South Africa: Bushmans Kloof news & photo gallery | Бушманс Клуф ЮАР

#BushmansKloofNews
#BushmansKloofSouthAfrica

A Word from James
Celebrating Spring and warmer weather in the Cederberg

Dear friends of Bushmans Kloof,
Spring has sprung with warmer weather enveloping the Cederberg, resulting in spectacular, blooming wild flowers. Two botanical events were held during the month of August, hosted by Kirstenbosch Botanical Society botanist, Ernst van Jaarsveld. Do make a note for next year as these events are a must for flower enthusiasts!

Floris and his Riel dance team have returned from LA and we all could not be prouder of their phenomenal achievements. The troupe danced their way to victory - scooping no less than three Gold medals and one Silver – winning Gold in the Ethnic Folk Dance category, scooping another two Gold medals in the Open Dance and Tap Dance categories, and one Silver in the Open Dance category for their spectacular Gumboot routine. The crew also won Gold for Best Dance Production in the Production Line competition.

Bushmans Kloof have received several nominations and awards recently, including winning the 2015 Lilizela Tourism Award for Service Excellence in Accommodation, as the best 5-star Lodge in the Western Cape; the Cape Nature Award for our work on the Cedar Project ; and the coveted Professional Beauty Award for Hotel/Resort Spa of the year. Exciting international news is that Conde Nast Traveler (USA) readers have nominated us as one of the Top Resorts in South Africa, and we have also been nominated in two categories for the Spafinder Wellness and Wellness Travel Awards. The winners are decided through public voting, and we’d really appreciate your votes! Voting closes 30 September.

We’re spending more time in our organic gardens as we aim to be as self-sufficient as possible. Our gardening team have added 20 new raised beds to the garden and have installed a polytunnel. Organic produce is an important part in our culinary offering, as we believe growing fresh produce in an environment free of pesticides and fertilizers produces better tasting produce – another contribution to lessening our carbon footprint.

Summer is the ideal time to book your wilderness getaway to Bushmans Kloof. Escape for a luxurious three-night stay in the Cederberg that offers activities like hiking and biking. If restorative Spa treatments are on your dream list, choose the ultimate two-night Spa breakaway set in a natural environment perfectly poised for relaxation and well-being.
Nothing spells family fun like Bushmans Kloof and December! With thrilling activities such as nature drives and biking, the kids will love getting to know the wonders of Mother Nature. For privacy, Koro Lodge is ideal as it welcomes children of all ages throughout the year, sleeping four adults and four children. It offers flexible accommodation options, has a dedicated guide and your own chef!

Sijbrandt (Seppie) van der Spuy who has been at Bushmans Kloof for nine years, has been promoted to our head guide, replacing Gerhard Thom who has moved onto a new venture. We wish him the best in his new role!
Finally with our eyes on the Rugby World Cup, all of us at the lodge would like to wish the Springboks the best of luck for the final two pool games, we are holding thumbs for the knockout stages, our blood is green and our hearts are in it – bring it home boys!
To all our guests, we wish you a productive final quarter for 2015 and I look forward to seeing you soon.
With warmest regards,
James, Dee & the Bushmans Kloof Team

 Photos: Bushmans Kloof

Namibia: Nkasa Lupala Lodge update, directions & photo gallery

#NkasaLupalaTentedLodge
#NkasaLupalaTentedLodgeNews
#NkasaLupalaTentedLodgeUpdate
#NkasaLupalaTentedLodgeActivities

Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge: Activities Updates


Contact

Kindly note the following updates from Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge's Desk.

Take note:

1.    The bicycle village tours is not available anymore
2.    The boat cruise offered in front of the lodge is temporarily not available due to low water level. This will be reinstated pertaining to rain and water level increase.

***NEW***
Swimming Pool Now Available 

ROAD Update:

The C49 road is now fully tarred and guest coming from Katima Mulilo can avoid driving up to Kongola. Guests leaving Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge in direction to Kasane can avoid going back to Kongola and can proceed via the C49 road.

DIRECTIONS TO NKASA TENTED LODGE

Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge is situated less than 400m from the Nkasa Rupara National Park (Mamili NP) entrance. From Rundu: take the B8 east from Rundu to Kongola then turn right (south-east) on the C49 new tarred road for ~75km. Go to [A].
From Katima Mulilo: drive south on B8 for about 7km, then take C49 left (south-east to Linianti) for ~110km (mainly tarred). Go to [A].
[A] Turn south (sign-posted to Nkasa Lupala Lodge). 4x4 is advised, or call the Lodge for pick-up. There is a safe parking area for vehicles in Sangwali. The first wooden bridge is in perfect condition. The other two bridges were built in 2010 in steel. The Shisintze Ranger Station (MET) is on the Park boundary. Drive east for 1 km to Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge.
From the village drive 11 km South. There is a first concrete and two other safe stell bridges to cross. The Shisintze Ranger Station (MET) is on the Park boundary. Drive east the last 1 km to Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge. There are scheduled flights to and from Windhoek 3 times per week.

Lodge Co-ordinates: -18.32943, 23.67207  S 18° 19' 45.95" E 023° 40' 19.45"

Distances
75 km from Kongola
125 km from Mpacha airport (Katima)
130 km from Katima Mulilo
250 km from Kasane
320 km from Victoria Falls
480 km from Rundu
Transfers can be arranged from/to the Lodge

 Photos: Nkasa Lupala

Namibia: Phantom 3 Windhoek aerial video part 3 - Eros Park | Фантом 3 над столицей Намибии - Виндхуком

#NamibiaNewDroneFlight
#PhantomFlightNamibia
#PhantomDronNamibia
#WindhoekCopterFlight
#NamibiaPhnantom3Flight
#FirstCopterFlightNamibia
#Phantom3InNamibia
#КоптерФантомНамибия
#ФантомНамибия
#ФантомНамибияВиндхук
Phantom 3 Windhoek aerial video part 3 | Фантом 3 над столицей Намибии - Виндхуком

Exploring Namibia YouTube channel

www.traveltonamibia.com

News from Bushtracks Africa: The Elephant Charge

#BushtracksAfricaTheElephantCharge
#BushtracksAfricaTheElephantChargeNews

The Elephant Charge

Bushtracks Africa remains committed to its social responsibility and the upliftment of Zambia. We are very excited to announce that we will be participating in the Elephant Charge over the weekend of the 02 to the 04th of October 2015. The team comprises of Chris Tett (Managing Director), Adrian Tett (General Manager) Craig Evans, Victoria Evans, Des Hitchins and Mark Jarvis.
The Elephant Charge challenges teams of cars and motorbikes to complete a gruelling course through the Zambian bush. The event is held at a different location each year over Zambia's Independence weekend in late October. The winning team is the one that completes a course of ten checkpoints in the shortest distance possible. Each team must find their own route between the checkpoints through valleys, over ridges and up escarpments in a trial of driving, navigating and endurance. The Elephant Charge raises money for 12 beneficiaries located all over Zambia. It is up to the teams to donate a pledge a minimum of k4000, to the Elephant Charge and the committee distributes the monies accordingly to the beneficiaries that have applied for funding. More information on last year's course and beneficiaries can be found on their website: http://www.elephantcharge.org/
The vehicle that Bushtracks Africa has entered is its first Game viewing vehicle 'the warthog' we purchased second hand in 1997 modified specifically for this race.

Should you wish to donate to this special cause or sponsor the Bushtracks Africa team, here are the details on how to go about this using our on-line credit card payment system:
Please find the link below:
http://gotothevictoriafalls.com.dedi391.nur4.host-h.net/payment_generator.php
Instructions:
Fill in Company/Client Name
Reference: ElleCharge - "NAME"
Amount:
Press SUBMIT
Press PAY NOW
Select your Card: (We Accept MasterCard, Amex or Visa)
Fill in your details
Depending on your bank you will have to fill in additional passwords
Please make sure your card is 3D Authenticated by your bank to be able to make an online payment.

Namibia: Phantom 3 Windhoek aerial video part 2 | Фантом 3 над столицей Намибии - Виндхуком

#PhantomDronNamibia
#WindhoekCopterFlight
#NamibiaPhnantom3Flight
#FirstCopterFlightNamibia
#Phantom3InNamibia
#КоптерФантомНамибия
#ФантомНамибия
#ФантомНамибияВиндхук

Phantom 3 Windhoek aerial video part 2 | Фантом 3 над столицей Намибии - Виндхуком

Exploring Namibia YouTube channel

www.traveltonamibia.com

Bushtracks Africa: Livingstone and Victoria Falls team building

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#BushtracksAfricaTeamBuilding
#SifundaNews
#BushtracksAfricaSifunda  

Livingstone and Victoria Falls Team Building
BUSHTRACKS AFRICA in association with SIFUNDA is proud to announce the launch of their unique team building programs in Livingstone, Zambia and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Add value to your business meeting, conference or incentive trip to Livingstone and Victoria Falls with our customised team building events.
Sifunda is a not-for-profit social enterprise delivering high quality training to businesses and schools. We believe in learning, and we believe in business that benefits society. That is why 100% of our team building profits go to subsidise our development work with local teachers. Contact

Namibia: first ever quadcopter Phantom 3 Windhoek aerial video | Фантом 3 над столицей Намибии - Виндхуком

#PhantomDronNamibia
#WindhoekCopterFlight
#NamibiaPhnantom3Flight
#FirstCopterFlightNamibia
#Phantom3InNamibia
#КоптерФантомНамибия
#ФантомНамибия
#ФантомНамибияВиндхук 

Namibia: first ever quadcopter Phantom 3 Windhoek aerial video | Фантом 3 над столицей Намибии - Виндхуком

Exploring Namibia YouTube channel

www.traveltonamibia.com

Namibia: Villa Margherita Swakopmund special

#VillaMargheritaSwakopmund
#VillaMargheritaSpecial
 
Stay at Villa Margherita for 4 nights and pay for 3

Villa Margherita Swakopmund

Contact: info@traveltonamibia.com
 
Special 2015 / 2016
 
STAY FOR 4 NIGHTS / PAY FOR ONLY 3

or

STAY FOR 7 NIGHTS / PAY FOR ONLY 5

AND
10% DISCOUNT ON ALL MASSAGES DURING THE LENGTH OF THE SPECIAL
(Applicable to in-house guests only, booked on one of the above-mentioned specials)

VALIDITY OF THE SPECIAL:

December 1st 2015  to December 20th 2015

January  15th 2016  to February  29th  2016

This special cannot be combined with any other specials offered for this period.

Photos: Villa Margherita

South Africa: White Elephant Safaris newsletter

#WhiteElephantSafaris
#WhiteElephantSafarisNews

White Elephant Safaris

Newsletter September 2015

Dear friends of White Elephant,

How time flies. It has certainly been a while since our last newsletter.
We have had a busy winter. Because of severe drought we have had to capture and sell more than our usual quota of impala, kudu, zebra and nyala. The extreme lack of food has caused high numbers of animal deaths. We hope that capturing and moving the large numbers of drought sensitive species, will have saved many of these animals from starvation.
South Africa has a unique game farming and trading economy. Although sometimes quite controversial, millions of Rand's are spent on breeding and trading with endangered and colour variant species such as  sable and roan antelope, black, white, saddle back impala, golden gnu, just to list a few.
The positive spin off from this unique industry, is that we have more wildlife in South Africa today than we did 50 to 100 years ago when game farming did not exist.
The 'downside' is that many extensive farms are being fragmented and divided into small intensive breeding camps for the controlled breeding of superior trophy animals and specific colour variants for a return on investment and NOT for the conservation of biodiversity.
The pros and cons of this intensification of game farming is a discussion on its own, but the benefit to us at White Elephant is that the good demand and prices for our surplus game funds and motivates one to further conserve and manage the wildlife even better.
The exact opposite scenario is currently being experienced with rhino. With restricted trading of live and dead rhino, and the total ban of any trade in rhino horn, the illegal horn trade is thriving. Poaching for rhino horn has now reached a critical stage where the rhino population is in a decline. If we do not find a solution to this poaching onslaught, rhino are destined to become extinct.
White Elephant Safaris recently hosted two African Wildlife Veterinary Safari groups who assisted, physically and financially, with the darting (chemical immobilization) of black rhino for data collection and dehorning, and elephant re-collaring. We hope that these drastic measures will deter the poaching syndicates from targeting our rhino.
You may ask yourself, what does the trade in wildlife and rhino horn have to do with White Elephant Safaris?
Firstly, without funding we cannot conserve our wildlife and conservation area. We need rhino (and other wildlife) to attract guests to travel to Africa on safari to experience and enjoy nature and wildlife.
At White Elephant, we are privileged to be able to offer our guests on safari an inside glimpse into the management of our wildlife, including the 'heavy four' - elephant, rhino, hippo and giraffe - all weighing more than 1 ton. Blessed with exceptional vista's of the Lebombo mountains and shimmering lake Jozini, White Elephant Safari Lodge offers exceptional character, genuine friendliness, dirt roads, natural gardens, good food, open fires, guided walks, rhino tracking, tiger fishing, sundowner cruises, old fashioned safari tented accommodation with big baths, outdoor showers, private verandas and 5* service.
Family owned and managed, White Elephant's location is ideal for small groups and couples on safari travelling to or from KZN and the Mpumalanga lowveld (Kruger National Park).

Warm Regards
The White Elephant Team

Namibia: Desert Express luxury train accident

#DesertExpressNamibiaNews
#DesertExpressNamibiaAccident

Desert Express train was recently in an accident just after 18h00 on September 14, near the Osona Military Base in Okahandja, confirmed by TransNamib. The train collided with a truck that attempted to cross the railway.

Struggle Ihuhua, the executive spokesperson of TransNamib, confirmed that the Desert Express did not derail in any way. “The crew and passengers on board were reportedly and fortunately unharmed. The TransNamib inspection team reported that the train suffered minor damage to the locomotive, although the extent of the damage is still unclear.”

Ihuhua confirmed that the rail service between Okahandja and Windhoek, which was temporarily suspended, is now restored and open to enable the free flow of mixed train services from Windhoek to Walvis Bay.

He said the recovery teams acted promptly on site in securing the speedy restoration of the line to enable rail transport services to proceed uninterrupted.

 

Namibia: road accident - photo

#RoadAccidentNamibia

Road accident: road Swakopmund - Usakos

 Photo: contributed

Namibia: Amanzi River Camp - photo gallery | Аманзи Ривер Кемп Намибия

#AmanziPhoto
#AmanziNamibia
#AmanziRiverCamp

Amanzi River Camp - photo gallery, reservations

Photo: Amanzi

Namibia: Nambwa Tented Lodge news & photo gallery | Намбва Лодж Намибия

#NambwaNamibia
#NambwaTentedLodge
#NambwaLodgeNews
#NambwaLodgeNamibiaNews 

Contact: here.

Welcome to Nambwa Tented Lodge!

African Monarch Lodges is proud to announce that Nambwa Tented Lodge is now fully functional with 10 luxury tents looking fantastic. All rooms have also been equipped with safes. Mosquito nets have been added and are giving the already elegant tent suites an even more romantic look and feel. Some freshening up at the main area with the assistance of a local designer has created a cozy and inviting space for our guests.
We hope to welcome you soon, to savour a glass of wine near the fireplace, watching herds of elephants calmly forage underneath the elevated lodge. Enjoy a scrumptious dinner by candlelight under a sky full of jewels and let the sounds of the African night bring joy to your heart.

Nambwa is in the heart of the Kavango Zambezi Trans Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA) and part of the large Peace Park initiative. This region is replete with a wide range of habitats for the wildife that roams freely within the corridor. There are large floodplains and thick woodlands. You’ll see reed-beds and floating grass mats. Spreading bushes with knob thorn, jackal berry, and wild date. There are even sand dunes that extend from the Kalahari desert. In this area you’ll see deciduous woodlands with wild seringa, copalwood and Zambezi teak.

Recent sightings from the lodge deck were:
°    Wild Dogs hunting Impala on the floodplain below
°    A buffalo herd passing through on a moonlit night
°    Our resident leopard stalking a Civet right below us
°    Elephants criss crossing under the decks and walkways, unperturbed by us humans walking above them
°    Giraffe majestically marching into the sunset
°    and the latest of today at 5am on 24th September, a pride of 12 lions (3 females and 9 cubs) taking down an old Buffalo Bull, then being chased off by 6 Hyenas, only to witness the injured yet alive and grumpy Buffalo getting up and wandering around the campsite....we hope he makes it!
There is always something exciting happening at Nambwa!

Photos: Nambwa

Strand Hotel Namibia summary | Странд Отель Намибия

#StrandHotelNamibia
#StrandHotelNamibiaNews

Strand Hotel Swakopmund offers accommodation with 125 rooms of which 90% have beach and/or sea views and 10% garden/park views. The six room types feature tea & coffee stations, mini-bars, hair-dryers, TV’s, free Wi-Fi Internet access, telephones and air-conditioning.

Reservations: here.

74 Standard Rooms

All feature floor-to-ceiling panoramic and sliding windows with views of the beach and sea or the gardens. Each has an en-suite bathroom with shower, single vanity and separate toilet. Furnished with your choice of extra-length soft-top king or two single mattresses, writing desk and easy lounging armchair with reading light. Interior room sizes range from 28 to 31 m2. All Standard Rooms are designed to accommodate up to two adults and one child in a cot. Two Standard Rooms can accommodate two adults and two children.
2 Standard Enabled Rooms

All features of the Standard Room PLUS a separate second fully equipped enabled bathroom with shower, single vanity and full wheel-chair access. Both Rooms provide Sea Views. Interior size 39 m2. All Standard Enabled Rooms are designed to accommodate up to two adults and one child in a cot.
40 Luxury Rooms

Situated in the best view locations within the Hotel these rooms offer floor-to-ceiling panoramic and sliding doors with “step-out” Romeo & Juliet balconies and GUARANTEED sea and beach views. The bathrooms, with showers and separate toilets feature double his and her vanities. Furnished with your choice of extra length soft-top king or two single mattresses, writing desks or dining/working tables, couch and two easy lounging armchairs with reading light. Interior room sizes range from 31 to 40 m2. All Luxury Rooms are designed to accommodate families of maximum two adults and one or two children up to 15 years.
6 Junior Suites

Situated in the finest view locations within the Hotel these suites offer floor-to-ceiling double-sized panoramic and sliding doors with larger “sit-on” balconies and GUARANTEED sea and beach views. These open- plan lounge and bedroom suites have bathrooms with large showers and full baths, separate toilets and feature double his and her vanities. Furnished with an extra length soft-top king mattress, writing desks or dining/working tables, lounge area with couch and easy lounging armchairs with reading light. Interior suite size 42 m2. All Junior Suites are designed to accommodate families of maximum two adults and two children up to 15 years.
2 Luxury  Suites

Situated in superb view locations within the Hotel these suites offer three floor-to-ceiling double-sized panoramic and sliding doors with three larger “sit-on” balconies and GUARANTEED sea and beach views across Swakopmund main beach, the Atlantic Ocean and the historic town centre. These open-plan lounge, dining room and separate bedroom suites have bathrooms with showers and full baths and double his and her vanities and separate toilets. Furnished with an extra length soft-top king mattresses and a ladies dresser in the bedroom. The lounge features two couches and executive desk with a 4-seated dining room area. Both the lounge and bedroom feature TV’s. Interior suite size is 70 m2. All Luxury Suites are designed to accommodate families of maximum two adults and two children up to 15 years.
Presidential Suite

Situated in the middle of the top floor of the Hotel with a GUARANTEED wide open and full view of Swakopmund main beach, the Atlantic Ocean and view of the town, this luxury unit offers three double-sized panoramic sliding doors leading out on to a private 25 m2 terrace running the full length of the suite. It features a separate large master bedroom with extra length soft-top king mattress, fireplace, tea & coffee station, TV, walk in dressing room, executive desk or ladies dresser and a bathroom with full bath, separate toilet and a double his and her shower-room and vanity.


The lounge features its own fireplace, 8-seated entertainment area, TV, tea & coffee and bar stations an executive desk and leads through to a private 8-seated dining room off which there is a Butler’s Pantry and Kitchen. The interior size of this suite is 125m2 or 150m2 including the terrace. Children accommodation is provided an inter-leading Standard Room, which can be reserved by families in this Suite.
Additional Family accommodation

A number of inter-leading Standard and Luxury Rooms are provided. Some Suites also inter-lead into Standard or Luxury Rooms.
Accommodation for two adults traveling together

All standard and luxury rooms offer a choice of either a king or two twin beds. For adults of the same sex sharing a room, these twin beds can be separated from each other making the Strand Hotel Swakopmund the ideal choice for conferences and touring groups.
 
All Rooms Feature
 
En-Suite Bathrooms

Standard Room: Shower with single vanity and separate toilet

Enabled Standard Room: plus separate Bath with enabled shower, toilet and single vanity

Luxury Room: Shower with double vanity and separate toilet. Two have full baths

Junior Suite: Shower and bath with double vanity and separate toilet

Luxury Suite: Shower and bath with double vanity and separate toilet

Presidential Suite: Double shower and bath with double vanity and separate toilet and bidet

Ocean facing “step-out” balconies in all Luxury Rooms

Ocean facing “sit-on” Balconies in all Suites
 
Complimentary internet Wi-Fi access
 
Air Conditioning
 
Floor to Ceiling Panoramic View Sliding Windows (Standard) and Doors (Luxury/Suites)

Electronic Door Locks
 
Hairdryers 

Safes
 
Direct Dial Telephones
 
LCD Television with Satellite TV Channels
 
Tea/Coffee Stations – Nespresso Machines in all Suites
 
Stocked Mini-Bars
 
Working Desk with 220v International Plug Points for Europe, UK and South Africa

Namibia: Namvic fleet news & competition

#NamvicNamibia
#NamvicNamibiaNews
#NamvicNamibiaWeekendCompetition

Win yourself unforgettable weekend
@ Etosha Safari Lodge this December!

Book 5 vehicles with Namvic for your clients until 31 December 2015 and go for a weekend at Etosha Safari Lodge FOR FREE!

*Prize included 1 double room for 2 pax for 2 nights with breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
Promotion available only for booking consultants.
Contact - here.

Photos: Namvic

Namibia: news from Kamanjab Rest Camp and photo gallery | Каманьяб Кемп Намибия

#KamanjabRestCampNews
#KamanjabRestCampNamibia
#KamanjabRestCampDamaraland

Kamanjab Rest Camp is situated only 3 km west of the town of Kamanjab, in Namibia's north-western Kunene Region, in an area known as Damaraland. The C40 gravel road, from which it is accessed, leads directly to the Grootberg Pass and Palmwag, while the Etosha National Park and its nearest gate are only 70 km away on tar road. Contact: here.

Whether coming from Etosha, Windhoek, Swakopmund or from the northern parts of Namibia en route to the region's Kaokoveld, our bungalows and camping sites provide comfortable accommodation that will suit your travel budget.
They are surrounded by a small leafy game sanctuary with free-roaming giraffes, zebras and antelopes, as well as well-maintained hiking trails leading to a sundowner spot.

Kamanjab Rest Camp in part of the Arid Eden Routes and affords easy access to Western Etosha, via the Galton Gate, for day visits and proceeding through the park to Okaukuejo for overnight. Palmwag and Sesfontein are also within easy reach, via the scenic Grootberg Pass, next to various sightseeing attractions nearby, such as a Himba Project and a site with pre-historic rock paintings.
Well-known tourist destinations, such as Twyfelfontein and the Springbokwater Gate of the Skeleton Coast Park with a coastal route to the Cape Cross Seal Reserve, lichen fields and Brandberg Mountain are less than a two-hours' drive away.

Kamanjab Rest Camp offers two options for overnighting:
Our bungalow accommodation includes breakfast daily.
Dinner may be added, - by prior arrangement only -, as optional extra, on some or all days.
Guests staying in our bungalows are welcome to utilise the communal barbeque facilities and sitting areas in front of the lapa where alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available for purchase.

Each of our camp sites is equipped with a barbeque, a sitting area under shade trees, and may be provided with electricity via a power outlet, against payment of a small daily fee. In addition, campers find convenient, clean ablution and dish-washing facilities.

Fire wood and Braai Packs are available for sale to all guests, also at the lapa.

With Kamanjab town situated just around the corner, guests also have the opportunity to enjoy dinners at a local restaurant or to order meals from a take-away that caters for various tastes. Furthermore, there are two supermarkets and a petrol station in town as well.

Kamanjab Rest Camp is situated at the meeting point of two Arid Eden Routes: the Welwitschia Experience, covering the most attractive sightseeing between Swakopmund and Kamanjab, and the Windhoek to Galton Experience, running from Namibia's capital city to the Galton Gate, the most western entrance to the Etosha National Park.

From here, travellers can continue either on the North West Trail via Etosha to the Kunene River and its two water falls, Epupa and Ruacana, or connect to the even more western Himba Cultural Experience, via the Grootberg Pass and Palmwag.
All four sub-routes make up the Arid Eden Route, which is one of the Open Africa projects. 

Namibia's Arid Eden mainly covers the fascinating cultural and natural highlights of the north-western Kunene Region but also the most spectacular sightseeing in the Erongo and other north-central regions of Namibia.
Brandberg, Twyfelfontein, Himba Villages, Ongongo, Sesfontein, Hartmann's Valley, and the infamous Van Zyl's Pass lie on these routes through the Arid Eden, too.

Looking for a Namibia Adventure?
The Arid Eden has it all - from unique cultures, wildlife, sightseeing, landscapes and flora to affordable camp sites to luxury accommodation.

Here is suggestion how to make the most of your holidays.

Travellers driving up from Windhoek on the Windhoek to Galton Experience Route are recommended to include the Waterberg Plateau Park near Otjiwarongo into their itinerary, for two overnights, before continuing via Outjo and Kamanjab town to Kamanjab Rest Camp for a few days, during which the western Etosha National Park and a Cheetah Conservation Project may be visited on full and half day self-drive excursions respectively.
From our rest camp, you can proceed north on the North-West Trail to the Ruacana and Epupa Falls, on the Namibia/Angola border.
Turning south again, you proceed on the Himba Cultural Experience Route through Kaokoland further west, visiting various Himba settlements, Fort Sesfontein and Palmwag, before returning to Kamanjab Rest Camp and the amenities of a town nearby, after a roundtrip of about 8-12 days.
Your onward journey to Swakopmund  on the Welwitschia Experience Route takes in the rock paintings and engravings at Twyfelfontein, Namibia's first World Heritage Site, the Damara Living Museum, and, via Khorixas and Uis,  the Brandberg, Spitzkoppe and Erongo Mountains, before reaching Namibia's central coast - or proceed on an alternative route through the Skeleton Coast Park with its ship wrecks and other relicts from a by-gone era, along colourful lichen fields, and the Cape Cross Seal Reserve to Swakopmund.
With this, you may experience the entire Arid Eden on a safari of about three weeks.

From Swakopmund, you have a choice to either return to Windhoek on tar roads, in about 4 hours, or to continue to sightseeing attractions in the southwest of Namibia

 Photos: KRC

www.traveltonamibia.com

YouTube channel: Exploring Namibia

Aerial photo/video service contact: info@traveltonamibia.com

Namibia: last preparations for Srand Hotel Swakopmund opening

#StrandHotelSwakopmundNamibia
#StrandHotelSwakopmundTraining
#StrandHotelSwakopmundNamibiaNews 

Swakopmund Strand Hotel's training for staff - last touches

The new Strand Hotel Swakopmund is ready for opening its doors in October this year.

Strand Hotel in Swakopmund, Namibia provides its pre-opening training program for 235 hotel's staff. The grand opening of the hotel is scheduled for 9 October 2015.

The hotel is owned by the O&L Leisure Hotels and Lodges, a division of the Ohlthaver and List Group.
The three weeks training program commences with the Feel Like A Guest (Flag) module where the new staff members are divided into two groups with one group checking in the hotel as guests and the other acting as hosts.

The group will stay in a guest rooms and use all facilities of Strand Hotel just as a normal guest would while their colleagues practise all they have learnt before. In the following three days the roles of two groups are reversed.

This allows each of the 235 team members to test everything the Strand Hotel Swakopmund has to offer, including three restaurants: the Ocean Cellar, the Brewer and Butcher and the Farmhouse Deli.
The training program covers more than 30 different training subjects.

After each of the two Flag programs, the groups will report back on the quality of product and service delivery, sharing with each other the overall hosting experience allowing for constructive corrections and improvements to be implemented.

On 26 and 27 September all team members of the O&L Leisure Hotels and Lodges Central Office along with team members from Mokuti Etosha Lodge and Midgard Country Estate are invited to another Flag programme, hosted by the entire Strand Hotel Swakopmund team. Again the reviews go into a constructive de-briefing allowing for further corrective action plans.
The Restaurants Brewer & Butcher, Ocean Cellar and Farmhouse Deli as well as the Welwitschia Lounge & Bar will then invite Swakopmund community members to 'test-run' the facilities and service delivery during hosted breakfasts, lunches, dinners and sundowners.

The last 'test run' will be on 3 and 4 October when the management of Strand Hotel invites the Namibian tourism industry and corporate conference clients to enjoy a one-night stay during which all facilities are again tested.

Staff training is going to end on 8 October 2015, a day before opening of Strand Hotel.

Photos: Strand Hotel