BAY
ARANOS AROAB 533 BETHANIE 519
Distance Table DISTANCE TIME
WINDHOEK
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Namibia Travel Companion Your Holiday Guide 2014
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Elephant crossing the road
TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS In Namibia, you drive on the left side of the road. You need to have a valid driver’s licence (get your international licence before leaving home) and ensure you have it on you at all times when driving. Always ensure you have a thorough check done on your entire vehicle – tyres, brakes & spare (perhaps even two spare tyres). A good idea is to hand your itinerary to someone so that your intended route is known to others. An updated map of the area you plan to visit is always helpful. A First Aid kit is advisable, especially when travelling through remote areas. 4 x 4 Vehicles are recommended when driving through rugged terrain. Please do not litter, but dispose of your litter when facilities are available to you. Take the same precautions you would when in any other country. Ensure your valuables are locked away when possible. Ensure that your hotel room/ car is locked when leaving. Avoid flashing your expensive jewellery. Do not pick up hitch-hikers. The wearing of safety belts is compulsory in Namibia and it is forbidden to use one’s cell phone whilst driving.
Gravel Roads 60 – 80 km/h is believed to be a safe speed on gravel roads. If abiding by this, you will most likely be able to control your vehicle when in a dangerous situation. Plan your daily route to be no further than 500km per day since this distance should take approximately 8 hours to complete by gravel road. It often happens that gravel roads change rapidly from a hard surface to soft sand, on which it becomes very difficult to control a vehicle that is travelling at a higher speed.
Tarred Roads 120 km/h is the speed limit on tarred open roads, however, 100 km/h is advisable until you are familiar with the tarred
to exceed the speed limit. Please do not exceed these limits for your own safety and that of others. Please note that not all sharp turns have roads signs indicating this and therefore it is vital that you remain alert and take regular breaks when driving long distances.
Animals If you see animals, slow down and be cautious. Do not swerve to avoid the animal as rollovers often occur when drivers are trying to avoid animals. Enjoy the sight of animals in their surroundings. Try to avoid traveling at night as certain animals are more active and thus the risk of a possible collision is greater. Therefore, always try to be at your destination by 17:00 or before dark.
Fuel As distances can be great when travelling across Namibia, ensure that you fill up as often as possible even though you may not be in need of it immediately. Make sure you have some cash on you since not all petrol stations have card facilities (normally in remote areas).
Water & Food A good suggestion is to ensure you have sufficient water and some food in case of a breakdown in a remote area where you would then need to wait for assistance.
Health The North of Namibia is a malaria-endemic area and travellers are advised to use insect repellents and prophylactics to be safe when travelling through these areas; a medical doctor or pharmacist will be able to advise you accordingly. The main concern is to sleep under a net and to use insect repellent spray and long sleeved tops and trousers/socks to prevent mosquito bites.
roads and conditions of the area. When approaching a town, the speed limit is reduced to 60 km/h. Distances are
Emergency numbers:
great and traffic is minimal, thus drivers are easily tempted
Police: 10 111 • Ambulance & Fire Brigade: 211 111
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Namibia Travel Companion Your Holiday Guide 2014
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Yellow flowers after rains
General
Demographics
Surface Area: 825,000 km² Capital: Windhoek Independence: 21 March 1990 Political System: Democracy; Leading party: SWAPO President: Dr Hifikepunye Pohamba Freedom of religion: 90% Christian
Population 2.1 million people 240 000 inhabitants in Windhoek (15% of the population) Population density: 2.2 people /km² Language: English is the official language of Namibia. Afrikaans and German are also widely spoken. In total 16 languages and dialects are spoken by 13 ethnic cultures.
Climate Namibia is one of the driest countries south of the Sahara. 70% of the country’s rainfall occurs between December and March. Temperatures reach above 35ºC in the summer months (October - April). During winter (May - September), days are warm but nights are very cold, often below 0ºC. The country is wedged between the Namib Desert in the west and the Kalahari Desert in the East.
Money Currency: The Namibian Dollar (N$) is fixed to the value of the South African Rand (ZAR/R) which can also be used as legal tender. All major credit cards are accepted. Banking hours: Mon - Fri: 09:00 - 15:30 | Sat: 08:30 - 11:00 VAT Refunds: For purchases exceeding N$ 250, foreign tourists can obtain a VAT refund (15%) at their port of exit, provided that all cash slips have been kept. Tourism Levy: All accommodation establishments are obliged by law to charge a tourism levy of either 1% (all inclusive rate) or 2% (BED or B&B rate).
Telephone/Communication Namibia has direct dialing facilities to 221 countries www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
Mobile communication is well supported by various service providers with international roaming agreements in place with over 100 countries. Dialling codes: Calls from outside Namibia: Country code: ++264 plus Area code (without the “0”) plus telephone number (usually 6 digits) eg: ++264 61 123456 Calls from inside Namibia: Area code (eg: 061 or 067, or 064 etc) plus telephone number, eg: 061 123456
Transport Only about 12% of all roads are tarred; within the country gravel roads are predominant. Harbours: Lüderitz and Walvis Bay Main Airports: Hosea Kutako International Airport (40 km outside Windhoek) and Eros Airport (within Windhoek) mainly domestic charters. Otherwise, many airstrips (approx. 45)are available Extensive network of regional and international flights to Windhoek; domestic charters to all destinations. Public transport: Very limited Bus service: Whk-Cape Town-Johannesburg-Vic Falls-Swakopmund. Travel by train: operates between Karasburg in the south, Windhoek in the central, Swakopmund in the West, Gobabis in the east and Ondangwa in the north.
Flora & Fauna Namibia boasts 120 different species of trees, 200 endemic plant species and more than 100 lichen species. The Welwitschia Mirabilis is Namibia’s living fossil plant. On the Fauna front Namibia offers the big 5: Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Elephant and Rhino, plus Cheetah and Giraffe and about 20 antelope species and hundreds of mammal and reptile species, not to forget over 670 bird species. Nature reserves cover 15% of the entire surface area. Perennial rivers run only in the south (Orange River) and the north (Kunene, Okavango, Zambezi and the Kwando/Lynianti/ Chobe) whereas ephemeral rivers run only during the rainy season (i.e. December to March), amongst those are the Fish River, the Kuiseb, the Ugab and the Swakop Rivers. Namibia Travel Companion Your Holiday Guide 2014
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Footprints in the sand
Dead Vlei in Sossusvlei
SUGGESTED ROUTES For the first time, the Namibia Travel Companion is featuring “Suggested Routes” to assist the self-drive tourist to plan ahead.
that particular route and reference is given to the page num-
All routes are featured at the back of this publication as follows: Pg 196, 197 Suggested Routes Intro Pg 198,199 Suggested Route: Windhoek – Rundu Pg 200, 201 Suggested Route: Windhoek – Lüderitz Pg 202, 203 Suggested Route: Swakopmund – Etosha Pg 204, 205 Suggested Route: Walvisbay – Sossusvlei Pg 206, 207 Suggested Route: Etosha Surrounds Pg 208, 209 Suggested Route: Otjiwarongo & Waterberg Surrounds Pg 210, 211 Suggested Route: Keetmanshoop – Vioolsdrift Pg 212, 213 Suggested Route: Khorixas – Epupa Falls Pg 214, 215 Suggested Route: Rundu – Katima Mulilo Pg 216, 217 Suggested Route: Tsumeb – Epupa Falls
Refer to the Distance Table on page 8 to assess driving time
ber in the publication on which that particular establishment is featured.
and distance covered on each route. This table is based on an average speed of 120 km/hr and the figures thus don’t incorporate pitstops. In addition to the “Suggested Routes”, the “Open Africa” Routes are also being featured in The Namibia Travel Companion this year. Look across at page 13 for more information on the Open Africa initiative. Three Namibian Routes are featured from the Open Africa portfolio: Page 150, 151 The Kavango Open Africa Route Page 160, 161 The Caprivi Wetlands Paradise Route
Each route features accommodation establishments along
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Namibia Travel Companion Your Holiday Guide 2014
Page 172, 173 The Nama Padloper Route www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
Open Africa is a non-profit organisation founded in 1995 under the patronage of Nelson Mandela with a vision to assist rural entrepreneurs to increase their income and potential to employ more people, by building their capacity to trade and connecting them to markets. It does this by using tourism as an economic platform to create and sustain jobs for rural communities throughout Southern Africa. Open Africa develops self-drive travel routes in rural, off-the-beaten-track place regarded as the real Africa and in which travellers are most interested, but about which no reliable source of authentic information exists. This programme is building up toward becoming the most comprehensive information source in bringing what was known as the ‘dark continent’ into the light for aspirant visitors. Trade is the essential element of human advancement, cooperation, collaboration, discovery and prosperity.
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Trading is what makes entrepreneurs, what drives the wheels of society, what creates jobs and gives people a purpose in life. Trade is where people find one another, what connects and liberates them from isolation. Since its inception Open Africa has created 62 selfdrive travel routes in six countries across Southern Africa, supporting 2 454 businesses which employ approximately 28 438 people. By travelling on Open Africa’s off-the-beaten track selfdrive travel routes, travellers will create and sustain much-needed jobs in local communities. Offering lifeenriching experiences that at the same time support local people is why Open Africa exists. For more information about Open Africa, visit www.openafrica.org and plan your next life-enriching journey.
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Steenbok
Zebra
Namibia
Introduction to Namibia
has been called many names – Thirstland Wilderness, The Land God Made in Anger and Land of Contrasts, to name a few. It is indeed a land of contrasts, with much of it wedged between two enormous deserts, the Kalahari in the east and the Namib in the west, and its north-eastern extremity, the Caprivi Strip, penetrating the tropical riverine swamplands and floodplains of Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. With its surface area of 824 268 square kilometres, Namibia is a vast country, even by African standards. Southern Namibia is characterised by extensive grassy plains punctuated with the occasional windmill, flocks of karakul sheep and the prehistoric-looking quiver tree. Its major features are Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft Park, the majestic Fish River Canyon further south, the desert horses of Garub, the quaint harbour town of Lüderitz and the former diamond settlement, Kolmanskop. The central region is dominated by Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, with the rolling hills of the Khomas Hochland to the west. On the Namib coast are many points of interest for the visitor, including Namibia’s top seaside resort, Swakopmund, the legendary Sandwich Harbour, and the Cape
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Namibia Travel Companion Your Holiday Guide 2014
Cross Seal Reserve and its affiliated lichen fields. Further north is the mysterious Skeleton Coast with its hinterland, Damaraland, a region rich in geological phenomena, and the remote expanses of Kaokoland, the land of the ochre people and desert-adapted elephant and rhino. It is in this north-western section of the country that many of the top tourist destinations are found: Twyfelfontein with its rock engravings, the monumental Brandberg famous for the White Lady rock painting and Epupa Falls on the Kunene River. Namibia’s top tourism draw card, however, is the Etosha National Park, situated in central northern Namibia, where large herds of game are seen against the ghostly white expanses of the Etosha Pan. To the east are the water-rich areas of Kavango and Caprivi, a bird-watcher’s paradise and a place for complete peace and relaxation. Supported by a good road network and an interesting mix of accommodation establishments ranging from luxury lodges and hotels to basic community campsites, Namibia has something to offer every tourist, whether a nature lover, specialist tourist, an adventure traveller, a four-wheel drive enthusiast or a person interested in local people and their different customs and traditions. www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
On the C13 near Aussenkehr
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Vessel off Namibia’s coastline
History
A history shaped by the land
Situated in south-western Africa on the Atlantic seaboard and bisected by the Tropic of Capricorn, Namibia with its surface area of 824 268 square kilometres is a vast country, even by African standards. Bordered in the west by the Atlantic Ocean, in the north by Angola and Zambia, in the south by South Africa and in the east by Botswana, the country can be divided into four separate topographical regions. The most distinctive of these, the Namib Desert, is a long narrow strip of moist coastal desert between 50–140 kilometres in width and 1 350 kilometres in length, bordered by the Kunene River in the north and the Orange River in the south. Also running from north to south is the central plateau with an average altitude of between 1 000–2 000 metres and ranging from rugged mountain ranges interspersed with endless valleys and sandy plains. The plateau falls away to the east to merge with the legendary Kalahari Desert, typified by long, vegetated dunes of deep, red sand. In the far north-east are the high rainfall areas of Kavango and Caprivi, characterised by perennial rivers, tropical forests and woodland savannahs. Namibia’s climate, too, is one of contrasts, with regular droughts and periods of intense water scarcity, which oc-
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Namibia Travel Companion Your Holiday Guide 2014
cur cyclically, as in any semi-desert country. It is primarily these topographical and climatic features that have shaped the history of Namibia and its people.
Early history The historian Herodotus wrote that the Phoenicians were the first seafarers to sail down Namibia’s coast on their quest to circumnavigate the continent of Africa. This was 2 000 years before attempts were made by Portuguese navigators to find a sea route around Africa. The first was Diego Cão, who planted his stone cross or padrão at Cape Cross in 1486, some 150 kilometres north of Swakopmund. The second padrão was planted by Bartolomeu Dias in 1488 at Dias Point in the bay of Angra Pequena, or Little Bay, laying the foundation for the Lüderitz of today. The first white man to reach Namibia overland was the Afrikaner Jacobus Coetsé, who crossed the Orange River in 1760 to reach what was then called Transgarieb, the Garieb being the Orange. The first missionaries established mission stations at Warmbad and Blydeverdacht in 1805. Thomas Baines described his travels through Damaraland and Kaokoland in his book Explorations in South West Africa, published in 1864, while the Swedish adventurer and explorer, Charles John Andersson, who travelled through Namibia in the mid-1800s, was reputedly the first to refer to the territory as South West Africa. www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
Sandwich Harbour
History Geological history When flying over Namibia, the imprints of the geological forces that moulded and shaped the landscape are especially evident. About 600 million years ago notable rock forms accumulated, the remains of which consolidated, transformed and eroded. Today their remains, as the Damara system in the north and the Nama system in the south – blanket much of the land. Other sedimentary formations such as the Karoo and Kalahari systems subsequently added to the landscape. Prior to the onset of continental drift, Namibia lay landlocked in the hinterland of the gigantic supercontinent, Gondwanaland. As the continental plates drifted across the mantel of the earth they entered new latitudes and were metamorphosed by different climatic forces. In periods of prolonged cold, massive sheets of ice built up and planed vast sections of the countryside. At other times what is Namibia today lay submerged under primeval oceans that laid down extensive layers of sedimentary deposits as the foundations of today’s mountains. Some 120 million years ago when Gondwanaland began to drift apart and the African and South American continents came into being, Namibia acquired its western border in the shape of the Atlantic Ocean and its www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
defining characteristic, the Namib Desert – the feature from which the country derived its name.
Earliest inhabitants The earliest known inhabitants of Namibia’s southern and central areas were the San/Bushmen, who were huntergatherers; the Nama, who were nomadic cattle farmers; and the Damara, about whose origin little is known other than that they were hunters and to a lesser extent pastoralists. The relatively stable water supply and well-wooded terrain in the northern and north-eastern regions encouraged cattle-farming and agricultural practices by the Owambo, who moved down from the Great Lakes of East Africa to settle between the Kunene and Okavango rivers in about 1550, and by the Caprivians, Tswana and Kavango, who moved to the water-rich north-east in the 1700s and 1800s. The Herero, believed to have lived in ancient times in the legendary African marshland of Roruu, moved southwards from the Great Lakes of East Africa and crossed the Kunene River into Kaokoland in the mid-1550s. Here they stayed for about 200 years, then moved further southwards to settle in the central and eastern regions of the country, leaving the Himba and Tjimba tribes behind in Kaokoland. Namibia Travel Companion Your Holiday Guide 2014
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Giraffe
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Namibia Travel Companion Your Holiday Guide 2014
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The President of Namibia, Hifikepunye Pohamba and local herero ladies at the opening of Oshana Mall in Ongwediva.
Political history
History and political future of the country. A protracted war between the occupying South African
The German Chancellor Prince Otto von Bismarck pro-
forces and the Swapo (South West African People’s Or-
claimed Namibia (excluding the Walvis Bay enclave,
ganisation) liberation movement started in 1966. The next
which was under British occupation) as a German pro-
year saw the institution of the Council for South West Af-
tectorate in 1884. In 1915 the peace of Khorab was
rica, subsequently the Council for Namibia, and in 1970,
concluded on the farm Khorab near Otavi, following the
in accordance with Resolution 284, for the first time, the
defeat of the German forces by the South African forces.
Security Council asked the International Court for a con-
Thus the South African forces were now in control of Ger-
sultative opinion on the legal consequences of the contin-
man South West Africa, and in 1920, in accordance with
ued South African presence in Namibia, which was found
the Treaty of Versailles, the League of Nations confirmed
illegal in 1971.
South Africa’s mandate over Namibia. The implementation of United Nations Resolution 435 for The League of Nations dissolved in 1946, to be replaced
free and fair elections in 1989 resulted in Swapo com-
by the United Nations (UN). In 1950 the World Court pro-
ing to power. Thus, after 106 years of colonial rule, on
nounced its first advisory opinion on the legal status of
21 March 1990, Namibia achieved independence. Swapo
Namibia, namely that South Africa was still to take care
co-founder and leader Sam Nujoma was instated as Na-
of the interests of the inhabitants of the country under
mibia’s first president. Fifteen years and three terms later
UN supervision. The Odendaal Commission of 1964, the
– the first as incoming, the subsequent two as elected
implementation of which involved establishing different
president – Nujoma stepped down, to be succeeded by
‘homelands’ for Namibia’s indigenous population groups,
Hifikepunye Pohamba, former Minister of Lands, Resettle-
had far-reaching effects on the social, cultural, economic
ment and Rehabilitation.
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Namibia Travel Companion Your Holiday Guide 2014
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CENTRAL WINE & DINE
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CENTRAL WINE & DINE
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Sunset on dunes near Swakopmund
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WESTERN REGION INTRO
. . . . . . But if it is just fishing that tickles . . your fancy, the coastline to the . . north of Swakopmund and Hen- . ties Bay offers exciting spots with . . amusing names such as “Sarah se . . Gat” and “Bennie se Rooi Lorry”, . . or Jakkalsputz. From Mile 4 and . . Wlotzka’s Baken right up to Hen- . ties Bay, Torra and Terrace Bay, . . you’ll find many fishing spots, . . directly accessible by 4x4 which . . makes fishing a family affair with . . camps being built on the beach . and family and friends gathering . . for a fun-filled day on the beach. . . . . Further inland, the Brandberg of- . . fers the highest peak in Namibia: . Koenigstein (2570 m above sea . . level) . In addition, it offers 44,000 . . rock paintings, the most popular of . . which is the White Lady in the Tsi- . . sab Ravine. The Erongo mountains . to the south-west of Omaruru also .. contain a wealth of rock paintings .. and the town of Omaruru itself has . . become somewhat of an art cen- . . tre, featuring many coffee shops, . art and décor, as well as its own .. .. chocolate/praline factory. .. The Spitzkoppe is considered the . . “Matterhorn of Namibia” and with . its granite rock walls of up to .. 600m, it is Namibia’s top rock .. .. climbing destination. .. Many lodges and guestfarms in . and around these tourist attrac- .. tions have exciting game viewing .. possibilities of all types of game .. .. including the big 5. .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . The Western Region is centered . . around the Namib Coastline, which . . offers a welcome respite from the . . heat of the interior. The quaint litte . . town of Swakopmund is Namibia’s . . premier holiday resort with its of well-preserved German . . wealth colonial buildings, its palm-lined . . streets and clean beaches. . . . . Activities abound in and around . . Swakopmund. From dune boar. . ding to sky-diving and ballooning . . over the desert, township tours and . . tours into the desert, there is much . . to do and see in this area. . . Walvis Bay is Namibia’s major port . . and the centre of Namibia’s fishing . . industry. Most boating activities . . are launched from Walvis Bay’s . . waterfront which has become a big . . tourist attraction. The calm waters .. of the lagoon attract many water.. sport enthusiasts like windsurfers, .. kiteboarders and sailors. .. Pelican Point is also known for its .. rough beauty, and the newly built .. eco-lodge at the tip of the penin.. sula offers comfort and a rather dif.. ferent view of the lagoon and Wal.. vis Bay as a whole. Donkey Bay .. is a well known surfing spot for .. international surfers from all over .. the world who come here to share icy waters with the hundreds .. the seals around the lighthouse. .. ofMany 4x4 excursions to Sandwich .. Harbour out in Walvis Bay. .. Sandwichstart Harbour lies about 40 .. km south of Walvis Bay with dunes .. sweeping down to a pristine la.. goon with views and scenery to .
West
die for – a photographer’s dream.
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Note: The location of establishments on this map is an approximation only; please also consult the adverts for further directions.
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The Jetty in Swakopmund
WESTERN REGION LISTING Hut no.
Page
Swakopmund 99 Alte Brücke Holiday Resort 82 100 Amanpuri Travellers Lodge 83 101 Anandi Ocean View Guesthouse 83 102 Atlantic Villa Boutique Guesthouse 83 103 Beach Hotel Swakopmund 84 104 Dunedin Star Guest House 85 105 Duneside Guesthouse 85 85 106 Eberwein Hotel 107 Europa Hof Hotel 86 108 Prinzessin Rupprecht, Hotel 86 109 Rapmund, Hotel Pension 86 87 110 Sams Giardino 111 Sea Horse, The 87 112 Stay @ Swakop Guesthouse 87 88 113 Zum Kaiser, Hotel Swakopmund Tourism Services Batis Birding Safaris 89 Charly’s Desert Tours 89 Dare Devil Adventures 90 Desert Explorers 90 Ground Rush Adventures 91 Kristall Galerie 92 www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
Hut no.
Page
Ocean Adventures Namib i Swakopmund Municipality Crossroads 4x4 Car Hire Fish Deli, The Kücki’s Pub Swakopmund Brauhaus African Art Jewellers African Kirikara Karakulia Weavers Walvis Bay 115 Kleines Nest B & B 116 Lagoon Loge 117 Loubser’s B & B Pelican Point 114 Pelican Point Lodge
93 93 81 94 94 95 96 97 98 99
102 102 103
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Walvis Bay Tourism Services Flying Coffee Pot, The 103 Catamaran Charters 104 Laramon Tours 104 Mola Mola 105
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Hut no.
Page
Sandwich Harbour 4 x 4 Anchors @ The Jetty Probst Restaurant & Café
106 107 107
Cape Cross 91 Cape Cross Lodge
108
Henties Bay & Surrounds 92 Fisherman’s Guesthouse 93 Huis Klipdrift
109 109
Karibib Surrounds 94 Hohenstein Lodge
110
95 96 97 98
Omaruru & Surrounds River Guesthouse 110 Kashana 110 Immenhof Hunting & Guest Farm 111 Kassandara Safari Ranch 112-113 Omaruru Tourism Services Immenhof Air Safaris 114
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WELWITSCHIA PLAINS
Welwitschia Plains
saucer, dark brown, hard and woody. The plant produces only two leaves throughout its lifetime. They grow opposite each other from the base outwards and are up to three
Inland from Swakopmund, like huge bundles of tangled
metres long. The tough and leathery leaf-blades, torn into
wool, the ancient welwitschias of the central Namib
long, thong-like shreds by the searing winds, are constant-
sprawl randomly across the well-known Welwitschia
ly blackened and worn away by the scorching desert sun.
Plains in the Namib-Naukluft Park. This intriguing stand
The welwitschia is dioecious, that is the male and fe-
of plants can be viewed when travelling through the pro-
male flowers are on separate plants. The flowers are often
claimed road in the northern section of the park.
brightly coloured, the male cones salmon pink and the female ones much larger and of a greenish-yellow colour,
The Welwitschia mirabilis is a botanical curiosity endemic
banded with reddish-brown, sometimes dark pink. A con-
to the Namib Desert. The plants grow in a narrow belt that
spicuous red beetle with the impressive scientific name of
lies between 30 to 40 kilometres inland, from the Kuiseb
Probergrothius sexpunctatis inhabits these plants. This in-
River in the central Namib more or less all the way up to
sect is associated only with welwitschias and is therefore
Mossamedes in Angola. The best specimens grow amongst
also endemic to the Namib.
the hills of the Messum Crater south-west of the Brandberg. Here, sheltered from the winds, they grow relatively
Welwitschias are not only of ancient origin, but are also
luxuriantly, with less of the desiccated and wind-shredded
extremely long-lived. The age of one of the larger speci-
look of the welwitschias of the plains.
mens has been estimated at about 2 000 years, while carbon-14 dating indicates that average specimens such
The welwitschia is actually a tree that has been dwarfed
as those seen on the Welwitschia Plains are between 500
by the rigours of the desert, the major portion of its stem
and 600 years old. A magnificent specimen, known as
having been driven underground. The fibrous taproot is
the Great Welwitschia and estimated to be 1 500 years
quite shallow, with many lateral roots just below the sur-
old, can be seen along the Welwitschia Trail, which runs
face. The crown of the stem is flattened and shaped like a
across the plain.
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Gobabeb
GOBABEB makers, artists and casual visitors interested in finding out more about the Namib Desert.
For the last fifty years scientists, researchers, students,
The training programme at the Research Centre is aimed
film-makers, artists and tourists have converged on
at enhancing understanding of sustainable development
Gobabeb, a world-renowned research institution in
at all levels. School groups visit to learn more about
the central Namib Desert approximately 85 kilometres
climate change, biodiversity and the Namibian envi-
south-east of Walvis Bay. The complex is located on the
ronment, and students from the University of Namibia
northern bank of the ephemeral Kuiseb River that runs
and the Polytechnic spend anything from a week to a
through the Namib-Naukluft Park to Walvis Bay. Over
month to apply their theoretical training. Tertiary stu-
the years a great deal of detailed research on the geol-
dents from other parts of the world come to Gobabeb
ogy, ecology, landscape and history of the Namib Des-
to pursue MSc and PhD research, often in collaboration
ert has been carried out at this institution.
with Namibian students. The research programme provides a broad framework for individual researchers to
Gobabeb was founded in 1962 as the Namib Desert
take on challenges such as ephemeral river functioning
Research Station by the world’s foremost desert beetle
and management practices in arid lands.
taxonomist at the time, Dr Charles Koch. The wellknown Dr Mary Seely, who started as a researcher at
The Gobabeb Open Day is an annual event that pro-
the station in 1967, became director in 1970, leading
vides an opportunity for members of the public to make
and expanding the programme for the next 28 years,
the trip to the research station and learn more about its
consolidating its international reputation and pursuit of
activities. Each year has a different theme and Gobabeb
scientific excellence. Today, under the directorship of
staff members give presentations of their various re-
Dr Joh Henschel, the Gobabeb Training and Research
search activities, covering the current programmes and
Centre continues to host scientists, students, film-
training projects.
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Cape Cross
CAPE CROSS late November or early December the females give birth to their pups, which remain in and around the colony, continuing to suckle for the next ten to eleven months. At
In 1486, before there were clear maps of the Southern
any time of the year visitors are greeted with the spectacle
African coast, the Portuguese navigator, Diego C達o, on
of tens of thousands of heads bobbing on land and in the
one of his journeys in search of a sea route to the Far
water.
East, landed at Cape Cross, about 130 kilometres north of Swakopmund. Here he planted a stone cross or padr達o, to
Also of interest in the vicinity is the Cape Cross lichen
mark being the first European of his time to reach this far
reserve, where visitors are requested to stay on the exist-
down the west coast of Africa. His cross remained in place
ing roads and to inspect these interesting organisms on
until the 1890s, when it was removed and taken to the
foot. If a little water is sprinkled on them, they come to
Oceanographical Museum in Berlin. In 1974 the whole area was landscaped and a replica cross was erected.
life magically, displaying interesting colours and becoming soft and leathery to the touch.
Today Cape Cross is visited primarily for its seal reserve, which is one of the easiest to reach along the Namibian coast. With its surrounding area of 60 square kilometres, the seal reserve was proclaimed in 1968 to protect the largest of the 23 colonies of Cape fur seals, Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus, which breed along the coast of South Africa and Namibia. At any one time the colony numbers from 200 000 to as many as 340 000 animals. The large bull seals arrive in mid- to late October, staking their territorial claims and defending them from other males. In
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Photo: Courtesy of Sandwich Harbour 4x4
SANDWICH HARBOUR
Sandwich Harbour
have been sought by fortune hunters and adventurers, but
One of Namibia’s most magical places is undoubtedly
Referred to in old texts as Sandfisch Haven, the lagoon
Sandwich Harbour, a saltwater lagoon surrounded by ex-
was once an open bay at its northern end, which became
tensive mud flats and reed-lined pools fed by freshwater
silted up over the years. The changing shoreline of the bay
springs. Sandwich is one of Southern Africa’s most impor-
is indicated on some of the older maps with dots rather
tant wetland areas, providing refuge to thousands of birds,
than solid lines. In the past Sandwich served several pur-
including pelicans and flamingos, at any one given time,
poses, for instance as a shelter for whalers during storms.
and giving shelter to countless thousands of migrants ev-
In the mid-1900s a trading station was established here
ery year. It is also an important breeding ground for sev-
for curing fish, producing shark-liver oil and sealskins,
eral fish species.
which were transported down the coast to Cape Town and
no traces of the ship or its cargo have ever been found.
Mauritius. Situated some 48 kilometres south of Walvis Bay at the foot of massive ivory-coloured dunes, Sandwich Harbour
Today it’s visited primarily by tourists, anglers and bird
is much sought after by photographers and artists for its
watchers. About 115 species have been recorded here, in-
singular beauty and grandeur. Its inaccessibility – it can be
cluding 18 Palaearctic waders, 20 seabirds, 34 water birds
reached only by four-wheel-drive vehicle – enhances its
and 18 land birds. Because it lies in the Namib-Naukluft
allure and mystique. This is augmented by the legend that
Park, permits are required from the Ministry of Environ-
buried in the sands above the high-water mark are the re-
ment and Tourism. These can be obtained at several ser-
mains of a ship that carried in its hold a rich cargo of gold,
vice stations and through tour operators in Swakopmund
precious stones and ivory. Over the years these treasures
and Walvis Bay.
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BRANDBERG - MOUNTAIN OF MYSTERY
Brandberg - Mountain of Mystery
great deal of controversy over its meaning and origin, the latest being that the figure is neither white nor a female, but rather a male medicine man wearing body paint.
Owing its name to its glowing red appearance at sunset,
There are at least 17 other sites of rock paintings depict-
the Brandberg massif lies south of the Ugab River about
ing lions, giraffes and ostriches within a on-mile radius of
40 kilometres nort-west of Uis. Around 120 million years
Maack’s shelter.
ago the area was a volcano set in a vast plateau of volcanic rock. Subsequent erosion of the surrounding lavos
The White Lady is surrounded by paintings of animals,
gradually exposed the massive chuck of weather-resis-
and although the frieze has faded over the years and has
tance granite, providing the numerous overhangs used as
an iron grid in front of it to protext it from vandals, it is
shelters by Bushmen.
well worth the effort to go and see it. The walk up the Tsisab Gorge to reach Maack’s Shelter, which takes about
The Brandberg is the site of Königstein, at 2 574 metres
an hour along a well-marked route, should not be under-
the highest peak in Namibia. It is also the site of an inter-
taken at midday, due to high temparatures.
nationally renowned heritage of rock paintings, including the famous White Lady, which can be seen on an over-
The Brandberg paintings are estimated to be between 2
hang in Maack’s Shelter, Maack being the surveyor who
000 and 4 000 years old. About 8 000 were photographed
discovered it and other paintings in the Tsisab Valley in
and documented by the late Harald Pager, a task which
1917. However, it was only in 1955 that the White Lady
took him many years, and the results were published in
became known to international rock-art specialists, when
several volumes. A good way to view the paintings of the
it was copied and described by the French archaeologist
Brandberg is on the guided tours [resented by the local
and cleric, Abbé Henri Breuil. Since then there has been a
Dâureb Mountain Guides.
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SWAKOPMUND INTRO
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . . ..
Swa kop mu nd
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . When you approach Swakopmund . . on the tarred road from the interior, its . . quaint assemblage of towers and . . turrets rise mysteriously from the . . mist, creating a mirage of an an. . cient city in a faraway land. These . . atmospheric conditions are gener. . ated by the dense bank of coastal . . fog that hangs over the cold Atlan. . tic Ocean on most mornings, dissi. . pating as the sun rises higher in the . . sky. Sometimes the sea is a sleek . . silver mirror; other times it is grey . . and stormy, with waves breaking . . onto the shore in rollers of thick . . white froth. . . . . Germany’s annexation of the terri. . tory of Deutsch-Südwestafrika be. . came reality in August 1884 when . . the German flag and wooden no.. tice boards were planted at various .. points along the south-west Afri.. can coast, proclaiming the protec.. tion of the Reich, and supplanting, .. after 400 years, Portugal’s claims to .. sovereignty over the territory. There .. was only one really viable natural .. harbour along the coast, namely .. Walvis Bay, but it was still in British .. hands. The new German colony’s .. need for a port of its own led to the .. founding of Swakopmund in 1892, .. and it served as the territory’s main .. harbour for many years. .. .. Today the coastal town is Namib.. ia’s main seaside resort, and locals .. descend on it from the interior in .. large numbers to escape the heat .. of the summer (December/ Janu.. ary). The town has a cool and brac.. ing climate, and its large number .. of restaurants, carefully tended .. public gardens, wide choice of .. pensions and hotels, coffee shops .. selling traditional German cakes .. and pastries make it an enjoyable .. holiday destination. Many of the . old colonial buildings with their . .. distinct German architecture have
The Old Iron Jetty, originally built in 1911, is a well-known landmark that was closed for repairs for many years and was re-opened to the public in 2006. The Swakopmund Museum is a small but comprehensive institution with displays ranging from natural history, botany and mineralogy to ethnological and historical displays. On the beachfront is the Swakopmund Aquarium, a favourite among children with its transparent oval-shaped tank and glass walk-through tunnel. An interesting shop to visit is the Kristall Galerie with its specialist mineral displays, including gigantic quartz crystal clusters. And a visit to Swakopmund would not be complete without enjoying coffee and cake at Café Anton, famous for delectable classics such as Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, Florentiner and Apfelstrudel.
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been preserved, such as Woermann House, built in 1905, which houses the Swakopmund Arts Association and the Public Library; Die Alte Kaserne (1905), today a youth hostel based on the concept of the International Youth Hostel Federation; the privately owned Hohenzollern-Haus (1905); and the Prinzessin Ruprecht Heim, built in 1902 as a hospital, today serving as a pension.
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Swakopmund
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Directions: Pass the Jetty and the Aquarium, direction Swakop River, turn to your left at the Swakop River, 100m straight.
Alte Brücke Holiday Resort offers self catering chalets of different sizes, which can accommodate a maximum of 2,4 or 6 guests. Each chalet is complete with linen, towels, television, mini-bar, telephone and comprise of a fully equipped kitchenette, living room, private braai and veranda. The bed price includes a scrumptious buffet breakfast and daily cleaning services. Camping guests can look forward to camping on lawned camp sites. Each camp site has its own private bathroom, wash up area, braai area and power point. Our Conference Centre can cater for a variety of events; ranging from weddings and birthday parties to corporate events and year end functions. We are ideally located. Situated within 200m from the beach and within a leisurely walk from popular restaurants, pubs and town centre. We look forward to welcome you!
Tel: +264 (0)64 404 918 • Fax: +264 (0)64 400 153 P.O. Box 3360 • Swakopmund • Namibia • E-mail: info@altebrucke.com • www.altebrucke.com
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Swakopmund
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Amanpuri Travellers Lodge offer single, double, triple and Dorm Rooms. Breakfast is included in all our rates. All our rooms are en-suite with towels and bedding supplied, DSTV* and safes* (* not Dorm Rooms). Free wireless internet. There is secure off street parking and 24 hour security. Enjoy a drink at our bar or our large BBQ area. Explore and experience! Tours and activities can be booked by us ranging from Skydiving to Desert Trips to Quadbiking and Fishing.
Tel: +264 (0) 64 405 587 / 081 250 3668 • Fax: +264 (0) 64 404 597 • Cnr of Moses Garoeb and Anton Lubowski St. PO Box 8132, Swakopmund • amanpuri@mweb.com.na • www.amanpurinamibia.com Swakopmund
101 GPS Co-ordinates: 22° 38.190’ S | 14° 31.990’ E
Tastefully furnished, en-suite rooms, equipped with tea tray, fridge, satellite TV. Self-catering rooms with small kitchenette also available. Rooms furnished with single and double beds to accommodate families. A comfortable lounge and indoor braai present a relaxing atmosphere. Situated in Ocean View - Swakopmund, a quiet and secure neighbourhood. Within a comfortable walking distance from the beach and close to Ocean View Spar Shopping Centre. • Breakfast • Dinner on request • Barbeque facilities available • Wi-Fi internet facility. Also Anandi Guesthouse in Mariental - Tel: + 264 63 24 2220.
Tel : +264 64 406 553 • Fax : +264 (0)64 406 550 • Cell: +264 (0)811 477 922 • anandiswakop@iway.na www.anandiguesthouse.com • Situated in 14 Nelken street, Ocean View Swakopmund (Dr Schwietering Road to Mile 4) Swakopmund
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SWAKOPMUND
The Atlantic Villa offers accommodation within walking distance from the beach, a few minutes drive from Swakopmund town centre and a quiet relaxed atmosphere complemented by its location. Our luxurious decorated rooms offer spacious and comfortable accommodation. We offer Luxury Suites, Deluxe Rooms, Luxury Rooms and Self Catering Units. Atlantic Villa has the facilities to accommodate a variety of travellers. Our conference facility features latest technology equipment, with surround sound, seating and lighting to complement and create an ambiance to fit in with your corporate image and colours.
Tel: +264 (0)64 463 511 • Fax: +264 (0)64 463 510 • Email: atlanticvilla@iway.na P.O.Box 552 • Swakopmund • Namibia • GPS: S22o38.019 E14o31.614 • Web: www.atlantic-villa.com www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
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The Dunedin Star offers peaceful and relaxed accommodation to suit your budget. Centrally situated and within walking distance from the town’s central business area, shopping centres, banks and other amenities as well as the main beach, the Dunedin Star is convenient, comfortable and homely. Free Wi-Fi Internet access. Laundry Service available. We can assist with your activities bookings from various tour and activity operators in and around Swakopmund. Spa and Sauna available.
Tel/Fax: +264 (0)64 403 437 • P.O. Box 949, Swakopmund. Corner of Daniel Tjongarero and Windhoeker Str, Swakopmund • bookings@dunedinstar.com • www.dunedinstar.com Swakopmund
105 GPS Coordinates : S 220 40.723’ • E140 32.490’
We are situated approximately 1,5 km from the town centre in a quiet, well established area and approximately 2km from the beach. We are well known for our quiet and friendly atmosphere and excellent hospitality. Rooms are fully equipped with DSTV, fridge, microwave, kettle, coffee/tea, radio/CD player and all the necessary cooking utensils, cutlery, crockery, linen, etc. Wireless internet and laundry services available on request. Assistance in booking for numerous outdoor activities which includes Dolphin Tours, Desert Tours, Parachuting,etc.
Contact: Marijka & Helmar Runge - Tel/Fax : +264 (0)64 464 012 • Cell : +264 (0)81 1277 240 • 13 Aukas Street, Kramersdorf P.O. Box 2687, Swakopmund, Namibia • Email: runge@iway.na • Web: www.dunesideguest.com Swakopmund
106 GPS co-ordinates: S22 40.672 | E14 31.755
• 16 Double rooms, incl. luxury & honeymoon in Victorian decor • Room heating • Garage & Security • Bar & Lounge • We Speak German and English • Historic Building • Situated in the centre of Swakopmund. Walking distances to all shops and restaurants as well as to the beach. Prices on request.
Tel: +264 (0)64 414450 • Fax: +264 (0)64 414451 • Email: eberwein@iafrica.com.na • Web: www.eberwein.com.na P.O.Box 2594 • Swakopmund • Namibia • Corner of Otavi and Sam Nujoma ave. www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
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Swakopmund
107 GPS coordinates: S22º40.47 E14º31.27
The Hotel Europa Hof with it’s distinct German architecture and relaxing atmosphere, is ideally located within short walking distance to the main tourist attractions, the beach and city center. It offers safe parking for guests and rooms with telephone, satellite TV and en-suite bathrooms. Free Wi-Fi also available. The hotel’s restaurant has the biggest ‘a la Carte’ menu in town and offers a wide variety of local and European seafood and game dishes making it one of the most popular restaurants in town.
Tel: +264 (0)64 405 061/2 • Fax: +264 (0)64 402 391 • P.O. Box 1333, Bismark Street 39, Swakopmund, Namibia E-mail: info@europahof.com • Web: www.europahof.com Swakopmund
108 Directions: Anton Lubowski Str 15 (Formerly Lazarett Str)
Hotel Prinzessin Rupprecht is situated within one of Swakopmund’s famous historical buildings. The building was used as a hospital until the end of World War One. Today it operates as a well known bed and breakfast establishment, offering 17 rooms and 2 Family Units, all equipped with telephone, tea and coffee utensils, fridge and safe. The Hotel is the ideal place from which to explore all the tourist attractions which Swakopmund has to offer such as desert tours, seal and dolphin cruises, visits to the museum and the aquarium, dune surfing & hot air ballooning over the astonishing Namib Desert.
Tel: ++264 (0)64 412 540 • Fax: ++264 (0)64 412 541 • P.O. Box 124, Swakopmund, Namibia info@hotel-prinzessin-rupprecht.com • www.hotel-prinzessin-rupprecht.com Swakopmund
109 Directions: Bismarck Street 6-8, Swakopmund
Our hotel has been under family management since 1968, established by the Rapmund-family. We offer 25 standard and 2 luxury en-suite rooms with reasonable prices. Enjoy our well known hearty breakfast with a sea view, in a friendly atmosphere. Our ideal central location, with a 2 minute walk to the beach and town centre, will make your stay easy and relaxing.
Tel: +264 (0)64 402035 • Fax: +264 (0)64 404 524 • P.O. Box 425 • Swakopmund • Namibia E-mail: rapmund@iafrica.com.na • www.hotelpensionrapmund.com
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Swakopmund Directions: 89 Anton Lubowski Avenue, Swakopmund,
110 Kramersdorf – 10 minutes’ walk to the beaches and CBD.
Enjoy the Giardino Experience surrounded by an intimate atmosphere and creative spirit - from the wine cellar filled with the Cape’s finest and candle-light gourmet dinners to libraries of books and travel info. Our tranquil gardens invite you to relax over sundowners, after exhilarating excursions, while our comfort rooms decorated in mostly natural materials ensure that you feel pampered even in your sleep. The Giardino is a haven to those who love all the good things in life … and Bernese Mountain Dogs.
Tel: +264 (0)64 403210 • Fax: +264 (0)64 403500 • P.O.Box 1401 • Swakopmund • Namibia Email: reservation@giardinonamibia.com • Web: www.giardinonamibia.com Swakopmund
111 GPS coordinates is S22.64051, E14.52730
The clean, refreshing sea breeze guarantees relaxation and revival. With your comfort in mind we have created different sized, modern accommodation units each with own terrace and secure parking. Of high standard, at competitive prices you will find modern, sunny apartments for 2 persons, with own, fully equipped kitchen and bathroom. Awaiting our guests, are generously equipped units for self catering. In addition we also offer laundry service and breakfast on request. For groups or families we have two units with two bedrooms. The comfortable furnishing guarantees a pleasant stay.
Tel: +264 (0)64 462743 • Fax: +264 (0)64 462743 P.O.Box 3612 • Vineta • Swakopmund • Email: seahorse@mweb.com.na • Web: www.seahorsenamibia.com Swakopmund
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At Stay@Swakop Guesthouse, we cater for the traveller who appreciates the understated elegance that we have become known for. Our 2 family rooms, 8 twin rooms and 2 single rooms all provide television, wifi, safes, as well as a tea & coffee station. Situated right next to the dunes, we are only a 3 minutes’ drive from town/the beach (2.5 km) and provide a shuttle service for your convenience. Furthermore, we provide 24–hour guarded parking facilities and have the most peaceful, sunny garden and view that Swakopmund has to offer.
Tel: +264 (0)64 403 138 • Fax: +264 (0)64 405 543 • Cell : +264 (0)81 634 5212 info@stay-at-swakop.com • www.stay-at-swakop.com www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
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The luxurious Hotel Zum Kaiser is situated at a prime location in Sam Nujoma Avenue and offers direct access to the beach and the town’s vibrant street life. This tastefully decorated hotel houses 21 fully air-conditioned bedrooms, featuring en-suite bathrooms and all modern amenities. Enjoy delectable cuisine at the on-site Bistro Zum Kaiser and experience spectacular sunsets from the hotel’s Roof Terrace.
Tel: +27 (0)21 930 4564 • Fax: +27 (0)21 930 4574 • 4 Sam Nujoma Avenue, Swakopmund reservations@hotelzumkaiser.com • www.hotelzumkaiser.com
The Swakopmund Promenade
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Tel: +264 (0)64 404 341 Cell: +264 818 724 300 P.O.Box 1400 • Swakopmund • Namibia Web: www.charlysdeserttours.com info@charlysdeserttours.com Charly’s Desert Tours is the oldest safari enterprise in Swakopmund Namibia with 46 years of travel experience. With our well equipped cars and professional, warm hearted tour guides we offer tours and excursions countrywide and lots of activities around Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. Due to our experience, our kind of travel became synonymous with unforgettable tours throughout the Namib Desert and Namibia and we are proud to show our guests the magic of our beautiful country. Come with us and enjoy the breath taking landscapes of Namibia!
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The Lighthouse
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Walvis Bay
. . . . Lagoon- Internationally . . Important Wetland . . .. The Walvis Bay Lagoon is regarded .. as the most important wetland for .. coastal birds along the west coast .. of Southern Africa, not only for .. the numerous resident species it .. harbours, but especially for the .. vast numbers of intra-African and .. Palaearctic migrants that frequent .. its tranquil waters. Because of its .. value nationally and internation.. ally as a wetland area, it was de.. clared a RAMSAR site, RAMSAR .. being the convention on wetlands .. held in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, and .. is listed as a Natural Heritage Site. .. The lagoon area is especially .. known for the large numbers of .. lesser and greater flamingos it at.. tracts to its rich feeding grounds. .. Black-necked grebes are seen .. in rafts of up to 800 individuals. .. Populations of migratory waders .. supported by the lagoon include .. curlew sandpipers, sanderlings, .. red knots, bar-tailed godwits, .. white-fronted plovers and tens of .. thousands of Caspian and swift .. terns. A good time to visit the la. . .. goon is between October and April
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. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. when Damara terns and chestnutbanded plovers breed. Habitats additional to the tidal lagoon are the sewage works wetland, salt works with extensive evaporation pans, open ocean and shoreline and the Kuiseb River bed and dune area. The Bird Sanctuary is a series of ponds with emergent reed beds formed by the runoff from the sewage works. The Rooibank area with the Kuiseb riverbed, narra-vegetated hummock dunes and larger dune area is home to the only true Namibian endemic, the dune lark, which can be seen at the base of the main dunes on the southern bank, between the hummocks and tussocks. A late afternoon visit to the guano platform about nine kilometres from Walvis Bay can be rewarding, as large numbers of Cape cormorant return here to roost. Other birds seen here are black terns, Eurasian and African black oystercatchers and white-breasted and crowned cormorants. This is thought to be the only place in Namibia where the great white pelican breeds.
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Pelican Point
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Co-ordinates: -22.891822 • 14.435400 Situated in the most unique location in all Namibia, semi-remote solitude of the Pelican Point Peninsula overlooking the ocean, the bay and the entry port of Walvis Bay, a lighthouse breaks the horizon signaling that home is nearby. Pelican Point Lodge aims to extend professional individual service, in this exclusive and unique setting surrounded by sea and sand, guaranteeing your privacy and comfort in 9 luxury en-suite rooms, with private balconies. The presidential suite / honeymoon suite offers a breathtaking 360º view. Tranquility will strike the soul with inward relaxation and peace and guests will experience the opportunity to come in close contact with cape fur seal colonies, dolphins, whales, sunfish, endangered damara tern, jackals, flamingoes and pelicans. With the provision of luxury accommodation and dining to tantalize, all coupled with exclusive activities that are on offer, living the experience of Pelican Point Lodge is simply to die for!
Tel: +264 (0)64 221 281 | Cell: +264 (0)81 800 93 01 Reservations: reservations@pelicanpointlodge.com • info@pelicanpointlodge.com | www.pelicanpointlodge.com
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Walvis Bay
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Enjoy a full continental breakfast while watching the abundance of lagoon bird life. Lagoon facing rooms each have a private balcony, en-suite bathroom, a kettle and a fridge. Standard/budget rooms have a kettle and en-suite bathrooms. Walvis Bay’s 2 famous restaurants are only 500m away. On special request we can also arrange: Dolphin sightseeing trips, Quad bike rides, Guided desert tours. A canoe is also available for those outdoor lovers. Enjoy the hospitality of your friendly hosts, Johann and Melani van den Berg - in English, German and Afrikaans.
Tel: +264 64 203 203 • Fax: +264 64 206 907 • 36 Esplanade • P.O. Box 730 • Walvis Bay • Namibia E-mail: kleinnest@iway.na • Web: www.natron.net/kleinesnest/tour/
Walvis Bay
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Lagoon Loge: 8 cosy rooms overlooking the lagoon • friendly atmosphere • enjoy a hearty breakfast • have a rest at your leisure in the garden around the swimming pool • fascinating bird life • majestic sunsets • free wifi internet connection. We will glady advise you on activities in the area and book for you excursions and restaurants.
A bientôt ! See you soon ! Bis bald ! Hasta pronto !
Directions : At the entrance of Walvis Bay, follow direction Sandwich Harbour. At the traffic light in 5th street, turn left and further ahead, you will see in the distance a big bright yellow house : there you are !
Tel: +264 (0)64 200850 • Fax: +264 (0)64 200851 • P.O. Box 3964 • Walvis Bay • Namibia Email: french@lagoonloge.com.na • Web: www.lagoonloge.com.na
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Walvis Bay
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Loubser’s B&B/Self Catering and Backpackers offer the tourist affordable accommodation in Walvis Bay, Namibia. We have 3 x double rooms, 1 x self catering unit and 2 x 4 bedded rooms available. A full service will be available from us, accommodation, transfers to and from the airport, camping and accommodated tours to various destinations in Namibia and neighbouring countries. Day Tours along the central coastal area. We also cater for the vegetarian tourist at the B&B/Backpackers and on the camping tours of Namibia. Sandboarding, quadbiking, wind and kite surfing, paragliding, hiking trails, angling tours, etc.
Tel: +264 (0)64 203 034 • Cell: +264 (0)81 128 7347 • Fax: +264 (0)64 220 434 •3rd Street West Nr.11, Walvis Bay, Namibia •falou@iway.na • www.loubseraccommodation.com
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Angling along the coastlilne
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Sailing on the Lagoon
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Bottlenose Dolphins
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The Waterfront at Walvis Bay
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Cape Cross Directions: 4km from the Cape Fur SealReserve, 50km north of Henties Bay.
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Literally meters from the fertile Atlantic Ocean, Cape Cross Lodge presents a unique and serene stop for travellers along this vast untamed, seldom explored wilderness on the Skeleton Coast. The large patio, overlooking the beach and ocean, flows into the lower deck with its warm, welcoming reception area and intriguing curio shop housing an array of gifts. The Lodge offers a cocktail bar, restaurant, lounge and a quirky wine cellar. The en-suite bathrooms are a statement of elegant simplicity, while the private balconies glow with the warmth of wooden deckchairs and tables, affording unrestricted seaviews and an aura of complete respite. Fishing trips can be arranged for guests. Tel: +264 64 694 012/7 • Fax: +264 64 694 013 • P.O. Box 259, Henties Bay, Namibia bookings@capecross.org • www.capecross.org
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Henties Bay
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Set in the magical town of Henties Bay on the shore of the Namib Desert. Fisherman’s Guesthouse welcomes fishermen and tourists alike. The guesthouse is the ultimate destination from which to experience a shore angling adventure of a lifetime. This beautiful lodge offers unforgettable accommodation a mere 200m from the Beach. Enjoy the sea and fresh air, cool evenings, good company, fine wine and well prepared meals in the comfort of our dining room and ladies bar.
Tel: +264 (0)64 501 111 •Fax: +264 (0)64 501 177 • P.O.Box 635, Henties Bay Namibia reservations@huntandfishnamibia.com •www.fishermansguesthouse.com
Pelicans & Seagulls Henties Bay
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Welcome to Huis Klipdrift - Your holiday or fishing trip in our good hands. Huis klipdrift is within short walking distance of shops and the beach and is protected by security fencing and night patrol service. Our 8 Self-catering units are all fully equipped with cutlery crockery,cookware & bedding. Other services include: Dstv, laundry services and daily cleaning, meals on request, WiFi, alarm systems, security fencing, indoor & outdoor bbq’s and lockable garages.
Tel: +264 64 501 329 • Fax: +264 64 501 330 • Valerie: Cell +264 81 127 3823 P.O. Box 24, Henties Bay • E-mail: val@iway.na • www.hentiesbaytourism.com/houseKlipdrif.htm www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
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Karibib Surrounds Usakos - D 1935 from Usakos 25 km in northern direction. (B&B pps) Sharing N$650; Single N$ 850
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Situated at the bottom of the highest peak of the Erongo mountain range, Hohenstein Lodge offers its visitors a broad range of activities. Spectacular panoramic views from all rooms, the terrace and the swimming pool are characteristic for this lodge. A close by waterhole attracts game that can be viewed from the terrace. Guided walks to the Boulder Forest and up to the camp where mineral miners are living and working at the steep slopes of the mountain, are unique attractions. Absolute Erongo: A two-day adventure – from a comfortable lodge to a romantic night in the African Wilderness, offered exclusively to the guests of Hohenstein Lodge.
Tel: +264 (0) 64 530900 • Fax: +264 (0) 64 530931 • info@hohensteinlodge.com • www.hohensteinlodge.com BOOKING: Tel: +264 (0) 61 240020 • reservations@hohensteinlodge.com Omaruru
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The River Guesthouse is situated halfway between the coast and Etosha National Park. We offer 6 cosy double rooms with en-suite bathrooms (2 of them can be switched to family rooms). Our restaurant serves home cooking. Enjoy a cool drink at the pool or a sundowner in our boma. Six campsites are available at the riverbed with ablution facilities [hot water], fireplaces and power points. Enjoy the personal touch in a family friendly atmosphere! We are in the arty little town of Omaruru.
Tel/Fax: +264 (0)64 570 274 • Cell: +264 (0)81 1245365 P.O. Box 530 • Omaruru • Namibia • Email: eckmitt@iway.na • www.river-guesthouse.com Omaruru
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Directions: Corner Riverstreet and Dr Ian Scheepers Drive, Omaruru
Embrace the silence of Africa while enjoying a sundowner and the magnificent views of the Erongo Mountains at Kashana Namibia. Explore our arts and crafts centre, tantalize your taste-buds at the Kashana Restaurant or simply relax in our swimming pool. We offer comfortable luxury bungalows with en-suite facilities, television, wireless internet, air-conditioning, mini-bar, coffee/tea facilities & veranda. To savour all we have to offer in Omaruru you will need more than one night.
Contact: Tel.+264 64 571 434 • Fax +264 64 571 107 www.kashana-namibia.com • info@kashana-namibia.com
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Omaruru Surrounds
At Immenhof, we make every effort to make you feel comfortable and at home. Discover the unknown, take part in exciting hunts for trophies or simply absorb the wonders of nature and enjoy perfect peace. We offer 9 spacious, comfortable, individually decorated rooms, all with en-suite bathrooms. Facilities include the swimming pool, spa, barbecue area, bar, daily laundry service as well as telephone, fax and internet facilities. Immenhof flying safaris will take you to exotic and remote places in this part of Africa. Food specialities include genuine Namibian venison, lamb and beef, prepared the typical hearty african-germanGPS: 21º7’20.52”S | 15º53’34.38”E afrikaans way. Enjoy the calm surroundings and the hearty atmosphere on our farm!
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Reservations: Tel: +264 (0)61 234 342 • eden@mweb.com.na Lodge: Tel/Fax: +264 67 290 077 / 290 177 • Cell: +264 81 127 7243 / +264 81 128 5858 P.O. Box 250 • Omaruru • Namibia • E-mail: immenhof@iway.na •Web: www.immenhofnamibia.com
The Erongo Mountains
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Omaruru Surrounds
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Rhino
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North-West
NORTH-WESTERN INTRO
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. .. The north-west of Namibia, also .. named the Kunene region, stretches .. from the Kunene river in the north .. right down to the Ugab River near .. .. Twyfelfontein. It is a rugged terrain .. with rock-strewn hillsides, rugged .. mountains and sandy plains. .. .. It is advisable to explore this wild .. and isolated region in four-wheel .. drive, since most destinations are .. off-the-beaten track, especially .. along the Kunene, with its splen.. did Epupa Falls. .. .. .. Kaokoland is the ancestral home.. land of the nomadic Himba tribe. .. The Himba are tall, slender and .. photogenic people of Herero ori.. gin. Especially the women are ad.. mired for their unusual scultptural .. features, their intricate hairstyles .. and traditional adornments. Fur.. thermore, the Kaokoland is home .. .. to the famous “Desert Elephants” .. that migrate along river valleys in . .. search for water and food.
The Skeleton Coast Park borders on the cold Atlantic Ocean in the west. It is often referred to as the “world’s shipping graveyard” and its attraction lies in its solitude as well as its formidable angling spots. Photographers have ample opportunity to practice their skills with the ever changing light and dune formations, against the backdrop of salt pans, gravel plains and hills. Further down, to the west of Khorixas lies Twyfelfontein (meaning “doubtful mountain”), with its open air art-gallery of 2400 rock engravings which has World Heritage Status since 2007. Close by are also the Petrified Forest, the Burnt Mountain as well as the famous Organ Pipes, a series of angular dolerite columns exposed in a dry riverbed. Furthermore, this area offers more geological phenomena such as the 80 km long Ugab terraces, as well as the Vingerklip, a 35m high monolith which towers over the Ugab valley.
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Note: The location of establishments on this map is an approximation only; please also consult the adverts for further directions.
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Running Cheetah
NORTH-WESTERN REGION LISTING Hut no.
Hut no.
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Epupa 67 Omarunga Lodge & Campsite 123
Kamanjab Surounds 68 Gelbingen Lodge & Safaris 69 Toko Lodge & Safaris
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Khorixas Surrounds 70 Camp Kipwe 71 Mowani Mountain Camp
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Palmwag 72 Palmwag Lodge
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Twyfelfontein
TWYFELFONTEIN the eyes of the shaman as he enters the state of trance and the spiritual world. The supernatural creature would often take on the appearance of a familiar animal like a
In 2007 the Twyfelfontein rock-engraving site in the Huab Valley west of Khorixas was awarded World Heritage status at a meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Christchurch, New Zealand. The 2 000-plus rock engravings represent one of Africa’s largest and most important rock-art concentrations.
giraffe, elephant or lion with special powers to heal the sick or bring rain rather than being depicted because the animal is abundant in the area. It is highly likely that the sites of the specific engravings were chosen deliberately at significant points in the rocks. Some are in cracks and fissures, which may have
Here great Etjo sandstone formations provided the canvases used by the rock artists who created the gigantic open-air gallery some 2 000 to 6 000 years ago. Many stone artefacts, tools, ostrich eggshell beads and pottery
served as doorways to the supernatural world, while others may have been engraved in areas to concentrate the energy for a journey into the spiritual world. The engravings are believed to have been produced in the dry sea-
typical of hunter-gatherers of the past 10 000 years have
son when the shortage of water made people congregate
been excavated at Twyfelfontein, an Afrikaans word that
near the spring.
means ‘doubtful fountain’. The Visitors’ Interpretive Rock Art Centre at Twyfelfontein The engravings mostly depict animals and geometric de-
is an innovative building with an architectural design
signs, although human figures are sometimes portrayed
based on the three stages of trance, providing visitors
in the newer ones. An interesting aspect of the rock en-
with a comprehensive background of the rock engravings
gravings is that many depict animals as seen in a trans or
and origin of the site. There are several good lodges in
supernatural state, while the abstract and geometric pat-
the surroundings, and many interesting geological and
terns are entopic images, patterns or flashes seen through
other features to view.
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Skeleton Coast
SKELETON COAST to grief on the rocks. The bleached bones of countless whales, exploited in the heyday of the whaling fleets, and the sand and windblasted remains of tugs, liners and
Renowned for its extraordinary scenic beauty, the Skel-
trawlers lie strewn untidily for endless miles of desolate
eton Coast remains one of Namibia’s most enduring and
beach. At the river mouths, lying in tangled heaps, are the
mysterious places. Its attraction lies essentially in the
skeletons of a myriad trees, washed down from the interior
colour, vastness, changing moods and untouched quality
in good rain years.
of its landscape. Once an area for seafarers to fear and shun because of its treacherous coastline flanked by bone-
The landscape varies from vast desert plains often coloured
strewn desert wastes, today it is prized as a place of splen-
green when the coastal fog has brought the lichen fields to
dour and tranquility.
life; sweeping vistas of windswept dunes, their ivory-white backs often coated maroon with fine garnet sand, or black
Situated in the remote north-western corner of Namibia,
with magnetite and ilmenite; rugged canyons with walls
the Skeleton Coast Park is a narrow tract of coastal des-
of richly cloured volcanic rock; and extensive variety of
ert about 40 to 50 kilometres wide and 500 kilometres
animals and birds are found in the remote desert realm.
long. Extending between the Ugab River in the south and
On the plains are jackal, gemsbok, springbok, brown hy-
the Kunene River in the north, it was proclaimed a nature
aena and ostrich, while lion, giraffe and desert-adapted
reserve in 1971. Because of its ecological sensitivity the
elephant and black rhino roam up and down the dry river
nature conservation authorities manage it as a wilderness
courses, in effect linear oases with vegetation and the oc-
area insofar as developement of infrastractures is kept to
casional spring-fed waterhole.
a minimum and the number of visitors is restricted, with facilities and accommodation kept simple and basic. It
The northern section of the park is a tourism concession
has accordingly become a haven for discerning visitors
area and restricted to fly-in safaris only. The southern sec-
interested in the specific qualities of the area.
tion between the Ugab and Hoanib rivers is accessible to the general public, who can stay at the Terrace Bay resort
The skeletons scattered along this inhospitable coastline
or camp at Torra Bay, or drive through via the Ugab and
are not only those of hapless sailors whose vessels came
Springbokwasser gates.
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Burnt Mountain
BURNT MOUNTAIN
There are three other legendary sites worth visiting when
Organ Pipes is in the late afternoon, when the fading sunlight brings out the colour of the rock, giving it a rich golden glow.
crystallises into pillar basalt, presenting interesting geo-
Further away, in the vicinity of Khorixas, is the Petrified Forest, a site of recumbent fossilised tree trunks that was declared a national monument in the early 1950s and is a National Heritage Site today. These fossilised tree trunks date back between 240 and 300 million years and are actually driftwood logs that were taken down by a westward-flowing river and deposited in sandbanks or shoals. Remnants of at least 50 trees can be seen at this site. They are so well preserved that they are often mistaken for logs. An interesting feature of the Petrified Forest is the Namib’s living fossil plant, Welwitschia mirabilis,
metric shapes. The best time to view and photograph the
which grows among the prostrate fossilised trunks.
in Damaraland, all of ancient geological origin. Visible from the road to Twyfelfontein is the so-called Burnt Mountain, a brilliantly coloured hill of dark maroon, black and charcoal rock. About 200 million years ago the Karoo limestones that formed the mountain were deposited, and about 120 million years ago volcanic lava intruded the limestone as a large sheet, metamorphosing into black, carbonaceous shales. The high temperatures baked the shale, leaving a black, charred mass with brown, red and yellow patches produced by the oxidation of iron-bearing minerals. Another curious sight in close proximity is an outcrop of volcanic rock called the Organ Pipes, formed in much the same way. Here the intrusive basalt, in this case dolomite, is still visible, forming a mass of perpendicular slabs, considered to be between 130 and 250 million years old. When basalt has been forced into a confined space, it
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Kaokoland
KAOKOLAND
At one time thought to be a separate or sub-species of the African elephant, Loxodonta africana, due to its longer legs, bigger feet and ability to withstand drought, the so-called desert elephants of Kaokoland are now regarded as ‘desert-adapted’
tamarisk, reeds and rushes, and the nutritious pods, bark and leaves of the ana tree. These elephants range widely, travelling up to 60 kilometres a day over rugged terrain between the different springs. In periods of drought they dig holes, referred to as gorras, in the dry riverbeds, into which water seeps from below, at the same time providing a source of water for other animals of the desert.
rather than a different species. However, they belong to a separate population – a hardier version that has adapted successfully to life in arid areas – and merely appear to have longer legs and bigger feet because they are thinner than their better-fed relatives. Their home range in Kaokoland extends over 3 000 square kilometres, with animals trekking up to 200 kilometres in search of water. Whereas adult elephants in Etosha drink between 100– 200 litres of water a day, in Kaokoland they drink only once every three or four days. When feeding, desert-adapted elephants are far more economical than their counterparts living in more lush habitats. They hardly ever fell trees, break fewer branches and debark less destructively than regular elephants. Their main source of water and nutrition is in the dry river courses of the westward-flowing rivers such as the Huab, Hoanib, Hoarusib and Khumib where they feed on mopane bark, www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
Tourists travelling in Kaokoland in search of the desert elephants are requested to avoid enclosed areas where the animals might feel trapped; not to camp at waterholes but to use existing camping sites; not to stop their vehicles in the middle of elephant migration routes; not to feed or throw objects at the animals; to keep to existing roads and tracks; and not to leave their vehicle when encountering the elephants.
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EPUPA FALLS
Epupa Falls
of Namibia with Angola. It winds through a slender forest of makalani palms, a landscape that gradually changes to one of arid hills and rugged mountains as it extends further
This deep chasm of a waterfall with its richly coloured
west towards the Atlantic Ocean. About 145 kilometres
rock walls and classic variety of tree species including
west of Ruacana, where the river wends its way through
baobabs, wild figs and makalani palms, is one of Na-
the Baynes Mountains and widens to accommodate a few
mibia’s most idyllic and peaceful spots. This is where you
islands, it plunges down a deep chasm caused by a geo-
can sit quietly for many hours entertained by the twitter of birds, becoming mesmerised as they circle endlessly in the spray above the vortex below, while you wait for the sun to set in a vivid blaze of red.
logical fault. This is the Epupa Falls, a series of cascades formed by the river dropping a total of 60 metres over a distance of about 1.5 kilometres, dividing into many channels and forming a multitude of rock pools.
Epupa was one of Namibia’s best-kept secrets until the rapid development of tourism in the nineties following Namibia’s coming of age. Since then it has become one of
Bird-watching at Epupa is especially rewarding, as you have a good chance of spotting the rare rufous-tailed palm
the prime destinations for intrepid four-wheel-drive enthu-
thrush, rosy-faced lovebirds, paradise flycatchers, African
siasts who brave the rugged wastes of Kaokoland, and for
fish-eagles, kingfishers ranging from the giant to the tiny
tourists who visit the area in light aircraft. When flying in,
malachite kingfisher, several species of bee-eaters, bul-
they have the added opportunity of viewing the falls from
buls, hornbills and rollers. This is also a place from where
the air, an adrenalin rush in its own right.
you can visit a settlement of the legendary Himba, a seminomadic people who still live and dress according to an-
In the west the Kunene River forms the northern border
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cient customs and traditions.
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Epupa
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The Omarunga Lodge and Campsite is situated under huge makalani palm trees on the banks of the Kunene River, just 100 metres above the spectacular Epupa Falls. The lodge offers fourteen luxury en suite chalets, all separately situated on the banks of the river. Furthermore does Omarunga offer nine campsites, each with own grill facilities and a light, an under thatch ablution facility with hot showers as well as a scullery and laundry. Other services include a swimming pool, a poolbar and TV on the premises. Guided tours are offered to the nomadic living Ovahimba who still live in a traditional way in the area. Sundowner drives overlooking the falls are one of the many highlights.
Tel: + 264 (0)64 403096 • Fax: + 264 (0)64 402097 E-mail: camtrav@iafrica.com.na • Website: www.natron.net/omarunga-camp
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Kamanjab Surrounds
68
We are situated in a mountainous valley in the middle of a Mopani tree savannah. While enjoying our hospitality you can easily explore the Etosha National Park, Damaraland and Kaokoland, or enjoy one of our tours with us. Situated near the town of Kamanjab, Gelbingen Lodge is popular with those wanting to visit the Himba tribe. • 10 Twin Rooms with en-suite bathroom • 1 Single Room • Bar & Restaurant • Himba Bar • Lapa • Swimmingpool • Laundry Service when staying longer than 2 days • Children’s Playground • Safaris throughout Namibia & Bostwana.
Tel: +264 (0)67 687 299 30km from Kamanjab, Namibia • gelbingen@iway.na • www.gelbingen-safaris.com
Gravel road near Kaokoland Kamanjab Surrounds
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Directions: 27 km north-west of Kamanjab on the C35 then left onto the D2763 and left again onto the D2695.
Situated at the gateway to Western Etosha, Damaraland & Kaokoveld, this award winning lodge on the slope of Fossil Mountain offers 14 comfortable en-suite double rooms with stunning views overlooking some 3000 hectares of Savanna. Guided trips are offered to Western Etosha, the almost extinct Himba and overnight tours to the Epupa Waterfalls, or just relax at the pool in a lush garden, do some birding or go in search of the fossils. After an exciting day, enjoy a sundowner around an open fire followed by a scrumptious meal, whereafter you can go on a nightdrive to find the ‘shy’ five. Camping site (full ablution facilities). Dinners can be booked.
Tel: +264 (0)67 687 095 • Email: rustig@iway.na - www.tokolodge.com Bookings: Eden Travel Agency - Tel: +264 (0)61 234 342 • Email: eden@mweb.com.na
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Khorixas Surrounds
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‘Kipwe’, meaning blessed in Swahili, is nestled in the boulders, facing out onto superb scenery. The ten rooms are round in shape, with outside decks to admire the view. The outside, open bathrooms adjoining the bedrooms have boulder, cement and rock walls, and roofs of rough mopane branches. The central area of the camp is raised and comprises four thatched domes; the reception area and curio shop, dining room, lounge, bar and guest toilets. A small swimming pool built into the rocks and a viewpoint with 360 degrees of breathtaking beauty, are two attractive outdoor features. Activities at the camp include nature drives with the possibility of seeing the desert-adapted elephants, Twyfelfontein excursions to the rock engravings and guided walks with Kipwe’s experienced guides.
Reservations: Tel: +264 (0)61 232 009 •Fax: +264 (0)61 222 574 kipwe@visionsofafrica.com.na •www.kipwe.com Khorixas Surrounds
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Between the Ugab and the Huab Rivers in southern Damaraland lies a vast and unspoilt wilderness area, here you’ll find Mowani Mountain Camp. The word M’wane means “Place of God”, and here you’ll find the true meaning of the words – peace and tranquility. The luxury thatched rooms, each with a deck, are elegantly decorated with furnishings especially designed for convenience and comfort. Guests can relax around a rock pool that has been skillfully carved out of the local stone, blending in perfectly with the natural surroundings. Daytime activities include guided nature drives, in search of the elusive desert elephant, guided nature walks and excursions to the Twyfelfontein Rock Engraving.
Reservations: Tel: +264 (0)61 232 009 •Fax: +264 (0)61 222 574 mowani@visionsofafrica.com.na •www.mowani.com www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
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Palmwag
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A paradise on the Uniab River in northwest Damaraland – a vacation opportunity with a difference. Waving palms whispering in the wind, spectacular surroundings which harbour the famous desert elephant, the rara black rhino, giraffe, zebra, gemsbok and many other wild animal species, sunsets to dream of - this is Palmwag Lodge, one of Namibia’s oldest and most popular tourist rendezvous. Our Services include the following: Game drives, sightseeing tours, Ovahimba tours fully licenced bar, swimming pool and guided walks. We also boast a very cozy “pool bar” and lapa. Morning and afternoon game drives are offered daily. The well laid-out hiking trails let you enjoy and discover the neighbouring nature. Light meals and drinks are served under the palm trees at the swimming pool, from mid morning until approximately 22h00.
Tel: +264 (0)64 403 096 •Cell: +264 (0)81 124 2468 •P.O.Box 2528 •Swakopmund •Namibia E-mail: eden@mweb.com.na •Web: www.palmwaglodge.com
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.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . ..
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.. .. The northern region of Namibia is .. centered around the vast expanse .. of the Etosha National Park, which .. is one of Namibia’s most popular .. tourist attractions. The Park is one .. of the the largest game parks in .. Africa with 114 species of mam.. mals and over 330 species of .. birds stretching over an expanse .. of approximately 23,000 square .. kilometers. The north of Namibia .. is big 5 country: Not only in the .. Park, but also throughout the en.. tire northern region, many spe.. cies such as rhino, buffalo, leop.. ard, lion, antelope and giraffe can .. be observed either on foot or with .. game viewing vehicles. This activ.. ity is particularly popular around .. the Waterberg Plateau Park, south.. east of Otjiwarongo. .. Visit the 60 ton Hoba Meteorite, . ..
No r t h
NORTHERN INTRO
the largest of its kind world-wide, just a stone’s throw from Grootfontein. Lake Otjikoto and Lake Guinas are Namibia’s two bottomless lakes , steeped in legend and folklore, situated just outside Tsumeb.
The further north one travels, the greener the countryside. The most spectacular sunsets and palm lined horizons can be found in this region. Near the Angolan border, Namibia is most densely populated, mainly by the Owambo people. In fact, approximately 80% of the Namibian population Iive in the north of the country. The northern people are born traders and offer their goods in cuca shops, stalls along the side of the road, or in shopping complexes.
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Note: The location of establishments on this map is an approximation only; please also consult the adverts for further directions.
Wild Dogs of Namibia
NORTHERN REGION LISTING Hut no.
29 29 29 29 29 30
Page
Etosha National Park & Surrounds Onguma Bush Camp Onguma Etosha Aoba Onguma Tented Camp Onguma The Fort Onguma Tree Top Camp Toshari Lodge Etosha
Grootfontein Surrounds 31 Dornhügel Gästefarm 32 Roy’s Rest Camp 33 Wildacker Guestfarm
133 132 133 132 133 134
135 135 135
Ongwediva 34 Etuna Guesthouse & Tours 136-137
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Hut no.
Page
Otjiwarongo 35 C’est Si Bon
138
Otjiwarongo Surrounds 36 Aloegrove Safaris Lodge
138
37 38 39 40 41 42
Outjo & Surrounds Farmhouse Restaurant and Beergarden, The Ombinda Country Lodge Bambatsi Guestfarm Etotongwe Lodge Matunda Guest Farm Vingerklip Lodge
Tsumeb 43 Makalani Hotel
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138 139 139 139 140 140
Hut no.
44 45 46 47
Page
Minen Hotel Mousebird Backpackers OMEG Allee Gästehaus Travel North Guesthouse
141 141 142 142
Waterberg & Surrounds 48 Hamakari 49 Waterberg Guest Farm 50 Weaver’s Rock Guest Farm North Tourism Services Namibia Reservations Reservations Africa
143 144 144 145 146
141
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ETOSHA – THE GREAT WHITE PLACE OF DRY WATER by shimmering mirages and the occasional animal wending its way across the empty wastes. It is this typical appearance that gave rise to the name in the local vernacular as ‘the great white place of dry water’. In the rainy season, fed by the Cuvelai system that has its origins in the highlands of Angola, floodwaters drain across Owambo. The pan fills with water and becomes an important breeding ground for migrant flamingos. Consisting of saline desert, savannah and woodlands, Etosha’s vegetation varies from dwarf shrub savannah and grasslands to thorn-bush and woodland savannah. Mopane, Colophospermum mopane, is the dominant tree species and is found in eighty per cent of the park. West of Okaukuejo a large stand of African moringa, Moringa ovalifolia, referred to as Sprokieswoud, Fairy or Phantom Forest, is the only location in Namibia where this interesting tree grows in a flat area.
Etosha
A total of 114 species of mammals are found in the park,
It is seeing animals against the unique backdrop of the Etosha Pan – a vast expanse of desiccated white clay characterised by distant mirages and spiralling dust devils – that makes the game-viewing experience in the world-renowned Etosha National Park different to any other. In September 2007 the park celebrated its first hundred years of existence, the centennial celebrations taking place at the Namutoni Resort in the eastern section of the park.
aena, leopard and lion. The diminutive Damara dik-dik is the
The park was originally proclaimed as a conservation area in 1907 by German Governor Frederich von Lindequist. This entailed the region south, west and north-west of the pan and Governor von Lindequist named it Game Reserve No 2. (Game Reserve Nos 1 and 3 were established to the north-east and the Namib Desert respectively.) With subsequent additions Etosha became the largest game reserve in the world, extending over a vast area of approximately 80 000 square kilometres westwards across Kaokoland to the Skeleton Coast. However, for political considerations, it was progressively diminished in size until 1975 when it was reduced by 77 per cent to its present surface area of 22 912 square kilometres.
In the dry season the best places to see the game is at the
The definitive feature of the park is the Etosha Pan, an immense, shallow depression of almost 5 000 square kilometres of dry, white cracked mud, its flat surface broken only
park, Namutoni in the east and Halali halfway between the
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including the rare and endangered black rhino, cheetah and black-faced impala. Large mammals include giraffe, elephant, blue wildebeest, mountain and plains zebra, hy-
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smallest antelope species and the largest is the stately eland, with kudu and gemsbok in between. Smaller mammals are bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal, warthog, honey badger and the endearing ground squirrel. A large number of birds occur in Etosha – about 340 – from ostrich, kori bustard and flamingos to vultures, owls, nightjars, bee-eaters and several species of waders.
thirty odd waterholes, which provide outstanding gameviewing and photographic opportunities. During the rainy season when there is plenty of groundwater the animals are distributed throughout the park. The best policy is to enquire from camp staff, before setting out, what the current game movements are. Etosha can be entered through three points: the Andersson Gate in the central southern section, the Von Lindequist Gate in the east, and the King Nehale Gate from the northcentral Owambo regions. The park has three well-laid out and equipped tourism resorts: Okaukuejo in the centre of the two, all three with luxury bungalows, well-equipped camping areas, information centres, restaurants, shops and museums. www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
OTJIKOTO AND GUINAS LAKES
Otjikoto and Guinas Lakes
condition, which can be viewed in the Alte Feste Museum in Windhoek, and canons and other armaments that were restored and are now displayed in the Tsumeb Museum.
Surrounded by legend and folklore are Namibia’s two ‘bottomless’ lakes – Otjikoto, distinguished by it emer-
One of the many legends that surround Lake Otjikoto is
ald-green waters, and Guinas, by its mystical inky-blue
that the body of Johannes Cook, a postmaster of Tsumeb
depths. Both lakes lie north-west of Tsumeb – Otjikoto 24
who drowned there in 1927, was never found because the
kilometres along the road and Guinas on a farm 32 kilo-
lake was bottomless. In fact, because Otjikoto is shaped
metres further west. Lake Guinas is therefore less acces-
rather like an upside-down mushroom, it is thought that
sible, and can be viewed only after obtaining the farmer’s
his body was caught under one of the overhangs.
permission. Both these lakes lie in the Otavi mountain-land, which conLake Otjikoto was discovered by the two explorers Gal-
sists of a thick succession of well-stratified dolomite and
ton and Andersson in 1851. At the time they measured
limestone about 700 million years old. Being carbonates of
its depth as 55 metres, an assessment that was proved ac-
calcium and magnesium, these rocks are soluble in water,
curate by subsequent plumbings (the depth varying from
especially if they contain some carbon dioxide. The rocks
33–90 metres). At 100 metres, Guinas is somewhat deep-
are criss-crossed by a system of solution channels that have
er. However, the legend that Otjikoto was bottomless per-
generally developed on joints, fracture zones or bedding
sisted. It was possibly this notion that led to the dumping
planes, which become partially filled with groundwater.
of a considerable supply of artillery and ammunition into
Now and then big cavities are exposed by weathering, or
its murky depths by retreating Schutztruppe, rather than
the roof caves in when it becomes very thin, as in the case
let the armaments fall into the hands of the South African
of Otjikoto and Guinas. These solution channels lead away
troops. Many years later, in co-operation with the Wind-
from them, although the two lakes need not necessarily
hoek State Museum, divers salvaged some of the equip-
be directly connected. The lakes are fed by water seeping
ment, among others an ammunition wagon still in perfect
through porous rock from southern Owambo.
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Etosha National Park & Surrounds
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Sharing the eastern border of Namibia’s Etosha National Park, the 34 000 hectare Onguma Game Reserve combines night drives, bush walks and Rhino research drives to create a diverse wilderness experience.
Onguma – The Fort -
iconic drama
The drama of The Fort is matched by its dramatic surroundings and blends Namibian and Moroccan elements into a truly memorable 13 suite lodge.
Onguma Etosha Aoba -
wine and dine under the stars
Newly renovated, Etosha Aoba offers charming, rustic bush style accommodation for nature-lovers. With only 11 rooms and attentive service, guests will not want to leave the Aoba hospitality.
Tel: +264 61 237055 •Fax: +264 61 235677 reservations@onguma.com •www.onguma.com
Onguma The Fort
Onguma Etosha Aoba
Onguma The Fort
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Etosha National Park & Surrounds
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Onguma Tented Camp
- the ultimate in safari chic
Onguma Tented Camp is a beguiling mixture of sophistication and relaxation, of elegance and the earth. The seven spacious tents extend the U-shaped design, allowing for both privacy and fantastic views.
Onguma Tree Top Camp -
up among the tree tops
Onguma Tree Top Camp is small and intimate, especially designed for those travellers who would like to truly experience the bush in all its raw splendour. It is ideal for small groups or families traveling together and the 4 rooms can be booked out as a whole camp – with private chef, host and guide. What better way to experience the wilderness?
Onguma Bush Camp
– family delight
Onguma Bush Camp offers guests a stunning new waterhole around which the main guest areas are positioned – ensuring there is something to see with every meal.
Tel: +264 61 237055 •Fax: +264 61 235677 reservations@onguma.com •www.onguma.com
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Etosha National Park & Surrounds
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Directions: Situated only 25 km from the Etosha National Park
Nestled on an outcrop of dolomite rocks, under a forest of Mopane and White Seringa trees, you will find the ideal tranquil atmosphere to relax and unwind. We offer game drives to the Etosha National Park. The Lodge offers 27 standard double rooms, 3 family rooms and 8 luxury rooms, all equipped with mosquito nets and air-conditioning. We also have 3 campsites each with its own ablution facility, hot and cold water, 220v power point and a braai place. Our Restaurant offers wholesome Namibian cuisine as a 4 course menu that varies daily. We are blessed with an abundance of bird life, stunning sunsets and starry nights.
Tel: + 264 (0)67 333 440 • Fax: + 264 (0)67 333 444 • Cell:+264 (0)81 382 2655 P.O. Box 164 • OUTJO • Namibia • E-mail: toshari@iway.na • Web: www.etoshagateway-toshari.com
Leopard
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Grootfontein Surrounds
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The guest farm is situated in the north of Namibia on your way to the Bushmanland and the Caprivi region. Experience adventurous Landrover rides through vast fields with antelopes, cattle and horses crossing your way. Be inspired by the spectacular sunset from the lapa or around a crackling fire before wining and dining. Individually styled spacious en-suite rooms. Welcome to Dornhuegel!
Tel: +264 (0)67 240439 • Fax: +264 (0)67 240439 P.O. Box 173 • Grootfontein • Namibia • dornhueg@iway.na • www.dornhuegel.com Grootfontein Surrounds
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More than just a camp... Roy’s welcomes you into a realm fantasy of mobiles and decor where one can fulfill a real African Dream. Settle down in one of our rustic bungalows or peaceful camping sites. In the atmospheric dining room we serve excellent farm style “Boerekos”. Real Namibian hospitality will enfold each guest arriving at Roy’s. Furthermore enjoy an unforgettable experience with the San people in a community nearby. Other activities include bird and game viewing and walking trails. Also available is a “Bush internet-café”.
Tel: +264 (0)67 240302 • Fax: +264 (0)67 240264 P.O. Box 755 • Grootfontein • Namibia • Email: royscamp@iway.na • Web: www.roysrestcamp.com Grootfontein Surrounds
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Directions: Halfway between Rundu and Grootfontein. Drive 105km north from Grootfontein on the B8, turn east on gravel road D3016 and continue for 22km and follow the signs for 5km.
Your halfway stop-over between Windhoek and Caprivi or the eastern Etosha and the Caprivi! Wildacker is situated in the unique Caprivi woodland vegetation zone of the northern Kalahari. 15 000ha private game reserve - rich in a variety of endemic Namibian wildlife. Guided game walks, nature drives through the Mangetti Dune landscape and thornbush savannah. The birding here will surprise you! Accommodation in thatched, en suite bungalows, with a private setting and view into the African savannah, a lush green garden and pool to relax after adventurous days and home cooked meals. Come and enjoy this part of Africa with us.
Tel/Fax: +264 (0)67 687 292 • Grootfontein • P.O. Box 541 • Namibia Email: wildacker@iway.na • Web: www.wildacker.com.na www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
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Ongwediva
34
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Otjiwarongo
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How to get there - Otjiwarongo - Swembadweg - as you enter Otjiwarongo on the B1 from Windhoek, turn left into the street between the NG Church and BP fuel station. Straight ahead at the T-junction lies C’est Si Bon. Situated in the town of Otjiwarongo, en-route to Namibia’s lush water rich Caprivi and Etosha National Park, is C’est Si Bon Hotel. Owner managed, the hotel offers the traveller or businessman 21 fully equipped en suite thatched bedrooms, superb Namibian Cuisine, bar, swimming pool, conference facilities which can cater for 150 people.
Tel: +264 (0)67 301 240 • Fax: +264 (0)67 303 208 • Cell: +264 (0)81 622 8000 P.O.Box 2060 • Otjiwarongo • Namibia • Email: cestsibon@iway.na • Web: www.cestsibonhotel.com Otjiwarongo Surrounds
36 Aloegrove offers true Namibian Hospitality and unparalleled service. Enjoy our superb cuisine in our excellent dining facilities with open fireplace, or lounge and enjoy a fireside chat by die outdoor braai. We offer 6 en-suite bungalows, each with its own balcony. We have a 360 view over our vast savanna and the Waterberg Plateau. Watch a spectacular Sunset or Sunrise and during the heat of the day - relax by the sparkling pool. Our activities include: lion, leopard and cheetah feeding, game drives and viewing, bird watching and hiking trails. We offer Dinner, Bed and Breakfast and Self Catering!
Cell: +264 (81) 127 4103 • 2nd Cell: +264 (81) 200 3049 Email Fax: 088614602 • Email: aloegrove@mweb.com.na • Web: www.aloegrove.com Outjo Trading Hours: Monday - Sunday (all year round) From 07:00 - 21:00
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Your visit to The Farmhouse Guesthouse is considered as a gift to us, as you are coming as a guest but leaving as a friend. The Farmhouse Guesthouse is in the heart of the small town Outjo, situated close to the famous Gemstones and conveniently opposite the Bakery. Our accommodation consists of 3 double rooms, 1 single room or 1 big cosy family room. Breakfast is served in our restaurant downstairs daily. Enjoy a delicious lunch, dinner or any light meal with us in the restaurant. Bar and internet facilities available. Our rates are very competitive and we look forward to welcoming you, our valuable guest.
Tel: +264(67) 313 444 • Fax: +264(67) 313 444 • Cell: +264 (81) 205 7047 • P.O. Box 664, Outjo, Namibia. Email: dinnerfarmhouse@iway.na • Website: www.thefarmhouse-outjo.com
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Outjo Surrounds
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1 km outside of Outjo
Ombinda Country Lodge offers 16 thatched twin bungalows, 5 thatched twin built rooms next to each other and 4 twin thatched built rooms for accommodation. All of the bungalows and rooms have en–suite facilities. Enjoy our excellent cuisine such as buffets, or an a la carte menu in the thatched Lapa. Special Barbecues and Lunches can be organized for groups on request. We also offer camping facilities on grass equipped with electrical power points. These sites include ablution blocks.
Tel: +264 (0)67 313181 • Fax: +264 (0)67 313 478 • P.O.Box 326 • Outjo • Namibia Bookings: ombindagerald@iway.na • Email: ombindagerald@iway.na • Web: www.ombindalodge.com Outjo Surrounds
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Directions: 400 km north of Windhoek, 2 hours away from the Etosha National Park
Endless horizons, peace and tranquility. You will be welcomed with our traditional “southwest” friendliness. We have a wonderful climate throughout the year and will inspire you to take walks through the surrounding mountains or the mopane forest, where you can watch our indigenous game and birds. You can enjoy a relaxing sun downer on the patio of your bungalow, the pool or our bar, while being dazzled by our spectacular and typical Namibian sunsets. Our comfortable bungalows are fitted with a double bed and some contain one or two single beds, electrical fittings, a shower and WC.
Tel: +264 (067) 313 897 • Fax: +264 (0) 886 615 627 • Cell: 081 245 8803 P.O. Box 120, Outjo, Namibia • Email: info@babatsi.com • Web: www.bambatsi.com Outjo Surrounds
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Directions: Next to the C38 Northwest from Outjo. GPS Coordinates: S20º06’18.4” E016º08’35.7”
This owner managed Lodge offers an affordable alternative to accommodation and camping within the Etosha park. Etotongwe Lodge consist of numerous separated rooms scattered like little houses throughout the 2 ha property. All buildings resemble German colonial architecture within an indigenous garden fused with garden plants, stone and African art. The abandons of local birds together with the orphaned wild animals in our 50ha game sanctuary, offers a unique close encounter.
Tel: +264 (0) 67 313333 • Fax: +264 (0)88 619 441 • P.O.Box 312 • Outjo • Namibia E-mail: comms@etotongwelodge.com • Web: www.etotongwelodge.com
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Outjo Surrounds
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GPS: S20º 04’9189 E16º 08’ 9322
This small, personal guestfarm lies 45 min drive from Etosha on the junction Okaukuejo/Kamanjab road. It’s a green oasis with citrus plantation, organic vegetable garden and a charming farm house. We offer delicious home made food. Enjoy some relaxation at our pool. We are an environmentally friendly guestfarm, making use of solar power and energy. Location: 11kilometres out of Outjo on the junction of Okaukuejo and Kamanjab road (C38 and C40).
Tel/Fax: (067) 313863 • Cell: +264 (0)81 340 2363 • P.O. Box 20, Outjo, Namibia matunda@iway.na • www.natron.net/matunda
Crimson - Breasted Shrike Outjo Surrounds
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Directions: From Outjo, take the road C39 towards Khorixas until you reach the turnoff D 2749 left to Vingerklip Lodge.
24 Thatched rooms stand nestled on a hillside to form an atmosphere of relaxation and tranquility. The spacious and comfortable bungalows, each with en-suite bathroom and a private verandah, allow you to spread out and feel at home. For family holidays, 5 of the 24 rooms have loft accommodation for two children. We offer two swimming pools, a jacuzzi, various decks and lapas all of course with a spectacular view of the surrounding area and Ugab Terraces. Activities offered are spectacular sun downer trips, nature walks, mountain biking as well as day trips to either Etosha or an authentic Himba Village. Don’t miss sundowner or dinner at the Eagles Nest Restaurant high on the plateau behind the lodge!
Windhoek: Tel: +264 (0)61 255344 • Lodge: Tel: +264 0(67) 687158• Fax: +264 0(67) 687157 P.O.Box 1150 • Windhoek • Namibia • Email: vingerkl@mweb.com.na • Web: www.vingerklip.com.na
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Tsumeb
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Directions: Enter on B1 from Whk into Hage Geingob Drive, into Sam Nujoma Drive, turn left at Ndilimani street
The hotel has a warm and friendly atmosphere. It is situated in the centre of town, walking distance to travel agencies, financial institutions and the museum. An ideal place for travelers on their way to Otjikoto, which is 20km away and the Etosha National Park, 100km away. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning, satellite television, direct dial telephone and coffee/tea facilities. Secure parking on premises with 24 hour security. Other facilities include a la carte restaurant and bar, gambling house, swimming pool and beer garden. Two separate conference rooms available with modern facilities.
Tel: +264 (0)67 221051 • Fax: +264 (0)67 221575 • P.O. Box 24, Ndilimani Cultural Troupe Street , Tsumeb Email: makalani@makalanihotel.com • Web: www.makalanihotel.com Tsumeb
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Directions: in centre of town, follow the road signs
The Minen Hotel is famous around the country and even further for its natural atmosphere, hosting a wild garden, traditional German hospitality and excellent cuisine. This oasis in the north is the perfect stop-over for travelers to Namibia’s famous Etosha National Park and the Caprivi. All rooms are comfortably furnished with en-suite bathroom, air-conditioner, television, telephone and fridge. Don’t be surprised when you are welcomed with a smile and personal attention. We strive to make your stay a pleasant one.
Tel: +264 (0)67 221 071 • Fax: +264 (0)67 221 750 P.O. Box: 244, Tsumeb, Namibia • Email: contact@minen-hotel.com • Web: www.minen-hotel.com Tsumeb
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GPS Coordinates: S19º 14.793’ E017º 43.051’
Affordable: 6 P Dorm @ 120N$ p.P., Camping 90N$ p.P. Beautiful garden with birds and lustrous lawn for camping and playing. Kids welcome. Self-catering possible, fully equipped kitchen, braai facility, hot water, laundry service available. Central situated, Bicycles to rent, walking distance from museum, banks and shopping center, en route to Etosha National Park only 120km.
Tel: +264 (0)67 221 777 • Cell: +254 678 512 81628 P.O. Box 1712 • Tsumeb • Namibia • info@mousebird-namibia.com www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
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Tsumeb
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Guesthouse O.M.E.G Allee is a friendly and neat establishment with 9 rooms, all equipped with en-suite bathroom, DSTV, air-conditioning, fridge, kettle, small built-in safe and secure parking. We are a 3x bronze and 1x silver award winner. It is approximately 75mins drive to Etosha. Visit our famous and well known beyond our borders Tsumeb Museum. For golfers and squash players there’s a possibility to use the local facilities in town.
Tel: +264 (0)67 220 631 •Fax: +264 (0)67 220 520 P.O. Box 284, Tsumeb • Namibia Email: omegalle@iway.na
Young Kudu Bull Tsumeb
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Directions: Dr Sam Nujoma Drive (Opposite Telecom) GPS Coordinates: S19.14.866 E17.42.873
Travel North Guesthouse offers comfortable single, double and family rooms which are air conditioned. Television, coffee/tea making facility, mini fridge, shower/toilet and laundry services. Camping facilities & backpacker rooms. WIFI for guests and internet café during office hours, party- and small conference facilities on request, as well as a hair salon, beauty clinic, bakery & coffee shop. We have a shuttle service running from Tsumeb-Windhoek-Tsumeb. We’re the only car rental in town; Europcar agency. Day trips: Town scenic drive as well as Etosha day trips can be arranged from our premises. Child friendly playground and petting zoo.
Tel: +264 67 220728 • Fax: +264 67 220916 • Cell: +26481 299 4214 P.O. Box 505 Tsumeb, Namibia • E-mail: info@travelnorthguesthouse.com • Web: www.travelnorthguesthouse.com
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Waterberg Surrounds
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With its origins embedded in the history of Namibia, Hamakari is a place of paradise at the Waterberg. Not only because of its exquisitely run guest house but also because of its variety of species of African Wildlife coupled with sound ecological farming operations. We have 6 comfortable rooms, an extensive library and a large swimming pool. Our activities include game drives, sun downer drives, birdwatching and hiking. Hamakari offers you a unique holiday adventure and an atmosphere that revives the original feeling of Africa.
Tel: +264 (0)67 306633 • Fax: +264 (0)67 302396 • Cell: +264 (0)81 249 7927 • P/Bag 2101, Otjiwarongo, Namibia S20º36’433 • E17º20’780 • Email: hamakari@iway.na • Web: www.hamakari.com
Elephant
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Waterberg Surrounds
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Situated close to the tarred road C22, 30 km after the turn-off from road B1.
At the foot of the majestic Waterberg Plateau lies “Waterberg Guest Farm”, a 42 000 ha paradise of natural African savannah. The ranch is habitat for a great variety of animals and birds, which makes it a wonderland for flora and fauna lovers. Accommodation is comfortable with 4 rooms and 4 bush bungalows, all with en suite facilities, while the kitchen offers traditional South African-Namibian cuisine. Relax in our “lapa”, enjoy the exceptional view of the Waterberg, embark on game drives (Cheetah Conservation Fund, “Little Serengeti”), set off for nature hikes.
Tel: +264 (0)61 237 294 • Fax: +264 (0)61 237 295 • After hours: +264 (0)67 30 22 23 P/Bag 2208 • Otjiwarongo • Namibia • E-mail: reservations@exclusive.com.na • Web: www.waterbergnamibia.com
The Waterberg Waterberg Surrounds
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From the B1 turnoff onto the C22 (Okakarara) 5km on your right, 25 Minutes from Otjiwarongo
Catering for people who seek tranquility in nature’s paradise as well as families/people looking for action, we offer bungalows or camping facilities. Wildlife & bird watching at the waterhole, hiking trails, sparkling pool, relaxing in hammocks or a body treatment in our wellness salon, while children play on the playground, feed animals or ride horses – you choose. Enjoy spectacular sunsets on our sundowner drives or your own balcony. Meals are served in our lapa and our historic breakfast room. Centrally situated on a hill top, makes us a convenient stopover to/from Waterberg/ Etosha/ cheetahs. From conferences to weddings, everything is possible.
Tel/ Fax: +264 67 304885 • P.O. Box 1091 • Otjiwarongo, Namibia E-mail: bookings@weaversrock.com • Web: www.weaversrock.com
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NORTHERN AMENITIES & SERVICES
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NORTH-EASTERN INTRO
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North-Eastern
Crimson - Breasted Shrike
The north-eastern region of Namibia stretches from the Kavango region right through to the end of the Caprivi strip. This region is typically African, with scattered rural settlements, lush tropical vegetation, expansive floodplains and an abundance of birds and game. Near Tsumkwe, the Nyae-Nyae area represents the homeland of the Bushman/San people. This area was formerly known as Eastern Bushmanland and is a little off-thebeaten track, thus a 4x4 vehicle is advisable. Similarly, the Khaudum National Park, which lies further north of Tsumkwe, is also only accessible by four-wheel drive. The Baobab tree is a distinctive species found in this area, recognizable by the enormous diameter of its trunk. The main town of the Kavango region is Rundu which is situated on
the banks of the Okavango River. This region is particularly known for its woodcarvers. This ancient craft has been handed down over generations and is a flourishing industry.
When heading further eastwards, the Caprivi Game Park extends into the Mudumu and Mamili National Parks. Herds of elephant are particularly abundant in this area and are best observed around the Chobe and Kwando rivers when they come down for their drink before sundown. Katima Mulilo is the main town of the Caprivi region and is considered the gateway to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe/Zambia and the Chobe National Park in Botswana. North-East is well known for its fishing (especially the sought-after Tiger Fish), game viewing and bird watching (over 400 bird species are found in this area).
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Note: The location of establishments on this map is an approximation only; please also consult the adverts for further directions.
Hippo
NORTH-EASTERN REGION LISTING Hut no.
Page
KAVANGO Divundu Surrounds 51 Mobola Lodge - KOAR 52 Ngepi Camp - KOAR 53 Nunda River Lodge - KOAR 54 Riverdance Lodge - KOAR 55 Mahangu Safari Lodge - KOAR
156 157 157 157 158
Divundu Tourism Services Ndhovu Stores - KOAR 158
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Rundu 56 Kaisosi River Lodge - KOAR 57 Omashare Hotel - KOAR 58 Tambuti Lodge - KOAR
Hut no.
152 152 153
CAPRIVI Kongola Surrounds 164 62 Camp Kwando 63 Lianshulu: Caprivi Collection 162 64 Susuwe Lodge: Caprivi Collection:163
Rundu Surrounds 59 Kayova River Lodge - KOAR 60 Shamvura Camp - KOAR 61 Taranga Safari Lodge
154 155 156
Hut no.
( KOAR = Kavango Open Africa Route)
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Katima Mulilo Surrounds 164 65 Camp Chobe 66 Kalizo Lodge 165 Katima Mulilo Tourism Services Tutwa Tourism & Travel 165
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KOAR - the Kavango Open Africa Route River of Life
..................................................................................................................... Named after the people who reside there, Namibia’s
While in Rundu be sure to visit the Khemo Open Mar-
Kavango region is home to incredible wildlife, natural
ket, which usually has a well-stocked and wide variety of
beauty and an abundance of fresh water from the Okavan-
famed Kavango woodcarvings while the thriving Rundu
go River. Based on the riverine landscapes, people and
Market, which has been in existence for 20 years, is a
birds, the Kavango Open Africa Route affords travellers
great place to support local businesses touting everything
the opportunity to venture off the beaten track to explore
from fresh fish and local fruits and veg to second-hand
one of Namibia’s most pristine destinations and discover
clothing, CDs and other souvenirs.
what this little piece of paradise has to offer. The Kavango Open Africa Route was developed to help attract travellers to the region to sustain livelihoods and create jobs among local people. A popular attraction with those in the know, the route stretches from Katwitwi in the west to Mohembo in the east and incorporates the remote Khaudum Game Park in the South. It’s recommended that travellers take a good few days exploring it, drinking in everything it has to offer. The Kavango Open Africa Route also provides an interesting alternative self-drive route along the banks of the Okavango River between Rundu and Divindu.
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The Kavango region is also a popular destination for fly-
won’t soon forget. The road to the park from from Katare,
fishermen due to the abundance of fish, particularly Ti-
in the north, is extremely difficult and only experienced
ger fish, Bream and African pike. More than 150 species
4x4 travellers should attempt this. Home to some of Na-
of fish have been recorded so far in the Kavango River
mibia’s most magnificent wildlife, the park is known for its
and even if you don’t hook ‘the big one’, the river itself is
predators including lion, cheetah, hyena and the elusive
enchanting and competes with all the other great African
wild dog. The remoteness of the park means it’s hard to
rivers. Locals travel up and down the river on ‘makoros’,
reach without a 4x4 and as there are no luxury camps
typical dugout canoes used in the Kavango region that are
within the park’s confines, brave visitors will sleep in un-
made from hollowed out tree trunks.
secured camps next to their wild African neighbours.
Birders will be in their element as the Kavango region is
For the less adventurous, Mahango Game Reserve, on
home to more than 400 species of bird, such as the rarely-
the border of Botswana is one of Namibia’s undiscovered
sighted Souza’s Shrike, Grey-headed Parrot and Sharp-
gems. This pocket sized park provides fantastic opportuni-
tailed Starling amongst many more other species like Afri-
ties for game viewing and it is not uncommon to see over
can Skimmer and Carmine Bea-eater. There are plenty of
10 different species in less than an hour. The reserve is
well-maintained lodges along the river with hides erected
home to a variety of wildlife including Roan, Sable and
specifically for bird-lovers to view these exquisite animals
Sitatunga.
around waterholes. Intrepid 4x4 enthusiasts can head south to the wild and unspoilt Khaudum Game Park for an experience they
African Skimmer www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
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Rundu
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Follow B8 from Rundu to Divundu (3km from Rundu turn off). Turn left 2km to T-junction. Turn right D3402 for 4km - turn left - 2km to Lodge.
The Kaisosi River Lodge is situated 7 kms East of Rundu, in the North East of Namibia, on the banks of the perennial Okavango River and on the route to Popa Falls and the Caprivi. We offer you complete relaxation and a true African ex- perience. This peaceful oasis, which can be reached in a normal sedan vehicle, is an ideal place for nature lovers and bird watchers to spend a few fulfilling days. Great spots for fishing and bird watching are available along the river. Guided fishing trips as well as river cruises on the Kavango River can be arranged. Accommodation consists of 4 double-storey thatched chalets with 4 en-suite rooms each. For campers - each campsite has its own ablution facility. Spectacular sunsets, friendly people, comfortable accommodation and fine cuisine makes the Kaisosi River Lodge a must for all travelers.
Tel: +264 (0)66 267 125 • Fax: 088 652 0629 • P.O. Box: 599, Rundu, Namibia Email: kaisosi@iway.na • Web: www.kaisosiriverlodge.com Rundu
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Omashare Hotel offers a spacious, comfortable lounge area for you to relax in while you plan the rest of your exciting journey, or relax on the veranda which overlooks the azure waters of the Kavango river and the neighboring village of Calais. There are 20 en-suite rooms, each capable of double occupancy and equipped with a small veranda opening onto lush gardens and sparkling pool with a perfect sun rise view from our eastern side. Enjoy a sunset cruise or guided fishing trip on the Kavango River, revealing the region’s natural beauty. Alternatively, relax with a drink at Back Stage, where you can enjoy a game of pool or do some gambling. Our fine restaurant will suit every mood, taste and schedule. Enjoy a light breakfast, satisfy midday hunger, and dinner is simply heavenly.
Tel: +264 (0)66 266 600 • Fax: +264 (0)66 256 111 • P.O. Box 617, Rundu, Namibia reception@omasharehotel.com • www.omasharehotel.com
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Rundu
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Tambuti is a small Lodge beautifully perched above the Kavango River overlooking the floodplain. We are one of the rare lodges looking at the river without getting wet feet, thus we are also open during the flood season. Conveniently located on the small road leading down to the river from the center of Rundu town (400m). Bungalows include, telephone, TV and satellite channels, wireless internet hotspot, fridge, en-suite showers, double queensize beds, mosquito net and mosquito tight screens at windows. We are trying to have the smallest carbon foot print as possible and have installed solar water heating and solar electricity powered lights. We have a small restaurant specializing in local traditional “African cuisine” and drinks sourcing local ingredients. This gives the lodge guests the opportunity to explore local flavors, add value to local products, and support the local communities providing the ingredients while considerably reducing the food miles.
Tel. +264 (0) 66-255 711 • Fax. +264 (0) 66-255 131 • Cell. +264 081 483 4113 P.O. Box 1826 • Rundu • Namibia • tambuti@iway.na • www.tambuti.com.na
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Rundu Surrounds
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Kayova River Lodge is a richly flowering park offering a peaceful oasis for visitors, in a fairly remote location. It lies in the heart of warm and welcoming rural communities on the bank of the Okavango River. Comfortable, africanthemed accommodation is available in eight air-conditioned thatched bungalows, with mosquito nets and en-suite bathrooms. It is fully equiped with all the comforts you need including: WiFi Internet, swimming pool, bar, restaurant and outdoor dining area and 8-seater boat. Kayova River Lodge offers two conference facilities that accommodate 20 pax and are equiped with flipcharts, notepads and pencils. Plugpoints are available for additional equipment brought in, like laptops and projectors.
Lodge: +264 66 258 212 • Cell: +264 786 6058 E-mail: kayovariverlodge@iway.na / sroelienkayova@iway.na • www.kayovariverlodge.com
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Rundu Surrounds
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Midway between Rundu and Divundu. We are well signposted off the B8 main tar road from Rundu to Katima
The unique location of Shamvura offers a spectacular endless view into the Angolan floodplains created by the Okavango/ Cuito River Confluence. We offer a variety of activities, including boat trips, fishing, birding, walks and game park visits. A paradise for keen nature lovers, birders and anglers. A range of privately placed accommodation units are nestled discretely in forested areas, we have the tree top cottage, comfortable fully equipped cabin tents and camping, all units have firewood provided, hot/cold ablution facilities, braai areas and 2 units have electricity with fully equipped kitchens for those who want to self-cater. At the main complex we have a private bar, DSTV for the sport lovers, a viewing deck that overlooks the vast Angolan flood-plains and a swimming pool. We strive to offer personalised and friendly service.
Tel :+264 66 264 007 •Fax : +264 66 258 297 • Cell: Charlie: +264 81 241 7473 Mark: +264 81 314 2713 P.O. Box 183, Rundu, Namibia • E-mail : shamvura@iway.na Web: www.shamvura.com • Facebook: Shamvura Camp Namibia
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Rundu Surrounds
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Taranga Safari Lodge is one of a very few luxury bush camp lodges in the Rundu-Kavango region. Everything at the lodge focuses on relaxation and enjoying the African wilderness at your own pace. The large wooden decks offer a private and idyllic location for those wishing to unwind. You’ll find a swimming pool at the main deck to keep everyone cool or allow you to just relax and enjoy the African sun. We have 8 camping sites equipped with power, ablution blocks and hot water. There are daily guided river safaris taking you out for an adventure; an early sunrise cruise through the rising early morning river mist or a late afternoon sundowner or fly fishing. You may plan to go on a bushwalk, traditional village tour or celebrate the end of a lazy day by spending time at night around the fire pit stargazing.
Tel: +264 (0)66 257 236 • Fax: +264 (0)88 633 554 • Halali Village, 35km West of Rundu on the Okavango River • Email: info@taranganamibia.com • Web: www.taranganamibia.com
Divundu Surrounds
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Mobola Lodge is situated at the banks of the beautiful Okavango river in the Kavango region between Rundu and Divundu. We provide 3 Bungalows (1 Family Bungalow for 4-6 persons and 2 Double Bed Bungalows) and 6 Campsites. Mobola Lodge offers activities such as boat cruises on the Okavango with breathtaking sundowners, fishing trips and tours to a traditional village. Drives to Buffalo Park, Mahangu Park, and the Popa Rapids are all within short driving distance for a visit.
Cell: +264 (0)81 22 74 836 • P.O. Box 1627, Rundu, Namibia E-mail : mobolalodge@gmail.com • Web : www.mobola-lodge.com
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Divundu Surrounds
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Now run entirely with solar power, environmentally committed Ngepi Camp offers amazing en-suite tree houses built on the river, grassed private campsites with all facilities, funky ablutions, a unique “floating” swimming pool, mokoro trips, a Namibian delta experience, sunset & sunrise boat cruises, day/overnight Dragon River Rafting, fishing, guided bird/village walks, game drives, lawn & shade. Meet fellow explorers in the Bush Bar, share stories, enjoy excellent music, cold beer & tasty meals. Come and get a life.
Tel: +264 66 259 903 • Fax: +264 66 259 906 • P.O. Box 5140, Divundu, Namibia E-mail : bookings@ngepicamp.com • Web : www.ngepicamp.com Divundu Surrounds
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Nunda Safari lodge is situated on the banks of the Okavango River. All luxury units have their own private deck overlooking the river from where the abundant bird life, exquisite African sunsets and resident hippo population can be taken in at leisure. The main complex has a lounge, restaurant, bar and the largest swimming pool in the area. Nine grassed, shaded and electrified campsites with beautiful ablutions are aso available. Nunda Safaris also offers guided game drives and adventure fishing expeditions on the Okavango River.
Tel: +264 (0)66 259093 • Fax: +264 (0)66 259094 • Cell: +264 (0)81 310 1730 P.O.Box 5271 • Divindu • Namibia • Email: bookings@nundaonline.com • Web: www.nundaonline.com Divundu Surrounds
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‘RiverDance‘ is situated on the banks of the might Okavango river, 170km north east of Rundu. We are unaffected by seasonal flooding, owner managed and a mere 35km from the Popa Falls, Caprivi strip, Bwabwatha National Park (Mahango Core Area) and KIFI (Fishing institute). Our luxurious waterfront units are tastefully decorated with extra length beds and a choice of pillow for a most relaxing sleep. Be assured of attention to every detail, scrumptious meals and breathtaking views of the river, year round.
Tel: +264 (0)66 686 086 • Fax: +264 (0)66 686 085 • Fax2Email: +264 (0)88 651 5574 Cell: +264 (0)81366 9775 / +264 (0)81124 3255 • Email: reservations@riverdance.com.na • www.riverdance.com.na www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
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Divundu Surrounds
55 Airstrip at Bagani S18°07’23” / E21°37’07” & Shakakwe S18°22’24” / E021°48’18”
The comfortable Mahangu Safari Lodge comprises 10 twin bed Bungalows, 2 family units, 5 big Safari Tents en-suite and 4 Guides-Bungalows with shared facilities. All units are air-conditioned. The Lodge offers a huge main deck, outside riverbar, dining and lounge area and a sparkling swimming pool next to the Okavango River with a picturesque view. Activities include spectacular bird- and game viewing in the 2 Parks next to us, as well as the nearby Popa Falls (Rapids). The Lodge offers beautiful campsites with power points next to the river; campers are welcome to make use of the restaurant.
Tel: ++264 (0)66 259 037 • Fax: ++264 (0)66 259 115 P.O. Box 5200 • Divundu • Okavango • Namibia mahangulodge@iway.na • www.mahangu.com.na
Direct Reservation: +264 (0)66 259 037 Fax: +264 (0)66 259 115 Agent: +264 (0)61 234 342 Fax: +264 (0)61 233 872
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CAPRIVI REGION
A Tropical Riverine Paradise
The regional centre is Katima Mulilo, which has become a busy tourist hub, as it is the gateway to the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and the Chobe National Park in Botswana.
With its scattered huts and sprawling rural population, the
The proximity of Caprivi to countries with active art and
Caprivi is closer to the idea most people have of Africa
craft industries has had a positive influence on Caprivian
than any other part of Namibia. It consists of a complex
artists and craftspeople, known for the sculptural beauty
network of perennial rivers, riverine forests and fertile
and symmetry of their pots and baskets.
floodplains, an unusually flat area where no piece of land is more than 47 metres higher than the rest. The region
Caprivi is home to over 400 birds species, making it a
is populated by over 80 000 people, most of whom are
sought-after destination for birders and bird photogra-
subsistence farmers making their living on the banks of the
phers. Game abounds here, with buffalo, roan and sable
Zambezi, Kwando, Linyanti and Chobe rivers. In addition
antelope and large herds of elephant and red lechwe
to fishing and hunting, they keep cattle and cultivate the
criss-crossing the floodplains. The riverine vegetation in
land. When the Chobe and Zambezi rivers come down in
the backwaters hosts rare species such as reedbuck and
flood, over half the land can become inundated with wa-
sitatunga, as well as hippos and crocodiles.
ter. At this time of the year the Caprivians use their mekoro (dug-out canoes) to traverse the routes usually utilised by
The top tourism activities in the region are game view-
cars, trucks and pedestrians.
ing by boat, 4x4 vehicle or on foot; white-river rafting on the turbulent waters of the Zambezi; peaceful sunset river
Seen on the map, the Caprivi appears to be a strange ap-
cruises on pontoons; bird-watching by boat, vehicle or on
pendage rather than part of the country, extending east-
foot; and fishing, the top challenge being the sought-after
wards as a panhandle into Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe
tiger fish. At the Lizauli Traditional Village a programme
and Botswana. It is a classic example of how colonial
of traditional music and dance, complete with witchdoc-
powers shaped the boundaries of modern Africa. At the
tor, gives visitors an insight into Caprivian culture. A wide
Berlin Conference in 1890, Germany acquired the strip of
variety of accommodation options ranging from luxury
land to add to the then German South West Africa, nam-
lodges on riverbanks and islands to basic camping sites,
ing it after the German Chancellor General Count Georg
makes the Caprivi a destination that suits many different
Leo von Caprivi.
pockets.
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Caprivi Wetlands Paradise Route - Open Africa Route
..................................................................................................................... Owing to its linear shape, which gives Caprivi long inter-
the hottest months for travelling through this region are
national borders, the region has an interesting ethnic his-
from September through November. During the dry win-
tory with ties to neighbouring Zambia, Botswana and An-
ter months, large populations of elephant and buffalo are
gola. The Caprivi Wetlands Route takes travellers through
known to congregate along the Kwando, Zambezi and
the region which boasts three perennial rivers, making it
Chobe river corridors, making it a great time of year for
a wetland paradise in the otherwise arid Namibia. Caprivi
game-viewing.
links travellers closely to the world-renowned Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park of Botswana, Zambia’s and Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba and the seventh wonder of the world, Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya). Day trips, transfers, camping and fishing safaris can be arranged from Namibia, and especially Caprivi, to any of these neighbouring countries. Caprivi is more tropical than the rest of Namibia, with a higher rainfall and warmer winters. Rainfall can be very variable and drought years are common. Most rain falls in summer, peaking in January and February while
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The Caprivi is Namibia’s bird paradise. It has varied habitats including broad-leafed and acacia woodlands, mopane forests, riverine forests, grasslands and floodplains and therefore boasts more than 400 species of birds. The eastern floodplains and grassveld are accessible by 4x4 vehicles from May to November. There are three state-protected game reserves in Caprivi’s Wetland Paradise, namely Mamili, Mudumu and Caprivi National Game Parks. Here, the limited road and infrastructural development adds a sense of adventure and wilderness. In the dry months from May to November these parks are home to large herds of migratory buffalo and elephant. Attractions in the wet months from December to April include bird-filled pans fringed by water lilies and inhabited by hippo. Look out for the water-loving antelope – lechwe, reedbuck and waterbuck – in the floodplains. Travellers may even see roan and sable antelope or a glimpse of the rare, semi-aquatic sitatunga found in the dense papyrus reed beds. www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
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Kongola Surrounds
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GPS: S 18 06’57.60’’ E 023 23’18.00’’
Lianshulu Lodge overlooks the Kwando River and is situated on a private concession inside the Mudumu National Park of Namibia. The area is a lush wilderness of riverine forest, marsh and open woodland, providing a home for an abundance of wildlife. The stylish accommodation embraces eleven generously spaced, individually styled and tastefully furnished chalets, each with private bathroom and secluded, outside viewing deck. Sumptuous meals are prepared and are served at elegantly set tables, under a wild fig tree and include breakfasts, brunches and congenial dinners by candlelight. For the prospective guest to Lianshulu Lodge, the attraction will be found in a quintessentially African experience, blending exceptional service with superb scenery and a fascinating array of fauna and flora.
T: +264 (0)61 22 44 20 | Fax to Email: +264 (0)886 305 99 www.caprivicollection.com | reservations@caprivicollection.com
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GPS: S 17º 46’ 500” E 023º 18’ 300”
Susuwe Island Lodge offers guests the opportunity to closely experience a wild and untouched island of Africa. Situated in north-eastern Namibia, our island is on the remote Kwando River - a permanent water source which nourishes delicate ecosystems and sustains varied game and birdlife. Relaxation, privacy and comfort are paramount at Susuwe. Just six spacious suites, including private deck and plunge pool, is a haven of calm and respite, an airy dreaming space to recharge the senses. Professionally guided game drives are rewarded with special sightings of roaming elephant and buffalo, lechwe, lion and leopard. Guided walks or a river cruise at sunrise or sunset offer guests a closer insight into the intrigue of the African bush. We offer our visitors the opportunity to merge unhurriedly with Africa’s timeless evolution of hazy days and star-studded nights.
T: +264 (0)61 22 44 20 | Fax to Email: +264 (0)886 305 99 www.caprivicollection.com | reservations@caprivicollection.com
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Camp Kwando is situated on the Kwando river, eastern Caprivi in the far north east of Namibia. The lodge is halfway between the two major gems of Southern Africa, the Okavango Delta and the Victoria Falls, making it an ideal stopover to unwind during your journey. Both the tented chalets and the luxury chalets have breathtaking views over the river and Botswana, with the chance of seeing hippos and crocodiles. The campsites are situated under shady trees on well-maintained lawns with a well-equipped ablution block and hot water. Relax with a sundowner on our wooden deck or take part in any of our activities, which include boat cruises, fishing trips, game drives into Mudumu National park and a visit to a traditional village.
Tel: +264 (0)66 686021 • Fax: +264 (0)66 686023 • P.O. Box 8016, Kongola, Namibia Email: reservations@campkwando.com • Web: www.campkwando.com Katima Mulilo Surrounds
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Camp Chobe enjoys luxurious solitude on the banks of the Chobe river, with 12 Tented suites and a camp site that are sprawled along the banks of the Chobe river in the Eastern Caprivi, where the lodge flawlessly combines the best of this unique inland flood plain. Here you can enjoy activities that take you closer to nature than you could imagine. Breathtaking scenery and abundant wildlife awaits on our boat cruise, guided walks or canoeing safari’s, including more than 500 bird species. At Camp Chobe you can live out the adventure of a lifetime as close to nature as you can get.
Tel: +264 (0)66 250 614 / +264 (0)66 250 615 •Cell: +264 (0)81 800 0762 P.O.Box 1150 • Ausspannplatz • Namibia • Email: johan@campchobe.com • Web: www.campchobe.com
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GPS Coordinates: 17° 32’ 25.22’’ S | 24° 33’ 58.33’’ E
Get away from it all. Experience Africa as it is meant to be! Stay in beautiful luxury tents or chalets on the bank of the mighty Zambezi. • Great family (affordable) getaway • Superb birding 450 species •Home to Shelley Sunbird, African Skimmer • Tiger Fishing, Bream and many others • Boating and cruises • Close to Vic Falls, Chobe • Regular air services to Katima Mulilo • Transfers available to and from Vic Falls, Katima, Chobe and Livingstone.
Tel: +264 (0)66 686 802 • Fax: +264 (0)88 653 1668 • Cell: +264 (0)81 814 8861 Email: info@kalizolodge.com • Web: www.kalizolodge.com
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On the Zambezi
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For the first time, the Namibia Travel Companion is
to also read about the attractions in each region and thus
featuring “Suggested Routes” to assist the self-drive
allow sufficient time for your visit.
tourist to plan ahead. The numbers along each route indicate places to stay. Each route highlights accommodation establishments along that particular route and reference is given to the page number in the publication on which that particular establishment is featured. You will also find an enlarged map for each route, detailing attractions along that particular route and places one needs to see and incorporate along the way.
The hut number corresponds to the establishments listed next to the map and a page reference is also given to read about the establishment in the book and to contact them via the web or telephone to make your reservation. We hope that this feature will make it easier for you to plan your trip and that you will experience true Namibian hospitality and sunshine to make this your
Each section in the book also describes relevant attrac-
holiday of a lifetime.
tions or places to see/things to do when visiting that re-
Remember: “Life is either a daring adventure or noth-
gion. Once you have thus decided on a route, make sure
ing.” – Helen Keller
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Herewith a short glance at all Suggested Routes featured in the following pages: Pg 198,199 Suggested Route: Windhoek – Rundu
Pg 208, 209 Suggested Route: Otjiwarongo &
Pg 200, 201 Suggested Route: Windhoek – Lüderitz
Pg 202, 203 Suggested Route: Swakopmund – Etosha
Waterberg Surrounds
Pg 210, 211 Suggested Route: Keetmanshoop – Vioolsdrift Pg 212, 213 Suggested Route: Khorixas – Epupa Falls
Pg 204, 205 Suggested Route: Walvisbay – Sossusvlei
Pg 214, 215 Suggested Route: Rundu – Katima Mulilo
Pg 206, 207 Suggested Route: Etosha Surrounds
Pg 216, 217 Suggested Route: Tsumeb – Epupa Falls
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THE PEOPLE OF NAMIBIA The people of Namibia Namibians are a melting pot of different population groups and cultures, united by a turbulent history, a large number of traditions that permeate the Namibian nation on many different fronts and the official language, English. The indigenous peoples have retained their mother tongues, with the result that bilingualism and even trilingualism is a common factor among Namibians. While Christianity has been widely embraced by indigenous Namibians, several cultural traditions are still cherished and practised, albeit often in a more contemporary form.
The Owambo
THE OWAMBO
The roaming nature and flexibility of the Owambo, coupled with the cycle of the seasonal efundja, very much define their character as a people. In about 1550 the tribes referred to collectively as the Owambo moved down from the Great Lakes in East Africa to settle between the Kunene and Okavango rivers in central-northern Namibia. The Owambo consist of eight tribes, the largest being the Kwanyama. The other tribes are the Ndonga, Kwambi, Mbalantu, Kwaluudhi, Ngandyela and the smaller Nkolonkadhi and Unda. Following Namibia’s independence in 1990, what was traditionally known as Ovamboland or Owambo was divided into four regions: Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto. While these four regions are still where the majority of Owambo people live, large numbers have migrated southwards and settled throughout the length and breadth of the country, forming the major part of the workforce in the mining and fishing industries. During the rainy season life on the vast plains of Owambo depends on the efundja, the floods that feed the flat, shallow depressions called oshanas. Here a mixed economy of agriculture and farming with livestock is practised. Major crops in the agronomy sector are mahangu (pearl millet) - maize, groundnuts and sorghum, while livestock consists mainly of cattle, goats and chickens, supplemented by fishing in the oshanas. Groups of women are involved in home industries such as basketry, dressmaking,
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pottery and woodcarving. While Owambo women traditionally cultivated the land and raised the children, they are nowadays increasingly entering the labour market as civil servants, nurses, teachers and shop assistants. An intriguing side to this versatile people is their natural bent for trading, borne out locally in the over 10 000 stalls, cuca shops (where liquor is served and sold) and shopping complexes in the region. One of Namibia’s most successful businessmen is multi-millionaire Frans Indongo, who built Frans Indongo Gardens in Windhoek. A typical Owambo artefact and immensely popular in modern Namibian hand-crafted jewellery is the ekipa, an ornamental button made from ivory or bone. Ekipas were carved into oval, round, square or rectangular shapes with a raised centre, resembling a tiny beehive. They are usually engraved around the outer edge with a border depicting different geometric patterns. In earlier times ekipas were worn by the women on two leather straps hanging down from the waist at the back, the number of ekipas displayed giving an indication of the wealth and status of the woman’s husband. More than any other of Namibia’s population groups, the Owambo have consistently played an active role in politics. The South West Africa People’s Organisation, Swapo, has been the ruling party since independence. It started as a non-violent pressure group, the Owambo People’s Organisation, led by Adimba Herman Toivo ya Toivo and Samuel Shafiishuna Nujoma, the man destined to become the first president of an independent Namibia. He was succeeded by fellow countryman and former Cabinet Minister, Hifikepunye Pohamba. www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
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The Bushmen/San
THE BUSHMEN/SAN
Descended from the Khoisan peoples, the Bushmen are the earliest known inhabitants of Namibia. These huntergatherers roamed the vast plains of Southern Africa for thousands of years before migrants armed with weapons and searching for new land drove them further and further east into the Kalahari and Namib deserts, where some still practise their traditional, nomadic lifestyle. Today there are approximately 35 000 San people living in Namibia, most of them on farms in the eastern parts of the country or in remote communal areas in the Otjozondjupa and Omusati regions in north-eastern and north-eastern Namibia. The Bushmen’s former habitation in many parts of the country is evidenced by the rich wealth of rock art found in caves and overhangs in mountainous and hilly areas. Two well-known examples are Twyfelfontein with its rock engravings, which was awarded World Heritage status by the World Heritage Committee (UNESCO) during 2007, and the Brandberg, famous for the rock painting known as the White Lady. Twyfelfontein has in excess of 2 000 rock engravings and the Brandberg a recorded number of over 8 000. A high degree of mysticism is embodied in the San culture, which has endured over thousands of years due to oral traditions. These wanderers of the arid plains are renowned as storytellers, expressing themselves eloquently in prose, music, mimicry and dance. Moth cocoons filled with seeds or stones attached around their ankles provide rhythm when they dance. One of their instruments consists of a hunter’s bow that has been strung with animal hair and equipped with a sound box in the shape of a hollowed-out melon or, especially nowadays, a tin can.
Most of the materials used for body adornments are collected in the bush, including seeds, porcupine quills, roots and berries. Functional items such as bags used for collecting wild fruit and berries and storing tobacco and matches are made from softened antelope skins. The Bushmen are divided into three groups – the Hai||omn who inhabit the northern districts of Otavi, Tsumeb and Grootfontein; the !Kung and Ju//Huansi in Bushmanland (Otjozondjupa Region) and the Gobabis district and the Khoé or Mbarakwengo in West Caprivi. The area that comprises the Etosha National Park today was once the ancestral home of the Hai||omn Bushmen. Their existence first gained international publicity in 1925 following the Denver Expedition, whose members claimed they had ‘found the Missing Link’ in the Hai||omn people. In the 1950s the Hai||omn in Etosha were instructed by the South African administration to leave the park, as they supposedly represented a threat to the wildlife. When Namibia became independent in 1990 it was generally thought that this hailed a new era for the Bushmen in the country. The new Namibian regime recognised that as a group the Bushmen were by far the country’s most disadvantaged people. However, by and large their situation has remained unchanged. In 2007, the year the centennial of the Etosha National Park was celebrated, the evacuation of the Hai||omn from their ancestral lands was once again brought to the attention of the general public. In the words of Reinhard Friederich, a farmer who grew up in northern Namibia and was exposed to Bushmen from an early age, “While the proclamation of Etosha as a national park has left not only the Namibian nation but also tourists worldwide a precious jewel, the Hai||omn people need to be recognised and appreciated for the sacrifice they made when forced to leave their ancestral home.”
Like most semi-nomadic people around the world, the Bushmen adorn themselves with beads made from ostrich eggshells and glass. Fashioned into necklaces, bracelets and anklets, these items are worn by both men and women and are often exchanged as gifts. Archaeological evidence suggests that the techniques used today are similar to those used centuries ago. Ostrich eggshells are broken into smaller pieces and then the edges are chipped to shape them into round, flat beads. A hand bow is used to drill the central hole, and the different pieces are assembled, traditionally with raw sinew, nowadays with commercial beading thread. Production of such items is often shared. Beads, for instance, are carved by the men and threaded by the women.
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The Whites
THE WHITES
Early pioneers of European descent started settling in southern Namibia in the 1800s. They were mainly Afrikaners infiltrating from South Africa, and German and British missionaries. The major contribution of the English-speaking community to Namibia is undoubtedly the English language. When Namibia attained independence in 1990, English was selected as the official language, and today it is the main language of instruction in state-run schools throughout the country. After serving with German as one of three ‘official’ languages, Afrikaans was relegated to a secondary position. Prior to independence, however, it was the main language of instruction in state-run schools, and was the lingua franca spoken by approximately 90 per cent of all Namibians. Nevertheless, it is still a prominent language, as it is the first language spoken by Namibia’s Afrikaners, Rehoboth Basters and Coloureds. More or less 100 000 Namibians of European descent currently live in the country, most of them in the urban, central and southern areas. They are mainly involved in farming, commerce, manufacturing and professional services. About two-thirds of them speak Afrikaans, one quarter German and the rest, according to the latest population census not more than 8 000, primarily English. The latter don’t all have English ancestry, many being descended from Italians, French and Portuguese people who settled in the country and adopted English as their home language. The first British presence was established in Namibia in 1807, when the London Missionary Society, which had based itself along the Orange River in 1802, became active north of the river at Warmbad and Blydeverdacht. They and the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society transferred their rights to the Rhenish Missionary Society in the mid1800s.
of several ‘treks’ of Afrikaners who moved northwards from the Great Marico in South Africa’s northern Transvaal over the Limpopo in search of new land. In the second half of the nineteenth century, after endless wanderings, some of them settled in Angola, where they lived for about 50 years, before moving to Namibia in the 1920s. In addition to the Afrikaans language, Afrikaans cuisine too has permeated Namibian contemporary lifestyles in the form of biltong, droëwors, melktert, koeksisters, potjiekos and, most of all, the famous braaivleis; meat barbecued by the men over an open fire while the women prepare salads. Namibia became a German Protectorate in 1884, a rule that lasted until 1915, when the Khorab peace treaty was signed on the farm Khorab near Otavi. While the period of German rule lasted barely thirty years and ended almost a century ago, the German influence on Namibia’s economy, infrastructure and culture has been and still is far-reaching. According to the 1991 census about 26 000 white Germanspeaking Namibians currently live in the country, many of whom have lived in Namibia for seven to eight generations. German-managed institutions have contributed substantially to Namibian culture, including today’s National Art Gallery of Namibia (evolved from the Arts Association), the Namibia Scientific Society (Namibia Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft), sports clubs like the SKW, which hosts the annual carnival, WIKA, museums, theatre groups and instrumental and vocal musical societies. As a result of the Angolan war in 1974 there was a considerable influx of Portuguese settlers in Namibia during the seventies. As Namibian independence drew closer, many of them left for South Africa or Portugal, leaving behind a small number, many of whom are involved in the business sector today.
Historically Afrikaner was the name applied to the descendants of Dutch and French-Huguenot settlers who emigrated to South Africa at the end of the seventeenth century, entering the country by sea and landing at the Cape of Good Hope. The Afrikaans language as it is spoken today evolved from the Dutch dialect spoken by these settlers. According to some sources many Whites in the Cape regarded themselves as being rooted in Africa, and this concept found expression in the term ‘Afrikaner’. Namibia’s Afrikaners infiltrated gradually from South Africa during the 1800s. An interesting group was the so-called Dorsland Trekkers, one
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THE REHOBOTH BASTERS The Rehoboth Basters
Afrikaans Cloete, Beukes, Diergaardt, Mouton, Maasdorp, Louw, Coetzee and Van Wyk; the English and Scottish Wentworth, McNab and Dunn; the German Bayer, Ritt-
The Rehoboth Basters regard themselves as a distinct community by virtue of their unique history and the fact that they have been living in their own territory for over a century. Their origin dates back to 1652 when the first Dutch colonists under Jan van Riebeeck landed at the Cape of Good Hope. European settlers came into contact with the local Khoesan peoples and the children born from this association were called ‘bastards’ or ‘coloureds’, giving rise to two distinctly separate groups of people, descendants of whom later moved to Namibia.
mann and Husselmann; the Nama Witbooi; the Damara Garises and Gowaseb and even the Italian Bertolini. Traditionally stock and crop farmers, today’s Rehoboth Basters are involved in many other economic sectors, especially the building trade. A large number commute to Windhoek on a weekly or daily basis. Christianity has greatly influenced Baster communities and lifestyles, playing an important role in their lives to this day. There are no less than 40 churches in the small town of Re-
In the mid-1800s some ninety Baster families moved northwards from the Cape, first residing at Warmbad, then migrating northwards to Berseba and, in 1870, finally settling at the hot-water springs called Rehoboth. This area had formerly been occupied by a Nama tribe, the Swartboois, who had moved to Bokberg or Erongo over Otjimbingwe and Salem, and eventually to Fransfontein. In due course the Rehoboth Gebiet became the fatherland of the Basters, recognised as such by the South African Government in as early as 1915.
hoboth, mostly Lutheran and Roman Catholic, with many splinter groups, a number of which are amalgamations of traditional tribal beliefs with Christianity. An annual festival that serves to strengthen the national identity of the Rehoboth Basters is the two-day commemoration of their confrontation with the German colonial troops at the place called Sam Khubis on 8–9 May, 1915. A group of Basters had resisted joining up with the Germans against the South African forces, especially when they
The Rehoboth Baster community of today consists of approximately 72 000 people. Their first language is Afrikaans, and their way of life resonates that of their Afrikaner forebears. In Baster society the family is the most important socioeconomic unit, functioning independently within the community. At their own request they are registered as Rehoboth Basters, as they regard themselves as a separate community from the Coloureds. While the word ‘Baster’ traditionally denoted ‘of mixed blood’ in a derogatory way, the group calls themselves Rehoboth Basters with pride.
realised that the South Africans were likely to gain the up-
Their surnames reflect that they are of mixed descent, as evidenced in well-known Baster family names such as the
built at the site to honour their kinsmen who had lost their
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per hand. Fearing for the safety of their families, they left Rehoboth with their wives and children and took refuge among the koppies at Sam Khubis. Here, they were ambushed by the German forces, and suffered many casualties. Upon hearing that large contingents of South African troops were advancing from the south, the Germans unexpectedly withdrew, and the Basters gained the impression they had retreated. The Basters have commemorated these two days every year ever since. In 2000 a monument was lives at Sam Khubis. www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
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The Coloureds
THE COLOUREDS
During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries groups of Cape Coloureds – descendants of Caucasians, Malayans, indigenous Khoe people and the hunter-gatherer San – moved to Namibia, where their numbers were further augmented by local intermixing. Namibia’s Coloureds are genetically very similar to the Basters. They also speak Afrikaans as a home language, albeit with a different accent. In a sense they speak a more pure Afrikaans, one that is closer to the Afrikaans spoken by the Voortrekkers rather than a dialect that has developed its own idiom, as with the Afrikaans spoken by the Rehoboth Basters.
country. Consequently Namibia’s over 50 000 Coloureds live almost everywhere in the country, especially in the urban centres. As a rule they are well educated and practise a wide range of professions, including the civil service, education, the building trade, the service sector, particularly banks, hospitals and the hospitality industry. Like with the Rehoboth Basters, religion and family play a major role in their lives, and their lifestyle, rules of etiquette and moral values can be traced back to their Afrikaner roots.
While a small group of Coloureds practise stock farming in southern Namibia, most live in towns, especially Windhoek, Keetmanshoop, Lüderitz, Kalkveld and Karasburg. A fairly large community lives in Walvis Bay, where many are employed in the fishing industry. A significant difference between Namibia’s Rehoboth Basters and Coloureds is that while the Basters have the Rehoboth area with which they can identify, the Coloureds have never inhabited a specific part of the country, and were not allocated a ‘homeland’ as were other non-white population groups during South African administration of the
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The Tswana
THE TSWANA traditional court, with various officials assigned different duties in the social structure at each level. In traditional Tswana religion (tribal animism) Modimo is the great God,
The Tswana migrated from East Africa into central Southern Africa in the 14th century. They are closely related to the Sotho of Lesotho and South Africa and the two groups are bonded in language and customs. They claim a common ancestor, Mogale, and share an agrarian culture, social structures, political organisation, religious and magical beliefs and also a family life. All the Sotho and Tswana languages are inherently intelligible, but for political and historical reasons, they have generally been considered as three. Traditional Tswana society included men, women, children and ‘badimo’ (ancestors – living dead – who have metaphysical powers). A Tswana doesn’t think in terms of individual rights, but of responsibilities to his family and tribe. The father is to be obeyed and respected by his wife and children at all times. The Sotho-Tswana are organised by lineages, which developed as the tribe grew. The lineages are organised in sub-units and communities. Every level exhibits the same social organisation, such as the Kgotla, the www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
or The Great Spirit. The Tswana are the smallest cultural group in Namibia and are quite distinct from the Tswana of Botswana. Their ascendants embarked on a thirstland trek through Botswana to settle in Namibia at the end of the nineteenth century, considerable numbers succumbing along the way. Namibia’s Tswana are divided into three groups. The largest is the Tlharo, who originally came from Kuruman in the northern Cape. The second-largest group is the Tlhaping, ‘tlhapi’ meaning ‘fish’ in Tswana. The third and smallest group, the Bangologa, have mixed with the Kalahari Bushmen to some extent and are lighter in colour. Today they live in a triangle, with a line between Epukiro and Aminuis in the east as its base, and extending to Walvis Bay, its vertex, in the west. Most of them, however, live in the east of the country where they are involved in farming, many having bought farms north and south of the town.
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The Herero
THE HERERO former Bechuanaland). When South Africa took over the administration of South West Africa in 1915 they began to return and were gradually allocated home areas at Aminuis,
It is believed that in ancient times the Herero lived in a
Epukiro, Waterberg East, Otjohorongo and Ovitoto.
legendary African marshland of water and reeds known as Roruu before undertaking their southern migration down
Despite the hardships and suppression of their traditional
the African continent. While this legendary marshland has
cultures, they managed to keep their bonds of family life,
never been traced, according to oral tradition they moved
tribal solidarity and national consciousness alive, as is evi-
southwards from the great lakes of East Africa, crossed into
denced by the annual Herero Festival in August on Maha-
present-day Zambia and southern Angola and arrived at the
rero Day when various units of paramilitary organisations
Kunene River in about 1550.
parade before their leaders in full regalia through the streets of Okahandja. The Mbanderu and Zeraua tribes honour
After inhabiting Kaokoland (today’s Kunene Region) for
their captains in festivals in Gobabis and Omaruru. It was
some 200 years, the Herero and the Mbanderu migrated in-
during the nineteenth century, under the influence of the
dependently of each other in a southerly direction, leaving
wives of missionaries, that Herero women developed the
the Himba and Tjimba tribes behind. This brought them into
wide multi-skirted Victorian-style dresses that the more tra-
conflict with the Nama occupying the southern and central
ditional women still wear today. The distinctive headdress
regions of the territory. They reached the Swakop River val-
made from fabric characterised by two points on either side
ley towards the middle of the 18th century, and during the
symbolises cattle horns.
19th century moved eastwards. Eventually the Herero established themselves in the central region, and the Mbanderu
Today there over 130 000 Herero-speaking Namibians in
settled east of Windhoek.
the country, subdivided into the following groups: The Herero with the traditional chiefdoms of Maharero in the Oka-
The Herero–German wars of 1904–1907 resulted in a dras-
handja area, the Zeraua in the Omaruru environs; the Kam-
tic decimation of the Herero. A very large number were
bazembi of Waterberg; the Ndamuranda; the Mbanderu of
killed or succumbed as they fled, according to some es-
eastern Namibia, especially the Gobabis District and the
timates as much as eighty per cent of the population. The
reserves of Epukiro, Otjombinde and Aminuis; the Tjimba
survivors were left with no land and cattle, and more or
Herero of Kaokoland (Kunene) and the Himba of the Kunene
less disintegrated as a group, many fleeing to Botswana (the
Region, which are discussed below as a separate group.
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The Himba
THE HIMBA
Due to the extensive interest and wide publicity afforded the Himba, semi-nomadic people who still live and dress according to ancient customs and traditions, they are, next to the Bushmen, arguably the best known of Namibia’s people. With the Tjimba and other Herero people who inhabit Kaokoland, the traditional name of Namibia’s remote northwestern Kunene Region, they are informally referred to as the Kaokovelders. The Himba live in scattered settlements throughout the region. Their homes are simple cone-shaped structures made of saplings bound together with palm leaves and plastered with mud and dung. The men build the structures, while the women mix the clay and do the plastering. In the headman’s hut a fire burns day and night, both to keep away insects and to provide heat and light. Families often have several of these huts in different locations, moving from home to home a few times a year in search of grazing for their cattle and goats. The Himba are tall, slender and statuesque people, renowned for their beauty and photogenic qualities. They are a dignified yet friendly people and are willing to have their photographs taken if asked beforehand. The women especially are www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
admired for their unusual sculptural features, enhanced by intricate hairstyles and traditional adornments. They rub their faces and bodies with a mixture of ground red ochre, animal fat and herbs, which protects their skin against the harshness of the desert and keeps insects away. Himba women spend as much as three hours a day to wash and dress. They use a separate mixture of butterfat, herbs and black coals to rub on their hair, and ‘steam’ their clothes over the permanent fire. Himba males wear different hairstyles to the women, such as the single plait, ondato, worn by young boys down the back of the head, the ozondato, two plaits, worn by Himba men when they reach marriageable age and the ombwiya headdress, a scarf made from fabric covering the hair and decorated with an ornamental band, worn by married men. A young girl typically has ozondato (plaits). Once she has undergone the puberty ceremony, she wears the ekori headdress made from tanned goat or sheepskin with three leafshaped points that are usually decorated with iron beads. Himba women make finely woven baskets with elegant sculptural shapes, traditionally used to hold milk and butter. Some have leather handles decorated with iron beads. They also make a variety of jewellery, mostly with leather, iron and ostrich eggshell beads, shells and carved makalani nuts (vegetable ivory). An interesting Himba craft is dolls, made from fabric and rubbed red with the ochre mixture.
THE PEOPLE OF NAMIBIA
229
The Caprivians
THE CAPRIVIANS on Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana and has the bustling town of Katima Mulilo as its capital.
The Caprivi Strip, as it is historically known, was named af-
Caprivi’s just over 20 000 square kilometres of land fall ei-
ter Count Leo von Caprivi, the German negotiator at the Ber-
ther under state or communal administration. The state-con-
lin Conference held towards the end of the 1800s between
trolled areas consist primarily of game reserves and national
Germany and other colonial administrators.
parks, state forest and agricultural projects administered by
The Caprivi has a chequered history of administrative changes. Before 1992 the water-rich pan-handle in Namibia’s far north-east was administered separately by three countries – South Africa, Botswana and the former South West Africa – while prior to independence the Caprivi Region was isolated from the rest of Namibia, as it was used strategically by the South African Defence force in its fight against Swapo guerrillas. It remained a centre of conflict throughout the struggle for independence achieved in 1990, after which there was further political strife when a group of secessionists staged a political uprising in 1998–1999. The Caprivians share their language with the Lozi of Barotseland, the remnants of the Kololo Kingdom, established by Chief Sebetwane of the Bafokeng, who crossed the Zam-
different ministries and the National Development Corporation (NDC). Subsistence farming is practised within the communal areas, which are also put to commercial uses via hunting concessions and tourist lodges and camps. Most Caprivians make their living on the banks of the Zambezi, Kwando, Linyanti and Chobe rivers. When the Zambezi and Chobe come down in flood, more than half of Eastern Caprivi becomes inundated and wooden mekoro, dug-out canoes, become a common means of transport. Being surrounded by perennial rivers, freshwater fish are an important resource in Caprivi, providing food and income for many locals and recreational angling for visitors. Agriculture is, however, of greater importance than fishing in terms of economic and livelihood activities. Stock farming is
bezi River in the 1838. Although Lozi is Caprivi’s current of-
dominated by cattle, primarily the indigenous Sanga breed,
ficial language, it is the mother tongue of only a few people
an animal steeped in social, religious, economic and mythi-
living in eastern Caprivi. Today the six main ethnic groups
cal significance. Cattle are highly prized for their value as
living in the region – the Masubia, Mbukushu, Mbalangwe,
tangible resources, and especially for their social value of
Mafwe, Totela and Mayeyi – speak three other distinct Bantu
giving herd owners security, rights to land and status. Goats
languages and many different dialects. The largest groups are
and poultry, on the other hand, are valued only in terms of
the Masubia and Mafwe, while a small group of Mbukushu
food and as a source of income. Crops are primarily the
and some San communities live in the more arid western
staple mahangu (pearl millet). A growing source of income
Caprivi, a long, narrow strip of land that is primarily a nature
for Caprivian women is pottery and basket-making, ancient
reserve, with the Trans-Caprivi Highway running through it.
crafts that have been revived in recent years to provide fami-
About 86 000 people live in Eastern Caprivi, which borders
lies with an income.
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THE PEOPLE OF NAMIBIA
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THE PEOPLE OF NAMIBIA
231
The Kavango
THE KAVANGO Naturally creative, the Kavangos are renowned for their skills and artistry at woodcarving and making furniture. An important local industry is functional items such as bowls,
Like the Owambo, the Kavango people also migrated
kitchen utensils and furniture, as well as masks, ornaments
southwards from the large lakes of East Africa, first settling
and large carved birds and animals like hippos, giraffes and
near the Kwando River in Angola, before moving south of
crocodiles. These are sold to the passing tourist trade and
the Okavango River between 1750 and 1800, to the area now called the Kavango Region. Archaeological evidence places the arrival of early Kwangali settlers around the 1600s. Historically the Okavango River, which has its origin in the central highlands of Angola, didn’t form a boundary of any sort for the Kavangos and they inhabited the area both south and north of the river, but wars and political intimidation repeatedly forced them south. The Okavango River, which forms the border between Namibia and Angola over a distance of some 400 kilometres,
are marketed at all major centres, especially Okahandja where the Kavango woodcarvers have two large, permanent open-air craft markets. Today the Kavangos consist of five different tribes, all of which belong to the Bantu-speaking people. These are the Kwangali, who comprise the largest present-day group, the Mbunza, Shambyu, Gciriku and the Mbukushu, each inhabiting an area of its own along the Okavango. The Kwangali and Mbunza tribes speak the same language, Rukwangali,
has always been the lifeline of the Kavango people. They
and have similar social practices, such as preparing young
make their living from fishing, cattle farming and cultivating
boys for manhood and young girls to take care of a house-
mahangu (pearl millet), sorghum and maize on the wide
hold.
fertile plains bordering the river. While the economy in Kavango is traditionally based on the combination of hor-
Numerous immigrants and refugees of the civil war in An-
ticulture and animal husbandry, today thousands of young
gola also live in the Kavango Region. They are collectively
Kavangos work as migratory labourers on farms, in mines
known as Nyemba and Chokwe, and all woodcarvings
and in urban centres.
marketed as Kavango Art originate from these two groups.
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THE PEOPLE OF NAMIBIA
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THE PEOPLE OF NAMIBIA
233
THE NAMA
The Nama
nomads, they had little need for permanent structures, their beehive-shaped rush-mat huts providing such shelter as they required.
The Nama people, who call themselves the Red Nation, / Awakhoen, are the only true descendants of the Khoekhoe
There are several similarities between the Nama and the San
in Namibia. They originally lived in the northern part of the
(Bushmen). The Nama are generally short in stature and com-
Cape Province, where they adopted the use of horses from
paratively light in colour, with certain characteristic features,
the European settlers, living as nomads defending their ter-
such as the small, slender hands and feet of the women. They
ritories against invaders seeking pasture. In the nineteenth
also share linguistic roots with the San, speaking with the
century they were already living south and north of the
distinctive click sounds. The Nama have a substantial oral
Orange River when Jager and Jonker (father of Jan Jonker)
tradition. Numerous proverbs, riddles, tales and poems have
crossed it with the Afrikaner tribe.
been handed down from generation to generation, the poems ranging from love songs and praise of heroic figures,
The Afrikaners and four other Nama tribes represented the
to songs of the animals and plants in the environment. They
so-called Oorlam group. Pushed continuously northwards
also have a natural talent for music and dance. An example
by a rapidly advancing white farming community and led
of a traditional dance is the well-known Nama stap.
by the famous Jan Jonker Afrikaner, the Nama settled in the southern and central areas of the country. Today the differen-
Traditionally the Nama people were hunter-gatherers and
tiation between Nama and the Oorlam is merely of historical
also pastoral herders breeding cattle, goats and sheep. It
significance.
was the Nama who introduced fat-tailed sheep to Namibia. Nama women have an inborn talent for creative needlework
When Herero migrating from the north intruded into Nama
and embroidery and several co-operative projects have been
pasturelands, a fierce and prolonged battle developed be-
initiated in the south to promote and market their handiwork.
tween these two groups. The conflict was brought to an end
Another craft typical of the Nama people is the kaross or
by German colonial forces in the late 1800s, and home ar-
blanket made from skins sewn together, formerly worn by
eas including Berseba, Gibeon (Krantzplatz), Bondels, Ses-
Khoesan and other African people, and nowadays used as a
fontein, Soromas and Warmbad were offered to the Namas.
bed or floor covering.
Today the concept of communal land ownership still prevails among the Nama tribes, with the exception of the =|Aonin
Today the Nama number approximately 117 000, which
or Topnaars of the Kuiseb environs, whose !nara fields are
consist of 13 tribes or groups. Many work on farms and in
the property of individual lineages. Traditionally, as pastoral
cities.
234
THE PEOPLE OF NAMIBIA
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The Damara
THE DAMARA mainly with their hunting activities, forming the centre of their religious beliefs. In addition they practised horticulture on a small scale, growing mainly pumpkins and to-
The origins of the Damara, who belong to one of the oldest
bacco, mined and traded with smelted copper. They were
cultural groups in Namibia, are somewhat of an enigma.
also blacksmiths and acted as guides. This versatility helped
One of several puzzling aspects is that while they differ
them to adapt to changing circumstances when they were
completely from the Nama in appearance and lifestyle, they speak the Nama language. In former years the Damara had the widest geographic distribution in the country, but they were gradually ousted from their traditional areas by advancing Nama and Herero seeking new pasturelands. Today they are concentrated in the environs of Outjo, Kamanjab, Khorixas and Brandberg region, traditionally called Damaraland, and since independence, delineated as the Erongo Region. According to the 2001 census, about 107
forced by other groups to move to the more inaccessible areas they inhabit today. Today rural Damara farm with livestock and cultivate corn and vegetables. Many work on commercial farms and in mines, where some eke out a living from small mining, mainly for tourmaline, in the environs of the Spitzkoppe and Brandberg West. They are also increasingly becoming
000 Damaras live in this area.
involved in tourism, acting as guides to tourists visiting the
Before the arrival of the colonialists the Damara way of
aging and working in tourist camps and lodges.
Brandberg and Twyfelfontein to view the rock art and man-
life was very similar to that of the nomadic hunter-gatherer Bushmen. There is also archaeological evidence that for
Some of Namibia’s most influential and eloquent politicians
many centuries they kept small herds of stock, especially
are Damara, notably former prime minister, Hage Geingob,
goats. A small family group formed the nucleus of their
and the speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Theo-Ben
socioeconomic activities, with the ‘sacred fire’, associated
Gurirab, also a former prime minister.
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THE PEOPLE OF NAMIBIA
235
TRAVEL COMPANION 2014 CATEGORICAL LISTING
Accommodation
Alexander Hotel Pension 26 Aloegrove Safari Lodge 138 Alte Brücke Holiday Resort & Conference 82 Amanpuri Travellers Lodge 83 Anandi Guesthouse Mariental 190 Anandi Ocean View Guesthouse 83 Atlantic Villa Boutique Guesthouse 83 Bahnhof Hotel Aus 184 Bambatsi Guestfarm 139 Beach Hotel Swakopmund Back flap, 84 Belvedere Boutique Hotel 26 Betesda Lodge & Camping 191 Bird’s Accommodation 188 Bougainvilla Pension 26 Camp Chobe 164 Camp Kipwe 125 Camp Kwando 164 Cape Cross Lodge 108 Central Lodge 189 C’est Si Bon 138 Christoph Hotel Pension 27 Desert Homestead & Horsetrails 192 Dornhügel Gästefarm 135 Dunedin Star Guest House 85 Duneside Guesthouse 85 Eberwein Hotel 85 Eningu Clayhouse Lodge 62 Etotongwe Lodge 139 Etuna Guesthouse & Tours 136-137 Europa Hof Hotel 86 Farmhouse Restaurant and Beergarden, The 138 Fisherman’s Guesthouse 109 Gelbingen Lodge & Safaris 124 Gocheganas Nature Reserve & Wellness Village 63 Grünau Chalets 184 Grünau Country House 185 Hakos Gästefarm 68 Hamakari 143 Hilton Windhoek 28-29 Hohenstein Lodge 110 Hohewarte Guestfarm 64 Huis Klipdrift 109 Immanuel Wilderness Lodge 64 Immenhof Hunting & Guest Farm 111 Jordani B & B 30 Kaisosi River Lodge - KOAR 152 Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge 187 Kalahari Sands Hotel & Casino 31
236
Kalizo Lodge Kashana Kassandara Safari Ranch Kayova River Lodge - KOAR Kiripotib Guestfarm Kleinbegin Lodge Kleines Nest B & B La Vida Inn B & B Lagoon Loge Lianshulu - Caprivi Collection Loubser’s B & B Lüderitz Nest Hotel Mahangu Safari Lodge - KOAR Makalani Hotel Matunda Guest Farm Minen Hotel Mobola Lodge - KOAR Mousebird Backpackers Mowani Mountain Camp N’aankuse Foundation & Collection Ngepi Camp - KOAR Niedersachsen Guest Farm Nunda River Lodge - KOAR Okahandja Country Hotel Okomitundu Guestfarm Omarunga Lodge & Campsite Omashare Hotel - KOAR Ombinda Country Lodge OMEG Allee Gästehaus Onguma Bush Camp Onguma Etosha Aoba Onguma Tented Camp
165 110 112-113 154 59 185 102 190 102 162 103 183 158 141 140 141 156 141 125 32-33 157 68 157 69 69 123 152 139 142 133 132 133
Onguma The Fort
132
Onguma Tree Top Camp
133
Palmwag Lodge
126
Pelican Point Lodge
101
Prinzessin Rupprecht, Hotel
86
Rapmund, Hotel Pension
86
River Chalets
190
River Crossing
35
River Guesthouse
110
Riverdance Lodge - KOAR
157
Rooiklip Gästefarm
68
Roy’s Rest Camp
135
Sam’s Giardino
87
Schützenhaus Guesthouse
188
Sea Horse, The Shamvura Camp - KOAR Solitaire Country Lodge & General Dealer Solitaire Guest Farm Desert Ranch
87 155 193 193
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TRAVEL COMPANION 2014 CATEGORICAL LISTING Stampriet Historical Guesthouse Stay @ Swakop Guesthouse Sun Karros, Daan Viljoen Susuwe Lodge - Caprivi Collection Tamboti Guesthouse Tambuti Lodge - KOAR Taranga Safari Lodge Teufelskrallen Tented Lodge Toko Lodge & Safaris Toshari Lodge Etosha Travel North Guesthouse Villa Moringa and Dunas Safari Villa Violet Village Courtyard Suites, The Vineyard Country Bed & Breakfast Vingerklip Lodge Vondelhof Guesthouse Waterberg Guest Farm Weaver’s Rock Guest Farm Wildacker Guestfarm Windhoek Mountain Lodge Zum Kaiser, Hotel
191 87 66-67 163 36 153 156 186 124 134 142 37 38 38 39 140 40 144 144 135 65 88
Africa Motion Tours
41
Batis Birding Safaris
89
Catamaran Charters
104
Charly’s Desert Tours
89
Dare Devil Adventures
90
Desert Air
41
Desert Explorers
90
Ground Rush Adventures
91
Immenhof Air Safaris
114
Kristall Galerie
92
Activities & Adventure
Laramon Tours 104 Mola Mola 105 Namib Sky Balloon Safaris Front Inside Cover, 195 Ocean Adventures 93 Sandwich Harbour 4 x 4 106
Amentities & Services Flying Coffee Pot, The FNB Namibia HAN Magnet Bureau de Change Namib i Swakopmund Municipality
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103 42 43 7, 240 93 81
Where to Buy
African Art Jewellers African Kirikara - Swakopmund African Kirikara - Windhoek Gustav Voigts Centre Horst Knop Jeweller Karakulia Weavers Leder Chic Maerua Mall Shopping Centre Ndhovu Stores - KOAR Wecke & Voigts
1, 97 99 59 56 56 99 57 58 158 59
African Sun Car Hire Asco Car Hire Camping Car Hire Caprivi Car Hire Crossroads 4x4 Car Hire Desert Car Hire Nambozi Car Hire (4x4) Odyssey Car Hire Pegasus Car & Camper Hire Savanna Car Hire
44 45 46 46 94 47 52 47 48 48
Car Hire
Wine & Dine
Anchors @ The Jetty Fish Deli, The Fresh ‘n Wild Kücki’s Pub Probst Restaurant & Café Swakopmund Brauhaus
Tour Operator
107 94 38, 61 95 107 96
Acacia Namibia 50 Dunas Safaris 37 Eden Travel 51 Etuna Tours 137 Frantic Naturalist Tours and Safari 50 Kidogo Safari 52 Nambozi Tours & Travel 52 Namibia Reservations Back Cover, 53, 145 Nazimbo Camping Safari 55 Ndandi Safaris 55 Reservations Africa 9, 146 Suricate Tours & Safaris 55 Tutwa Tourism & Travel 165
237
TRAVEL COMPANION 2014 ALPHABETICAL LISTING Acacia Namibia African Art Jewellers
50
Etuna Guesthouse & Tours
136-137
1, 97
Europa Hof Hotel
86
African Kirikara - Swakopmund
99
Farmhouse Restaurant and Beergarden, The
138
African Kirikara - Windhoek
59
Fish Deli, The
94
Africa Motion Tours
41
Fishermans Guesthouse
109
African Sun Car Hire
44
Flying Coffee Pot, The
103
Alexander Hotel Pension
26
FNB Namibia
42
Aloegrove Safaris Lodge
138
Frantic Naturalist Tours and Safaris
Alte Brücke Holiday Resort & Conference
82
Fresh ‘n Wild
Amanpuri Travellers Lodge
83
Gelbingen Lodge & Safaris
Anandi Guesthouse Mariental
190
Gocheganas Nature Reserve & Wellness Village 63
Anandi Ocean View Guesthouse
83
Ground Rush Adventures
91
Anchors @ The Jetty
107
Grünau Chalets
184
Asco Car Hire
45
Grünau Country House
185
Atlantic Villa Boutique Guesthouse
83
Gustav Voigts Centre
56
Bahnhof Hotel Aus
184
Hakos Gästefarm
68
Bambatsi Guestfarm
139
Hamakari
143
Batis Birding Safaris
89
HAN
43
Back flap, 84
Hilton Windhoek
28-29
26
Hohenstein Lodge
110
Betesda Lodge & Camping
191
Hohewarte Guestfarm
64
Bird’s Accommodation
188
Horst Knop Jeweller
56
Bougainvilla Pension
26
Huis Klipdrift
109
Camp Chobe
164
Immanuel Wilderness Lodge
64
Camp Kipwe
125
Immenhof Air Safaris
114
Camp Kwando
164
Immenhof Hunting & Guest Farm
111
Camping Car Hire
46
Jordani B & B
30
Cape Cross Lodge
108
Kaisosi River Lodge - KOAR
152
Caprivi Car Hire
46
Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge
187
Catamaran Charters
104
Kalahari Sands Hotel & Casino
31
Central Lodge
189
Kalizo Lodge
165
C’est Si Bon
138
Karakulia Weavers
99
Charly’s Desert Tours
89
Kashana
110
Christoph Hotel Pension
27
Kassandara Safari Ranch
112-113
Crossroads 4x4 Car Hire
94
Kayova River Lodge - KOAR
154
Dare Devil Adventures
90
Kidogo Safaris
52
Desert Air
41
Kiripotib Guestfarm
59
Desert Car Hire
47
Kleinbegin Lodge
185
Desert Explorers
90
Kleines Nest B & B
102
Desert Homestead & Horsetrails
192
Kristall Galerie
92
Dornhügel Gästefarm
135
Kücki’s Pub
95
Dunedin Star Guest House
85
La Vida Inn B & B
190
Duneside Guesthouse
85
Lagoon Loge
102
Eberwein Hotel
85
Laramon Tours
104
Eden Travel
51
Leder Chic
57
Eningu Clayhouse Lodge
62
Lianshulu - Caprivi Collection
162
Etotongwe Lodge
139
Loubser’s B & B
103
Beach Hotel Swakopmund Belvedere Boutique Hotel
238
50 38, 61 124
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TRAVEL COMPANION 2014 ALPHABETICAL LISTING Lüderitz Nest Hotel
183
River Crossing
35
Maerua Mall Shopping Centre
58
River Guesthouse
110
Magnet Bureau De Change
7, 240
Riverdance Lodge - KOAR
157
Mahangu Safari Lodge - KOAR
158
Rooiklip Gästefarm
68
Makalani Hotel
141
Roy’s Rest Camp
135
Matunda Guest Farm
140
Sam’s Giardino
87
Minen Hotel
141
Sandwich Harbour 4 x 4
106
Mobola Lodge - KOAR
156
Savanna Car Hire
48
Mola Mola
105
Schützenhaus Guesthouse
188
Mousebird Backpackers
141
Sea Horse, The
87
Mowani Mountain Camp
125
Shamvura Camp - KOAR
155
N’aankuse Foundation & Collection
32-33
Solitaire Country Lodge & General Dealer
193
Nambozi Tours & Travel, 4x4 Car Hire
52
Solitaire Guest Farm Desert Ranch
193
Namib i
93
Stampriet Historical Guesthouse
191
Front inside cover, 195
Stay @ Swakop Guesthouse
87
Back cover, 53, 145
Sun Karros, Daan Viljoen
66-67
Namib Sky Balloon Safaris Namibia Reservations
Nazimbo Camping Safari
55
Suricate Tours & Safaris
55
Ndandi Safaris
55
Susuwe Lodge - Caprivi Collection
163
Ndhovu Stores - KOAR
158
Swakopmund Municipality
81
Ngepi Camp - KOAR
157
Swakopmund Brauhaus
96
Niedersachsen Guest Farm
68
Tamboti Guesthouse
36
Nunda River Lodge - KOAR
157
Tambuti Lodge - KOAR
153
Ocean Adventures
93
Taranga Safari Lodge
156
Odyssey Car Hire
47
Teufelskrallen Tented Lodge
186
Okahandja Country Hotel
69
Toko Lodge & Safaris
124
Okomitundu Guestfarm
69
Toshari Lodge Etosha
134
Omarunga Lodge & Campsite
123
Travel North Guesthouse
142
Omashare Hotel - KOAR
152
Tutwa Tourism & Travel
165
Ombinda Country Lodge
139
Villa Moringa and Dunas Safari
37
OMEG Allee Gästehaus
142
Villa Violet
38
Onguma Bush Camp
133
Village Courtyard Suites, The
38
Onguma Etosha Aoba
132
Vineyard Country Bed & Breakfast
39
Onguma Tented Camp
133
Vingerklip Lodge
140
Onguma The Fort
132
Vondelhof Guesthouse
40
Onguma Tree Top Camp
133
Waterberg Guest Farm
144
Palmwag Lodge
126
Weaver’s Rock Guest Farm
144
Pegasus Car & Camper Hire
48
Wecke & Voigts
59
Pelican Point Lodge
101
Wildacker Guest Farm
135
Prinzessin Rupprecht, Hotel
86
Windhoek Mountain Lodge
65
Probst Restaurant & Café
107
Zum Kaiser, Hotel
88
Rapmund, Hotel Pension
86
Reservations Africa River Chalets www.namibiatravelcompanion.com
9, 146 190
239
240
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