New lodge to be developed in Bwabwata National Park
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February 20, 2019On Tuesday 5th February RETURNAfrica signed a 25-year concession with Kwando Conservancy to develop and operate a lodge at the old Susuwe site on the Kwando River. The signing ceremony took place at the Kwando Conservancy office in the presence of the Kwando Conservancy Committee, traditional leaders and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
Press Release – 15 February 2019
We are excited to announce that RETURNAfrica will be opening a new lodge in 2020 on the Kwando River in Namibia’s Bwabwata National Park.
On Tuesday 5th February RETURNAfrica signed a 25-year concession with Kwando Conservancy to develop and operate a lodge at the old Susuwe site on the Kwando River. The signing ceremony took place at the Kwando Conservancy office in the presence of the Kwando Conservancy Committee, traditional leaders and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
Ed Humphrey on behalf of Return Africa and Brilliant Musiwa (Chairperson) on behalf of Kwando Conservancy.
The new lodge will be situated on the Kwando within the Bwabwata National Park and is scheduled to open for the peak season in 2020. RETURNAfrica will also develop a second exclusive lodge in the area for later release.
The Kwando Core Area is well known for its pristine river system consisting of wide floodplains, backwaters, oxbow lagoons and riverine forests. A number of ancient drainage lines known as omarambas cross the landscape – many hold water for most of the year and serve as important migratory routes for wildlife moving between Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Angola. The area is home to large herds of elephant, buffalo, zebra, lechwe and impala. Other species of note include lion, leopard, hippo, crocs, sable, roan, tsessebe and sitatunga. It is also an excellent birding destination.
Planned activities include game drives, walking trails, boat excursions, fishing and visits to a nearby living museum.
On 13 February RETURNAfrica held a small ceremony at the site for the new lodge with community representatives, park management and traditional leaders.
The lodge will be served by its own airstrip and easily accessible from a main tarred road, ideal for travellers en route to the Chobe River, Savuti, Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls. In future, it will also serve as a gateway for adventurers wanting to explore the Luengue Luiana National Park (Angola) and Sioma Ngwezi National Park (Zambia) via a proposed three-way, one-stop KAZA tourism border post.
As part of RETURNafrica’s ongoing sustainable ethos, various social investments and empowerment initiatives are planned. These include concession fees, a 20% ownership stake in the business by Kwando Conservancy, preferential employment of community members, procurement of local goods and services, support to human-wildlife conflict mitigation and more.
RETURNAfrica looks forward to extending our footprint into Namibia.
For more information Samantha Lincesso | sam@returnafrica.com | +27 11 646 1391
Press release contributed to Travel News Namibia by RETURNAfrica.
