March 28, 2024
Iga Motylska believes that the best way to connect with Namibia’s natural beauty is by stepping out of the car, running your hand through the sand, searching for the small things, tuning into nature’s alarm clock, and travelling responsibly with a light ecological footprint.
March 21, 2024
The traveller, the seeker, the journeyer. These are travellers who are curious. They go slow, stopping every so often to take in the views. Those who are interested in what they might find along the way. The ones who believe in the odyssey, the eventful or adventurous journey.
March 21, 2024
It’s mid-December and summer is in full swing. Windhoek is rapidly being drained of life as most people start the great yearly migration to the coast to escape the heat. As vehicles overloaded with children, pets and beach toys trek west, we head northeast to the Zambezi Region.
March 5, 2024
On the edge of the Namib Desert, at the gateway to Sossusvlei, lies the village of Maltahöhe. Founded in 1899 and once a hub for tourism, Maltahöhe has been on a steady decline for a number of decades. As it became more dilapidated, this small southern community saw an exodus of businesspeople and a massive spike in unemployment. What had been a welcome stopover was now a place that visitors would rather pass through in a hurry. But this was in the past, and today Maltahöhe is on track to become a thriving desert-based economy thanks to an exciting community revitalisation project called RuralRevive.
March 3, 2024
Some call this the land of milk and honey, others name it the land of endless horizons. Namibia is also fondly known as the land of the brave, or the smile on the face of Africa. Many titles have been attributed to this country by locals and visitors alike, and as a local myself, I’ll biasedly say they’re all true. But if only one word were available to do justice to this beautiful place, it would have to be “unique”.
March 1, 2024
Making mindful travel choices helps us to slow down and appreciate the finer details of what is going on around us. This can have a positive effect on our carbon footprint and the environment, whilst supporting local markets and people. We have created a list of a few of the mindful, conscious or environmentally friendly places you can visit on your trip to the coastal town of Swakopmund.
January 21, 2024
It’s just another bright and balmy beach day. Salty, clammy breezes caress your skin. Soft and grainy sand trickles through your toes. The air is plump with sunlit rays and the water sparkling with hues of blue. With full hearts and hands holding… an ice cream!
January 21, 2024
Driving down Willemien Street in Windhoek’s Ludwigsdorf suburb you will notice an old graveyard with an impressive mausoleum that might seem a bit out of place among the high-walled modern houses. The graveyard is the last resting place of John Ludwig, one of the colonial pioneers, after whom this luxury suburb is named.
January 21, 2024
Beach holidays on our coastline look a little different. The Skeleton Coast did not earn its name for being a sunny swimmers’ haven. It is called that way for being majestically moody and predominantly overcast, with the cold Benguela Current ruling the restless waters. Sure, the sun comes out and the wind takes a break every so often, but loving our coast includes indulging in its almost constant cooler weather. Going for beach walks here means wearing a sweater and sensing how the baby hairs around your face curl from the crisp moisture. It is a different kind of Namibia from the dry interior, a welcome respite and utterly magical in its own right.
January 21, 2024
“Never again!” That seems to be the solemn pledge after a five-day stint of hiking the Fish River Canyon. That’s what Eric McLaren thought to himself upon completing the extraordinarily challenging Fish River for the first time. For me, this was the prevailing thought that occupied my thinking as I attempted to focus on “just one more step and then another”.
January 21, 2024
The juxtaposition of Namibia’s landscapes continues to leave me speechless. The northwest, characterised by rocky flat-top and pointy mountains cascading into valleys and then rivers. The deep south, where standing on a hilltop has you overlooking endless stretches of deserted plains. Our coastline, misty and magical, where gemsbok occasionally stroll on the beach. The fingertip of the Caprivi, lined by wondrous waterways, lush greenery and punctuated by rural villages.
January 21, 2024
Even in the land of sand and freedom, time is a precious commodity and these days it is more limited and precious than ever before. Lately, we have found ourselves with little time to enjoy the land and the environment, and even less to sleep out.
January 21, 2024
I love places with history and with people who have grown in it. I found such delights during a recent stay at Brigadoon Boutique Guesthouse in the heart of Swakopmund, Namibia’s coastal holiday metropolis. This well-known boutique guesthouse is now part of Ondili Lodges and Activities, a proudly Namibian company which implements its vision of sustainability and low carbon footprints through its range of low-impact, environmentally friendly establishments.
January 17, 2024
I hear the familiar crunch of my hiking boots on the sand as the sun peeks from the granite koppies behind Madisa Camp. It is the start of a four- day slackpack hike. The first two days will take us down into the Ugab River, and on the other two we will follow the bends of the river course as we make our way upstream. It is the land of desert-adapted elephants, magical landscapes and Brandberg Mountain. Exploring this area on foot is a new experience for me – and I am savouring it.
January 17, 2024
Bumpy roads often lead to the best destinations, especially when accompanied by dense bushveld all around and the sight of a baobab in the distance, protruding far above the treeline. This particular jeep track veers deep into the Nyae Nyae conservancy of Namibia’s northeast and leads us to a crescent koppie – in the nape of its bend a quintessential Bushmanland baobab – for the inauguration of the research base camp of the Pangolin Conservation and Research Foundation (PCRF).