Travel News Namibia Summer 2018/19

Namibia TRAVEL NEWS

WWW.TRAVELNEWSNAMIBIA.COM

VOLUME 27 No 1 | SUMMER 2018/19

Mysteries of the

SKELETON COAST ECO-FRIENDLY ADVENTURES IN

BALLOON SAFARIS over the Namib

Swakopmund PANGOLINS the world’s most trafficked animal NKASA RUPARA NATIONAL PARK

THE DESERT LIONS

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Namibia TRAVEL NEWS

Image captured by Xenia Ivanoff-Erb, coowner of the Ivanoff-Erb PhotoGalerie, Swakopmund. I captured this travelling couple enjoying a blissfully balmy evening in the dunes of the Namib just south of Swakopmund. The light was special and we refer to this as an "East Wind" evening at the coast.

is published by Venture Media in Windhoek, Namibia www.travelnewsnamibia.com Tel: +264 61 383 450, Hyper City Unit 44, Maxwell street, Southern Industrial PO Box 21593, Windhoek, Namibia MANAGING EDITOR Rièth van Schalkwyk PRODUCTION MANAGER Elzanne Erasmus elzanne@venture.com.na PUBLIC RELATIONS Janine van der Merwe janine@venture.com.na

PHOTOGRAPHERS Elzanne Erasmus, Annelien Robberts, Nina van Schalkwyk, Liza de Klerk, Pompie Burger, Gerhard Thirion, Willie Olivier, Andries Alberts, Philip Stander, Annabelle Venter, Ginger Mauney, Megan Dreyer, Simone Micheletti, Jo Tagg, Charene Labuschagne, Xenia Ivanoff-Erb, Sean McCulloch, Gunhild Voigts PRINTERS John Meinert Printing, Windhoek

LAYOUT & DESIGN Liza de Klerk CUSTOMER SERVICE Bonn Nortjé bonn@venture.com.na ONLINE EDITOR Nina van Schalkwyk nina@venture.com.na TEXT CONTRIBUTORS Elzanne Erasmus, Pompie Burger, Nina van Schalkwyk, Annelien Robberts, Willie Olivier, Annabelle Venter, Ginger Mauney, Gitta Paetzold, Charene Labuschagne, Gerhard Thirion

Travel News Namibia is published quarterly, distributed worldwide and produced solely on Apple Macintosh equipment. The editorial content of TNN is contributed by the Venture Media team, freelance writers and journalists. It is the sole property of the publisher and no part of the magazine may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

PRESERVE THE ESSENCE It’s November. The south of Namibia, in fact the entire country, is boiling hot. Parched earth. 40 degrees and a pumping east wind. Seen through the windscreen of the air-conditioned car as we drive across the gravel plains alongside the C27, the scenery tells a milder, kinder story. The mountains to the east are a soft purple and the normally red desert dunes to the west are apple green. A month ago, just before the October full moon, the heavens opened and soaked the desert. Photographs of ephemeral rivers in flood, chocolate-coloured rapids and waterfalls, dam walls washed away and news of drowned livestock were shared for days.

Now, different shades of green against black granite outcrops or lines of green on sandy plains are the only evidence of the unexpected rainstorms over much of the Namib. With the early morning sun from behind, the Sossus dunes in front and a green landscape surrounding us, I try to imagine what a first-time visitor to the Namib would make of it. Many years ago, photographer Burkhardt Dobiey lamented the abundance of grass in the desert after a succession of good rainy seasons. The Namib is supposed to be a sand desert. That is what makes it so spectacularly photogenic, he told me.

The unpredictability, yet predictable beauty is most certainly the reason why all those who love Namibia, never get enough. They return year after year, in different seasons, exploring the multitude of moods.

On a walk before sunrise at NamibRand Nature Reserve I asked seasoned guide Bennie if they ever have guests who do not like their experience of the desert.

“Not many”, he says. And those who do complain always do so about silly things.

“What kind of silly things?” I asked. He shook his head and said that for instance they complain when the wind blows and the tents make a noise. Or when it is hot.

“Like yesterday, when it was 40 degrees?” I asked. “Yes”, he said. “Nobody can do anything about the weather. It is because of the weather that this place is what it is and looks what it looks like.” Like a son of the south, Bennie reasoned that if it rained more and if the summers were less hot, the desert would be farmland with fences and dams and animal pens. Probably there would be no zebra, springbok or gemsbok around. Just sheep and cattle.

A few hours later, in the heat of the day, submerged in a plunge pool except for my head and a hand to hold a cold beer, I looked across the Namib landscape, starkly beautiful even at the least photogenic time of day, and pondered that if some are bothered by the “small things”, like heat and wind and dust and slight physical discomfort, they do not deserve the almost spiritual experience of thousands of hectares of pristine land and truly untouched beauty.

There are many such places in Namibia. Land that is carefully protected from overtourism and managed to preserve the essence of what makes Namibia a prime destination. Where dedicated efforts keep the night sky dark, human impact low, use of water frugal, tracks to a minimum, where necessary infrastructure is built to be kind to the environment, ensuring that future generations of Namibians and visitors may have the privilege of such an experience.

Seasoned guides, Abraham and Bennie, know how to cope when "small things" go wrong, with Venture's Elzanne and Rièth at Boulders Camp, Wolwedans.

Rièth van Schalkwyk

TRAVEL NEWS NAMIBIA SUMMER 2018/19

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CONTENTS 10 BUSH TELEGRAPH The new and exciting 14 ECO-ADVENTURES in Swakopmund 18 BOABAB TREES Demise of the Giants 24 SHIPWRECK LODGE Whispered tales of a desolate place 34 PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURE Phantoms of the Skeleton Coast

40 GO LOCAL Growing an indigenous forest in your garden 43 INVASIVE CACTI in Windhoek 44 JOURNEY TO THE HEART of Serra Cafema 50 LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION the Greater SossusvleiNamib Landscape

56 NAMIBIA'S NATIONAL PARKS Nkasa Rupara 62 CONSERVATION The plight of the pangolin 66 BIRDING Carmines and the subtle art of being a novice bird guide

73 BIRDING with Pompie 70 PICTURE PERFECT PIT STOPS in Swakopmund 80 THIS IS MY NAMIBIA with Gerhard Thirion

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TRAVEL NEWS NAMIBIA SUMMER 2018/19

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Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.

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GENERAL Surface area: 824,268 km² Capital: Windhoek Independence: 21 March 1990 Current president: Hage Geingob Multiparty parliament Democratic constitution Division of power between executive, legislature and judiciary Secular state—freedom of religion (90% Christian) Freedom of the press/media

ENVIRONMENT Nature reserves: 15% of surface area Highest mountain: Brandberg Other prominent mountains: Spitzkoppe, Moltkeblick, Gamsberg Perennial rivers: Orange, Kunene, Okavango, Zambezi and Kwando/ Linyanti/Chobe Ephemeral rivers: Numerous, including Fish, Kuiseb, Swakop and Ugab

FLORA 14 vegetation zones 120 species of trees 200 endemic plant species 100 plus species of lichen Living fossil plant: Welwitschia mirabilis

ECONOMY Main sectors: Mining, fishing, tourism and agriculture Biggest employer: Agriculture (46%) Fastest-growing sector: Tourism Mining: Diamonds, uranium, copper, lead, zinc, magnesium, cadmium, arsenic, pyrites, silver, gold, lithium minerals, dimension stones (granite, marble, blue sodalite) and many semiprecious stones

PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE Roads: 5,450 km tarred, 37,000 km gravel

Venture Media 2018 www.travelnewsnamibia.com

Harbours: Walvis Bay, Lüderitz Main airports: Hosea Kutako International Airport, Eros Airport, 46 airstrips Rail network: 2,382 km narrow gauge Telecommunications: 6.2 telephone lines per 100 inhabitants Direct-dialling facilities to 221 countries Mobile communication system: GSM agreements with 117 countries / 255 networks Postal service: affiliated to the Universal Postal Union

SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE

FOREIGN REPRESENTATION More than 50 countries have Namibian consular or embassy representation in Windhoek.

TAX AND CUSTOMS All goods and services are priced to include value-added tax of 15%. Visitors may reclaim VAT. Enquiries: Ministry of Finance Tel (+264 61) 23 0773 in Windhoek

MONEY MATTERS

One medical doctor per 3,650 people Three privately run hospitals in Windhoek with intensive-care units Medical practitioners (world standard) 24-hour medical emergency services

Currency: The Namibia Dollar (N$) is fixed to and on par with the SA Rand. The South African Rand is also legal tender.

Foreign currency, international Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club credit cards are accepted.

POPULATION

DRINKING WATER

2.5 million Density: 2.2 per km² 400 000 inhabitants in Windhoek (15% of total) Official language: English 14 regions, 13 ethnic cultures 16 languages and dialects Adult literacy rate: 85% Population growth rate: 2.6% Educational institutions: over 1,700 schools, various vocational and tertiary institutions

FAUNA Big game: Elephant, lion, rhino, buffalo, cheetah, leopard, giraffe 20 antelope species 240 mammal species (14 endemic) 250 reptile species 50 frog species 676 bird species Endemic birds including Herero Chat, Rockrunner, Damara Tern, Monteiro’s Hornbill and Dune Lark

Most tap water is purified and safe to drink.

Visitors should exercise caution in rural areas.

TRANSPORT Public transport is NOT available to all tourist destinations in Namibia.

There are bus services from Windhoek to Swakopmund as well as Cape Town/ Johannesburg/Vic Falls. Namibia’s main railway line runs from the South African border, connecting Windhoek to Swakopmund in the west and Tsumeb in the north. There is an extensive network of international and regional flights from Windhoek and domestic charters to all destinations.

TIME ZONES GMT + 2 hours

ELECTRICITY 220 volts AC, 50hz, with outlets for round three-pin type plugs

www.namibiatourism.com.na

BUSH TELEGRAPH WHAT’S ON THE MENU:

SKY LOUNGE & CAFÉ

THE ONLY TRIP YOU WILL REGRET IS

the one you didn't take WE

N!A Caps, Namibia's very own custom cap with locally inspired designs. www.nacaps.co

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When you happen to be in the vicinity of Eros Airport, make sure to stop by the new Sky Lounge & Café run by Lindy Ford. Enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner while admiring the aeroplanes down below – a great vantage point for those who are passionate about aviation or those who suffer from a severe case of Wanderlust but need to head back to the office after lunchtime. The space is also available to rent for a variety of events. We recommend keeping your eyes on the daily lunch specials or simply enjoying a slice of cake with your afternoon coffee. www.facebook.com/Sky-Lounge-and-Cafe

THE NATURE CONSERVATION BOARD The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has inaugurated the first ever Nature Conservation Board.

Its 11 members represent the wildlife sector and will engage in policy frameworks, solutions and strategies on the management of Namibia’s wildlife. The board will serve as an advisory body to the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta.

TASA’S

NEWEST TEAM PLAYER Introducing the Tour and Safari Association of Namibia’s newest passionate member - Tonderayi Prosper Mageza. Prosper joined TASA in June 2018 as the Office Manager. With his experience in retail operations, travel and tourism management, environmental education and practice, he aims to assist TASA in continuing to promote, develop and assist tourism stakeholders, especially tour operators, with sustainable tourism on the foreground. This will be part of the foundation for conservation in Namibia and the world.

K9S CUR-TAIL POACHING

NEWLY RENOVATED

NEW AND

• The new Serra Cafema, on the banks of the Kunene River in the furthest north-western corner of the country (read the full article on page 44) • The Desert Grace, situated 30 km south of Solitaire and 60 km north of Sesriem (read the full article on page 54) • Shipwreck Lodge, located in the famous Skeleton Coast Park between the Hoarusib and Hoanib rivers (read the full article on page 24)

ATTEMPTS IN ETOSHA In collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Invictus K9 trainers have worked day and night with four dogs and their handlers from the Ministry of Defence Special Force Unit to get them into the field. In an attempt to curb poaching, the canines, based at the dog unit at Waterberg, are trained to search for firearms, ammunition and illegal wildlife products. This project has turned out to be anything but mere barking at the moon – the dogs have already tracked down poachers in Etosha, and that was only during the training period.

GET YOUR HANDS ON A COPY The second edition of Hentie Burger’s photographic portfolio has recently been published. Namibia Panorama / Panorama Namibiano is a collection of beautiful pictures, now available with text in four languages – English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese and Italian.

WINNERS OF THE GET NATURAL PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION Finalists of Naturally Namibia’s photo competition have set the bar sky-high with stunning entries showcasing the beauty of Namibia. Chrissi van Dyk walked off with the first prize: a 7-day stay at four Naturally Namibia lodges; and Hannelie Rossouw won second prize: a 5-day stay at three of the lodges.

Chrissi van Dyk

Hannelie Rossouw

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If you are a Platinum, Private or Wealth Business Client please contact your private or business banker.

For corporate queries please contact the RMB Client Service Centre via telephone on: +264 61 299 8899 or send an e-mail to csc@rmb.com.na Ts & Cs apply.

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SHIFTING THE BAR SKYWARD AT

AM WEINBERG

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m Weinberg Estate in Windhoek has become the talk of the town amongst modern-day residential and commercial property seekers.

Comprising luxurious residential townhouses (to rent and for sale), as well as amenities such as prime office suites, two restaurants, a delicatessen, a 5-star day spa, boutique hotel, conference centre and two glasshouse venues, the development on 13 Jan Jonker in Klein Windhoek is a dynamic village in itself.

The old fountain now serves Soulstice Day Spa. The reliable supply of water was previously used by the padres of the Roman Catholic mission station, which was established on this hill in the late 1800s, for cultivating grapevines – hence the name Am Weinberg (vineyard). Now, anybody

can spoil themselves or loved ones at the spa with a “sparty package”, whether for a girls’ day out, a baby shower or a bridal shower.

On that note: Am Weinberg is also a sought-after wedding venue. But not exclusively. Its central location makes it ideal for corporate meetings, training sessions, focus groups, conferences, product launches or private events.

For smaller events with a distinctive touch, two glasshouses overlooking the city offer the ideal venue.

Am Weinberg Boutique Hotel has taken the luxury accommodation standards to a higher level. Upon entering the hotel, it feels like walking into a faraway place. The main area is characterised by marble floors, colourful paintings and carpets, shiny crystal chandeliers, and an eclectic mix of elegant and comfy sofas and chairs. Decor is tasteful. Space and light aplenty.

Top-notch service. The wine lounge invites you to unwind with a glass of the finest selection.

Both locals and visitors enjoy the most exquisite views from the Sky Lounge while sipping on a drink accompanied by delicious tapas. How about sliced braised pork belly with chilli and ginger caramel, pickled beetroot, potato puree and flame-charred onions?

If you are visiting Windhoek, either on vacation or for business, opt for one of the 41 elegantly furnished rooms, either overlooking the courtyard or with a view of the city skyline or the mountains. For longer sojourns, the lofts are highly recommended.

+264 61 209 0900 reservations@amweinberghotel.africa www.amweinberghotel.africa

TRAVEL NEWS NAMIBIA SUMMER 2018/19

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SWAKOP'S ECO-ADVENTURES Text Nina van Schalkwyk Photographs Xenia Ivanoff-Erb

Namibia’s coast is the activity hub of the country.

Make sure your visit includes a few of these ecologically-friendly activities.

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Try: Charly’s Desert Tours’ Living Desert Experience, for N$650 per person for a three-and-a-half-hour tour. +264 64 404 341 or +264 81 129 9076 www.charlysdeserttours.com

FAT BIKES Fat bikes are an alternative way to explore the dune ridges of the Namib. The bigger-thanusual tyres mean you won’t be sinking into the sand. Join a fat bike tour of the desert or a tour of historic Swakopmund. Or if you prefer solo exploration, rent a bike and simply get cycling.

Nina van Schalkwyk

Nina van Schalkwyk

Only kilometres from the outskirts of Swakopmund the Namib Desert starts to reveal its hidden microverse of plants and animals that survive in the harsh environment. During a guided tour one has the opportunity to see how this seemingly dormant landscape bristles with life. From side-winding snakes to head-standing beetles, tap-dancing spiders and see-through geckos, a tour of the desert reveals life in the most unexpected places.

Nina van Schalkwyk

EXPLORE THE NAMIB ’S MICRO-WILDERNESS

Elzanne Erasmus

Nina van Schalkwyk

Nina van Schalkwyk

Try: Swakopmund Fat Bike Tours' Scenic Desert Tour or the “Old City” Swakopmund Tour, both at N$350 per person for two hours. +264 81 395 5813 info@swakopmundfatbiketours.com www.swakopfatbiketours.com

RIDE A CAMEL Traversing the desert landscape on the back of a camel is sure to make you feel like a treasure seeker of a different time. Although camels are not indigenous to Namibia, the humped creatures’ adaptation to deserts means they fit right in. Riding them is a fun experience and an out of the ordinary way to see the sights.

Try: Swakopmund Camel Farm for 20-minute camel rides; adults pay N$200 and for children under 13 it’s half price. +264 81 230 1758 or +264 64 400 363 erbelke@mweb.com.na www.swakopmundcamelfarm.com

DUNE BOARDING Who could have known that snowboards had a use in the desert? Rush down the side of a dune at 80 km/h or attempt to do a jump. Don’t worry, it turns out that landing on sand is much softer than on snow.

Try: Alter Action Sandboarding for excursions into the desert where their guides help novices and experienced guests to get a feel for the sand.

A session of lie-down boarding costs N$500 per person, while stand-up boarding costs N$600 per person. +264 64 40 2737 or +264 81 128 2737 www.alter-action.info

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PARAGLIDING Take flight and explore the desert and the coast from the sky. Swakopmund is a hub of scenic flights, but try paragliding for a completely breath-taking experience. The wind in your hair and the sun on your cheeks, with the world passing by below. It’s the closest thing to flying for flightless birds like us.

Try: Namib Gliding. Paragliding instructor, Mario Oprandi, has many years of experience in the field and will create a unique paragliding safari for you. +264 81 420 8070 mario@namibgliding.com www.namibgliding.com

TRAVEL NEWS NAMIBIA SUMMER 2018/19

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DEMISE OF THE

GIANTS Text and Photographs Willie Olivier

Holboom before its demise.

Towering above the surrounding landscape, the African baobab (Adansonia digitata) is one of Africa’s most iconic trees. Reaching monumental proportions and millennial ages, baobabs have served as landmarks and resting places along early trade routes and as vantage points to detect raiding parties. They have been revered as sacred, while their hollow trunks have been put to use as a post off ice, a church and even a bar. And, believe it or not, the cavity of a baobab at Katima Mulilo in north-eastern Namibia was f itted with a porcelain toilet and a flush system. The baobab fruit is prized for its high nutritional value, while the leaves and bark are used to treat ailments.

B

aobabs are home to a variety of creatures. Bats pollinate the flowers, the untidy nests of red-billed buffalo weavers are a common sight high up in the trees, while owls and bushbabies use the trunks as vantage points. Mice make their homes in the hollow trunks or in holes around them.

Just a few kilometres away, the Lêboom (‘lying tree’) has also been slowly succumbing to the forces of nature. It originally consisted of 12 fused trunks, with an impressive circumference of 34.23 metres, but by late 2017, two trunks were lying on the ground, four trunks were broken and six trunks had broken branches.

The question of how old baobabs can get has been the subject of much debate and wildly exaggerated guestimates. That was until a team of international researchers, headed by Professor Adrian Patrut of the Babes-Bolyai University in Romania, began studying the structure, age and growth of large and old baobabs in 2005. Their aim was to find out why these trees reach such staggering proportions and grow so old. Over 60 baobabs in continental Africa were identified, measured and their ages determined by using accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating.

The Holboom('hollow tree'), another famous landmark, owes its name to the huge cavity in the fused trunks. With a height of 30.2 metres and a circumference of 35.1 metres, it had the largest circumference and height of all known baobabs.

Its demise began in 2012 when the eastern trunk collapsed and walls of the cavity broke off. By late November 2018 only the western arm of the tree was still standing.

During the course of their investigations the researchers found that nine of the 13 oldest and five of the six largest baobabs in southern Africa had either died or the oldest part of the tree had collapsed or died since 2005. Their shocking findings were published in several scientific journals earlier this year.

Four of these collapsed and partly collapsed iconic trees were familiar landmarks in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy in Namibia. The famous Grootboom (‘large tree’) in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy, in what was formerly known as Bushmanland, was the first to collapse. This appropriately named giant, the largest known African baobab, consisted of six fused trunks, stood 32 m high and had a circumference of 30.6 metres. Its age was calculated at 1,500 years. The tree began falling apart in late June 2004 and its last trunk toppled at the end of December 2004 or in early January 2005.

Another baobab in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy, the Dorslandboom originally consisted of eight fused trunks (the largest trunk consisted of two fused trunks). Two trunks collapsed before 1880 but continued to live, but two of the remaining oldest trunks toppled over and died in 2006. The oldest date for this specimen is 2,100 years.

In their quest to establish why baobabs grow so large and reach such old ages, the researchers found that unlike trees that grow branches, baobabs grow trunks of varying ages that fuse into a single trunk around a central cavity.

The researchers suggested that the demise of these iconic trees was probably the result of rising temperatures, which has affected southern Africa more than the global average, as well as drought conditions during the past 20 years. An analysis of dead trunks showed that they contained only 40% water instead of the usual 75-80%.

During a 2014 investigation a team of researchers discovered the highest density of huge baobabs in the world in the Omusati Region in northern Namibia. Ten specimens with a girth of over 20 metres were located, two of which rank among the five largest African baobabs in the world.

TRAVEL NEWS NAMIBIA SUMMER 2018/19

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Grootboom - After

Andries Alberts

Grootboom - Before

Holboom looking south

Dorsland Baobab

In their quest to establish why baobabs grow so large and reach such old ages, the researchers found that unlike trees that grow branches, baobabs grow trunks of varying ages that fuse into a single trunk around a central cavity.

Ombalantu Baobab

Okahao Baobab

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Andries Alberts

1891 Dorsland Baobab

Sir Howard's Baobab

HOW THE GIANTS FELL TREE

DATE¹

HEIGHT (M)

GIRTH (M)²

AGE³

Grootboom Nyae Nyae Conservancy Namibia

Late 2004/2005

All trunks fell and died

32.0 m

30.6

1,500

Dorslandtrekboom Nyae Nyae Conservancy Namibia

2006

Two oldest trunks fell and died

14.3 m

+30 m

2,100

Makulu Makete Makulu Makete Reserve South Africa

2008

All trunks fell and died

23.0 m

22.25 m

1,250

Glencoe Baobab Hoedspruit South Africa

2009

Main old part split and died

16.0 m

+30 m

+2,000

Panke Baobab Mbuma, Matabeleland North Zimbabwe

2010/2011

All trunks fell and died

15.5 m

25.5 m

+2,500

Holboom Nyae Nyae Conservancy Namibia

2012

Several trunks and cavity walls broke off since 2012

30.2 m

35.1 m

1,800

Lundu Baobab South Luangwa Zambia

2014

Several trunks and cavity walls broke off since 2014

24.6 m

26.1 m

1,250

Chapman Baobab Makgadikgadi Pans Botswana

2016

All trunks fell and died

22.6 m

25.9 m

1,400

Platland/Sunland Baobab Modjadjiskloof South Africa

2016/17

The largest unit fell and died in 2016.

18.9 m

34.11 m

1,100

Data obtained from ‘The demise of the largest and oldest African baobabs’ published in Nature Notes by Adrian Patrut , Stephan Woodborne, Roxana T. Patrut, Laszlo Rakosy, Daniel A. Lowy, Grant Hall and Karl F. von Reden with kind permission of Professor Adrian Patrut.

Trees marked in black have collapsed and died completely. ¹ Starting date of the demise ² Circumference at 1.30 m heigh ³ Calculated age of the tree/trunk

Sir Howard’s Baobab at Tsandi has a height of 22.1 metres and a circumference of 31.6 metres. It is a relatively ‘young’ baobab of between 500 and 550 years old. Another giant tree at Outapi (not the Ombalantu Baobab) has a height of 22.1 metres and a circumference of 30.6 metres.

The Ombalantu Baobab at Outapi and the Okahao Baobab at Okahao are the best-known baobabs in the region and were declared national heritage sites in 2011. The Ombalantu Baobab, which is in a former South African military base, is 20.4 metres high and has a circumference of 24.4 metres. It consists of six fused trunks and one false trunk, and the large cavity served as a shelter during raids and later also as a post office and a chapel.

Three of the four trunks of the Okahao Baobab collapsed more than a century ago, while the remaining trunk has a height of 15.7 metres. Its restored circumference is 25 metres. Like the Ombalantu Baobab, the Okahao Baobab stood in the grounds of a former South African military base and SWAPO members brought to the base for questioning were brutalised and tortured there. TNN

TRAVEL NEWS NAMIBIA SUMMER 2018/19

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Welcome to the Kwando River in Namibia’s famous Zambezi Region Elephants on your doorstep. Packs of wild dogs roam the land. This is what awaits in the heart of KAZA, the world’s largest conservation area.

Nambwa Tented Lodge and Kazile Island Lodge offer exclusive accommodation in Bwabwata National Park. Indulge in the beauty of a stunning sundowner on the banks of the Kwando River. Float beside hippos on an early morning boat excursion. Explore the wilderness on a game drive and get to know the community and their enigmatic culture on an excursion to a local village. The ultimate luxury safari experience awaits!

reservations@africanmonarchlodges.com

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+264 81 125 2122/+264 61 400 510

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www.africanmonarchlodges.com

ADVERTORIAL

4 MUST-DO ACTIVITIES WITH

Ondili A

trip to Namibia is the chance to experience off-the-beaten-track sights and take part in once-in-a-lifetime activities. With Ondili Lodges and Activities, getting a taste of Namibia’s diverse landscapes and magical scenery is simply a must. Here is our list of 4 Ondili activities that you simply have to try.

1. EXPERIENCE THE NAMIB ON THE BACK OF A HORSE As you set off from Desert Homestead Lodge there are no sounds other than a horse’s hooves on the sand, nothing but the rhythmical breathing of the creature that carries you while the desert spreads out endlessly ahead. No cars, no diesel fumes or running engines. Just you and silence all around. Gallop across the grassy plains and sleep under the stars. That is when you will know the feeling of true freedom.

2. EXPLORE NAMIBIA’S ANCIENT ARTISTIC HERITAGE In the heart of Damaraland is a wealth of ancient rock paintings that have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take a tour from Hohenstein Lodge to see the painted symbols and pictures created by Stone-age huntergatherers thousands of years ago. Then top it off with a visit to the area’s gemstone miners, who carve out a living searching for valuable stones in these inhospitable mountains.

3. WALK THE KALAHARI There is no better way to get closer to nature than a long walk in the bush.

Experience the vibrant red colour of the Kalahari Desert’s sands, as you explore the surroundings of the Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge. Watch antelope as they wander through the foliage or stare at you curiously. Then take a relaxing poolside rest that soothes the feet and refreshes the soul.

4. HIKE THE NAMIB Take an overnight hike from Desert Homestead Lodge to Desert Homestead Outpost, over the koppies and along ancient game trails. Spot wild mountain zebra, scattered across the landscape or standing on a rocky ridge. Arrive at the Outpost inspired by nature and ready to relax. +264 61 24 0020 info@ondili.com www.ondili.com

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Whispered tales of a desolate place

Text and Photographs Elzanne Erasmus

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Eduard Bohlen 1905 SS Crowder Castle 1926 Ventura Bomber 1942 Dunedin Star 1942 Sir Charles Elliot 1942 Karimona 1971 Suiderkus 1976 Zeila 2008 … and many, many more.

“Rapture on the lonely shore” - Lord Byron Once upon a time in a land faraway an epic journey across wild stormy waters ended when a mighty vessel ran aground. The desolate shores beyond the rocky shallows that caused the ship’s untimely demise were a visage of hope for those aboard. Upon making it to the beach they were soon to discover, however, that the barren stretch of sand was not a precursor to a landscape where they might find salvation. No, here the sterile sands stretch to the horizon. An infinity of nothing. Forlorn and desolate, many met their fate here on this coastline. Its name, the Skeleton Coast, was a moniker well-earned, not an overdramatised description of a fabled place.

The wind whispers of tragedies and epic battles fought on the shores of this stark wasteland. Some battles were won, others dismally lost. The wind whispers of man’s epic battle with the untameable elements of nature. A primordial crusade.

And yet there is beauty here. Beauty in the nothingness. Beauty in the untouched, the undisturbed, the raw reflection of what belongs and can survive in a landscape as unkind as they come.

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Welcome to the infamous Skeleton Coast Namibia’s coastline stretches for more than 1500 km from the Orange River in the south to the Kunene in the north. Along these tumultuous shores are strewn what is estimated to be over 1000 wrecks of ships and crafts that never reached their end destination. The northern section of the country’s coastline and the desert landscapes inland make up Skeleton Coast National Park. From the Ugab River northward to the Kunene River, and some 70 km inland in certain places, this conservation area protects some of the most pristine and untouched desert and arid landscapes in the world.

The wilderness within is home to desert-adapted species of wildlife and ancient flora specimens. Dramatic vistas are mostly untouched by the destructive human hand. One of the park’s most captivating features, however, is surely the wreckage of crafts to be found on its beaches. Stories of these ill-fated vessels have become a part of the area’s infamy. They stand sentinel along these lonely shores, warning others of the dangers of the treacherous, but beguiling Skeleton Coast.

The Harsh Beauty of the Pristine An area that has for many years seemed nearly inaccessible is now host to a new sanctuary from which to explore its notoriety. Some 45 km north of Möwe Bay, nestled among

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the dunes of the Namib and overlooking the Atlantic shoreline, is Shipwreck Lodge. As remote and off-thebeaten-path as a lodge can get, I decided to venture into the desert to seek out new adventures among the skeletons and wrecks of this hinterland.

Departing early on a Sunday morning from Namibia’s interior, I drove westward towards the coast. Knowing that the journey would be long and quite arduous I told myself that I would drive until I got bored or tired (whichever came first) and then stop to sleep over somewhere. Surely the monotony of driving alone for nine hours would get to me? That is not at all what happened.

What in my mind started as the prospect of a long tiresome drive ahead (to be thought of with trepidation), turned into a scenic adventure across some of Namibia’s most iconic landscapes. Traversing not only political boundaries as I passed from one region to the next, but also geographical boundaries as the biodiversity of the landscapes changed along my route. I discovered the wondrous rhythm with which the biomes and natural environments of Namibia seamlessly blend from one to the next. It is not a stop-start divide in nature, where a clear break separates one habitat from the other. Like a watercolour painting, the scenery outside my window morphed as I drove along. From the

Shipwreck Lodge - tucked between the dunes of the Namib and the Atlantic shoreline.

thick bushland of the Khomas and Otjozondjupa regions in central Namibia, the acacia woodlands gave way to more sparse vegetation dominated by mopane trees as I entered Damaraland. These eventually gave way to rock-strewn plains dotted with milk bush and Welwitschia. I could have made interesting pit stops at Twyfelfontein or the Brandberg, or explored the rugged landscape and dry ephemeral rivers of the region, but I drove on. Soon, as I neared the Springbokwasser Gate to Skeleton Coast National Park, the vegetation seemed to vanish completely.

Once inside the park, the view through my window was dominated by the grey, barren and sandy landscape of the northern stretch of the Namib Desert. Wind-blown sand

Getting there The journey to this desolate retreat is most certainly part of the epic adventure that your visit to Shipwreck Lodge is. Whether by land or air (no longer by sea!), the vast and contrasting dramatic landscapes of the park will enrapture you. Self-drives from Windhoek can take up to 9 hours, so, though very beautiful, it might be more practical to fly to Mรถwe Bay with a charter or scenic flight company, especially if you are strapped for time. From the pick-up point at Mรถwe Bay, the journey of one-and-a-half hours over dunes and along the shoreline will further entrench the notion that you are heading into a far-away, remote and secluded retreat.

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covered the road in front of me, the ocean was not too far off on my left and the drive along the coastal desert road was an adventure in its own right. After passing through the small fishing resorts of Torra Bay and Terrace Bay, and finally reaching my pick-up destination at Möwe Bay, I wanted to pat myself on the back for deciding to drive here even though flying would have been easier and faster. The journey was a fascinating and awe-inspiring prelude to the destination.

Elemental beauty of nothing The view stretches across desert landscapes to the east.

Windswept plains, towering sand dunes and a wide-open sky. The solitude of such a space seduces the soul and stirs a sense of wonder in the beholder. I have been privileged to absorb similar views on previous adventures into northwestern Namibia. I have stared into this abyss and yet it surprises me every time. It surprises me how something so dauntingly empty and desolate can be so bewitching.

A landscape painted and formed in the extremes of heat and cold. And still today these are the juxtaposed weather features. Cold at dawn and dusk. Mist during the early morning. Hot and bright days in between. The wind very often plays a major role in the day’s temperament.

With a temporary marker on the window on the passengerside of our safari vehicle, my guide, Chris, diligently and quite thoroughly explains the process through which the grains of sand that make up the dune on which we now stand have made their way to the Skeleton Coast. With the

help of winds, a cold Benguela Current, a long meandering Orange River, all the way from their origins in South Africa’s Drakensberg Mountains. An epic journey for such a small particle of silica to have undertaken. We are on a day-long expedition up the Hoarusib River which lies just north of the lodge. Once we’ve taken an adventurous descent down the face of the dune, the sand ‘roaring’ beneath us, we journey eastwards. The ephemeral river only flows about once a year when inland rains suffice. But there is life here in this desert oasis, whether the river is in flow or not. Springbok and gemsbok feed along the riverbanks on grass and reeds, and to our delight and astonishment a small bachelor herd of three male elephants is roaming the area today. These desert-adapted Loxodonta africana cover large distances walking through the region, often for hundreds of kilometres, in search of water and food. We spend some time marvelling at the gentle giants and enjoying the sight of the youngest brother who is only a year or two old. After his mother died the youngster was adopted by his two older brothers, which is most unusual, Chris tells me.

A visit to the Lichen Forest on the northern bank of the river is both humorous and interesting. The term ‘forest’ being used rather ironically as the field of lichen is barely visible to the eye. On closer inspection, though, you become aware of the beautiful textures and green and orange hues of these captivating plants that exist as a symbiotic relationship between fungus and algae. More than 120 lichen species can be found in the Namib Desert, surviving on the coastal fog.

We might be lucky enough to find something we did not even know we had lost among all this “nothing”. Emptiness often gives us the opportunity to see more clearly.

Captivating Reading For interesting tales of the misadventures and legends of the Skeleton Coast we recommend you read John Marsh’s Skeleton Coast: The dramatic rescue operation of the Dunedin Star and Amy Schoeman’s classic Skeleton Coast.

Chris gives us a history lesson...on sand.

Ragged and rusty, the Ventura Bomber played an ill-fated role in the dramatic Dunedin Star rescue operation of 1942.

Further upstream we take a lunch break in a most peculiar locale. In the shaded haven of a small canyon Chris sets up an enticing lunch spread as I explore what is referred to as the ‘Clay Castles’. The canyon-like walls of sand (much softer than a canyon with walls of rock) were formed over the ages by wind and water and make for a dramatic visual treat. Since the early morning chill has given way to a beautiful day I decide to indulge in getting onto one of the rooftop seats of our vehicle.

I don’t drive back through the Hoarusib, I float. Perched on the roof of the Land Cruiser, I sit like a queen on a parade float, surveying the landscape we traverse from my elevated position.

This vantage point is exceptional. The view is even better.

“Wilderness is a solace, the solitude it offers a balm” Sundowners are enjoyed on the beach after an exploration of the wrecks in the area. Chris tells the stories of these illfated vessels as if telling a childhood bedtime tale, albeit one without the expected happy ending. In the distance a lonely fisherman casts his line into the rough waters. “Catching our dinner for tonight?” I jokingly ask Chris. Angling from the shoreline is one of the activities offered by the lodge.

The sun sets, the mist once again rolls in and the desert night is covered in a blanket of mystery. Will tomorrow bring another day of mystique or will the scorching sun cut through the

Floating down the Hoarusib

Lunch at the 'Clay Castle'

shroud of fog and reveal the bright hues of this beautiful but barren landscape? No one knows, and the unknown is what adds the thrill of adventure to this faraway retreat. A retreat from the real world. Far-flung and utterly remote. An escape.

An escape from wireless signals and connectivity and the constant, often over-powering overload of stimulation that makes up our daily lives. An escape from beeping devices, rushing bodies, flickering screens, snapping synapses. An escape from an over-whelming world. Back to basics, where all you have to do is look, feel, absorb. Where all you have to do is breathe…When strung together like this my words make the world seem like a dystopian society right off the pages of some futuristic thriller. What does that make the Skeleton Coast then? A haven? A bunker? Utopia perhaps? TNN

To book your stay in the elegantly designed Shipwreck Lodge, visit www.shipwrecklodge.com.na. We recommend spending at least three nights at the lodge to truly enjoy all the activities on offer. It is also a superb location to just… be. Relax in your cabin (probably one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in) or spend your days reading on your private deck or day-bed.

The 'Lichen Forest'

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rises

Hot air

Travel News Namibia’s Elzanne Erasmus takes to the skies in a floating, scenic love affair and f inds out why a hot air balloon safari over the Namib Desert will be the best experience of your trip… if not your life.

W

e climb higher and higher in time with the rising sun.

In a soft floaty bounce we drift up and down through the early morning air in search of a breeze. On this quiet, tranquil morning the soft hues of daybreak put on the most arresting exposition: stunning desert scenery as far as the eye can see.

Denis, my pilot on this new adventure, guides us through the skies, chatting away with charm and an easy familiarity.

He speaks fluent French to the visiting couple in the basket compartment across from mine. They have been on this flight before, albeit with Denis’ father Eric at the helm more than two decades ago. That is how long the Hesemans have been floating over the Namib. What started with one balloon catering to a handful of guests in the early 90s is now a major operation.

With at least three balloons in the sky each morning (weather permitting) and four permanent pilots on staff, Namib Sky has created a wonderful, immersive and spectacular vantage point

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from which guests of the plentiful lodges and establishments in the area can view the wonders of Sossusvlei and its surrounds.

For an hour, cameras snap away at the horizon. At the dunes in the distance, at the other balloon floating along east of us and at the gemsbok wandering on the ground some 100 metres below. As we near our landing destination we are treated to a close-up view of the dunes dramatically curved in texture, shape and shadows. In the smoothest manoeuvre I’ve ever seen a balloon pilot make (do take into account that this was my first ever balloon flight), Denis delicately puts the balloon basket down on the back of the waiting trailer…

Aided, of course, by his ground crew who did most of the delicate manoeuvring.

Though the crew in the sky is obviously incredibly important (they have decades of experience between them), without their ground crew, Eric, Denis, Mike and Lenny would not be

the successful skippers they are. The ‘Sky Boys’ (the moniker they’ve given to themselves) play an integral role in the operations at Namib Sky. They do a lot of the hard work. The heavy lifting. Packing up a balloon weighing several hundred kilograms, manoeuvring the giant baskets and the clean-up ‘brooming’ that takes place in the desert sands to keep it pristine after each landing are no easy tasks. The ‘Sky Girls’ prepare the delicious champagne breakfast you enjoy after setting down in a remote desert location, complete with home baked pastries and other treats.

In my dreams tonight and in memories for years to come I will remember this morning. How we sailed down the Tsauchab Valley. The dunes on both sides glowing in their iconic red tinge. They have been slowly rusting over millennia.

Frank Sinatra gently croons in my head… Come fly with me, let’s fly, fly away... TNN

RIGHT

The "Sky Boys" and pilots Mike, Denis and Lenny.

ABOVE

Crafts and curios made by local ladies at the Namib Sky Community Centre

LEFT

The Venture Media Team with Denis and Andreia Hesemans of Namib Sky

BELOW

The Little Bugs hard at work... and play!

IT TAKES A VILLAGE As we near the wooden door with a sign that reads “Little Bugs” we hear the laughter. A soccer ball comes flying over the low wall.

Once inside we realise that its origin points to the lively game being played on a lawn within those walls.

Classrooms. A play area. A dining hall and kitchen. Right here in the middle of the desert.

Not really something one would expect to find, yet here it is. The Little Bugs Early Development Programme was started by Namib Sky a few years ago. Here, children from families living and working at lodges in the area are given the opportunity to receive education close to home, instead of having to be sent some 2 to 3 hours away to the nearest town. A bus makes the trek each morning, picking up kids in the vicinity for a day of fun and learning, breakfasts, snacks and lunches served, before taking them home again each day. In their well-appointed classrooms with doting teachers and caregivers at the helm, the Little Bugs are tutored from pre-school to early primary school. In 2018 the school had 25 pupils. Andreia Hesemans notes that they expect to have 30 next year.

In an adjoining room at the centre, sewing machines and all manner of materials and necessities have been set up as part of another community project for ladies from the area. They create lovely arts and crafts with vibrant African print fabrics. Namib Sky provides the equipment, facilities and materials needed and then, once the handiwork is complete, buys the crafts from the ladies and sells them to lodges across Namibia which put them up for sale in their curio shops. Each item has a tag with the crafter’s name “Made with Love by…”. With a brightly coloured stuffed rhino toy under my arm (made with love by Diana) I wave goodbye to a chorus of singing children as my journey continues onward into the desert.

Learn more about Namib Sky’s flights and Community Involvement Projects and book your adventure into the desert skies at www.balloon-safaris.com.

+264 63 683188 info@namibsky.com

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This is a collective of Namibia’s most characterfilled independent experiences.

This is a celebration of African individuality.

This is... www.naturallynamibia.com

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estled in the quiet heart of Windhoek’s residential area lies a hotel that welcomes guests to feel like a local while experiencing the pampered indulgence of being a guest. Timeless elegance encapsulated with simple white exteriors, chic detailing, a fresh green garden and a water-saving artificial lawn perfect for the arid city. Guests can work up a sweat on the fully maintained tennis court located on the premises that is a stone’s throw away from the rooms. The main areas offer wide open views of the Klein Windhoek hills and surroundings. The sky forms a wide arc of friendly blue through the huge windows.

Practice your putt underneath the charming purple Jacaranda tree or step into the refreshingly cool swimming pool to wash off the heat of a day exploring the capital.

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Phantoms

of the Skeleton Coast Text Annelien Robberts Photographs Philip Stander

Lions on the beach. Now there is a notion that is hard to fathom. Especially in the Namib Desert and along the relentless and hostile Skeleton Coast. Yet, it is far from fantasy. This is one of the world’s most remarkable conservation stories – the desert-lion conservation project that turned into one man’s life-long dedication.

This man is Dr Philip Stander.

He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and of lions on the beach.

- Ernest Hemingway in The Old Man and the Sea

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L

eading a life of adventure devoted to the world’s only population of desert-adapted lions, Philip has been working with the lions in this area for more than 20 years. His fully equipped Land Cruiser has become his home and can be seen roving over hilltops and dunes, crossing through the unexpected green oases frequented by gemsbok in his quest to collect information on the desert-adapted lion for conservation purposes. His project is essential to the future of both humans and lions in this arid land.

Most of the desert-adapted lions were killed off in the late 80s as a result of human-wildlife conflict. Despite beliefs that this species was eliminated, rumours started in 1997 that a small group had remained in the hills at Palmwag. Locals reported that they had seen tracks, so Philip started investigating and was pleasantly surprised to discover that indeed lions were still active there. In 1998 the Desert Lion Conservation Trust became a reality.

Little did Philip know how difficult the initial monitoring would be. It was only in November 1999, after two years of intensive work, that he finally crossed paths with the first lion. Shortly afterwards, 14 more lions were immobilised and collared, after which Philip was able to track them in a light aircraft. He recounts that once, while radio-tracking these animals, the aircraft’s engine suddenly failed. Since few aircraft fly over the remote northwest, he did not expect his Mayday call to be answered.

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PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURE

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PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURE

To his surprise and immense relief, the pilot of Namibia’s presidential Falcon jet with then president Dr Sam Nujoma on board, responded to the emergency. The pilot initiated a search and rescue operation while calmly talking Philip through the landing.

It has been a bumpy, yet fruitful ride that has led to many discoveries in a habitat where one would least expect to find lions. These lions hunt the planet’s tallest mammal, the giraffe, can be seen scaling steep cliffs and climbing to the top of the Damara sequence inselbergs, walk great distances of up to 70 km per day and cross sand dunes in search of gemsbok, ostrich and porcupine. They hunt cooperatively like a team of athletes, each with its own position and well aware of each other’s weaknesses and strengths. The world is intrigued. And if you are too, get your hands on a copy of Vanishing Kings: Lions of the Namib Desert for the whole story with the most stunning photographs, available at Book Den in Windhoek. Cinephiles will be glad to know that Vanishing Kings: Lions of the Namib Desert, produced by Will and Lianne Steenkamp, is a documentary film that premiered in 2015. The documentary proved to be a roaring success. In May 2018 the second part of this conservation story was launched by the same producers who also helped in writing the printed version. TNN

FAST LION FACTS Namibia has a population of ± 800 lion currently, similar to 1965-1980. there are etween 450 and 500 in Etosha National Park.

Other populations are in Khaudum and Bwabata National Parks in the north-east, small populations in in Mahango, Mudume and Nkasa Rupara. Over the past 25 years a small population of 20-30 has increased to 140-160 in the Kunene Region, the only significant population outside protected areas. Read the full article about these fast breeders (up to four cubs per female) Lion Conservation and Sustainable Use (Italics) by dr Chris Brown, on the Travel News Namibia website: www.travelnewsnamibia.com/stories/conservation/lion-conservation-and-sustainable-use/

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GO LOCAL:

GROW AN INDIGENOUS FOREST in your garden

Two-month-old baby Hoodia plants begin their long lives.

Text and Photographs Annabelle Venter

‘Indigenous’ seems to be a word which I’m hearing more and more these days. And what a refreshing and welcome change after the thirsty exotic gardens of our youth, when little or no thought was given to water use, and ‘population’ was something only statisticians were concerned about! So of course I was thrilled to hear that a couple of environmentallyaware folk were starting to sell indigenous trees two years ago. It seemed too good to be true, having this service in Windhoek at last! Previously, any indigenous Namibian trees such as a mopane or a sausage tree had to be brought back from the State Forestry nursery at Grootfontein or Okahandja. I arranged to meet with the founders of Namib Trees on a chilly winter’s morning to find out how it all started.

T

he story of Namib Trees began just over two years ago when Ivor Powell and Carol Steenkamp met at a Botanical Society meeting in March 2016. Ivor was looking for an outlet to expand his passion of growing indigenous plants by establishing a nursery, while Carol was germinating seeds at her home and needed a bigger place to grow them. She had already moved her baby trees to Krumhuk but frost, amongst other issues, was proving a major problem there. Carol and Ivor joined forces and together were able to rent a large enough space from Ramblers Sports Club in Pioneerspark. By the end of June that year they had issued their first invoice!

Wilde Eend nursery had closed and the Department of Forestry was selling increasing numbers of fruit trees and alien species.

But the increasingly long drought periods were not kind to exotic plants. The time was ripe for an indigenous nursery to be established, and Carol’s first landscaping project with indigenous plants was the Namibian Oncology Centre in Windhoek.

Carol had been involved in environmental impact studies at the time and struggled to find indigenous trees for rehabilitating building sites. Reasons included the fact that the National Botanical Research Institute ceased their Plant Sales Days, the

Future plans include setting up a branch in the north of Namibia. Carol would also like to start plant rescue and rehabilitation of denuded areas across the country, involving local people to regenerate the vegetation.

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Namib Trees has a good relationship with the National Botanical Research Institute and often has clients referred by them. Namib Trees is also keen to encourage government to support community-based projects, where local people can be trained to sell indigenous plants in their areas.

DID YOU KNOW? BENEFITS OF PLANTING AN INDIGENOUS GARDEN • • • • • •

Hoodia species budding in the succulent nursery

Indigenous plants require much less water, needing watering once a week only Succulents need much less water than once a week They attract local birds with fruit, seeds and insects Provide shade for wild creatures Provide nesting opportunities for local wild birds Indigenous plants are well adapted to the environment and once established won’t mind skipping a watering session if you are away for two weeks

Daniel Ekandja pots Cyphostemma cuttings in the winter sun.

In February this year Carol and Ivor enlisted the services of botanist Silke Rugheimer.

Formally a taxonomist at the National Botanical Research Institute, with a special interest in lilies and succulents, Silke has come to ease the workload as the landscaping side of the business continues to grow and demand Carol and Ivor’s attention. Propagation of plants is Silke’s main role at Namib Trees, along with other nursery duties.

Namib Trees is being approached by more and more lodges which are now realising that indigenous plants are more sustainable and drought resistant. Planting species specific to the area also avoids frost damage in the winter. It simply makes sense to grow what occurs naturally in the area so that tourists can experience our local flora first-hand. They come to see Namibia in its entirety and plants are an integral part of that experience.

The nursery and landscaping business employs eight full-time and casual staff. In addition they have two full-time interns for five months each this year, who are studying natural resource management at NUST (Namibian University of Science and Technology).

Driving around Windhoek you can find beautiful examples of the work that Carol and Ivor have accomplished so far. The Burmeister offices in Olympia, the gardens of the Eros Manor Retirement Village and a few private gardens in Heliodor Street all boast their work and the list is growing weekly.

Currently Namib Trees is enjoying some success in converting lodge owners to plant indigenous, which of course has a direct impact on how tourists experience our natural flora.

Carol is very keen to raise awareness for indigenous gardens amongst the architectural profession in Namibia and she and Ivor would

WHY NOT CACTI? • •

• • •

Namib Trees' nursery recommends planting in clay pots as their drainage is good and the clay keeps the plants cooler

•

No cactus is indigenous to Africa.

Almost all cacti originated in central and southern America and have invaded all corners of the world, causing harm to animals and even death.

The spines on the cacti fruit get lodged in the throats of livestock.

The recent death of six elephants in Kenya has been positively linked to cacti.

Cacti propagate easily and displace local plants, altering the eco system.

Intermittent good rainy seasons in Namibia cause them to flourish again.

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Ivor tends his beloved succulents Owners Carol Steenkamp, Ivor Powell and resident botanist Silke Rugheimer

like to see a greater commitment to using our local vegetation for new developments instead of yet another (exotic) palm tree. This is something more architects and developers need to embrace, as trees take many years to establish and provide the shade we so desperately need in Namibia. One option would be to map existing trees on a site and make every effort to build around them, incorporating them into the design.

townhouse garden. No garden is too small to enjoy the bounty of local vegetation and reduced water bills with the bonus of birdlife that it brings. Go on, give it a try and you’ll be hooked! TNN

SAY NO TO ILLEGAL HARVESTING OF PLANTS! •

Namib Trees is open every weekday from 8:00-16:00 and Saturdays from 9:00-13:00.

Twice a year, in February and October, there is a wonderful Plant Sale Day at the nursery with stalls selling plant-related art and books and a host of like-minded indigenous gardeners.

I would like to challenge you to plant your own indigenous garden, no matter how small, wherever you live and allow yourself and your patch of earth to breathe easier.

As Carol says, she’s planting a forest at her home, and I, too, have a mini ‘forest’ of six small to medium-sized trees in a

• •

HOW CAN WE HELP? •

• • • •

• •

Euphorbia virosa is an ideal replacement for cacti, and is seen here in its natural habitat in the desert.

Grewia flava is a wonderful, hardy shrub for gardens.

Almost all local plants are protected by law and may not be removed from their natural habitat for your garden. Succulents are an especially protected group.

NBRI supplies a list of protected plants on their website.

The Ministry of Environment is responsible for the rules and may issue permits for seed collection on request.

Bio-agents to control and destroy invasive cacti have been tested and finalisation of the paperwork is pending.

Remove them by the roots.

Leave them to dry out on a flat cement surface.

Then BURN them.

Donate funds to the cactus removal programme in Windhoek and be part of the solution in eradicating them (contact Gunhilde Voigts at 0812985747).

Don’t plant ANY cacti!

PLANT Euphorbias or Hoodias instead! They look similar but are indigenous!

To keep up to date with plant specials or interesting species, visit Namib Trees’ Facebook page. www.facebook.com/namibtrees/

The problem of

invasive cacti in Windhoek Text Nina van Schalkwyk

Photographs Gunhild Voigts

If you live in Windhoek, you may have noticed a slight increase in activity around the National Botanic Garden.

Large dumpsters, the type you see around construction sites, stand next to the road, filled to the brim with green, prickly pear cacti plants. Slowly but surely the areas surrounding these dumpsters have been cleared of the opuntia infestation, revealing the earth below and the indigenous plants previously hidden from view. It all started when Windhoek resident Gunhild Voigts, who witnessed the extent to which the invasive cacti were slowly taking over the natural surroundings, took matters into her own hands.

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oigts pays otherwise unemployed men from her own pocket to comb the hill for cacti and remove the plants. And while support for her cause has been forthcoming, many are wondering what all the fuss is about. After all, what harm can a plant really do?

Windhoek's floral biome is unique and the National Botanic Garden in Klein Windhoek is home to many endemic plant and animal species. Locals and visitors alike spend time in the garden, enjoying this natural habitat. However, the plants and the balance of the ecosystem are at risk of being taken over by invasive cacti. Opuntia cacti cover vast expanses of ground with their needle-like spines, pushing out other plants or suffocating them. Indigenous plants cannot compete for food and water resources when surrounded by cacti. Opuntia infestation has resulted in the near-elimination of the !Eros plant after which the Eros suburb of Windhoek was named.

Moreover, cacti plants pose a threat to animal life in the veld. Birds, attracted to the pretty flowers, can get speared by the long spines of cacti and are stuck skewered to the plant. These cacti also grow into thick hedges which can easily block the way of small animals that live in and around Windhoek. Small hedgehogs and the like can get stuck in a place, with no possibility to get through the tangled mass of spiky opuntia. Cacti are from South America and a natural part of the ecosystems there, but here they are invasive plants that threaten our local flora and fauna.

Adding to the above is the problem that cacti spread extremely fast and in comparison to local flora reproduce at an alarming rate. Because they are originally from South American desert regions and specially adapted to arid climates, these plants can withstand long periods of very little to no rainfall. Which means, when other plants suffer and perish, cacti survive

and will thrive and take over at the first drop of rain.

After having taken over so much of Windhoek's hillside in the area surrounding the National Botanic Garden, these plants are proving to be viciously adverse to any attempts to get rid of them. Chemical agents are expensive and have not proven very successful in the past. It takes a significant amount of human resources to remove them by hand, which has to be done carefully as the needle-like spines are harmful. In addition, when the plant is taken out of the ground, it can regrow if any piece remains in the soil.

Windhoek's gardeners have unknowingly perpetuated the problem by planting these pestilent plants in their backyards. The City of Windhoek tries to remove as many of these cacti as possible in public areas.

However, if the public continues to plant this species, it will proliferate across fences and walls marking property lines. TNN

To take part in maintaining Windhoek's stunning natural landscape and to keep cacti from taking over, Gunhild welcomes donations to her cause.

Kindly contribute: Cactus Clean-up Bank Windhoek Kudu Branch 482172 Account no. 8005224758 Remember to send your name, address and proof of donation to hille.schwarting@gmail.com

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Journey to the heart

of Serra Cafema Text and Photographs Ginger Mauney

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Early morning, before the sun has crept over the mountains, Selma Benjameni, Assistant Manager at Serra Cafema, is up, gazing across the Kunene River. “This deck is my favourite place for watching the sun rise and the reflections starting to cover the water. This is a place of peace. It is where you can lose your burdens, just toss them off your shoulders and into the river, and find what is special, an inner awakening.”

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n all its incarnations, Serra Cafema, Wilderness Safaris’ camp in the extreme northwest of Namibia, has stayed true to the essence of what makes it special. Magnifying a feeling of connection to this vast, wild space and a personal connection to the Himba communities in the Marienfluss Conservancy, Serra Cafema creates a unique space where the deepest connection may be found within yourself.

That a small camp at the edge of the earth could achieve all these things is truly remarkable, but that is Serra Cafema – remarkable, truly.

Serra Cafema reopened in September 2018 after the camp had been completely rebuilt. But, given the luxury of space, thoughtful design and subtle detail, the camp feels as if it has always been here.

Serra Cafema sits on the banks of the Kunene, one of only two perennial rivers in Namibia, in a spectacular landscape where red sand dunes fold into layers of dramatic grey and purple rocks, and the statuesque, semi-nomadic Himba are the partners in the camp and its muse.

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The “new” Serra Cafema is grounded in the earth. Natural materials and deep grey canvasses reflect the surrounding landscape. Stone sourced from the adjacent valley defines walls to create texture and connection to the land. Tall, rambling acacia trees provide highly welcome shade in the desert jutting out from thatch roofs and around walkways to the river.

Communal areas, including an informal lounge, dining room, wooden deck and convivial bar, are positioned in a semi-circle, echoing the circular design of Himba villages and ensuring pockets of privacy within a larger cohesive whole.

Seven guest rooms and one family room, linked by a raised wooden walkway, maximize a sense of space and privacy.

With views across the Kunene River to the wilds of Angola, the rooms are luxuriously spacious. The colours are subtle, the textures natural, and a large image of one of the local Himba villages defines one wall and adds to the unique ambience of each guest room.

A sunken seating area with a wine refrigerator and coffee and tea making facilities, an extra-large bed surrounded by a curtain

In a spectacular landscape where red sand dunes fold into layers of dramatic grey and purple rocks, and the statuesque, semi-nomadic Himba are the partners in the camp and its muse.

Our journeys change lives

35 YEARS OF

Travelling with Purpose Since 1983, our Purpose has remained the same. We are proud pioneers of sustainable and authentic ecotourism in Africa, creating life-changing journeys and inspiring positive action.

Our story is one of conservation and hope; celebrating culture, communities and extraordinary wildlife encounters.

Our story is about Africa.

Our story is about Purpose.

www.wilderness-safaris.com

Whether in the villages where Athan and other guides are at home with Himba, or at camp where warm welcomes lead to even warmer good-byes, a feeling of connection prevails at Serra Cafema.

Selma, Mathew, Hendrik, Brigitte and Lena welcome us to Serra Cafema. of sheer fabric, indoor and outdoor showers, and a large private deck for enjoying the sights and sounds of the river and private dining enhance the feeling of natural luxury, intimacy and space.

And, wait for your heart to expand. Because when you approach the Himba with respect, you leave with a sense of awe and humility.

The details that give Serra Cafema depth of purpose are found in unlikely places. Young craftsmen and women at TABLED, a social enterprise that gives orphans a future by involving them in creating furniture, built the tables for the dining room. Myeisha, a Windhoek-based company that provides training and employment to previously unskilled local labour, produced the rich, ochre-coloured leather menu folders and room folders, while Mbiri, a company owned by harvesters, that works with Himba women to take the tradition of sustainable harvesting of the resin from Commiphora wildii trees and use in skin care products, developed its first bathroom range for exclusive use at Serra Cafema.

This isn’t voyeurism or a contrived cultural village – it is an invitation to enter the world of the Himba. After a thoughtful introduction from a Wilderness Safaris’ guide, guests are invited to ask questions, take photographs and learn about the fascinating culture of the Himba. From the layout of their villages to the importance of the holy fire, from traditional clothing and elaborate hairstyles to a life that is rooted in the past but evolving, the Himba are proud to share insights into their world.

While Serra Cafema draws guest in, it also entices them out into the stunning landscape. Enjoy nature walks and drives.

Walk along the river. Ride a quad bike across the dunes. Drift down the Kunene River where numerous birds can be found, including the rare endemic Cinderella Waxbill, and above all venture into the unfamiliar world of the Himba.

Mengipo Tyambiru Tjivinba, a Himba elder who lives a seminomadic life in the tiny villages that dot the floor of the Hartmann’s Valley, told me: “As a stranger, you should not approach a place with two hearts. Do not devalue an area, keep your heart open.”

Children play, women feed their babies, and questions give way to laughter which gives way to the Himba’s questions to guests. How many children do you have? Are you married?

Does it rain where you live? Universal questions of life that connect us all.

When you drive away, the feeling is that life in the village has been briefly touched but remains unchanged by your presence.

This is true of the Serra Cafema experience. The rapids run, the river flows, the sand dunes shift with the winds and the Himba continue to give the place its heart and soul. The only change you may notice is within, as your heart opens wider with new experiences and a fresh perspective on life and our place on this fragile, beautiful Earth. TNN

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The Greater

SOSSUSVLEI-NAMIB LANDSCAPE Landscape-level conservation is a Travel News Namibia series aimed at raising awareness of this highly effective conservation outlook. The first article, an introduction to all five appointed landscapes in Namibia, was published in the Winter 2018 Edition of Travel News Namibia. As a NAMPLACE project, landscape conservation received government funding from 2011 to 2016. Despite this limited timeframe the intention was for each landscape to take stock of what has been learned in the course of five years and use it as building blocks to continue conservation on a big scale. However, certain challenges still remain. Annelien Robberts recently attended a talk on the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape (GSNL) at the Namibia Scientific Society presented by Lee Tindall, the Environment Warden at NamibRand Nature Reserve, and Murray Tindall, the Control Warden.

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his landscape is the perfect combination of breath-taking, dramatic scenery and adventure. Sossusvlei itself features at the top of any traveller’s list, while the Naukluft hiking trail attracts adventurers from far and wide. The Greater SossusvleiNamib Landscape has seen great success owing to the tourism sector, causing a strong ripple effect in the Sand Sea in terms of funds for conservation, though there is still a lot to be done.

WHO AND WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE GSNL? The public sector of the GSNL includes the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Namibia Wildlife Resorts, as well as the Namibian Police, while the private sector consists of 15 different tourism companies and nature reserve owners.

The major tourist destinations in the area are Sossusvlei, Sesriem Canyon, Tsondab and the Naukluft Mountains with the renowned Naukluft hiking trail. In total there are about 60 tourism establishments that offer over 1,000 beds in the area. Some 20 years ago this area was dominated by agriculture. Livestock farming supported around 50 people, versus more than 2,500 people currently employed in the tourism and conservation sector. This contributes to the socio-economic development of the country.

ACHIEVEMENTS Working together, Nam-PLACE and the GSNL have achieved a lot during the 5-year funding period. Both parties assisted with

LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION

the inscription of the Namib Sand Sea as a World Heritage Site. It was inaugurated on April 6th, 2018 by the Minister of Education, Arts and Culture, Katrina Hanse-Himarwa. This has undoubtedly stirred more layers of interest and added value to the landscape, turning it into a tourism hotspot.

On a practical note: ablutions were built at the 2x4 parking at Sossusvlei and members donated a 4x4 vehicle to the Sesriem Police Station that was established in 2014. On the conservation front: members coordinated annual landscape-wide game counts. They continued to process and capture scientific data, including climate, research, socio-economy, tourism and wildlife, amongst others. In collaboration with MET they established a data biodiversity project. Open lines of communication were built and maintained between the private and the government sector, as well as between conservation and farming associations (farmers associations, neighbourhood watches and individuals).

Other projects included wildlife collaring as well as facilitating conservation education workshops, such as the vulture poisoning workshop. The workshop was facilitated by André Botha with the help and input from Liz Komen, and flights sponsored by Peter Keil. Members had

pulled together to host the workshop in response to a vulture poisoning incident in 2017. Attendance was impressive and since participants applied in practice what they had learnt, results were tangible shortly afterwards.

• Owing to so many success stories the landscape was selected by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a Finance Incubator project – an initiative in which the IUCN identifies areas/conservation organisations that will benefit and make use of financial assistance and guidance in order to achieve financial sustainability.

CHALLENGES AND THE FUTURE OF THE LANDSCAPE: •

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Health and social services remain an enormous challenge due to the area’s remoteness. Only a handful of nurses and paramedics have to cover a huge area in terms of accidents and emergency care.

In terms of infrastructure, the gravel roads easily deteriorate due to the booming tourism industry and traffic in the area. Increased human habitation has led to other issues that needed addressing, such as ablutions and waste management.

Educational options for the people who live and work in the area remain an obstacle, once again

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due to the remoteness. Namib Sky Community Trust started a school, Little Bugs, which serves the community and allows children from 3 to 8 to remain with their families and get a great foundation.

Due to increasing traffic, speeding and misuse of the roads are becoming more common. On a positive note, however, the police officers at Sesriem have helped in curtailing some of these issues. A WhatsApp group for the community has been created, which has increased awareness and communication within the landscape.

Natural migratory routes are blocked by fences, prohibiting animals from following ancient habits. Animals get stuck in fences and often die slow and painful deaths of starvation and dehydration. There is a need to end such suffering and to open the migratory routes again, which has led to a wildlife monitoring programme.

Can a sustainable financial future be ensured? Fortunately the IUCN has identified the GSNL as a viable project to assist with financial planning. The landscape coordinators will need to come up with strategies to increase member numbers and attendance at meetings in order to determine how the project will be carried forward. TNN

With 22 years’ experience in the Namibian aviation industry, Desert Air prides itself in using their extensive experience and knowledge to fit the needs of every traveller – ultimately helping you spread your wings.

With 22 years’ experience in the Namibian aviation industry, Desert Air prides itself in using their extensive experience and knowledge to fit the needs of every traveller – ultimately helping you spread your wings.

The attraction of travelling by air lies not only in the ability to get from a vibrant city to the heart of Africa faster than a car on a dusty dirt road, but also in having the luxury of viewing the continuous and magnificent landscapes of the mighty Africa from above.

Desert Air is a Namibian-based company that specialises in aviation services. Founder and managing director, Thys Rall, embarked on his flying career in 1975 and now has close to 8 000 hours of flying experience throughout Africa.

In 1996 Desert Air had a humble beginning and today prides itself in its solid position in a very competitive tourism and charter market.

The company utilises top-of-the-range pressurised turboprop Aero Commanders, the well-known Cessna Grand Caravan, and a variety of twin and single engine piston aircraft, including the stalwart, Cessna 210.

Desert Air is a fully-licensed air charter company which operates strictly according to the regulations of Namibia’s Civil Aviation Authority. Their selection of single- and multi-engine aircraft is maintained to comply with international safety standards, and is piloted by highly-qualified and experienced commercial pilots.

In July 2011 Desert Air opened its own Aircraft Maintenance Organisation in order to perform all the maintenance required on their own aircraft, and in January of 2017 branched into its own Aircraft Training Operations (Flight School).

The company most importantly offers personal services, where providing

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for each individual or group of customers is top priority. They specialise in small guided group fly-in safari tours exploring the wilderness of Southern and Eastern Africa, domestic flights, charters and emergency evacuation services (MR24).

Whether it involves climbing the dunes of Sossusvlei, a photographic experience in the Okavango Delta, an intimate family holiday or a business trip to the Namibian coast – Desert Air wants your flight to be perfect.

Desert Air is the proud operator of the airstrip at Sossusvlei and has aircraft and pilots permanently stationed on site.

Offering clients a level of service seldom found elsewhere, it is their priority to ensure top-notch service to each and every guest.

After requesting a quote, Desert Air will get back to you promptly.

Their consultants are fun, experienced and passionate with an extensive knowledge of Namibia and the natural world. Desert Air pilots are capable of explaining every aspect of the country and its natural wonders in detail.

Due to the nature of their guided tours catering to either private or small groups, they have a strong focus on being an exclusive tour operator.

Their fly-in safaris are by far the most exclusive way of travelling in Africa. Attention to detail, flexibility, personalisation, quality and value are key elements ensuring their tours and safaris stand out.

If you wish to experience Africa like never before, Desert Air will make sure that dream is realised. Should you have any enquiries or would like to make use of their services, contact safaris@desertair.com.na or reservations@desertair.com.na Telephone: +264 (61) 228 -101 Cell: +264 (81) 128 4228

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The Namib Desert, believed to be the oldestOVERVIEW desert on earth, is rife with wildlife OVERVIEW and natural beauty. The Namib-Naukluft National Park in south-central Namibia ocated in seclusion, the rim of the majestic Etoshaand Salt Pan and aLaLi Resort is situated at theareas. base of a With dolomitethe hill, nesis one of the on country’s largest most diverse conservation far away from the public self-drive routes, Onkoshi provides a tled amongst shady Mopane trees in Namibia’s legendNaukluft Mountains in the eastern section and the towering sand dunes of the beautiful escape within the Etosha National Park. The 15 freestandary Etosha National Park. The thick vegetation in the area Namib inthethe west, this treasure withdraw itsto alluring redand ochre ing chaletsSand (30 beds)Sea overlook vast pan, which is homenational to a varimakes it a popular leopards, rhinos elephants. ety of exotic wildlife, including a crowd of pink flamingos and 4 of the sands and candyfloss pink sunsets continues to enthral visitors from near and far.

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Some of the most popular waterholes of the park are located in close proximity to Halali, and the floodlit waterhole at the camp is an attraction to both wildlife and the visitors seeking to spot it.

The guided morning, afternoon, and night game drives arranged at the resort provide flexible opportunities to see the wildlife.

The campsites take a maximum of 8 pax per site. There are braai facilities for campers and flat bases to make fire. The camp opens at sunrise and closes at sunset as per the general park regulations and day visitors are only allowed to use the picnic facilities up until 16h00.

The unobstructed panoramic sunrises and sunsets are spectacular sights to behold. At night, the stars fill the vast open African sky, allowing for sensational stargazing opportunities.

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Situated within the park, guests will benefit OVERVIEW from being able to reach Sossusvlei before uiLt into an old Historicafter Fort built in 1897, Namutoni sunrise, and to German stay until sunset, and Resort is the perfect for a cultural adventure on their return aftersetting an exhilarating day,African to savannah.

It is located in the eastern part of the Etosha National relax in the tranquillity and splendour of in close proximity to the Fisher’s Pan – a hotspot for birders. the Park Namib Desert, under the spectacular African sky.fort overlooks Sossusthe flood-lit DuneKingLodge offers The romantic Nehale Waterhole from professional guided tours towithout fullyleaving unleash which visitors can enjoy views of wildlife the resort. the The beauty biological diversity swimming pool and and bar offer moments to relax and socialize. of the desert environment to visitors.

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to Sossusvlei is Sesriem Canyon, where millennia of erosion OVERVIEW have incised a narrow gorge about one kilometre in length. At the foot of the gorge, kaukuejo , located 17 km from the southern entrance whichof plunges down Park, 30 is to 40 formetres, the Etosha National famous its floodarelit pools become replenished after waterhole,that where visitors can observe at close quargood the Sesriem ters arains.Explore spectacle of wildlife congregating and Canyon interacting. from this great and scenic campsite. Elim Accommodation is provided to suit everythe need, in premier Dune – a petrified dune near Sesriem bush chalets overlooking the waterhole;spot bush chalets and douCamp provides a popular to watch ble rooms; or family chalets.

Other facilities include restauthe sunset (for those not rushing aback rant, bar, shop, swimming pool, kiosk and camping facilities. from a late afternoon visit to Sossusvlei).

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ocated in the western part of between the Okaukuejo and Dolomite Resorts, Olifantsrus Campsite is a camping-only facility, there are no chalets available here. The facility has 10 campsites with 5 power stands whereby two campsites are sharing at one stand.

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section of the park was created to serve as a sanctuary for Hartmann’s T mountain zebra, which are endemic to Namibia.

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Naukluft’s steep cliffs are nesting grounds for oLomite Resort is located in a previously restricted scenic area in various cliff-breeding species, the western region of Etosha bird National Park, rich in including biodiversity black eagles.

Five tourism. different vegetation due to the absence of mainstream The dolomite formations communities the and park ensure a wealth in the area give the within resort its name provide a lush vista.

With no oflesstree and shrub andcommon a variety than 15 waterholes, wildlifespecies, sightings are very around resort andThe providecamp excellentoffers photography Black ofthe aloes.

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IF I ONLY HAD ONE NIGHT IN NAMIBIA...

I’d venture to Gondwana Collection’s new Desert Grace

The gentle hues of the descending sun set the towering mountains in the east alight. Another breath-taking Namibian sunset in another equally stunning destination. Though this one is exceptional on many levels. To the west the gentle slopes of red sand dunes are visible. Here, on the very edge of the Namib Desert, the astounding beauty of Namibia’s most iconic exhibition begins. I’m sitting on the fringe of the oldest desert in the world. Where the picturesque mountains of sand stretch to the horizon. Some 60 km west lies the Atlantic Ocean, where the sea of sand slopes down to the pristine beaches along its cold waters. As I slowly sip a drink at what is possibly the most original of sundowner spots I have come across in this land of endless horizons, the setting sun bathes the landscape around me in pastel shades. And all around me, I realise, the world has turned the softest shade of pink...

With a slushy machine at the reception desk to create your welcome drink, swings around a dining table, a Bluetooth Marshall speaker in your room to pump some tunes, a private splash pool in front of every room with views to die for and every accent toned pink (breathe in deeply), Gondwana’s new Desert Grace is on fleek! Excuse the millennialism.

Set in Gondwana Namib Park, a private nature reserve that borders Namibia’s Natural World Heritage Site, the Namib Sand Sea, this new hotspot has all the flare and affluence needed to become an iconic desert destination. With all the comforts of so many others in the area, there seems to be a certain je ne sais quoi that sets it apart.

Exciting moments around the next bend I ventured south from the country’s capital for a weekend escape from the hustle and stress that is the year-end season.

A three-and-a-half-hour drive (in my books not too far by any measure) brought me to Gondwana’s newest brainchild. From

the start we were enthralled. “Exciting moments around the next bend”, reads the sign at the entrance. “A quick pit stop?” enquires the next. And so began a wonderfully refreshing visit to the desert.

The Desert Grace makes no excuses. Its design and charisma screams: “It’s hot here in the desert, and so are we.” And they fly their young-and-hip flag loud and proud. From the indulgent opulence of the reception area to the cool and laidback atmosphere at the bar, every design detail has been attended to with the utmost precision. Every nuance communicates the tone The Desert Grace sets: “We are on point and we know it”. In our room a wicker basket, stocked with sarongs and towels, is ready for us to take out to our private plunge pool. And everything, absolutely everything, is pretty much pink. They found the pink in the surrounding mountains. A hue that radiates at sunset when the soft pastel

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Slow down for fox sake We take heed of the signage… A gentle morning cruise on electric fat-bikes takes us on a trail traversing rocky paths, riverbeds and over the red sand dune belt stretching out in front of the lodge. Gemsbok and springbok watch as we glide by, bored expressions on their faces, not too interested in these strange creatures exploring their home range. A hearty breakfast is followed by a day spent lounging by our private pool, sipping slowly on whatever liquid is at hand and later soaking up the ethereal glory of another pink Namibian sunset on a nature drive through the dunes.

Megan Dreyer

pink glows from the landscape, making everything beautifully ethereal. Now I see pink everywhere. The rocks, the sky, the horizon. After popping a bottle of champagne from our minibar we took a dip in the reviving water and then headed back to the ‘pit stop’ we had passed on our way in…

Megan Dreyer

Grab a photo, and a cold drink, at this funky ‘pit stop’.

Unbelievable desert sunsets.

This wonderful destination encapsulates the stunning beauty of the desert as only Namibia can offer with the comfort and luxury of a dream lodge.

After dinner that evening, where we had fun building our own pizzas, we head off on a Scorpion Walk adventure with our guide Albert. The glow of the tiny creatures reminds me of the sign behind the bar back at the lodge… “One night in Namibia” flickers in pink neon lettering, and I think to myself: This place is a breath of fresh air in the desert… Yes, definitely... if I only had one night in Namibia. TNN

Nature drives through the red dune belt.

Nkasa Rupara

NATIONAL PARK

HUGGED BY THE KWANDO AND LINYANTI RIVER Text Gitta Paetzold Photographs Simone Micheletti

One of the wildest parts of Namibia, and probably the deepest African bush, can be found in the area of the far north-eastern border, in the southernmost tip of the Zambezi triangle, now known as Nkasa Rupara National Park.

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his park on the fringes of our beautiful country is unfenced, allowing for unrestricted movement of animals. The only barriers are formed by rising water levels after the rains that turn most of the park into a delta.

Despite the challenges the park and its surroundings offer the opportunity for visitors to stay and get enraptured by the sights and sounds of the African bush, wake up to the cry of the fish eagle, hear the roar of lion and the trumpeting of elephant. … and to think, that Namibia’s luck to call this beautiful place in the heart of Africa its own, is based on a mistake – an “oversight” by past leaders…

Century-old political decisions as well as natural borders formed by rivers and deltas have determined the contours of Namibia.

The north-eastern ‘panhandle’, which juts out between Angola and Botswana and borders on Zambia and Zimbabwe at its tip, makes Namibia one of the more peculiar shaped countries on the African continent. Previously called the Caprivi Strip – now the Kavango and Zambezi regions – this salient is over 300 km long and just a little more than 30 km wide.

Of all the odd geographical borders resulting from the colonial Scramble for Africa between 1881 and 1914, the creation of the Caprivi Strip is one of the strangest, and one of the most glamorously named – after German Count Leo von Caprivi. It has also been called Itenge or the Okavango Panhandle. Leo von Caprivi succeeded German chancellor Otto von Bismarck in 1890. In July that year he signed the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty with Britain under which the German Empire exchanged the Zanzibar Archipelago for Heligoland, an island northwest of the German port of Hamburg. Germany also gained the ‘Caprivi Strip’, with the intention to establish a link to its East African territories of modern-day Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi via the Zambezi River.

This colonial folly, through which the triangle between the Zambezi, the Chobe and the Kwando/Linyanti rivers became part of Namibia, has contributed to the country’s wide diversity of landscapes, wildlife, flora and cultural richness. The unique Nkasa Rupara National Park is tucked into that triangle.

NAMIBIA'S NATIONAL PARKS This year, Travel News Namibia explores the outliers. The off-the-grid, lesser known parks each of which are a unique slice of nature well-worth the often troublesome visit. In this third installment of the series, the Hospitality Association of Namibia's Gitta Paetzold explores the far northeastern reaches of what was always known as the ‘Caprivi Strip’. She ventures into the green and lush wonderland of one of Namibia’s least-explored national parks - Nkasa Rupara. Explore the hidden wonders of yet another ‘park on the fringe', be regaled by epic stories and enthralled by the wildlife and nature that thrives in one of the most enigmatic corners of Namibia.

BWABWATA NATIONAL PARK

MUDUMU NATIONAL PARK

Sangwali

ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK MANGETTI NATIONAL PARK

NKASA RUPARA NATIONAL PARK

KHAUDUM NATIONAL PARK

SKELETON COAST NATIONAL PARK

WATERBERG PLATEAU PARK

CAPE CROSS DOROB NATIONAL PARK

VON BACH RECREATION RESORT DAAN VILJOEN GAME PARK

NAMIBNAUKLUFT PARK

SOSSUSVLEI

TSAU //KHAEB (FORMER SPERRGEBIET) NATIONAL PARK

HARDAP RECREATION RESORT

NAUTE RECREATION AREA

AI-AIS/RICHTERSVELD TRANSFRONTIER PARK

TRAVEL NEWS NAMIBIA SUMMER 2018/19

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Nkasa Rupara National Park, formerly known as Mamili National Park, was officially proclaimed on 1 March 1990, just days before Namibia gained independence. With a size of 320 square kilometres this is the largest formally protected wetland area with conservation status in Namibia, and a haven for wetland species. When the flood levels of the Kwando River are high the park becomes a mini Okavango Delta.

What makes Nkasa Rupara National Park even more special is the fact that it does not only host an abundance of wildlife, but largely benefits local communities in the surroundings, and being unfenced, it forms a transfrontier corridor for wildlife migration between Namibia and Angola, Botswana and Zambia. As such, this park is also an integral part of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA).

Nkasa and Lupala, two large elevated wooded areas, are the park's focal points. During the dry season the 'islands' can be reached by road but after the rains 80% of the area becomes flooded, cutting them off from the mainland. Most of the park consists of channels with termitaria islands and lined by reed beds and ponds. The Kwando River forms the western boundary and the Linyanti River the south-eastern border of the park.

Left in its natural state, Nkasa Rupara National Park would have been a perfect habitat for Africa’s Big Five but sadly, as anecdotes have it, the last rhino was shot in the area in 1974.

There have been talks between authorities, environmentalists and the tourism industry to consider reintroducing rhinos in the park – but the increase of poaching is stalling such noble intentions for now.

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There are about 1 000 buffaloes in Nkasa Rupara, the largest concentration in the country. The park is an important corridor for elephants moving from Botswana to Angola and Zambia, and it is also considered a core breeding area of wildlife that can wander into neighbouring conservancies. Other wildlife species include hippo, crocodile, elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, hyena, African wild dog, roan antelope, common impala, red lechwe, reedbuck, sitatunga, kudu, warthog, spotted-necked otter, rock and water monitor lizard. Among the 430 species of birds which have been recorded are breeding pairs of rare Wattled Cranes, Slaty Egret, Stanley’s Bustard, Rosy-throated Longclaw, Dickinson’s Kestrel, Allen’s Gallinule, Lesser Jacana, Black-winged and Red-winged Pratincole, Long-toed Lapwing, Luapula Cisticola, Coppery-tailed Coucal and Black Coucal. In terms of vegetation the park is host to a variety of reeds and sedges, papyrus and wild date palms (Phoenix reclinata). Tall trees such as jackal-berry (Diospyros mespiliformis) and mangosteen (Garcinia livingstonei) proudly stand along the water’s edge and on the termitaria islands.

Of great value to Namibia and its people is the fact that Nkasa Rupara National Park borders the Sangwali area, home of the Wuparo Conservancy which was established in 1999. Today some 2 500 people benefit from sustainable tourism development in and around the park, which provides a welcome source of income through job opportunities, skills transfer and social development. Wuparo means 'life' in the local language, and the onset of tourism in the area definitely breathed new life into the community in the triangle of the Zambezi Region.

NAMIBIA'S NATIONAL PARKS As part of the community tourism development program based on joint ventures, private investors who recognised the potential of the area formed a partnership with the Wuparo Conservancy. First they developed Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge on the border of the park, and later Jackalberry Tented Camp – the first tourism accommodation establishment inside the park – to attract eco-friendly and selective tourism activity to the area. Both camps are completely unfenced and thus present no barrier to the natural movement of wildlife.

The Wuparo Conservancy receives a monthly fee and a significant percentage of the net revenue of the tourism operations, while both properties provide sought-after job opportunities; 95% of all employees are recruited locally. Furthermore, most of the building material for the infrastructure was sourced locally, while goods and services, such as fresh produce and crafts, are also bought from the locals. This has created a wealth of opportunities, and especially the women in the area have discovered a new sense of worth by contributing to the warm atmosphere of the establishments and by acquiring skills in cooking, hospitality and craft making.

Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge and Jackalberry Tented Camp are members of the International Ecotourism Society. Both establishments have received accolades and awards in recent years, including the HAN Award of Excellence and the Responsible Tourism Award in 2016. They have also attained the highest Eco Awards Namibia rating.

There are plans for further controlled, eco-friendly and sustainable tourism development. Natural Selection has earmarked sites in the park for high-end, low-impact facilities to open this part of unspoiled wilderness to more nature and wildlife lovers.

Nkasa Rupara National Park, on the fringes of Namibia’s northeast, is truly a hidden gem with an abundance of fauna and flora, with authenticity and with harmony between humans and wildlife living in and off the park. With the right approach and a commitment to environmental sustainability it could once again become a haven for all of Africa’s Big Five and a must-see when visiting Namibia. TNN

Welcome to

SERONDELA Text Gitta Paetzold Photographs Simone Micheletti

To be one with nature and blending in is the underlying theme of Wild Waters Exclusive Camps and Lodges. Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge, Jackalberry Tented Camp and Rupara Rest Camp are part of the group, and in early 2018 Serondela Lodge became the latest addition. When selecting the perfect sites for their beautiful award-winning accommodation facilities in one of the most remote and wildest parts of Namibia, the developers simply take their cue from the Chobe River and allow nature to take its course. As if following the tracks of elephants in this unconfined part of southern Africa, which is seen as one of the last strongholds of the African elephant, Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge was developed close to where the Kwando flows into the Linyanti. And then, as if continuing upstream to where the Linyanti becomes the Chobe and forms the border of Chobe National Park, a perfect venue was discovered for Serondela: a famous elephant sighting spot on the Namibian side of the Chobe River. It is thus no wonder that an elephant is the logo of this lodge.

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he entire area is part of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) which straddles Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, and is believed to hold as many as 250,000 elephants. Since the opening of Serondela Lodge visitors are able to enjoy the beauty of this unique part of wildest Africa from the Namibian riverbank of the mighty Chobe.

The Peace Parks Foundation has lauded KAZA as one of the “great African successes”, southern Africa’s “premier tourist destination for viewing elephants” and “the vehicle for socioeconomic development in the region.”

Serondela Lodge, like Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge, is a joint venture with the Kabulabula Conservancy. The local

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community already feels the benefits of being part of a tourism business, in terms of skills development, job creation and income generation.

A unique attraction of Serondela Lodge is the fact that it is located on a seasonal island and thus mainly accessible by boat. Flood levels of the Chobe/Zambezi can be very high and make the road from Ngoma to Serondela Lodge inaccessible during most of the year. The adventure starts upon arrival by car or plane at Kasane in Botswana. Guests are transferred to Serondela via boat, along the beautiful wilderness of the river, with views of wildlife roaming the banks and a myriad of birdlife - nature putting on a show!

ADVERTORIAL Serondela Lodge consists of seven comfortable and beautifully decorated double rooms, one family room and two guide rooms. All the rooms are well-spaced to ensure privacy, tranquillity and exclusivity so that guests can savour the close proximity of nature, while enjoying the personal and warm hospitality of hosts Laura and Simone.

The chalets are constructed on high ground overlooking the Chobe River. Each room has a balcony facing the river. The southwest facing balconies look onto the Serondela area, famous for big herds of elephants and many other animals that come to feed and drink.

The buildings were constructed with plastered sandbag walls, an eco-building technique that provides a high degree of thermal insulation. With natural resource management practices at the forefront, Serondela is completely powered by a solar system.

Serondela Lodge fully subscribes to sustainable tourism practices. Today’s travellers are very conscious of their impact on the environment and of their role in socio-cultural sustainability, which means minimising negative impact and footprint and focusing on more positive effects such as promoting cultural exchange and preserving local traditions.

Serondela Lodge is in partnership with the Kabulabula Conservancy and part of the WWF and IRDNC joint-venture program.

The location of Serondela guarantees an exclusive proximity to Chobe National Park. To be able to fully absorb the experience of being in the midst of Namibia’s wildest region, guests are advised to stay at least two nights (all meals included) and enjoy safari walks, sundowner cruises and game drives into Chobe National Park in Botswana.

WILD WATERS GROUP OF LODGES With three award-winning lodges and camps in Namibia, Wild Waters offers exceptional safari experiences and special deals for guests travelling through the remote Zambezi/Chobe area.

In 2016, Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge won the Sustainability Toursim Award, and all the Wild Waters properties follow the concept of Eco-tourism.

Travellers choose to stay at these lodges because of their exclusive and wild location, limited guest and vehicle numbers, extraordinary game viewing and the exceptional and warm hospitality. Staying at Serondela Lodge, Nkasa Lupala Tented Camp or Jackalberry Camp not only inspires most visitors, but provokes some soul-searching, and surely creates memories of a lifetime, leaving guests with a warm feeling of having contributed to and lived the legacy of wildest Africa. TNN

Tel: +264 81 147 7798 / +264 66 252 677 Email: info@serondelalodge.com www.serondelalodge.com

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Temminck’s ground pangolin

The Plight of the

Photographs Jo Tagg

Pangolin

Pangolins certainly are not the most glamorous animals, yet they are the most traff icked. In Namibia, the f ight against traff icking has become the defence of these defenceless animals. Nina van Schalkwyk f inds out more.

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rince William said pangolins might be extinct before most people even know they existed. National Geographic and others referred to them as the most trafficked animal that you have never heard of. Most people are surprised to learn that the humble pangolin is the most trafficked species in the world, more than elephants, rhinos and tigers combined.

Pangolins were almost unheard of creatures until concerted efforts were made by the international conservation community to bring attention to the shocking threat of their impending extinction. In 2017 the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), held in Johannesburg, placed all eight species of pangolin on Appendix I. This means that the four species of pangolin in Africa and their four Asian counterparts are deemed to be extremely vulnerable to extinction and trade in these animals is highly illegal.

The only species of pangolin found in Namibia, Temminck’s ground pangolin (Smutsia Temminckii), is relatively abundant and considered of least concern globally. However, the depletion of Asia’s pangolin species has redirected poachers’ attention to Africa. According to the Namibia Chamber of Environment (NCE), it became clear in 2017 that the illegal trade in pangolins was increasing but that the characteristics were changing.

Whereas previously pangolins had been caught for use in the local market they were now being transported to Asian markets.

The NCE, together with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, as well as partner organisations responded by setting up a reward scheme and a hotline in September 2017, which resulted in 15 criminal cases and the arrest of 21 suspects during the first two months. A year later 34 live pangolins had been saved and many released back into the wild.

But why pangolins? The strange little creatures, a combination of hedgehog, the size of a beach ball, plated in armoured scales and equipped with a long, sticky tongue – as described by Peter Lafontaine of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) – are in high demand on the black market. Their scales consist of keratin, the same substance that human hair and nails are made of, but they are prized in Vietnam and China for use in traditional medicine. Moreover, their meat is considered a delicacy and eating pangolin a sign of prestige.

Pangolins are extremely important to an ecosystem. Feeding on millions of ants and termites annually, their demise could mean termite damage of N$600 million on a national level.

That’s in just one year. Their long sticky tongues are adept at probing into holes to pluck out ants and termites. It is the perfect tool for squeezing into tight tunnels in search of food. The pangolin tongue goes all the way down through its abdomen and is attached to its last rib. In contrast, the human tongue is attached to the hyoid bone, a small structure floating between the chin and throat. Pangolins do not have teeth but swallow small pieces of rocks or stones along with their food, which helps with digestion. Their stomachs have keratinous spines which further grind up their food.

These nocturnal loners are known for rolling up into a tight little ball when threatened, their scales keeping them safe from bites or scratches. But this survival tactic has made them more vulnerable to humans, as poachers easily pick up the rolled-up animal and walk off with it. No guns, no shots, not even any danger of being bitten. Considering their slow birth-rate, their harmless nature and the nearimpossibility of being kept in captivity, it is a wonder the species has lasted as long as it has.

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F O R I N F O R M AT I O N +264 (0) 61 209 0300 cro@proteahotels.com.na

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ABOUT THE REWARD SCHEME The Ministry of Environment and Tourism and other partner organisations set up a reward scheme for information leading to the arrest of people catching, killing, trading and trafficking pangolins.

Members of the public are requested to report any suspicious activity and may receive a cash reward for information that leads to the arrest of culprits or the confiscation of pangolins or pangolin products. Such information can include people asking about pangolins or offering pangolins or pangolin parts for sale. The hotline is available for information by phone call or SMS at 081 413 2214 or 081 423 2231 around the clock.

In addition, penalties for possession and trade in pangolins were increased significantly. Anyone in possession of pangolins or pangolin products can be charged with a fine of up to N$15 million or up to 15 years in prison or both. TNN

Most people would be surprised to learn that the humble pangolin is the most trafficked species in the world, more than elephants, rhinos and tigers combined.

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Carmines and the subtle art of being a

NOVICE BIRD GUIDE Text and Photographs Pompie Burger

I have changed my opinion on tour guides and engaged people, and have myself become a very sympathetic tour guide and marriage counsellor on the side. To start off, I had the dubious privilege of having two guests who have been engaged for two weeks join me on a recent birding trip – no names, no pack-drill. One might say that if you can survive this you would be able to handle anything. Luckily there was no need for counselling for the engaged carmines.

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You won’t easily forget such a spectacle.

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must confess that taking guests on a birding trip to see Carmine Bee-eaters is probably the easiest thing a guide can imagine. Having said that and referring back to the first paragraph, there were the odd handicaps regarding my guests. The least problem was the carmines’ migration from sub-equatorial Africa, an annual spectacle, to their destiny at the most obvious and visible place at Zambezi Mubala Lodge.

First, to get your guests out of bed to see the sun rise and the carmines start getting active was not that easy. I got up at 4 am to get everything ready for the day and do some research on the carmines. Coffee was served in bed for the couple, and then we were finally on our way to the promised land of carmines. With the sun rising over the Zambezi River in brilliant colours, we arrived at the bird colony full of expectations.

The main colony is built on the sandy plains next to the river, while a smaller colony builds downstream in the riverbank.

Unfortunately we were not the first spectators at the scene of the crime. A team of bird ringers was ready to start their activities with mist nets in position and rings ready to clamp around 500 carmine feet. Somehow my engaged couple was more interested in the ringing (makes sense). To summarise the whole spectacle, one can say without any doubt that science is a cruel and mean necessity. The visit of an African Marsh Harrier to the colony was an additional performance, although the damage done by these beauties did not make a dent in the population of carmines.

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Getting back to my guiding, I had some difficulty making my way through all the carmines pushing and shoving to a presentable spot to view these amazingly beautiful birds, which were in a frantic hurry to get their nests ready for the breeding season. I pitched a gazebo with airconditioning close to the colony and served a champagne breakfast. Trying first to explain what a Carmine Bee-eater is (the biggest bee-eater in the world), and that this is the biggest known colony in the world, did not impress them.

Trying to show them how the bee-eaters where busy digging in the sand to build their nesting tunnels, some up to 13 metres long, with sand flying through the air, did interest them a bit, probably thinking about the house they were planning on Luxury Hill in Windhoek. These nests are not reused every year but rebuilt. My guests are planning to buy an old house to renovate, but maybe they will now reconsider.

Seeing over 2000 carmines fly up from the colony, the sky darkening so much so that you might think it’s time for a sundowner, is a spectacle you are unlikely to see anywhere else in the world. This is not to mention the other 1000 sitting in the surrounding trees waiting and probably speculating where they will get a spot to pitch their claim for a nest. During the building phase they roost away from the colony in smaller groups, returning to the colony early in the morning.

BIRDING WITH POMPIE

In between all this activity they also had to do some courting (aerial display and courtship feeding), mating and fighting, all extremely significant for my soon-to-be married couple. I tried to explain some of the details of these activities, but they seemed well educated in the matter, i.e. the fighting obviously.

When texting messages on their cell phones (to each other?) got more interesting than the carmines, I decided to call it a morning, but there was more to come in the afternoon When I wanted to show them a Schalow’s Turaco in the camp it was too much of an effort for them to look up into the trees to see it. Well, I rested my case and decided to rest my body in the coolness of my tent. Our next outing was scheduled for 15h30 and I had time to do some more research. Apparently, before laying eggs, the carmines add to their diet with sand and snail shells with a high calcium content (research!). The eggs are laid after the nests have been completed, and hatch within three weeks. The nestlings start to appear by mid-November.

With a lot of force I managed to get the couple out of the bar and start the new adventure awaiting us at the colony. The carmines were just getting back after a day of hunting in the sun, some still having the odd drop of honey dribbling from the corner of their bills. During the heat of the day there was not much activity at the colony, they preferred to do their mating, nest building and fighting in the coolness of dusk and dawn.

An unwanted visitor to the colony - an African Marsh Harrier

It was not just carmines that entertained us, being the good guide that I am, I was able to show my guests this majestic Fish Eagle feasting on his catch-of-the-day.

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There is a separate colony a few hundred metres downstream in the wall of the riverbank, which has a different approach to their building style. First of all, starting the nesting hole was a bit more complicated, because the wall was much harder than the soft sand of the plains. They use their long decurved bill for the initial digging. Once inside, the rest of the digging takes place with some legwork, cycling out the sand from inside the hole. Having finished their nests, this group tends to leave the colony earlier in the morning straight from the nests, to return only late afternoon, contrary to the other colony which remains in the area building for a few hours during the day.

The nests in the wall are built much closer to each other than the sand nests on the plain, probably because of the stability of the surrounding soil. It was also obvious that the train tracks at the entrance to these nests showed the foot marks of their toes digging in the sand.

Why I decided to do the trip with an engaged couple during the carmine mating season (September) remains a mystery to me.

Maybe after the eggs have hatched and the feeding process has started will be a better time, because most young people somehow never learn to raise kids properly (discipline). But my two guests are so clever they already know everything, so this might also be redundant.

One must always keep in mind that Africa is a tough country, so maybe next time I will be more seasoned in coping with

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guiding and birders, and hopefully they will not be able to identify birds before and better than me. For myself, I will come back again and again to be mesmerised by this wonderful event that takes place year after year from mid-August until mid-December, with or without Elzanne and Sean.

I can promise any potential visitor that they will have difficulty in tearing themselves away from this unforgettable sight. Even the engaged couple struggled to leave the carmines, and the bar. TNN

We did eventually arrive before sunrise One of the guards found dreaming

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FLAMINGO VILLAS

The Lagoon - an unforgettable and serene experience.

Nestled on the edge of the tidal lagoon of Walvis Bay lies an undiscovered gemstone – The Flamingo Villas Boutique Hotel offers 27 rooms surrounded by scores of Lesser and Greater Flamingos.

Tel. +264 64 205631 / +264 064 207455 E mail. reservations@flamingovillana.com www.flamingovillana.com

WHEN I FINALLY GOT TO GO

BIRDING WITH POMPIE Text Elzanne Erasmus

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hey zip passed me in a flash of colour, taking off in a plume of pink and blue. The flap of wings and their chirping songs fill the air. I feel like I’m a young child again, visiting Butterfly World near Paarl in the Western Cape where thousands of tiny winged creatures flit about you as you venture through their enclosed habitat. But this is no artificial sanctuary. Here we sit on a plain right beside the mighty Zambezi River, marvelling at the largest known colony of migrating Carmine Bee-eaters in the world. Just my fiancé and I, and our guide for the trip…

I have been editing Pompie Burger’s wonderfully enigmatic birding tales for a few years now. It has been an adventure of its own. Each time he arrives at our offices to drop off his next story (via USB, no email for him!) I get a childlike thrill of excitement. Reading of the first draft always has me giggling away, and then I have to put red pen to paper and scratch out a few slightly offensive remarks here and there. Nothing ugly, but Pompie has a habit of speaking his mind and the writing and editing process has become a sort of game between the two of us. I imagine him finishing a story, snickering to himself and thinking: “What will she let me get away with this time.” As I said… a constant adventure.

Sean McCulloch

Being one of Pompie’s biggest fans, it was thus to my delight that he invited me to come along on a birding expedition.

Finally, after years of reading and redmarking his colourful tales of ornithology, I would get to experience it first-hand!

No filter, no editing, just straight-up Pompie and his gang of misfits (read: birds). So off we went to Katima Mulilo for a weekend to tick off a major bucketlist experience for myself – the annual Carmine Bee-eater migration.

Pompie’s initial disclaimer upon inviting us on this trip was to declare: “I’m actually very bad at birding, to be honest.” Well, then there isn’t much hope for the rest of us, is there? But we found him to be most educational… as well as entertaining and adventurous. Not that I had any doubts.

Not a man to beat around the bush when it comes to birding, he also had no qualms driving after a bird or two quite literally into said bush. Coucals, lapwings and an epic sighting of an African Fish Eagle with his catch-of-the-day were accompanied by some intrepid offroading. A bird in the hand…

I hear Pompie call my name and I’m quick to go looking for him as he wanders amongst the tall trees that abound at Zambezi Mubala Camp. He’s seen a Schalow’s Turaco, he tells me, and I must hurry! Schalow’s has been my unicorn.

Time and again I have heard him, looked for him for hours, scouring the treetops until my neck was aching, and yet he has always eluded me. But with Pompie as my guide, surely old Schalow’s should be in the bag after this trip… ticked off my

lifer list. Alas, the beautiful green Turaco seems to not like me very much, he flits away into the thick green foliage overhead before Pompie can point him out. Maybe one day…

Shortly after our Schalow’s misadventure we’re off in our little rented Duster towards the Carmine hotspot. Along the edge of the Zambezi River, not far from the Gondwana Collection’s Zambezi Mubala Lodge, holes have been dug out in the sandy wall of the riverbank. Here, and on the adjacent plains, a colony of thousands of Carmine Bee-eaters have started constructing their tunnel homes for the breeding season. These Bee-eaters arrive promptly on the 22nd of August each year (according to Pompie), as if they have booked their holiday long ago.

In fact, they probably have some kind of time-share agreement set up, because this is an annual occurrence. And so, here I sit, gobsmacked by the sight before me.

Pompie snaps away with his camera, capturing the most wonderful stills of these agile creatures, I’m sure, while Sean and I observe in amazement. Every now and then I pick up my video camera to record some of their hard work (digging) and aerobatics, but mostly I stare.

What an absolutely awe-inspiring encounter, in every sense of the word.

Most definitely one of the Zambezi Region’s best-kept secrets, and at the very top of all my Namibian experiences lists. TNN

Grub's up at Altstadt

Window of opportunity at Bar Zonder Naam

Cosy corner at Stillhouse Atlantic

PICTURE PERFECT PIT STOPS

IN SWAKOPMUND Text and Photographs Charene Labuschagne

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here does one find a rustic beer garden and restaurant, craft gin and beer bar, and a fabulous food truck all in walking distance from the soft sandy beaches of the Skeleton Coast? You guessed it! Swakopmund is all the rage, and rightfully so. Great food, gobsmacking gin and good company are all synonymous with the coastal town.

We’ve explored the newest hotspots for scrumptious grub and sundowners, all of which are very Instagram-worthy.

Altstadt Restaurant is a new hangout that can seat a village.

Should you choose to sit at the bar, a unique beer tap inspired by a car engine will keep you company. Weather permitting, you can sit outside around a boma and soak up the sun. Or alternatively, find a cosy corner in the historic building with original wooden floors and glance through the antique windows.

Beautiful images of the legendary architecture of Swakopmund adorn the barn-style walls, all magnificently captured by Xenia Ivanoff-Erb. Regardless of where you choose to park your party, good times are guaranteed. With a hearty menu to satisfy the hungriest of customers and beer on tap, Altstadt is sure to be the new hangout for locals and tourists alike.

Craft distilleries have been popping up on our coastline recently.

One of which is Stillhouse Atlantic. In a secluded industrial park, down an unassuming alley, you’ll find the loft space

Friendly face at Bar Zonder Naam

Craft Gin selection at Bar Zonder Naam

And... another cosy corner at Altstadt

The bar at Altstadt Selection of botanicals at Stillhouse Atlantic

Walkway into Altstadt Restaurant

where magic is made out of 14 selected botanicals – 10 of which are locally sourced. They’ve even collaborated with Two Beards to craft an aromatic coffee liqueur dubbed Umber. As they’re just starting out, tastings are exclusive. Visiting the edgy space where the small-batch spirits are produced is a breath of fresh air.

Food trucks are finally up and coming in Namibia, the original, however, is Fork ‘n Nice. Double parked next to the beach on Strand Street, this renovated yellow school bus is the stuff foodie dreams are made of. Food blogger fanatic, Ashley Dubé (The Humble Palate) says his single favourite food experience in Namibia is freshly prepared, tucked in a paper blanket and served by the friendly folk at Fork ‘n’ Nice. Standing on my tippy toes to reach the counter, I had no idea that the Cuban I was about to consume would change my life. If the rest of their menu items are as delicious as that pulled pork perfection (which the owner biasedly claims it is), I might have to pitch a tent right next to their van and eat my weight in fish and chips.

Drinking sundowners tops the list of Namibians’ favourite things to do, so, naturally, a kiosk-style spot serving craft gins, beers and South African wines opens along a quaint walkway in Swakop. The owners had back and forth debates on what to call the place, and finally decided on Bar Zonder Naam (bar without a name). How fitting, since its odd location and grunge decor adds to the mystery.

Order an icy G&T, Skeleton Coast Amber Weiss or peachy dry rosé.

Either way, you’ll get lost in their wide selection and probably stroll off mesmerised and slightly tipsy. TNN

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• Taste of African original • No hidden costs

Namibia is a countr y of primeval and unspoilt beauty.

SWA SAFARIS can introduce you to its spectacular variety of landscapes, rich treasures of wildlife and unique flora. Enjoy the hospitality and friendliness of the Namibian people.

L et SWA SAFARIS, one of the most experienced Tour operators in Namibia, that has been in operation since 1954, make your stay in Namibia an unforgettable one.

S WA S A F A R I S

NAMIBIA

Since 1954 .... your tour operator with experience 22 Heinitzburg Street, Windhoek | +264 61 249 597 heinitzburg@heinitzburg.com | www.heinitzburg.com

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WWW.TRAVELNEWSNAMIBIA.COM

Tel: + 264-61-221193 / 237567, Fax: + 264-61-225387 PO Box 20373, 43 Independence Avenue, Windhoek, Namibia swasaf@swasafaris.com.na - www.swasafaris.com - www.swasafaris.de

EXPLORE NAMIBIA WITH

savannah Tel: +264 61 223 269 Cell: +264 81 127 2222 E-mail: odyssey@iway.na Website: www.odysseycarhire.com

where your adventure begins...

Tel.: +264 61 256323 | A/H: +264 81 162 5791 Mail: info@caprivicarhire.com | Web:www.caprivicarhire.com

“Rental of specialised 4x4 vehicles in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique”

info@ascocarhire.com

www.ascocarhire.com

THIS IS MY NAMIBIA

By Gerhard Thirion

O

n a photographic safari in a remote part of north-western Namibia we encountered a black rhino bull browsing in a small riverbed. He was roughly 200 metres away from us and we had the wind in our favour, which allowed us to watch him and take numerous pictures without causing any disturbance.

The rhino was slowly moving along while browsing and at some point became aware of our presence. During almost 20 years of guiding I have gained huge respect for the extremely sensitive sense of smell and the hearing abilities of rhinos. Due to their fairly poor eyesight, rhino bulls can sometimes be very inquisitive when they become aware of intruders in their home ranges.

Now curious, the rhino gradually approached our vehicle while still browsing and did not appear to be

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overly concerned about our presence.

Each encounter with dangerous animals is different and you have to constantly monitor the situation while taking many factors into account in order to make the right decision when the situation becomes unmanageable. I decided that we should stay put because starting the vehicle’s engine would cause unnecessary disturbance.

We silently watched this magnificent animal approach us one step at a time.

All you could hear was the shutters of cameras and our adrenalin-spiked breathing inside the vehicle. With less than twenty metres separating us, the rhino finally decided to remove the intruders from his area. An inquisitive stroll suddenly turned into an all-out charge of 1.6 tonnes of trouble with a sharp end approaching at about 40 km/h!

WWW.TRAVELNEWSNAMIBIA.COM

Fortunately the rhino had brakes! Or maybe it was my slapping against the body of the Land Rover that caused it to stop less than ten meters away in a huge cloud of dust. He started moving again and ran away from us in a half circle, then stood there looking at us, probably contemplating whether he needed to go at us again.

To minimize disturbance we immediately left the scene. Fortunately, only our egos were bruised and we decided to lick our wounds with sundowners, before heading to our camp.

I’m not sure how I managed to take pictures, but I was lucky enough to capture some moments of this heartpounding experience. It’s not something that you would go and look for, but sometimes it is unavoidable and just happens. This is my Namibia. TNN

www.wolwedans.com

Wolwedans is more than a collection of desert camps and lodges. It’s a collection of dreams.

Business in Balance is a sustainability ethos to which we’re aligned, as is our commitment to conserving the NamibRand Nature Reserve.

Experience an eco-tourism destination, where travel is rooted in long-term preservation, at Wolwedans. Balancing people, planet and profit, since 1995.

...simply out of this world

Photo: Alexander Heinrichs

Namibia. Endless Horizons.

With sweeping views as far as the horizon and a light that bathes the landscapes in a kaleidoscope of colours, Namibia truly touches the soul. A journey to the country is unforgettable.

The land of contrasts really does have something to offer every visitor: magnificent landscapes, fascinating wildlife, numerous outdoor activities, beautiful places to stay and hospitable people.

Namibia is a year-round destination with more

than 300 days of sunshine and exploring the country is both easy and safe. After a comfortable flight, you will arrive in a completely different world. Namibia is exciting, exotic and familiar all at the same time.

Head Office Corner of Sam Nujoma Drive & Haddy Street Windhoek Namibia

Europe Schillerstraße 42 – 44 D-60313 Frankfurt am Main Germany

South Africa 25th Floor, Atterbury House, Unit 2502 9 Riebeeck Street Cape Town, 8001

Tel. +264 (0) 61 – 290 6000 info@namibiatourism.com.na www.namibiatourism.com.na

Tel. +49 (0) 69 – 13 37 36 0 info@namibia-tourism.com www.namibia-tourism.com

Tel. +27 (0) 21 – 422 3298 naminfo@saol.com www.namibiatourism.com.na

Postal address: Private Bag 13244, Windhoek, Namibia, 1001

Postal address: PO Box 739, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa