March 5, 2024

Gardens in the desert

On the edge of the Namib Desert, at the gateway to Sossusvlei, lies the village of Maltahöhe. Founded in 1899 and once a hub for tourism, Maltahöhe has been on a steady decline for a number of decades. As it became more dilapidated, this small southern community saw an exodus of businesspeople and a massive spike in unemployment. What had been a welcome stopover was now a place that visitors would rather pass through in a hurry. But this was in the past, and today Maltahöhe is on track to become a thriving desert-based economy thanks to an exciting community revitalisation project called RuralRevive.
March 16, 2024

Namibgrens A sanctuary for the soul

A treasure well-known by Namibians looking for a special getaway or event location, Namibgrens is a generational working farm that boasts superb accommodation options built into giant granite boulders. What many do not know about Namibgrens: this destination is a gastronomic delight, a feature becoming more popular in travel choices considering that what we often remember most after travelling is the food we ate.
March 21, 2024

Namibia’s fascinating world of Scorpions

If you are a Scorpio, you were born between October 24th and November, 22nd. If you want to see the constellation of Scorpius in the clear, possibly moonless night sky in Namibia, the best time is winter. But if you are interested in finding scorpions out there in nature, it should be a dark and warm night in summer.
March 21, 2024

Practice Makes Perfect

This is probably the most fascinating bird that occurs in Namibia, at least as far as their hunting/ fishing methods are concerned. They are skimming the water with accuracy and precision with their flexible orange red bill only 2–5 centimetres below the surface for fish that might have the audacity to come up that close.
March 21, 2024

Road Trip Rules

Many of my fondest childhood memories begin on a Friday afternoon. My self- employed parents would bid the office farewell at lunch time and the next two hours were spent chaotically collecting all the necessities, stuffing my father’s Hilux bakkie to the brim with tents, cooler boxes and bedding. The last stop at the supermarket always had my dad grumbling between drags of a cigarette, as he itched to get out of town and hit the long road.
March 21, 2024

The Odyssey discovering special stops alongside the road

The traveller, the seeker, the journeyer. These are travellers who are curious. They go slow, stopping every so often to take in the views. Those who are interested in what they might find along the way. The ones who believe in the odyssey, the eventful or adventurous journey.
March 21, 2024

A Love Story Gone Wrong

When I visited Mahango Game Park in January this year, I witnessed this intriguing courtship feeding process. Apart from the fact that feeding chicks is not part of the cuckoo family’s habits, I was amazed by the sheer efficacy and speed at which the courtship feeding took place. My initial thought was that the male was actually taking over the function of raising their young, but then I realised that the “chick” was an adult female Diederik Cuckoo.
March 28, 2024

Giving Plastic Pollution a Cute Face

Seals are popularly known as the dogs of the sea. This is because seals and dogs are physically similar and therefore classed in the same carnivore sub-order called Caniformes (meaning dog-like). Even their behaviour is similar, as seals are known to be playful and intelligent. Not surprisingly, humans can easily relate to seals as the marine version of man’s best friend.
March 29, 2024

Dwarf Lions of the Desert

The ancient Greeks referred to the chameleon (chamai leon) as dwarf or earth lion because of the fighting spirit the small creature revealed when attacked. Given the fact that the embryo develops underground – the female digs a hole for the eggs and the young have to literally dig their way out – these tiny creatures fight for their survival from the word go.