Page 31 - Gondwana Collection Namibia Value Creation Report 2021
P. 31
The Kaokoland experience
OUR MARKET IN 2021 Kaokoland runs from the Hoanib river to the Kunene River Kaokoland aokoland
K
e
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
e
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
e
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,
e
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
e
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
S
ak
w
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
e
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
e
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
e
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
A
e
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
e
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