Notes from the Field
July 2011
Free Game Drive in Etosha National Park
Mushara Outpost is offering a half day game drive completely free as part of their low season DBB special offer. That is in addition to the 50% DBB discount for the third (and subsequent) night. The 50% discount also applies to their fully inclusive rate.
The Duration: 01.11.2011 to 30.06.2012
Free Night at Villa Mushara
The Deal: Villa Mushara is the finest luxury accommodation in East Etosha and two nights really does not do the property justice. To allow for a full day of activities inside the national park and another day of just relaxing at the Villa, take advantage of this third night for free offer.
The Duration: 01.11.2011 to 31.07.2012
For some suggestions on how you can combine Mushara with the best of Namibia, visit the Naturally Namibia website resources page.
Okonjima Villa’s Unexpected Guests
Of the four luxury properties at Okonjima, only one is located inside the reserve itself. The Villa overlooks a busy natural waterhole which is an important resource for many of the species found in the area. The unfenced nature of the Villa means that inquisitive species sometimes drop in to visit the human guests. We are building a photographic collection of these ‘reverse safari’ moments. Show me the gallery.
Mushara Collection Specials 2011-12
The Mushara Outpost has introduced a long stay discount from November 2011 to 30th May 2012 which provides a 50% saving on the 3rd (and subsequent) nights. The size and potential of the Etosha National Park make this a great place to spend some extra time. The Villa Mushara ‘pay for 2, stay for 3 night’ offer is still running until the end of July 2011. That is a saving of N$ 3,000.00 per person sharing. Show me Mushara.
Something Different with Big Sky Journeys
Expert local knowledge is what you want from your ground handler and an interest in sourcing new experiences to share with your clients. Did you know that Big Sky Journeys can arrange for your clients to meet the NamibRand Reserve Wardens and learn about the desert conservation projects they manage? Or perhaps they would enjoy meeting the people behind the ingenious solar oven project at NaDEET and seeing some of the Namibian school children that benefit from the education programme? BSJ can also introduce your clients to conservationists leading the research into vultures, wild dogs and other critically endangered Namibian species. If you would like to learn how Big Sky Journeys incorporates these experiences into a safari, then just ask me about it. ben@northernexposureuk.com
Olive Exclusive Boutique Hotel
In exactly one week, the doors will open at Windhoek's first all-suite Boutique Hotel. The Olive Exclusive is a breath of fresh desert air in a town that offers a number of good guesthouses but only a handful of slightly formal luxury properties. The Olive Exclusive has been planned in every aspect from the private plunge pools through to the massive free standing stone bathtubs. This carefully considered hotel finally solves the problem of what to do with your guests when the rest of their safari is built around Namibia's premier properties. Comfort and style beyond the very finest the city currently has to offer and a massive dose of cool to boot. The only choice for flight weary clients on arrival and the seamless end to a luxury safari.
4 Premier Suites each with its own private plunge pool and fantastic views over the olive trees and mountains.
3 Junior Suites are more suited for families with young children. They have the same facilities as the Premier Suites and have immediate access to the hotel’s swimming pool.
'The Olive' restaurant, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, with a separate lounge area.
2011 Rates start at N$1980.00 for a Junior and N$ 2475.00 for a Premier Suite. There is an opening special of 10% discount off the rack rate – valid June, July, November and December 2011. Stay for 3 consecutive nights, and receive a 50% discount on the 3rd night – valid for 2011.
You can read about the final decorative touches being added on their blog. You can find images of a Premier Suite here.
June 2011
Snow Falling on Zebras
Not a new novel by David Guterson but a strange weather fact. Yesterday the clouds gathered across the Namib and delivered a sprinkling of snow for the bemused zebras trying to graze near Solitaire. As odd as it sounds, Namibia is no stranger to adverse weather conditions, snow and hailstones in particular make an appearance every few years. The cold was reported at Okonjima as well where ice crystals had formed on the vegetation and a few of the slower moving cats. Unlike the Northern Hemisphere though, the sun melts the evidence in minutes.
Wolwedans, Fairy Circles & Solar Ovens
The true identity of the fairy circle creator (or creators) is still hotly debated amongst desert guides much the same way that the western press trade theories on Banksy. It has even been suggested that Banksy (whoever he is) could be the cause of these symmetrical mysteries. Whatever the answer, the NamibRand Reserve is a fine place to view and photograph the circles. You can even adopt one and make a direct donation to the NamibRand Conservation Foundation who have numerous clever ways to invest your legacy. My favourite is the community outreach project that introduces rural homes to the practical magic of the solar oven. Access to sustainable energy is an urgent problem which every country in Africa is facing. The traditional cooking fuel of firewood is just as precious as water in arid regions like Namibia. Firewood is so limited in parts of Namibia that it is imported by truck from elsewhere, burning diesel to burn wood…
Electricity and bottled gas are expensive and often supplied sporadically in rural areas so the genius of using the energy of the abundant Namibian sun to cook is somewhat obvious. The Foundation sources the solar ovens from a local manufacturer, delivers them to homes that need help and monitors the impact. For a household that previously walked miles to collect a dwindling supply of wood to suddenly have a free source of cooking energy is a revelation. This is one of the many excellent projects that generous guests at Wolwedans are supporting. You can read the latest on the NamibRand in their June newsletter ‘The Barking Gekko’.
On the topic of sustainable energy, I think Etendeka Mountain Camp deserves credit as one of the very few safari properties using solar ovens for almost all of their daytime cooking. At night your delicious dinner shares the hot coals from the camp fire to make the most of the wood. These small adaptations make a vast impact on the annual fuel usage of a 10 tent camp and the food tastes just as good.
While you were sleeping at Okonjima
Thanks to the AfriCat Foundation, Okonjima has more wildlife monitoring equipment than your average Discovery Channel film crew. It is common practise to leave camera-traps at kill sites to monitor predator movements but a trap placed on a game trail provides a fascinating record of nocturnal traffic. Okonjima have started to upload their trap images which serve as a reminder that when we go to bed, life in the bush doesn’t stop. Images here.
June 2011
The team at AfriCat are continually proving their worth in the field of predator conservation, but their particular skill set wasn't called for during the recent wedding preparations at Okonjima. Dart guns, dental checks and blood samples are not a legal requirement for those wishing to marry in Namibia, so the Okonjima hospitality team spear headed this particular project.
The happy couple arrived for their hilltop ceremony in a thoroughly cleaned Land Rover and the nuptials were watched by family members, baboons and several cheetahs. The repeat guests from America enjoyed the luxury of the Bush Suite whilst their family made a night of it around the campfire at Bush Camp.
We know it was Will and Kate's second choice...so should you have clients curious about a wedding in Namibia, Big Sky Journeys would be happy to help you with the ground arrangements. In the last 12 months there have been knots tied at Wolwedans, Mushara and Okonjima.
The Olive Blog
Not content with working 25 hours a day to finish the first all-suite hotel in Windhoek, Roger, Lindy and Mike have decided to blog about it as well. It is a unique property concept for Namibia that many have been eagerly awaiting so we're looking forward to blow-by-blow accounts as the final stages come together. The first post is dedicated to the heaviest coffee table in Africa. You too can keep upto speed by following the blog here.
June 2011
In an ideal world, every day of every journey you took would leave a positive legacy, especially in the developing world. Sadly, not every property in Africa has the capacity or the context to benefit the wider community as a result of your patronage. It is a much simpler goal to make sure that at least one of the properties you add to an itinerary is going to redistribute some of the wealth beyond their own staff network.
AfriCat operates their own school at Okonjima with a permanent staff helping to educate over 40 students in traditional subjects as well as conservation. They also sponsor numerous field trips throughout the year and as a result of their conservation work in the community, the foundation is especially aware of how important a positive introduction to predators can be. They have strong partnerships with a number of student support projects including the Mondesa Youth Opportunities group. MYO is a non-profit after-school enrichment programme based in Swakopmund. Many of these children are sent to study in Swakopmund by families living in rural areas that offer little educational opportunity locally.
Most MYO students have only ever dreamed about seeing the wildlife that attracts visitors from around the world and they have certainly never been treated like guests at the luxury lodges they see adverts for. The following are field trip report extracts from two groups of students (27 children in total) who were invited to AfriCat last month.
‘The learners were treated like VIP overseas tourists. They were taken on two game drives where they saw kudu, baboon, giraffe, eland, steenbok, warthog, jackal and Damara dik-dik. The highlight was undoubtedly tracking cheetah using radio-telemetry and seeing Wahoo, the magnificent leopard from the safety of a hide. Africat’s clinic was also an eye opener for the learners, who saw blood samples of cheetah, studied a skeleton and learned about camera traps. A visit to REST (Rare and Endangered Species Trust) and a close-up viewing of the endangered Cape Griffon vulture was an added bonus.’
The thank-you letters to Okonjima and Africat are evidence of the impact this experience had.
‘One day I want to become a vet and help endangered animals.’ Wendy.
‘It was a fantasy seeing Wahoo the leopard. He was SO beautiful.’ Josephine.
'The game drive was the best thing ever. All I can think of is the game drive. It was very exciting when we saw different kinds of animals. Right now my words are gone. I’m speechless because what you did was enormous!’ Sharon.
May 2011
Africa Geographic Experiences Namibia's Skeleton Coast
The Schoeman's were joined on one of their legendary safaris by online editor Paul Steyn. Like most people doing this unique pilot guided safari for the first time, Paul was amazed and you can see his multi-media coverage below. You will also be able to read Paul's feature on the region in the next issue of Africa Geographic Magazine.
The Good Safari Guide Awards 2011
With nominations from over a thousand luxury travel professionals, hundreds of readers of Conde Nast Traveller, Tatler, Brides and Travel Africa Magazine you can rest assured that any safari business nominated for a Safari Award is amongst the best in its genre. Finalists are amongst the top 3% in Africa and the Safari Award Winners are unquestionably the best, their reputation earned through excellence recognised by people who know what they are talking about.
The hard work and impact made by AfriCat has been recognized by the judging panel of the Good Safari Awards. Leading a diverse field of established African conservation projects, AfriCat was crowned ‘Best Wildlife Organisation.' The team at AfriCat and Okonjima are thrilled to have been recognized for what they do and look forward to introducing more international guests to their unique project in Namibia. As part of the Naturally Namibia journey, we are especially pleased that the Foundation won as it is such a major contributor to the guest experience.
Okonjima continues to pull out all the stops for guests in between activities, here is some recent guest feedback.
'Okonjima was the perfect place to start. The cheetah and leopard tracking was fascinating and not at all as easy as we'd imagined. Nigel, the senior guide, was a delightful character, academic and puckish if that's possible. There was a lovely surprise at supper on our second night as it was John's birthday and a bottle of champagne was on our table and a birthday cake was carried in at the end of the meal.'
'The activities offered by Okonjima - especially the Leopard and Cheetah tracking - were awesome and it was amazing being able to see these beautiful cats at such close range. The staff were great and gave us a complimentary bottle of fizz on our first night for our honeymoon.'
If you would like to combine Okonjima with other leading owner-run properties in Namibia then ask Big Sky Journeys for their latest Naturally Namibia package trade rates: info@bigsky-journeys.com
April 2011
You can find the latest Namibian newsletter here.
April 2011
Etosha National Park is a wonderful family destination; packed to the rafters with wildlife, dotted with camera friendly waterholes and offering short drives to match short attention spans. To further enhance the Etosha family experience, the Mushara Lodge family house has just been renovated.
The house is perfect for families wanting additional privacy without needing to walk long distances to reach any of the lodge's facilities. A private fenced garden with jungle gym leads into a spacious living area. This central space can be used for dining and offers a minibar/tea/coffee making facilities. The two large en-suite bedrooms can be arranged in a number of ways depending on the ages of the children. Cots and a baby bath are available on request. The house has air conditioning throughout. The Pampe children have donated a number of their toys to the toy chest!
You can read the April newsletter from the Mushara Collection here:
Mushara Collection March 2011
Estimated Size: 1mb
March 2011
Youth groups at Okonjima
Okonjima is investing its time in the conservationists of the future, not only with the Perivoli Okonjima Country School but by supporting Namibian groups too. It hosted its first youth group at the weekend with 14 children from Mondesa Youth Opportunities Trust (MYO), a nonprofit, after-school enrichment programme in Swakopmund.
One child's response was 'we had an AMAZING time! The campsite was great. We were taken on two game drives, where we saw leopard, cheetah, giraffe, eland, steenbok, warthog, Damar dik-dik, baboons, gemsbok, a leopard tortoise, jackal and vultures. We also learnt to identify various birds and trees. We visited the AfriCat clinic where we learnt about the research being done by Africat, saw skeletons and skulls and enjoyed a presentation. We played hide-and-seek at dusk using radio telemetry.'
This truly was a trip of a lifetime and when a teacher asked a couple of them what they'd enjoyed most, the answer was: 'No Miss, I can't choose a best - I loved EVERYTHING!'. The next group arrives in a weeks time.
PAWS volunteers donate supplies for Perivoli School
Volunteers with PAWS (People and Wildlife Solutions) have been supporting the Perivoli Country School with donations of much needed stationery and books. There are hopes that once Perivoli Country School becomes more established, that volunteers with teaching experience may be able to help with lessons as part of their contribution to the programme.
The PAWS project offers a unique insight into the workings of the AfriCat Foundation with volunteers helping with essential reserve maintenance tasks, such as bush clearance and game counts, in exchange for access to cheetah, leopard, and hyaena tracking and monitoring, birding, bushman walks, and many behind-the-scenes activities of the conservation programme.
'Thanks to everyone at PAWS for providing us with one of the most amazing experiences of our lives. Vacations in fantastic locations are always nice, but to be given the privilege (and I do mean privilege) to help in such a worthwhile effort, see conservation at work from the inside, learn a ton and make contacts with such amazing people really takes the experience to the next level.'
Volunteers can join PAWS for a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 8 weeks. More information can be found on the website www.pawsnamibia.org
February 2011
Exciting discoveries in the Erongo Mountains
Guides at Erongo Wilderness Lodge have recently discovered new rock paintings in the caves surrounding the area. These are very exciting and important additions to the existing early bushmen paintings at Paula’s Cave. Big Sky Lodges are awaiting the arrival of a specialist archaeologist from South Africa to verify and date the new discoveries. The area surrounding the lodge, with its rocky outcrops provided the perfect environment for bushman shelter and as a result there are likely to be further discoveries of this wonderful art. Erongo Mountain Nature Conservancy’s is committed to the protection and preservation of these historic sites for future generations, while guests at the Lodge are able to see the art for themselves at Paula's Cave.
Erongo Wilderness Lodge Renovations
The lodge will be closed over the next couple of days to carry out a number of renovations. These include a new light coloured flooring in the restaurant, a repaint and general overhaul of the décor, all with the aim of giving the area a lighter feel. The tents will also be replaced with a new design which is still being decided – we will keep you posted with new images.
Mushara Renovations
Mushara Lodge has undergone significant renovations in the last month, with new bathrooms, a revised main area, and new décor. Marc Pampe has personally overseen work to guarantee that it reaches the high design standards of his three other properties. We will post pictures as soon as they arrive.
Namibia Car Rental Expansion
NCR’s popularity in recent months has led to a fleet expansion. New Nissan 4x4 Double Cabs, Toyota Land Cruisers and Terios’s have all been added with the fleet running at a capacity of 50 vehicles. All of NCR’s vehicles are in excellent condition; the double cabs all have long range fuel tanks and two spare tyres, with a 24hour breakdown service included, all of which gives clients reassurance during their self-drive trips in Namibia. As the preferred partner for Naturally Namibia itineraries, guests receive airport or town transfers as part of the service and are met by one of NCR’s excellent staff on collection of their vehicle. www.namibiacarrental.com www.naturallynamibia.com
The Perivoli Okonjima Country School opens its doors
After months of preparation, 45 Okonjima and AfriCat children spent 1st February 2011 laughing, learning and exploring their environment as the Perivoli Okonjima Country School opened its doors! With its slogan of ‘Conservation Through Education’, the three new teachers will be developing the pupils understanding of the different cultures of Namibia, to love the land, to tolerate all predators and understand the balance that makes nature perfect. The Perivoli Okonjima Country School aims to support and challenge the youth to reach for higher education and a stimulating career.
Namibia, January 2011
The New Year will hopefully have your phones ringing off the hook and your servers smoking with urgent requests for unforgettable journeys. You may be a time proven dream weaver but even the finest artist needs some raw material to work with. There is plenty going on in Namibia and a vast array of experiences to consider for your clients.
Recent Fam Trip Feedback
Following the Naturally Namibia fam trip just before Christmas we are starting to receive excellent feedback from those that took part. If you would like copies of the Naturally Namibia brochure please let us know.
''Already a fan of Namibia, I am now even more zealous in my belief that it is a truly unique and utterly fabulous country to visit. I will have no problem in being an ambassador for it.''
Skeleton Coast Safaris: ''The constant surprises, the remoteness and simplicity of the camps, the exclusivity of the trip, Andre’s extensive knowledge and gentle manner all made it unforgettable. I just wish I had the capacity to bottle up the experience to be able to re-visit it again and again.''
Olive Grove: ''The food and service were superb and it is a great place from which to start a trip and to return to at the end. I would have no hesitation in recommending it.''
Etendeka Mountain Camp: ''I was impressed by the wildlife and birdlife... we saw some endemics, lion, a black mongoose and a wild cat. I understand now why Bonny refused to let me go for a run!''
Wolwedans Dune Lodge: ''The Dune Lodge was lovely, beautifully done with excellent service and food. The pool was a real blessing. This is a great finale to the whole trip.''
The Mushara Collection
Mushara Lodge has started its long awaited renovations with Marc Pampe overseeing every last detail of the building and design work. We will share the first images as soon as they arrive.
On another note, game sightings have been excellent recently in Etosha and the recent rains do not appear to have impacted on the sightings. There have been a particularly large number of lion sightings and not just in the National Park. Three lions are regularly spotted on the Mushara property around the private landing strip - making Mariza's early morning runs all the more exciting!
Marc has secured places for his two longest serving guides on the much anticipated Etosha field trip being led by Dr Richard Estes. Essentially the guiding equivalent of a guitar master class with Jimmy Page!
Okonjima - Perivoli Country School
The AfriCat Foundation was born from a desire to educate as much as to protect and the completion of the new reserve in 2010 has allowed considerable resources to be directed at alternative conservation solutions.
Securing effective basic education for rural communities is an ongoing problem in Namibia before children are asked to widen their conservation knowledge. Okonjima's ongoing investment and development of staff and neighbouring community welfare has taken a big step forward with the completion of the Perivoli Country School, whose motto is 'Conservation through Education'.
The school will provide pre-school and lower primary school children the chance to learn in a fun environment and establish basic skills prior to starting primary school, all with a conservation emphasis, something which is often lacking in traditional education.
You can learn more about the school here.
