January 24, 2018

Luxury on the Open Road: Camper-living for the ultimate Namibian self-drive adventure!

Endless stretches of both asphalt and gravel dissect and are scattered across, over and through the vast plains, hills and valleys of this beautiful country. So often the greatest Namibian adventures lie just around the next bend or just beyond the next turn-of. For the avid traveller, the adventurer at heart, nothing quite beats the freedom and wonder of a self-drive safari through this spectacular corner of Africa. But what if staying in lodges isn’t quite your thing? Do you prefer the rugged appeal of camping, minus the hassle? Well, what if we told you that there’s a middle ground? The term is ‘glamping’. A combination of the luxuries and style of lodge-living and the freedom and often unparalleled immersion in nature by camping.
January 30, 2018

How to make the most out of your experience at NWR Naukluft Camp

There’s no question about it: Namibia is filled to the brim with fantastic destinations. Namibia Wildlife Resorts’ Naukluft Campsite to the south is one of them. It’s easy to get to from Windhoek and is a fun getaway for those precious Namibian long-weekends. Take a few tips from us and make sure your stay at the Naukluft is one to remember:
January 30, 2018

The Busanga Plains: Paradise Found in Zambia’s Kafue National Park

The Busanga Plains in western Zambia have been on our wish list for some time now. Not least because they are one of those remote areas that host low-density tourism, in a world where many ‘remote’ places are becoming overrun by indiscriminate tourism. Due to Busanga’s remoteness, inaccessibility and few accommodation options, it’s likely to remain that way for the foreseeable future.
January 30, 2018

Tracking Tracks through Africa

In the middle of Kigali, on the car park of a hotel, we had to replace the clutch of our camper. It took longer than anticipated, because replacing the clutch meant the engine had to be removed, which is slightly more time consuming when the contraption with which to lift the engine out, arrives in the back of a taxi. Up to that point, there had been some other mechanical challenges along our 14,000 km road trip, which – I want to add for the record – did not involve our Land Rover only. Just before we entered Burundi one of the Cruisers needed to get a gearbox fixed and we spent 24 hours playing cards in the yard of the mechanic shop while waiting for parts to be bussed in from Dar es Salaam. Then came the big problem, which actually brings me to the beginning of my story. The alternator packed up. With my limited knowledge of what goes on under the hood, to me, this only meant no air-conditioning in the truck, in mid-summer on the equator. What happened then seemed like magic to me. In the sprawling capital of Uganda, we typed in “Landrover Dealer Kampala” on the iPad app and there it was – a pinpoint in a maze on the screen. We were certainly not the first travellers looking for this place because if we were it would not have been on this amazing app. As the left-seat passenger, I never bothered to find out why we always arrived at our precise destination.
January 30, 2018

The Hidden Wonders of Hobatere

It’s not Etosha. It’s not Damaraland either. Hobatere Lodge lies nestled in its own world. A wonderful mesh of white sand, rock and mopane woodland. A place where two iconic Namibian settings marry to create a haven for wildlife. Hobatere, situated in the Khoadi Hoas Conservancy west of Etosha National Park, is a hub of animal and bird activity and breathtaking landscapes. This is a place for nature-lovers to not only indulge in sightings of plains game, lions and elephants but to also relax in peaceful tranquillity.
March 7, 2018

Unexpected Inhabitants of the Namib

When exploring the vast Namib Sand Sea, one may come across the occasional small rock, as seemingly lifeless as the surrounding area. Upon lifting the rock, a pseudoscorpion or two may be found – kilometres away from other visible life forms, let alone civilisation. Pseudoscorpions are tiny creatures, several millimetres long, resembling scorpions yet lacking the tail or stinger. Occasionally found perching on flowers, they can wait for flies, bees, or butterflies in order to catch a ride by clinging to a leg and then detaching themselves whenever it is deemed suitable, hence these tiny terrestrial arthropods show up in distant and remote places. In 1969 biologist Peter Weygoldt wrote in his aptly named academic book The Biology of Pseudoscorpions, “Sometimes I am asked why I study animals so unimportant to human life and economy as pseudoscorpions. There is one simple answer: every aspect of nature that interests the human mind is worthy of study whether or not it is of direct importance to man”.
April 24, 2018

Bush Cooking for the Adventurous

If the idea of spending as much time as possible exploring the wilds of Namibia is appealing to you, but the thought of thinking up imaginative, tasty and do-able recipes to make each evening makes you nervous, we have a solution for you! Follow acclaimed Namibian chef and cookbook author, Antoinette, in her camping cooking series in TNN this year. Learn how to make mouth-watering dishes on the coals, on the go and on par with the best foodies out there. From bush breakfasts to pre-made salads and sauces, let Antoinette guide you and make your next camping trip a delicious one.
April 24, 2018

Senior Safari – Not an Oxymoron

If your vision of vacationers in Africa is confined to young, fit, twenty-year-olds with state-of-the-art rucksacks, think again. Namibia is the land for all ages, even prehistoric creatures like me and my friends.
April 24, 2018

Stay at Sea-View Zum Sperrgebiet and Experience Lüderitz

Perfectly positioned on a rocky crest in the quaint coastal town of Lüderitz, Sea-view Zum Sperrgebiet offers a beautiful panorama of the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy one of 22 comfortable en-suite rooms against the stark backdrop of an unforgiving and ever-changing desert. Start your morning with a hearty breakfast before taking on the desert. Indulge your taste buds with a variety of seafood and mouth-watering meat dishes in the restaurant. Relax at the indoor swimming pool surrounded by plants or treat yourself to a sauna session after an adventurous day out. Have a drink at the hotel bar or in the lounge while admiring the sun setting over the ocean.
April 24, 2018

Experience the Wild West at the Kanaan N/a’an ku sê Desert Retreat

Your stay at the Kanaan N/a’an ku sê Desert Retreat is bound to be memorable. The 35 000 hectares of land served as a sheep farm before it was gradually returned to its natural state. The Kanaan N/a’an ku sê Desert Retreat shares 36 km of its border with Namib- Naukluft National Park. Its desert landscape is characterised by the same rust-coloured dunes and dramatic grey clouds when a thunderstorm approaches.
April 25, 2018

How to Travel Green the Namibian Way

Two sites in Windhoek are currently being prepared as the first carbon offsetting nurseries – one at the Dagbreek School for the Intellectually Impaired and the other at Farm Okukuna near Goreangab Dam, which forms part of the City of Windhoek’s Food Security Programme.