Omandumba – In the impressive Erongo Mountains
July 26, 2012Bird’s-eye view – Long-tailed paradise-whydah
July 26, 2012
by Ron Swilling
Rössmund Lodge is one of those surprises you happen on when you veer off the main route. Six kilometres before Swakopmund along the B2, Rössmund offers a peaceful out-of-town setting – half golf course, half desert.
Clad in white stone, the 21 chalets offer attractive accommodation a short drive from the quirky desert town. Fourteen of the chalets surround a large, rock swimming pool and garden of green grass, and the other seven border the golf course and have views of the driving range.
The central area has a reception and bar area, lounge and breakfast room. Palm trees adorn the grounds, and the combination of white stone, palms and the green of the Rössmund golf course extends out into the Namib Desert, creating an unusual and pleasant atmosphere. Springbok can often be seen nibbling on the green grass of the golf course.
The Palm Tree Terrace, overlooking the golf course and fringed with pink bougainvillaea, is an appealing place to sit and while away the afternoon. Twice a month, the lodge is open to visitors for a scrumptious Sunday brunch on the terrace.
A full English breakfast and a selection of lunch dishes, desserts and cakes is served. This makes an exciting outing for both young and old on a lazy Sunday morning and offers an opportunity to escape from the persistent Swakopmund mist.
Palm-tree and golf-course setting
All the chalets have a small veranda, fireplace, minibar and television with a bouquet of DStv channels, while two VIP chalets have an additional living area. Wi-Fi Internet is available in all the rooms. An on-site hairdresser is an added bonus when staying at the lodge, and a further drawcard when breaking from town to enjoy tea under the palms.
A quiet retreat, Rössmund is popular with business people and families and is suitable for individual travellers or tour groups.
It is an ideal setting for a function, be it a wedding or a spitbraai. Marquee tents can be erected around the central green heart of the lodge or the Palm Tree Terrace for weddings of up to 140 people.
The lodge provides all the equipment for an elegant celebration, including a dance floor, bar and tables bedecked in white. The clubhouse for the adjacent Rössmund Golf Course has a fully-equipped conference facility that accommodates 50 participants, who can return to the lodge for lunches and evenings of relaxation.
Golf clubs are provided for golf enthusiasts who have the opportunity to play at the Rössmund Golf Course, one of the five desert golf courses in the world. Grey water is used to keep the grass a sprightly green.
Restaurant now top of the range
Niels Salomon, returning from overseas with extensive culinary and organisational expertise, took over management of Rössmund Lodge in September 2010.
Excited about the potential of the lodge, he has brought in his skills and energy, and has begun to make changes, upgrading the rooms, kitchen and restaurant, and personalising the service.
He uses his 15 years of experience as an international chef on cruiseliners and exclusive yachts when catering for functions and has introduced a new à-la-carte menu with a selection of meat, game and fish dishes, offering daily specials and delectable desserts.
He tries to keep dishes essentially Namibian, using food as fresh as possible and sourcing products from the area, such as asparagus, olives and greens. The restaurant is open to visitors for dinner, if booked in advance, and cakes and coffee are available in the afternoons, every day of the week.
The 10-minute drive out of the bustle of Swakopmund makes Rössmund Lodge a good place for a function, and an easy accommodation alternative to staying in town, with the palm-tree and golf-course setting providing an additional (and relaxed) experience to a visit of the old German town.
This article appeared in the April/ May 2011 edition of Travel News Namibia.
All photo's courtesy of Rossmund Lodge.
