BUSH TELEGRAPH

TRAVELLING IN STYLE

Touring through Namibia can now be done on new levels of comfort with the addition of two Zhong-Tong busses to the SWA Safari fleet. These vehicles are built specifically for Africa’s roads and come with creature comforts that make the journey more pleasurable. SWA Safaris is known for its adventurous spirit and love for the wilderness. The company has taken tourists to all corners of the country since 1954.

ASCO CAR HIRE TRUST SPONSORS HOSPITAL CLOWNS

The Asco Car Hire Trust is giving back to the Namibian community by supporting the hospital clowns project of the Fun Factory Namibia. The team of professional clowns visit Windhoek’s Katutura State Hospital, spreading smiles and laughter, and lifting the hearts of the children who are patients and also those of their families. The clowns have received special training to be able to perform in the hospital environment. Their presence is a welcome respite from the otherwise serious atmosphere there.

100 YEARS OF MUCH MORE THAN JUST HOSPITALITY

Olthaver and List, the company group behind some of our favourite lodges in Namibia (Chobe Water Villas, Mokuti Etosha Lodge, Midgard Country Estate and Strand Hotel Swakopmund), celebrated its centenary in 2019. We can’t help rooting for this proudly Namibian company - here’s to another hundred years of growth and inspiration.

FLYWESTAIR GOES INTERNATIONAL

Local airline FlyWestair is now flying between Windhoek and Cape Town via Oranjemund. Have a look at their website for schedules and prices: www.flywestair.com.

We love the FlyWestair Magazine, the official in-flight magazine of the airline, another product created by our publisher, Venture Media.

THE DRIVE TO UPGRADE NAMIBIA’S ROADS

An initiative led by Namibia’s private sector to upgrade the roads experiencing high volumes of tourist traffic is underway in the area around Sossusvlei. At the helm of the drive is Chris Theron, a retired senior official from the Department of Roads.

Theron realised that the upkeep of these roads is too large a financial burden for the Namibian government, especially in the current economic downturn, and with donations from lodges, companies and even individuals, upgraded the gravel road from Walvis Bay via the Kuiseb Pass to Solitaire and Zaris towards Sossusvlei.

Theron successfully completed a similar project in Etosha National Park in July, where ten graders (two provided by the Ministry of the Environment and Tourism) overhauled the park’s 500 kilometres of road over a period of ten days, at an estimated cost of N$ 500 000.

FINALLY - A FUEL STATION RIGHT OUTSIDE ETOSHA!

Taleni Africa is making your next visit to Etosha National Park so much better: their latest venture, the Etosha Trading Post, a mere 6.5 kilometres from the park’s Andersson Gate, is not only a fuel station, general dealer and curio shop but also offers fantastic camping facilities. The eight individual and four group campsites all have the basics like running water, power outlets, barbeque and washing-up facilities, plus private ablutions - an almost unheard of phenomenon at campsites. We love the farmstyle interior and the great selection of snacks and goodies. Read more on page 49.

For more information contact products@taleni-africa.com.

THE WINDHOEK LUXURY SUITES

The Stellenbosch Wine Bar and Restaurant is The Windhoek Collection’s best known establishment, but with the recent opening of The Windhoek Luxury Suites the group has ventured from the restaurant industry into the hospitality business. Located next to the Bougain Villas and a short walk from its collection of popular eateries, The Windhoek Luxury Suites is an elegant boutique hotel with family rooms, divine king size beds in all the rooms and a swimming pool. See the thewindhoek.com for more information.