Page 30 - Gondwana Collection Namibia Value Creation Report 2021
P. 30

The Kaokoland experience
    OUR MARKET IN 2021                                   Kaokoland runs from the Hoanib river to the Kunene River                   Kaokoland aokoland
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                                                        on the border of Angola. The Kunene’s source is in the                      experiencexperience                                                                                                           The Zambezi experience                                                   The Kalahari experience
                                                       Angolan highlands and tumbles down rapids and waterfalls
                                                      through to the gorge at Epupa-Falls. This area gives the                                                       OkavongoOkavongo                         ZambeziZambezi                                       The Zambezi Region, known as the Caprivi Region until                    The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid
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                                                                                                                                                                                                              experiencexperience
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    2013, is located in the extreme north- east of the country.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            sandy savannah in southern Africa,
            NAMIBIA                                 makalani palms, desert-adapted elephant, gemsbok, springbok,                                                     experiencexperience                                                                            The region is a tropical area, with high temperatures                   extending for 900 000 square kilometres
                                                      remote a new meaning with beautiful night skies and the
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                                                     desert for company. Plant and animal life includes baobabs,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    and rainfall during the December-to-March rainy
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            and covering much of Botswana and parts
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    season, making it the wettest part of Namibia. The
            DELIGHTS                                ostrich and giraffe. The area is home to various Himba tribes.                                                                                                                                                  woodland. This region is home to the Bwabwata National                  south-east of Namibia, yellow grass and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            of Namibia and South Africa. Here, in the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    terrain is made up of swamps, floodplains, wetlands and
                                                   Gondwana’s Omarunga Epupa-Falls Camp, next to the Kunene
                                                  River, is 200 metres upstream from the Falls.                                                                                                                                                                    Park and two smaller parks – the Mudumu and Nkasa                       green acacias contrast with the deep orange
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Rupara – along the Kwando waterway.                                     and azure sky. The landscape is home to
                                                                                                                                                       Etosha  Etosha                                                                                                                                                                   gemsbok, springbok, ostrich, black-backed jackal,
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            We showcase the beauty of Namibia through a                                                                               Damaraland Damaraland   experiencexperience                                                                               An example of coexistence, stewardship, and synergy, the region is known   the kori bustard and colonies of social weavers.
                                                                                                                                      experiencexperience                                                                                                       as an example of coexistence between man and nature. Signs warning about the
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            range of luxurious and rugged experiences                                                                                                                                                                                                           presence of elephants are dotted throughout the region.          Gondwana’s Kalahari Farmhouse, near Stampriet is used
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Our accommodation options in the region are located on the banks of the   as a facility for the Gondwana Hospitality Training and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Kwando River and the Zambezi and on the flood plains of the Chobe River.  Leadership Academy and to our SSC that supplies fresh
            Our locations are ideally situated   The Damaraland experience                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       produce and meat for our lodges.
            near Namibia’s top tourist attractions
            and places of interest. We invite   Damaraland’s savannah is known for its granite domes, table-                                                                                                                              The Etosha experience
            guests to experience our rich culture,   topped mountains and clear rivers. The landscape transforms                                                                                                                      The Owambo people call Etosha National Park in northern Namibia the ‘great white place’ due to its   The Fish River Canyon
            breath-taking landscapes and       from red stone in summers to lush grassland after the rains.                     Swakopmund opmund                                                                                    large salt pan. The 22 912km2 national park is home to 114 mammal species, including elephant, zebra,   experience
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                                                  The Palmwag Concession is a large conservation area with
            abundant wildlife.                         stunning scenery. Travellers spot rhino, lion and                        experiencexperience                                                                                 giraffe and wildebeest, rare black rhino and the endemic, black-faced impala. The vegetation varies
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                                                          desert-adapted elephants along the Uniab River.                                                                                                                          from thorn bush to woodland savannah, makalani palms and ‘phantom’ moringa trees.                           This is where
            The Aus Mountain                               This savannah is home to the Damara people.                                                                                                                         Our accommodation offerings are situated within easy driving distance of Andersson’s Gate in the south
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        and the King Nehale Gate in the park’s north. The Etosha experience is home to Etosha King Nehale, which opened in
            experience                                       To the east, Twyfelfontein is a site of ancient                                                                                                            2020, and pays homage to unique Owambo people and provides private access to a secluded waterhole in the park.         Gondwana’s
            The Aus Mountains are                             rock engravings that hunter-gatherers and later                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  story began.
            located towards the                               Khoikhoi herders used as a place of worship. At                          Namib  Namib
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            south-west of Namibia.                             least 2 500 rock carvings and several rock paintings                    experiencexperience                Kalahari Kalahari
            Here the desert sand                               can be viewed here. Twyfelfontein is renowned as Namibia’s                                                 experiencexperience                                      The Okavango experience                                                                                  The Fish River Canyon is the second-largest
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            merges with the                                   first World Heritage Site. The United Nations Educational, Scientific                                                                                                 Originating in the Bié Plateau in Angola, the Okavango River is the fourth-largest river system in    canyon worldwide after the Grand Canyon
            bleached grass of the                             and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) granted this approval in 2007.                                                                                                      southern Africa. The rivers enter north-eastern Namibia in the Kavango region, forming the border   in the US. With the separation of the continent
            Pro-Namib.                                       Gondwana’s accommodation includes the Damara Mopane Lodge                                                                                                                between Angola and Namibia.                                                                Gondwana, about 120 million years ago, the African
            This area is famous for its wild                and Palmwag Lodge and Camp, with Camping2Go and Campsite.                                                                                                                 The Okavango Delta, the largest delta in the world, provides a world of water in the desert. This creates   continent lifted, increasing the gradient of the Fish River,
            horses, which roam freely in                                                                                                                                                                                              an oasis with crystal lagoons and channels, reeded islands and fertile floodplains. The delta is home to   allowing it to erode even deeper into the rock. Today, the
            and out of the restricted diamond        The Namib experience                                                                                                                                                             breeding elephant herds, giraffe, wild dog, tiger fish and incredible bird life.           deepest point of the canyon is 549 metres deep.
            zone. Nobody knows exactly where the
            wild horses originated from. The ‘Namibs’, as the wild   No trip to Namibia is complete without time spent in the Namib Desert. The name                                                                                 Located 16km from the bustle of Rundu lies Hakusembe River Lodge and campsite – ideally situated   The Fish River originates in the Naukluft Mountains,
            horses are called, hold a powerful fascination. Guests   Namib is of Khoekhoegowab origin and means ‘vast place’. The Namib stretches for    Aus Mountain us Mountain                                                   on the scenic southern bank of the Okavango River.                                           flowing over waterfalls and plunging into the Fish
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            can observe the horses drink from the trough at Garub,   more than 2 000 kilometres along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia, and        experiencexperience                                                                                                                                                     River Canyon on its way to the gorge at Ai-Ais and
            some 20km west of Aus.                      South Africa, extending southward from the Carunjamba River in Angola, through                                                                                                                                                                                           the Orange River in the south. This forms part of the
                                                         Namibia to the Olifants River in Western Cape, South Africa. The central Namib Sand
            En route to Lüderitz and the coast, the abandoned    Sea, next to the Gondwana Namib Collection, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage                    Fish River Canyon er Canyon                                                                                                                                 Ais-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park.
                                                                                                                                                                           Fish Riv
            town of Kolmanskop attracts tourists by the thousands.   Site in 2013. The Namib Desert is home to many plants and animals that have learnt              experiencexperience                     Discover the world of Owambo                                                                                        Gondwana offers various Slackpacking packages for
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            The sand-filled buildings of the former diamond mine            to survive over thousands of years.                                                                                              There is very little written about the central north of Namibia, the land of the
            town delight photographers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          hiking adventures in the northern reaches of the iconic
                                                                                Sossusvlei is a well-known attraction. This large salt and                                                                   Aawambo. In 2020, Gondwana published the book Discover the colourful                                                Fish River Canyon.
            Gondwana’s range of accommodation, known for extensive                clay pan is enclosed by some of the world’s highest                                                                        world of Owambo by Willie Olivier, a detailed guidebook offering wonderful
            vistas, is part of a marketing agreement with the owners.              dunes. Photography enthusiasts rave about the                                                                             insight into the Oshiwambo culture.                                                                                 Our variety of accommodation is in the Gondwana
                                                                                    striking images in the morning and evening light.                                                                                                                                                                                            Canyon Park, close to the canyon’s viewpoints and
            The Swakopmund experience                                               Deadvlei is close to Sossusvlei, a clay pan with dark,                                                                   Having worked as a journalist in Owambo in the 1980s and 1990s, Olivier                                             hiking trails.
                                                                                    dead camelthorn trees contrasted against the white                                                                       became fascinated by the people, their culture, the landscape, and their
            Swakopmund lies in the west between the dunes of the                    pan floor. These trees are about 900 years old and                                                                       historical and cultural sites. The book explores the region’s history and
            Namib Desert and the Atlantic Ocean. This laidback town                 have been preserved by the dry climate.                                                                                  how it is interwoven with Finnish mission stations. Serving as a guide and
            has charm by the bucketload with its colonial architecture,                                                                                                                                      handbook, it offers several routes to explore the region and towns. Other
            oceanfront promenades, historical sights, cosy guesthouses,              Gondwana’s accommodation is next to the largest                                                                         topics include annual festivals, traditional dress, diet, and delicacies like
            and excellent restaurants and beer houses where you can                    conservation area in Africa, the Namib-Naukluft National
            sample traditional German food and beer.                                     Park, at the foot of ancient, fossilised dunes.                                                                     mopane worms and bullfrogs.                                                                                          See the back of this report for details of
            Our hotel, The Delight, is centrally located within walking distance                                                                                                                             This book is available at all Gondwana curio shops across the country or online at The Narrative Namibia.            Gondwana’s accommodation options at each
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  experience or visit
            of many attractions.                                                                                                                                                                             https://narrativenamibia.com/collections/books-cds?view=no-usf                                                       https://gondwana-collection.com/#Experiences
       26    VALUE CREATION REPORT 2021                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        GONDWANA COLLECTION NAMIBIA     27
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