August 3, 2016

A quantity and quality birding area par excellence

People often ask what our favourite birding spot is. I would rate the Bwabwata National Park situated along the Kwando River in the Zambezi Region among the top birding spots in Namibia, probably in the same league as Mahango and Impalila Island. After each birding trip we do our usual ‘saw’ list, and after Bwabwata we soon realised that, as far as birding is concerned, the park is a quantity and quality birding area par excellence. After 40 odd years as a bird-watcher and still seeing new bird species in a place I’ve visited regularly, is truly exceptional.
Do you like it?
0 Read more
August 4, 2016

Visiting a Peace Park

Peace Parks was the term coined by the World Conservation Union in the 1980s to describe a trans-frontier conservation area, a region that embraces the land of more than one nation, unifying fragmented ecological habitats and promoting environmental and political stability. The Peace Parks concept has been described as “A vision of peace for the subcontinent that sees the recreation of ancient wildlife paths, the unity of ecological and cultural territories and the sustainable development of rural areas.”
Do you like it?
0 Read more
August 5, 2016

The Namibian Riviera

It’s hard to believe that more than five centuries ago Portuguese sailors caught sight of the empty sands of Namibia's coast and sailed away, never to return. Today visiting Europeans, who can’t find a single metre of beach at home that is not occupied by an oiled compatriot baking under a beach umbrella, will think they are either time travelling, already in heaven… or holidaying on Namibia's Atlantic coast.
Do you like it?
0 Read more
August 9, 2016

Etosha – Creatures great and small

Among the most often-asked questions by visitors to the Etosha National Park are “Where are the lions?” and “Where are the elephants?”. These awesome animals are understandably on the wish list of every tourist. However, Etosha boasts a daunting array of other creatures that pose a challenge for the discerning sightseer.
Do you like it?
0 Read more
August 11, 2016

Tangled up in blue – Kingfishers of Namibia

There are 90 species of kingfishers in the world, ranging in size from the large Australian Kookaburras, weighing nearly half a kilogram, to the minuscule African Dwarf Kingfisher, which weighs only nine grams, and our own African Pygmy Kingfisher tipping the scales at only 14 grams. Nine of a possible 16 kingfishers occurring in Africa are found in Namibia.
Do you like it?
0 Read more
August 12, 2016

O&L Energy introduces invader bush as the future of energy in Namibia

The Minister of Agriculture, Water & Forestry (MAWF), John Mutorwa visited the Teufelsbach farm on Wednesday, 10 August, on invitation of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group’s subsidiaries, Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL) and Organic Energy Solutions. The Minister was officially introduced to O&L Energy’s latest innovation that converts invader bush to energy.
Do you like it?
0 Read more
August 15, 2016

Wild horses – Their survival remains a treasured mystery

Wild horses? In Africa? Everyone thinks of encountering lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo. But it’s true; there are also wild horses. How these magnificent animals came to be in Namibia and how they survive the hot, dry, hostile climate has all the ingredients of a myth. But their legend hasn’t grown through generations of tale telling. It has many beginnings, each arriving at one perfect end.
Do you like it?
0 Read more
August 16, 2016

Following gold at the Spitzkoppe

Perhaps I was already charmed when I turned off the B2 towards Henties Bay and stopped at the beginning of the gravel road. Tables of semi-precious stones lined the way, gleaming with green and black tourmaline, chunky smoky quartz and rounded red garnets. In the distance the Spitzkoppe was competing with the glaring Namibian sun for visibility.
Do you like it?
0 Read more
August 17, 2016

Namib – Secrets of a desert uncovered

The Namib Desert – an ancient landscape with a long human history and an array of bizarre plant and animal adaptations – is Namibia’s invaluable west-coast asset. Nestled in the middle of this coastal strip is the Namib-Naukluft Park, poised to become, in its second hundred years, the centrepiece of a protected area extending from South Africa to Angola. A more effective configuration for sustainable development of Namibia’s desert lands is hard to imagine.
Do you like it?
0 Read more
August 18, 2016

Of kings and palaces

Worlds apart from European palaces, Uukwaluudhi Royal Homestead in Tsandi, north-central Namibia, is an African-style palace. The former home of King Josia Shikongo Taapopi is a typical Owambo homestead, surrounded by a mopane-pole palisade with various huts located inside. Because of its royal inhabitants, however, it is enlarged to accommodate the king, his family and guests, his ombala (palace) reflecting his wealth and position in the community.
Do you like it?
0 Read more
August 30, 2016

Get your ducks in a row – Birding with Pompie

Of all the bird species this is probably the one that even the most novice bird watcher can identify. Firstly, the type of species that you are looking at is a goose/duck/teal, and secondly, to differentiate between the various species is rather easy. To say that for me it is not a problem to identify them might sound a bit blasé after 35 years of birding, so I would rather say even my son Ian can make the correct diagnoses. Going into the gory detail about their habitat in and around water, it is not rocket science that they have a funny looking flat bill and funny looking webbed feet.
Do you like it?
0 Read more
1...9394959697...131