Namibia: Tsumkwe Country Lodge

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Namibia Country Lodges sold Tsumkwe Country Lodge to The University Center For Studies In Namibia (TUCSIN) in 2014.

Their plans were to develop Tsumkwe Lodge into a small Hospitality training center for local San communities in the Tsumkwe area. Due to logistical difficulties, a lack of funding, and COVID, TUCSIN was forced to sell the lodge and the training center. The new owners; Pine and Diekie Pienaar are very passionate about the product. They are both involved with the day to day management and operational affairs of the lodge. Pine is a seasoned building contractor and is active in the building of schools around Tsumkwe & Nyae Nyae Conservancy area. Diekie is a retired school teacher who has taken over the coordination of all training programs facilitated under the stewardship of TUCSIN. They have a classroom with training facilities at the lodge which also hosts many regional meetings and training courses for the development of the area and the upliftment of the community. The lodge has undergone major renovations after COVID. We are happy to say, they are back on track, welcoming guests to this far corner and the remoteness of Bushmanland.

Tsumkwe is situated less than 60 km west of Dobe border post to Botswana, and 256 km east of Grootfontein in the Otjozondjupa Region. This small village is the administrative hub for approximately 600 inhabitants who live in Tsumkwe and the other +/- 3 500 San who live on the outskirts of town and beyond the Nyae Nyae Conservancy.

Nyae Nyae Conservancy; meaning 'place without mountains, but rocky' was registered in 1998 with a view to conserve and protect this fragile area. It covers a protected area of 1 million hectares of unspoiled wilderness in the far East part of Namibia that borders Botswana.

In proximity to the Nyae Nyae Pans and Khaudom National Park, Tsumkwe Country Lodge is an ideal adventurous starting point to reach the Zambezi (Caprivi) Region as well as Botswana via the Dobe border post to experience the famous Okavango-Delta. Tsumkwe is still a wilderness paradise, off the beaten track!

Accommodation Configuration - 21 Twin rooms and 1 Triple room:  

Each room has two large single beds – Twin rooms with mosquito nets. The bathroom has a shower, washbasin, and flush toilet. Due to our outlook on less electricity consumption, the rooms are not air-conditioned. Each room has a powerful fan with a speed setting for those warmer nights.

Camping:

The 10 individual campsites can each take up to six guests with tents and two vehicles per site or one vehicle with a trailer. Four campsites have private showers, basins & toilet facilities, while the remaining six campsites share a communal ablution facility.

Families with Children: 

One triple room is available for two small children to share with their parents. 

Children from 0 to 4 years sharing with parents – Free of Charge (FOC)

Children from 5 to 11 years sharing with parents (Half Price)

Since 2014 Tsumkwe Lodge did not increase their rates. Due to the sharp rise in costs across the board, Tsumkwe Country Lodge has no option but to increase its 2023 rates. Without this increase, it will not be possible to continue improving the quality and service consistency they wish to imbed going forward.

Bookings already confirmed or in the process of being confirmed will be honored at the previous 2023 rates they were quoted. The amended rates will be applicable to all new bookings for 2023.

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Namibia: TUCSIN Tsumkwe Lodge | Цумкве Лодж Намибия

TUCSIN Tsumkwe Lodge is situated in the far north-eastern side of Namibia and is part of the Nyae Nyae Conservancy, home to the Ju/’hoansi San community. It requires a well-informed approach with respect for the precious - but rare - value systems of traditional hunter-gatherer societies. Indeed, the San community can no longer survive exclusively by hunting and gathering thus, they require a local perspective for education and training.

Their strong beliefs and traditional values remain core to the San`s lifestyle and upbringing of their children. Tsumkwe is one of the last bastions where the San continues a semi-cultural lifestyle. Visitors to the area are encouraged to visit designated villages that showcase the San culture and how they have integrated with the modern way of living today

In proximity to the Nyae Nyae Pans and Khaudom National Park, TUCSIN Tsumkwe lodge is an ideal adventurous starting point to reach the Zambezi (Caprivi) Region as well as Botswana via the Dobe border post to experience the famous Okavango-Delta. Tsumkwe is still a wilderness paradise, off the beaten track!

The additional, once-off Conservancy fee of N$30.00 per person. This is a mandatory fee each visitor to the Naye Nyae Conservancy must pay while visiting or staying in the area.

Aotcha village

The village is 11 Km from Tsumkwe Lodge and can be reached with a normal 2x4 vehicle, combi, or truck.

Your Guide

Ciqae Tsamgao (Smallboy) grew up in /Aotcha village and learnt all his traditional Ju/’hoansi values, skills and practices from his father. He is a field guide with extensive experience of the bush, animals, and birds of his area. He is passionate about the preservation of the San culture and always eager to share his knowledge and heritage with his guests. He speaks and understands good English as his second language. Smallboy was part of the Ju/’hoansi team of trackers from Tsumkwe who visited France to help archaeologists identify prehistoric human tracks inside caves.

Activities

Bush walk with snaring, tracking, and collecting bush food. Game tracks in the sand will put you on the spoor of Elephant, Oryx, Kudu, Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Warthog, Giraffe, Porcupine and even birds such as Guineafowl and Sandgrouse.

Craft making in the village. Create your own bow and arrow and learn the technique of lighting a fire with “fire sticks”. Weave rope from plant fibres and how to set a snare. The ladies will demonstrate the art of beading and shaping ostrich eggshell for bangle and necklace jewellery.

Traditional dance & songs reverberate over the rhythmic drumming of feet in the sand and rustle of leg beads and pods around the campfire. Join in while the San woman playout their ritual games and the men mimic the movement of antelope and giraffe.

Traditional hunt for meat and other food sources. Full Day walking in the wild together with hunters, in search of warthog, springbok, spring hare, porcupine, or large birds. It is not guaranteed that you will have success but, the thrill of tracking and stalking potential prey is exhilarating.

Bushmen meal. Prepare and taste the bushfood San collect from the veld. When there is plenty, you will have meat and plants, or it might just be tea from tree leaves and a taste of the water root they dug up from the soil.

Traditional huts for your accommodation at the village. Dry grass and sticks provide shelter and shade in the form of a round hut. Bring your own ground mat and sleeping gear for the real outdoors experience. Spend a night in the village as the San do. You will have a dry toilet, bucket shower and wood to make a fire or to cook your food on. You must be self-sufficient with food and water, braai grid and utensils.

Compact - Half day activity for groups or guests with limited time. This is a combination of all the activities listed above, except for the hunting activity. Short bushwalk and tracking of spoors. Gathering of edible and medicinal foods, how to make rope and set snares. Back at the village visitors will view singing, dancing with the opportunity to participate in a game or two. See how the make jewellery out of ostrich egg and natural materials from the bush. The Conservancy fee will be applicable on all new bookings made from the 1st of July 2021 onwards.

TUCSIN (The University Centre for Studies in Namibia) is the owner of Tsumkwe Lodge and is proud to be the custodians of educating and uplifting the San community through vocational training and hospitality in tourism.

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Namibia: Tsumkwe Lodge - San Culture & Traditional Villages | Цумкве Лодж Намибия

#Tsumkwe #TsumkweLodge #Namibia #Ju/’haonsi #TUCSIN #SanCulture #Bushmen #//Xa/oba #NyaeNyaePans #ЦумквеЛоджНамибия

Tucsin Tsumkwe Lodge - San Culture & Traditional Villages

So much rain, its hard to comprehend we had a serious drought until recent. Vast parts of the landscape in the north of Namibia are saturated by good rains.
TUCSIN Tsumkwe Lodge reported, the Nyae Nyae Pans are full of water, many aquatic birds will soon flock to the pans edge to feed and breed. Roads in and out of Tsumkwe are still fine and can be driven.

Guests visiting the area can access the lodge without any trouble. Some of the traditional San villages in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy are not accessible for the moment.
Cultural tours are conducted either in a half day or full day program. Participating with the Ju/’hoansi San Bushmen on activities will afford guests the unique opportunity to have direct contact and insight into the precious - but rare - value systems of traditional hunter-gatherer societies.

TUCSIN Tsumkwe Lodge is not only an accommodation facility, it’s a non-profit organization that uplift the San community through Tourism, as well as supporting schools and learners, providing training opportunities to adults and youth, and assist the Ju/’hoansi people to preserve and celebrate their culture while learning to adapt to modern society.

In support of the San Culture, Tucsin Tsumkwe Lodge invites you to visit one of the last remaining wilderness areas, home to a unique group of people, deeply rooted within a culture that stretches as far back as the first humans on the African continent.

Activity Option for a longer stays

Guests who stay at the lodge are invited to a storytelling experience with a group of school children at around 6 pm at no additional cost
    Next morning - travel 25 km North to the village of //Xa/oba to join their San hunting guides for a full day hunt
    Overnight option in the village campsite at //Xa/oba, possibly including a traditional dance performance from the villagers around the campfire
    Take part in a bush walk to learn about the ancient survival techniques still practiced today by the Ju/’haonsi here in Tsumkwe. Return to the TUCSIN Tsumkwe Lodge for lunch or later for dinner, depending on your preference.

Both of our Ju/’hoansi guides have level 2 certification, possess a vast knowledge of the culture and local environment and are fluent in English. Join us for an unforgettable experience.

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