Brandberg, Dâures or Omukuruvaro is what the granite inselberg and highest mountain in Namibia is called by the locals who live around it today. It quite literally means “burning mountain”.
Situated some 10 kilometres west of Omaruru and roughly a two-hour drive from Windhoek, Erongo Wild invites guests to become absorbed by the natural beauty of the Erongo Mountains. It is a place brimming with life, which is evident as soon as you arrive. You are immediately surrounded by the calls of White-browed Sparrow-weavers, African Red-eyed Bulbul and a chorus of Rosy-faced Lovebirds – sounds that will become synonymous with Erongo Wild.
Towering over the desert landscape, anyone who has explored the area can attest that the Brandberg is an icon of Damaraland. The mountain holds the mythical secrets of the people who lived here many centuries ago, secrets preserved in their rock art and remains of their dwellings. It serves as a beacon to travellers, the more than 2500 metre Königsstein peak is visible from far away.
Hygge and wabi-sabi. These two foreign lifestyle and design philosophies come to mind at Desert Breeze Lodge. Perched on granite boulders bordering the Swakop River, overlooking dunes of the Namib Sand Sea’s proverbial beach-break with cosy comfort and quirky style, this lodge is completely unique to Swakopmund’s accommodation offerings, and arguably one of the most interesting in the country.
A treasure well-known by Namibians looking for a special getaway or event location, Namibgrens is a generational working farm that boasts superb accommodation options built into giant granite boulders. What many do not know about Namibgrens: this destination is a gastronomic delight, a feature becoming more popular in travel choices considering that what we often remember most after travelling is the food we ate.
I love rock formations. Perhaps inherited from or spurred on by my mother, who would pick up pebbles and stones wherever we went on family trips through Namibia. From an early age, I was encouraged to peer tentatively at the ground or marvel at mountains. High school geography wasn't all it cracked up to be, I didn’t become a geologist. Every road would have led me to this eventuality, writing a love letter to Damaraland and her rocks.
Damaraland is a place of contrasts - the harshness of the Namib Desert softened by the resilience of life. Desert-adapted elephants roam the dry riverbeds, their wrinkled hides reflecting the sun’s intensity. Gemsbok and springbok move gracefully, their survival strategies honed by generations and seemingly unaffected by the desert climate.
Peace, tranquillity, absolute silence and wide-open spaces are becoming increasingly rare commodities. If there is one place in Namibia where you can enjoy all of this, it is Wüstenquell Lodge, which is open to visitors again after it was closed for many years.
Those who often venture across Namibia’s varied landscapes will agree that roadside stalls selling curios are predominantly run by women. From a distance you can see the colourful dresses of Herero women as they wave at passers-by. Himba women in their striking traditional attire employ the same income-generating strategy of selling crafts, and so do the Damara and Nama ladies with their bright smiles. Namibian women are the backbone of our artisanal crafts industry, and yet when it comes to locally run accommodation ventures, only seldom do you see a woman in the lead role.