August 22, 2016
These master builders live in northern Namibia from Rundu in the west to the Zambezi Region in the east around marshes, rivers and dams with thick grass and reed beds and papyrus (Cyperus papyrus).
Stories
Travel News Namibia, your gateway to captivating narratives that transport you to the heart of Namibia’s enchanting landscapes, vibrant cultures, and awe-inspiring adventures. Here, we invite you to embark on a journey through the written word, where each article is a window into the soul of this extraordinary land. From tales of intrepid explorations across the vast deserts to encounters with the diverse wildlife that calls Namibia home, our stories are a celebration of the country’s natural wonders and the people who make it come alive.
August 19, 2016
Do you dare to go to Namibia on your own? Absolutely!
August 18, 2016
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.
August 17, 2016
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.
August 16, 2016
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.
August 15, 2016
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.
August 12, 2016
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.
August 11, 2016
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.
August 10, 2016
“You’re going where?” I heard whilst fiddling with my corseted dress and battling the onset of nerves. Our registrar seemed both surprised and quietly impressed when I told him our destination for our honeymoon, which was fast approaching.
August 10, 2016
What's cooking? Life on a Table recipe #51 - Quick scones
August 9, 2016
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.
August 8, 2016
The Namib-Naukluft Park was established in 1907, simultaneously with the Etosha National Park. In celebrating more than a century of existence we explore the treasures encountered in the park.
August 5, 2016
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.
August 4, 2016
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.”
August 3, 2016
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.
August 2, 2016
Tall, elegant trees with long, fan-shaped leaves armed with sharp, black thorns – this is the makalani palm, Hyphaene petersiana, found throughout northern Namibia. With male and female flowers borne on separate trees, makalani palms produce a very hard nut – the dark-brown skin covering an ivory-coloured kernel – referred to as ‘vegetable ivory’.
August 1, 2016
On a frosty winter morning there is no wind over the Khomas Hochland in central Namibia. Rising over 2 000 metres into the atmosphere, this plateau was elevated hundreds of millions of years ago during the turbulent birth of Africa. Today, with its deeply incised valleys, it is where the wind of the day gains its strength.
July 29, 2016
It was 1971 and the Great White Pelican was determined to breed. Propitious rains had fallen across many parts of the country, changing the Etosha Pan from a desiccated, saline desert into a vast, ephemeral but shallow lagoon.
July 28, 2016
Ever imagine finding a fortune? Most of us do. Some scour car-boot sales hoping to find a Rembrandt painting tossed aside as a worthless daub, others dream of a long-lost uncle leaving them an inheritance of millions. All over the world people clutch their lottery tickets expectantly in the hope that a matching series of numbers will open the door to a world of wealth and wonder.
July 26, 2016
Once you’re in Lüderitz, please don’t become too carried away by the beautiful Art Nouveau and German-Imperial style buildings, because then you’ll definitely run out of time. Our trip along the peninsula south of Lüderitz proved to be most fruitful, with our first sighting being a lonely Greater Flamingo wading along the edge of the Radford Bay lagoon.