December 2016 should see the popular tourist destination, Spitzkoppe, offering guests brand new accommodation. A modern inn with 15 chalets and a main building will be constructed.

There aren’t many things that beat that feeling of unzipping your tent at the first cry of a rock dassie and emerging to the sight of pink-tinged skies and trees atwitter with sounds emanating from a buzzing settlement of sociable weavers. Of course, dozing off next to the campfire while counting shooting stars comes pretty close.

My ten-day safari around Namibia had reached the northern regions and we now veered west to the drier parts of the country. Days of desert dreaming were before us. Strangers from various continents, we had now become a group of travellers on the same wonder-filled adventure.

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 dare to go to Namibia on your own? Absolutely!

through the desert on horseback

The land of space and soul - and a big blue sky that reaches to eternity - is also the place to stretch the imagination and embrace a more colourful, richer world. Off the beaten track, a bit of exploration – and imagination - often reveals intriguing phenomena that are not widely known. And, although it’s hard to beat towering sand dunes and the sculptural mastery of the second largest canyon in the world, there are many enchanting and delightful jewels to be found along the way.

The fresh breeze of the last century has put this small town on the map for its annual Artist Trail, its fresh produce grown along the seasonal Omaruru River and its wine, chocolate and cheese. A sunny day en route to the coast provided the perfect opportunity to veer off the main road, drive the extra 60 km and discover, explore... and taste.

An unexpected treasure is lovingly nurtured amidst the red dunes of Sossusvlei and the rolling bushveld of the Kalahari. In small vineyards hidden across the countryside, Namibia’s dry and rugged beauty is instilled in the aroma of wines that few people even know exist.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Text and photographs Helge Denker A SPECTACULAR CONSERVANCY SIDE-TRACK [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] he dictum of Conservancy Side-Tracks is ‘finding the real’: real people, real places and real wildlife […]

It was late on a Friday evening that I decided I had to see it. This was no whimsical decision, but an honest desire to see the place that for a period was, and could have become, the future capital of Namibia.

As I walk among the burnt sienna rock slabs at Twyfelfontein, contemplating the meaning of the hunter-gatherer engravings etched so many thousands of years ago, my guide answers my roving thoughts with a philosophical "Only our ancestors know."

In light of recent incidents of human-wildlife conflict in the country the organisation Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA) has shared some tips for those that will be visiting the Ugab River area, that live in the area or that may encounter the desert elephants.