Ongava update
Namibia’s PCR test requirement is returned to 7 days - it is now possible for long-haul travellers from North America and far-east Asia to reach Namibia within the stipulated PCR test period.
Illustrating the limited source market catchment for travelling to Namibia with the previous 72 hour PCR test requirement. The seven day PCR test allows long-haul / multi-stop access to Namibia.
Thank you to each and every Guest for visiting and contributing to conservation. Since re-opening Ongava Lodge and Little Ongava the guest reviews have been exceptional - it is our privilege to host you on your dream Africa safari.
With the company's excellent vaccine take up, COVID protocols and Safe Mode proving effective and efficient, the initial success since re-opening with two camps in June has provided us with confidence that we're able to operate safely and effectively in the Pandemic.
Our third wave the winter past was more severe than most expected. Twenty-eight percent of our July bookings were affected, most guests postponed and we look forward to hosting them soon! Three bookings cancelled outright and qualified for Ongava's no-quibble Pandemic refund in full.
Mid-August saw bookings stabilise, and September through October both looking strong. Finger's crossed.
As we visualize what the future holds I look forward to comparing notes with the smartest leaders in travel and tourism, the key Africa Specialists from around the world at the We Are Africa Digital Show in September, followed by a We Are Africa pop up event for a limited number of delegates in Cape Town at the beginning of October.
Book with peace of mind
Along with our admired Naturally Namibia partners Ongava has a no quibble 100% refund COVID Cancellation policy, where COVID-19 specific circumstance prevent you from reaching Ongava we refund in full.
World of Change: Managing Fire in the Etosha National Park
Fires used to be routine in the grasslands and woodlands surrounding Etosha Pan, an old, salt-encrusted lake bottom in northwestern Namibia. The region is best known for Etosha National Park, a wildlife preserve that is home to substantial populations of rhinos, elephants, lions, and other large mammals.
Before human intervention, all of Etosha National Park’s savannas and mopane woodlands would burn about once per decade. Fires would usually come after a wet spell had produced a surge of vegetation growth. As plants dried up in this arid region - normal rainfall is 250 to 500 millimeters (10–20 inches) per year - it became ideal tinder for bush fires triggered by lightning storms.
But in the decades after the park’s establishment in 1907, managers tended to extinguish wildfires quickly because they believed them to be harmful to savanna ecosystems. As recently as the 1970s, manmade fires were expressly forbidden and teams of firefighters fought lightning-triggered fires aggressively.
Over the years, fire management at Etosha National Park evolved. With evidence piling up that savannas needed occasional fire to keep the ecosystem healthy, park managers started using it as a tool in 1981. However, there were no firm guidelines on how to use prescribed fires or cope with accidental fires. In September 2011, for instance, a destructive wildfire was ignited by a nearby charcoal kiln. The flames raged through the park, charring 370,000 hectares (910,000 acres) of vegetation and killing at least 30 rhinos, 50 giraffes, and 7 elephants.
Since then, park managers have redoubled their efforts to establish a preventative burning plan to minimize the likelihood of such devastating fires. Lightning-ignited blazes are allowed to burn more frequently, and park managers continue to experiment with prescribed burns that create a patchwork of natural fire breaks. These managed burns also prevent the buildup of excess fuel, meaning future wildfires should be less severe.
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com
