Travel News Namibia

where freedom awaits.

I’ve been looking with shimmering eyes at the world around me since some semblance of freedom to travel has returned to our lives. The shimmering may be because I’ve been extra emotional lately. Those emotions are most likely brought on by the collective global anxiety and the uncertainties that go hand in hand with that. But with an emotional disposition I have found a new appreciation for the simple things in life. Like driving out of town and immediately feeling some weight lift from my shoulders. Adventure lay ahead, hidden in Namibia’s wild corners. That clarity washed over me on a whole new scale this week as I skipped the driving out of the city part in exchange for a flight in a small Cirrus SR22 with my friend Mark.…

bush telegraph

FIRST MOBILE TESTING FACILITIES AIMED ESPECIALLY AT TOURISTS May saw the first mobile Covid swabbing facility officially opened by the Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Kalumbi Shangula. Situated at the Okahandja roadblock on the A1 national highway, this private sector initiative is a joint venture between the Tour and Safari Association of Namibia (TASA) and Covid Test Nam. Supported by the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN), it aims at assisting the revival of the tourism sector in Namibia by offering convenient, safe and efficient testing services especially to tourists returning to Windhoek prior to their departure from Namibia. Pre-bookings can be made at www.covidtestnam.com and the required information can be uploaded to the website in order to facilitate the process. When pre-booked the swabbing takes about one minute per…

share your namibia

Travel News Namibia TOP COMMENTS Bernadette Margaret One of my favourite places on Earth ♥ From Marisa Stella Unforgettable Namibia…..the most pleasant place in the world David Wood Namibia has to be one the most beautiful and fascinating places on earth. I would love to go back someday. Caren Remmy We were there when Covid got bad. You all did a fantastic job handling it from what we saw. We cannot wait to come visit your magnificent country again. @thisis_namibia @evannaude @hardliehome @jandre_namibia_photo_ @la_felicia @tolis_art @gret.lies @champeyhugo @eloffphotography_wildlife @ricolouwphoto Tag us on Instagram at @thisis_namibia and share your adventures through this spectacular land with our audience and readers across the world. FROM OUR MAILBOX Dear Travel News Namibia, Of all the continents on or earth, Africa is probably the most colourful. I have attached a portfolio of characters, and roadside signs which I took in Namibia. The donkey cart was driven by Manuel,…

the ancient and unexpected: a journey into the infamous skeleton coast

One day the sun is bright, the wind a gentle breeze. The next is shrouded in fog and an eerie mystical ambiance. A pristine white beach stretches along the rumbling and rolling waters of the tumultuous Atlantic Ocean. The soft sandy slip faces of undulating dunes are an extreme juxtaposition to the rugged rock faces that border a dry river. Like monoliths that stand guard. An arid hinterland. Yet everywhere you look there is life. So many contrasts in a single paragraph. But that’s what this place, here at the edge of human existence, is made of. A dichotomy of harsh and soft. Of bright and mysterious. Of desolation and vibrant life. An ancient land largely uninterrupted by the visible influences left behind by humans, all but for the hundreds…

getting there

The journey to this desolate retreat is most certainly part of the adventure. Whether by land or air (no longer by sea!), the vast and contrasting dramatic landscapes of the park will enrapture you. Self-driving from Windhoek can take up to 9 hours, so, though the trip is very beautiful, it might be more practical to fly to Mowe Bay with a charter or scenic flight company, especially if you are strapped for time. From the pick-up point at Mowe Bay, the journey of one-and-a-half hours over dunes and along the shoreline will further entrench the notion that you are heading into a remote and secluded retreat. Visit www.shipwrecklodge.com.na to book your adventure.…

it takes a community

Shipwreck Lodge, which was built in a joint venture partnership with the Sesfontein and Purros conservancies, forms part of Namibia’s very successful Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme. The CBNRM programme, which came into effect shortly after independence, gives rural Namibians rights over their natural resources. Communities establish what is known as conservancies and manage their natural resources, including land. They are enabled to derive economic benefits for their members through tourism, conservation hunting and other activities and many have gone into joint venture partnerships with private companies to achieve these goals. The staff at Shipwreck Lodge are predominantly from villages within these conservancies, they know and understand the region well and have a vested interest in the success of tourism as a staple of their, and their communities’,…