Emissions from the violent Hunga Tonga volcano eruption of 14 January is resulting in spectacular sunrises and sunsets worldwide, Ongava Research Centre, Resident Scientist Stéphanie Périquet PhD captured its astonishing colours.
YouTube Little Ongava video:
Volcano's Eruption Colors World's Sunsets were observed
A little botox goes a long way!
As previously communicated the annual low season closure of Ongava Lodge and Little Ongava is from Monday 24 January 2022. All four the Ongava camps open from Friday 1st April 2022. In preparation for the season deep maintenance, repairs, polishing, painting and general sprucing up of all properties, personnel and systems is underway.
YouTube Ongava Lodge video:
Fly Namibia Safari Circuit
With international access improving by the day, among others Eurowings and Ethiopian Airlines are planning to increase up to daily schedules from April there's never been a better time to visit!
The Fly Namibia Safari Daily Circuit commences on Sunday 16th April 2022, schedule.
Ongava Airfield is the Etosha hub, for bookings and enquiries contact info@traveltonamibia.com
A special message from the Publisher of Travel Africa:
How to make your next safari extraordinary
The essential issue for wildlife lovers
If you love watching wildlife or are planning a trip to Africa, then issue 95 of Travel Africa will make the process easier and help you to have a more enriching safari experience.
For many wildlife-lovers, an African safari is the ultimate treat, the chance to escape into nature and spend time among the myriad animals that we love and have dreamt of seeing. But with a continent so vast, with so many options, planning a trip can feel overwhelming. What are the questions you should consider before you book your tickets? Where are the best places for you to visit? And are there things you can do once you're on the ground to ensure it is the most enriching and rewarding experience possible?
We’re here to help. Issue 95 is our most practical issue to date, with loads of expert advice, tips and ideas dedicated to helping you to make your safari extraordinary. We hope it'll simplify the process for you, saving you time and perhaps even money (or at least help you to spend your money most appropriately) and ensure you visit the most suitable places for you.
Perhaps more than any other, this issue has been very strongly motivated by and shaped by our readers. The conversations we've had over the last year or two, and the input and ideas you've shared with us, have provided a valuable insight to your passion for travel to Africa, the multitude of choices and concerns you have when planning it – and the things that mean the most to you, and which keep you returning. What is it about an early morning game drive that's so addictive? How can it be even better?
It's given us the opportunity to tap into our network of experts to put together some ideas and insight that'll help, and it's allowed us to indulge in the pleasures we all derive from being in the bush, be that in Kruger or Akagera. Articles have been gathered into sections on Planning, Where To Go, and The Safari Experience.
Whether you’re looking forward to your first or fifteenth safari, we hope there is something in this issue that will help make it all the more extraordinary.
To buy a copy, for you or a friend, please click here, and to be sure you never miss an issue going forward, subscribe here.
Stay safe, be kind, keep smiling.
And thank you for reading Travel Africa!
Craig Rix, Publisher
Ongava Research Centre (ORC) started 2022 with a bang
Scientific enquiry has produced amazing quantities of knowledge. We know more about the fascinating workings and the fragility of the natural world than ever before. And we use that information as best we can to conserve the world for all its living constituents and their offspring.
The amazing backstory of the Botulinum Toxin
Since we mentioned Botox did you know botulinum toxin is produced by Clostridium botulinum, a gram-positive anaerobic bacterium. Botox is formed by spores of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which is found naturally in sediments as well as the intestinal tracts of some animals and fish. The drug binds itself to receptors in skeletal muscle, nerve endings, the brain and some smooth muscle, preventing the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. By blocking nerves from sending signals to the muscle to contract, Botox essentially paralyzes the muscles for short-term periods.
During World War II, military scientists experimented with it Botulinum Toxin in WW2 German and Allied Armies: Failures and Myths of Weaponization. Though it can be 100 times more toxic than cyanide, it is extremely difficult to turn into a weapon.
When the Army disbanded its Chemical Corps, the toxin was provided to curious academic researchers.
The Eerie, Lunar Nothingness of Namibia's Skeleton Coast
The stretch of coastline in southwest Africa is a strange and beautiful reminder that, in the end, we are powerless against nature and time.
Rob Moffett | Windhoek, Namibia
Thank you for visiting during the crises and for sharing this special feature. Many readers quite rightly express concerns regarding this fragile environment and the potential impact of human visitors. It is a complex balance, fortunately pragmatic Namibian legislation provides the means for indigenous communities to derive benefits on a sustainable basis from activities upon their ancestral lands. Some takes the form of gently harvesting plant resources such as Myrrh, the naturally produced gum of the Commiphora species of the Kaokoland (n-w Namibia) is said to command premium prices from the multinational cosmetic firms for its unique citrus fragrance. This Robin Hood model - taking from the relatively wealthy and transferring the proceeds to the impoverished - plays out further with joint venture ecotourism partnerships who provide unique experiences for visitors and the proceeds benefit sustainable community and conservation efforts.
Thank you very much for your support. I hope we can soon share a cheerful campfire on safari under the southern cross. Until then stay well, stay safe.
Rob Moffett
Ongava Game Reserve
Nature First
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com
