News and Views
People and Places
- Two local tourism companies recently organised a fun day for 20 children between the ages of 12 and 16 from the Shalom Centre in Katutura. Heidrun Wentzel from SWA Safaris and Richard Hoff from Be Local generously arranged for the visit to the "Thesehands Lounge" in the Auas Mountains just outside Windhoek, where the children were treated to lunch and had their first experiences of a 4x4 trail. Richard Hoff commented: "It's our responsibility to bring the youth of today to understanding the importance of tourism tomorrow, so we brought them up here to the mountain tops to give them a good look at the only limit in their lives - the sky."
The Shalom Centre for orphaned and abandoned children currently cares for 100 children from Katutura who have been affected by HIV/AIDS in some way or another. Under the supervision of Pascal Hakizimana these children are loved, nourished and educated, through funds provided to the Shalom Centre by charitable contributions. A worthy cause indeed, as the centre tries to not only form a solid base in each child's life but also motivate the children to be courageous in future for themselves and their country.
"It is of utmost importance to awaken in these children the will to be great. Because of their circumstance, many of them have a sense of worthlessness that must be replaced with belief in their true potential. The future of Namibia lies locked in the endless imagination and perseverance of the youth. I regard our children as the single greatest resource we have. A country is nothing without its people," added Richard Hoff
Of the 100 children, a few have struggled to pass secondary level education and Pascal aims to provide them with a trade by opening a bakery. This initiative will be supported by Richard Hoff who includes the Shalom Centre in his Be Local Cultural Tours, thus facilitating the contribution of tourism to the local community. Should you wish to contribute toward this worthy cause please e-mail [email protected] or telephone Richard Hoff on +264 61 241782
- A comment on the recent wonderful rains. The rainy season in Namibia typically falls within the boundaries of summer, from November to March, in the main. In such a semi-desert land there are, of course, exceptions to this broad statement, especially in the most arid westerly areas of the Namib Desert. Any rainfall there would normally be expected later, after the principal rains elsewhere. But here, in a desert presumed to be the oldest on the planet, annual deliveries might range from literally zero to only 100mm. Imagine, then, at Sossusvlei, centre stage of some of the highest, most magnificent dunelands on earth where some slopes steeple maybe 300m towards the heavens, that the pan beneath and amongst these dunes is suddenly filled with water, bringing life and a verdant sheen to an expanse of normally cracked and lifeless clay soil. A lake in the desert, a sight to behold - but perhaps only a few times, at most, in a century of life. A place where nearby forlorn and desiccated acacia trees bear witness to hundreds of years of drought, a land where both flora and fauna have adapted to a virtually waterless existence.
All over Namibia, exceptional, vital and prolonged good rains have brought life to the landscape, hope to its inhabitants. Rare lilies burst forth on dehydrated farmlands near Maltahöhe in the south, bringing visitors thousands of kilometres to view another once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. Dams are filled, exceptionally, to perhaps overflowing levels, ephemeral rivers suddenly roar with abundant, albeit brief cascades of water. In some parts, notably the maize triangle encompassed by the agricultural towns of Grootfontein, Tsumeb and Otavi in the north, the quantity of precipitation threatens to actually damage crop prospects. In nearby Etosha, famed as one of the most profuse wildlife game reserves in Africa, waterholes usually visited by creatures all and sundry and a fascinated watching public, are made redundant by plentiful water simply lying in its vast expanses, with animals nowhere to be seen from the public access roads. Desert adapted elephant, black rhino and giraffe in the stunning Damaraland and Kaokoveld areas of the north western Kunene region will be sated by such short lived water courses too, bringing respite from their constant search for moisture. Birth rates will soar in wildlife populations by dint of the fine forage so unusually plentiful. And commercial livestock farmers will reap these same rewards too. So fresh life is brought all over, new generations who will benefit now from less demanding beginnings, but who will know all the same that such wonderful waters may not perhaps be plentiful in times to come. For whilst virtually the whole country has been turned into a lush green pastureland wonderful to behold, remember that soon these astonishing grasslands will be scorched yellow by the relentless heat of a broiling sun. For this is Namibia.
Business Affairs
- Leading Lodges of Africa issued the following press release, through Werner Beddies, their Chief Executive Officer, on 24th March 2006: "It is with pleasure that we wish to inform you that the building and reconstruction of Suclabo Okavango Lodge will commence on 1 July 2006, with the completion date being 1 March 2007. The reconstruction of Suclabo Okavango Lodge was vital since the existing buildings are dilapidated and in dire need of replacement. Accordingly, for the past few months, Leading Lodges of Africa have been working actively on the plans and designs of the new Lodge. The new Lodge, which will be named Divava Okavango Lodge and Spa will consist of 25 luxury chalets, a restaurant, bar, lounge and fully equipped Wellness Centre - all offering an exquisite view over the Okavango River. Due to the construction work, the existing Lodge has to be closed down as from 1 July 2006. Leading Lodges of Africa undertakes to assist you in finding alternative accommodation for all existing and confirmed reservations."
- Following the success of Network Namibia 2005, the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) and Air Namibia recently offered a further exciting opportunity to those in the industry here to network with invited UK operators. This Network Namibia 2006 event took place in London at the end of April. UK tour operators were able to attend scheduled 'networking' appointments where they exchanged information with their Namibian counterparts, thus getting to know each other's business through these new opportunities and contacts. There were up to 15 such appointment slots arranged during the day, with a one-hour lunch hosted in between, all at a spacious venue inside the Holiday Inn Kensington. The attendance of Namibian tourism companies at the event was heavily subsidised by the NTB and Air Namibia.
- ReitSafari Horse Trails, in operation for 15 years now, offer their world famous Namib Desert Trail - 400 km in 9 days on horseback from the central highlands via the escarpment into the semi-desert, past the Kuiseb canyon, across Tinkas, Tumos and the Welwitschia plains, into the Moon Landscape and finally onto to the Atlantic Ocean. Owner/operator Waldi Fritzsche sent Travelogue this overview of her forthcoming season: "Absolutely fantastic trails, true ecotourism and a very natural way of being in nature. Every trail is a massive logistical operation with some 7000 litres of water needed, 100 bales of hay, 1 to 2 tons of horse food, 1 ton of fire wood, 25 crates of drinks etc; everything for up to 20 horses and 21 people (max 15 riders and 6 crew) during 9 days in the bundus and desert, all having to be taken along since we shift camp daily. International trail riders are aware of the Namib Desert Trail just as mountaineers know the great peaks. In our case, our beautiful country speaks for itself." The desert trails will run in April, June, July, August, September, and October. There will be a Damaraland-Skeleton-Coast trip in May and also a charity funding trail in late August. Contact Waldi on +264 61 250764 or [email protected]
- Two local tourism companies recently organised a fun day for 20 children between the ages of 12 and 16 from the Shalom Centre in Katutura. Heidrun Wentzel from SWA Safaris and Richard Hoff from Be Local generously arranged for the visit to the "Thesehands Lounge" in the Auas Mountains just outside Windhoek, where the children were treated to lunch and had their first experiences of a 4x4 trail. Richard Hoff commented: "It's our responsibility to bring the youth of today to understanding the importance of tourism tomorrow, so we brought them up here to the mountain tops to give them a good look at the only limit in their lives - the sky."
The Shalom Centre for orphaned and abandoned children currently cares for 100 children from Katutura who have been affected by HIV/AIDS in some way or another. Under the supervision of Pascal Hakizimana these children are loved, nourished and educated, through funds provided to the Shalom Centre by charitable contributions. A worthy cause indeed, as the centre tries to not only form a solid base in each child's life but also motivate the children to be courageous in future for themselves and their country.
"It is of utmost importance to awaken in these children the will to be great. Because of their circumstance, many of them have a sense of worthlessness that must be replaced with belief in their true potential. The future of Namibia lies locked in the endless imagination and perseverance of the youth. I regard our children as the single greatest resource we have. A country is nothing without its people," added Richard Hoff
Of the 100 children, a few have struggled to pass secondary level education and Pascal aims to provide them with a trade by opening a bakery. This initiative will be supported by Richard Hoff who includes the Shalom Centre in his Be Local Cultural Tours, thus facilitating the contribution of tourism to the local community. Should you wish to contribute toward this worthy cause please e-mail [email protected] or telephone Richard Hoff on +264 61 241782
- A comment on the recent wonderful rains. The rainy season in Namibia typically falls within the boundaries of summer, from November to March, in the main. In such a semi-desert land there are, of course, exceptions to this broad statement, especially in the most arid westerly areas of the Namib Desert. Any rainfall there would normally be expected later, after the principal rains elsewhere. But here, in a desert presumed to be the oldest on the planet, annual deliveries might range from literally zero to only 100mm. Imagine, then, at Sossusvlei, centre stage of some of the highest, most magnificent dunelands on earth where some slopes steeple maybe 300m towards the heavens, that the pan beneath and amongst these dunes is suddenly filled with water, bringing life and a verdant sheen to an expanse of normally cracked and lifeless clay soil. A lake in the desert, a sight to behold - but perhaps only a few times, at most, in a century of life. A place where nearby forlorn and desiccated acacia trees bear witness to hundreds of years of drought, a land where both flora and fauna have adapted to a virtually waterless existence.
All over Namibia, exceptional, vital and prolonged good rains have brought life to the landscape, hope to its inhabitants. Rare lilies burst forth on dehydrated farmlands near Maltahöhe in the south, bringing visitors thousands of kilometres to view another once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. Dams are filled, exceptionally, to perhaps overflowing levels, ephemeral rivers suddenly roar with abundant, albeit brief cascades of water. In some parts, notably the maize triangle encompassed by the agricultural towns of Grootfontein, Tsumeb and Otavi in the north, the quantity of precipitation threatens to actually damage crop prospects. In nearby Etosha, famed as one of the most profuse wildlife game reserves in Africa, waterholes usually visited by creatures all and sundry and a fascinated watching public, are made redundant by plentiful water simply lying in its vast expanses, with animals nowhere to be seen from the public access roads. Desert adapted elephant, black rhino and giraffe in the stunning Damaraland and Kaokoveld areas of the north western Kunene region will be sated by such short lived water courses too, bringing respite from their constant search for moisture. Birth rates will soar in wildlife populations by dint of the fine forage so unusually plentiful. And commercial livestock farmers will reap these same rewards too. So fresh life is brought all over, new generations who will benefit now from less demanding beginnings, but who will know all the same that such wonderful waters may not perhaps be plentiful in times to come. For whilst virtually the whole country has been turned into a lush green pastureland wonderful to behold, remember that soon these astonishing grasslands will be scorched yellow by the relentless heat of a broiling sun. For this is Namibia.
Business Affairs
- Leading Lodges of Africa issued the following press release, through Werner Beddies, their Chief Executive Officer, on 24th March 2006: "It is with pleasure that we wish to inform you that the building and reconstruction of Suclabo Okavango Lodge will commence on 1 July 2006, with the completion date being 1 March 2007. The reconstruction of Suclabo Okavango Lodge was vital since the existing buildings are dilapidated and in dire need of replacement. Accordingly, for the past few months, Leading Lodges of Africa have been working actively on the plans and designs of the new Lodge. The new Lodge, which will be named Divava Okavango Lodge and Spa will consist of 25 luxury chalets, a restaurant, bar, lounge and fully equipped Wellness Centre - all offering an exquisite view over the Okavango River. Due to the construction work, the existing Lodge has to be closed down as from 1 July 2006. Leading Lodges of Africa undertakes to assist you in finding alternative accommodation for all existing and confirmed reservations."
- Following the success of Network Namibia 2005, the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) and Air Namibia recently offered a further exciting opportunity to those in the industry here to network with invited UK operators. This Network Namibia 2006 event took place in London at the end of April. UK tour operators were able to attend scheduled 'networking' appointments where they exchanged information with their Namibian counterparts, thus getting to know each other's business through these new opportunities and contacts. There were up to 15 such appointment slots arranged during the day, with a one-hour lunch hosted in between, all at a spacious venue inside the Holiday Inn Kensington. The attendance of Namibian tourism companies at the event was heavily subsidised by the NTB and Air Namibia.
- ReitSafari Horse Trails, in operation for 15 years now, offer their world famous Namib Desert Trail - 400 km in 9 days on horseback from the central highlands via the escarpment into the semi-desert, past the Kuiseb canyon, across Tinkas, Tumos and the Welwitschia plains, into the Moon Landscape and finally onto to the Atlantic Ocean. Owner/operator Waldi Fritzsche sent Travelogue this overview of her forthcoming season: "Absolutely fantastic trails, true ecotourism and a very natural way of being in nature. Every trail is a massive logistical operation with some 7000 litres of water needed, 100 bales of hay, 1 to 2 tons of horse food, 1 ton of fire wood, 25 crates of drinks etc; everything for up to 20 horses and 21 people (max 15 riders and 6 crew) during 9 days in the bundus and desert, all having to be taken along since we shift camp daily. International trail riders are aware of the Namib Desert Trail just as mountaineers know the great peaks. In our case, our beautiful country speaks for itself." The desert trails will run in April, June, July, August, September, and October. There will be a Damaraland-Skeleton-Coast trip in May and also a charity funding trail in late August. Contact Waldi on +264 61 250764 or [email protected]
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