EDITOR’S LETTER
Take the kids along THIS SUMMER
T
hey say one of the reasons for over-tourism is travel writers. On behalf of all travel writers, including the team at Venture Media, I want to apologise for the fact that we just cannot help ourselves but be inspired by exploring. I like to think of our tribe as the modern day explorers. We discover new worlds and new words. Imagine you had to write about Sossusvlei, as some on our team have been doing for over a quarter of a century. There probably would not have been a word such as over-tourism because nonexplorers would have run out of new words long ago. For the summer of 2020, the 30th year of Namibia’s independence, we have chosen to not explore the coast. We are aware that this is where half the country congregates, especially in the hottest time of year and on top of that the driest year in many Namibians’ memory. It is not that we ran out of ideas or words. One visit to the coast and our team would have been inspired to create a magazine filled with stories and adventures to stir up renewed interest in every coastal town. Instead we opted for a different angle. Let’s take the kids along. Or even worse, teenagers. Some of us were children recently enough to still recount the feeling; one of the contributors is still at that age, and some had to delve a little deeper to find the travelling child in them. The verdict is that Namibia is magic for children, depending on how you dish it up. In every trip, in every direction we could think of, there are enough activity and adventure opportunities for any hyperactive child or bored teenager. Just choose your route and timing well. But it is not all child’s play in this edition. We also introduce you to a fun new place, Teaterhuis in Tsumeb, to stop at en route to Etosha or Zambezi. We give you a closer look at goggas (insects) through a photographer’s macro lens. Pompie Burger takes us on a river cruise with his usual quirky remarks and Willie Olivier shares some interesting anecdotes in his Travel Notes. Don’t miss Marita van Rooyen’s story about Oranjemund. It is the newest “town” in Namibia, although it was established decades ago. Somehow the fact that it was impossible to visit without a permit until recently gives it a special allure. Not least of all, that it borders the Sperrgebiet National Park, now re-named Tsau //Khaeb National Park, which will hopefully be opened to the public soon. Be entertained by our team of explorers, but rest assured that we will not willingly tempt you to contribute to over-tourism. We will redirect you to off the beaten tracks, kids and all. Happy holidays and may 2020 start with thundering clouds, followed by green valleys, then golden grassy plains and a collective sigh of relief from Namibians.
Rièth van Schalkwyk
TRAVEL NEWS NAMIBIA SUMMER 2019/20
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