NAMIBIA: Desert Grace Lodge To Open In The Namib Desert, November 2018

Gondwana Collection’s new lodge, the Desert Grace, in the Namib Desert in Namibia, will open its doors this November.

Accommodation comprises 24 en-suite bungalows, each with its own plunge pool on the verandah; fridge; safe; and tea/coffee facilities.

The bungalows are split between Desert Grace family rooms, accommodating four people, and Desert Grace twin rooms, which sleep two.

Facilities include air-conditioning, secure parking, a restaurant and bar, as well as free WiFi at the reception area.

Children up to the age of five are free of charge, and children between the ages of six and 13 years are charged 50% of the B&B rate.

Activities include dune drives around the Gondwana Namib Park, and walking trails.

Treat yourself to desert elegance and an extra touch of grace!

Graceful spaces and gracious hospitality imbue this modern lodge with its elegance of yesteryear, spirited character and refreshingly stylish interior.

Sip on a pink gin while appreciating the expansive desert scenery from one of the 24 bungalows, each with its own plunge pool.

Outdoors, ancient golden desert; indoors, pure love.

Facilities

- Air Conditioning / Heating

- Restaurant

- Bar

- Free Wi-Fi at the Reception Area

- En-suite bathrooms, showers

- Fridge

- Safe

- Tea / Coffee Facilities

- Secure parking

- Veranda with private splash pool

Child Policy

- Children are most welcome at all our venues.

- Children up to 5 years old are free of charge;

- Children between the age of 6 and 13 years there is a charge of 50 per cent of the B&B rate.

Dune Drive

- Discover the fossilised dunes, the red dunes above the plateau and the many other wonders of the Namib Desert on this drive around the Gondwana Namib Park.

- Walking Trails

- Experience the Namib Desert on foot.

Desert Grace Family Rooms

Graceful spaces and gracious hospitality imbue this modern lodge with its elegance of yesteryear, spirited character and refreshingly stylish interior.

Desert Grace Twin Rooms

Graceful spaces and gracious hospitality imbue this modern lodge with its elegance of yesteryear, spirited character and refreshingly stylish interior.

Bookings are already open.



Tourism Observer

NAMIBIA: Wilderness Safaris To Rebuild Serra Cafema Camp

Wilderness Safaris’ will be rebuilding their Serra Cafema camp, in the North-West of Namibia, in Hartmann’s Valley, overlooking Kunene River.

“We are thrilled to be rebuilding this iconic camp in the first half of 2018, where we’ll be maintaining the same footprint on its current island location nestled amongst shady albida trees,” said Mike Wassung, Wilderness Safaris’ Namibia MD.

The camp will be closed from January 15 to June 15 2018, with a proposed opening date of June 16, 2018.

The new Serra Cafema camp will be completely solar powered and shall be built with a light eco-footprint ensuring minimal impact on the desert location.

The camp will comprise of eight riverside villas, all elevated on decks.

Wassung said: “Inspiration for the new camp will be drawn from the exceptional desert location and the local Himba culture; we look forward to sharing further information and details about our architectural and decor plans in the coming months.”

Activities include meeting member of the nomadic Himba people, exploring the Namib Desert on nature drives or quad-bike excursions, boating on the Kunene River and birdwatching.

Meanwhile, Wild Horizons’ white-water rafting closed on April 3, as well as Livingstone Island, which closed on April 14, due to the rise in water levels of the Zambezi River.

“Rafting usually resumes between May and June. This depends on how much water is still coming down from the flood plains,” says Wilma Griffith, Sales and Marketing, Wild Horizons.

The reopening of Livingstone Island will depend on the level of the water. There will be no bookings made during this period. Bookings already made will be cancelled.

NAMIBIA: Town Of Swakopmund

The town of Swakopmund is situated on the desert coastline of the Namib Desert. Despite the arid conditions, the town is surprisingly attractive, warm and friendly. A variety of restaurants, hotels, guesthouses, shops and a casino provide a vibrant and lively feeling to Swakopmund.

The predominantly German colonial architecture makes Swakopmund an attractive and interesting place to visit. There are a number of historical buildings and attractions in the town, such as Woerman House, which is now a monument, and the “Martin Luther” locomotive which was brought into the country in 1896 and eventually abandoned in the desert. Today it is a monument.

Swakopmund was founded in 1892 as the main harbour for German South-West Africa. It had sufficient fresh underground water in the dry Swakop riverbed and thrived as a harbour town for many years until Walvis Bay harbour became more suitable for shipping activities. Today Swakopmund is a seaside resort that is more attuned to holidaymakers than shipping and offers a variety of activities and accommodation. One can reach Swakopmund by road on an excellent tar road from Windhoek, or you can approach through the Namib Desert after a visit to Sossusvlei. There is also an airport if you would like to fly in.

It is well worth staying in Swakopmund for a few days as there is something to offer for most holiday-makers in this beach resort. The weather is mild with average temperatures ranging between 15° and 25° Celsius. There is often a bank of fog hanging over the coastline, due to the cold Benguela current that streams down the coastline. This current is rich in nutrients and attracts a variety of fish species which means excellent fishing for the eager fisherman. For the more adventurous, there are balloon trips, quad-bike trips in the spectacular dunes between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay and skydiving. There is also a camel farm just outside of town and trips up the dry Swakop River can be organized to see the “Moon Landscape”. Restaurants are plentiful and coffee shops draw you in with the delightful scent of freshly baked German confections.

There is accommodation to suit a wide variety of visitors. For those with a taste for an extra touch of luxury, there is The Stiltz Hotel which offers luxury log cabins built on stilts in the Swakop riverbed. Spectacular views of the birdlife and the sea make this a unique experience. Another option is the Beach Hotel, which is right on the beach and provides superior accommodation close to the water for either couples or for families.

There are a number of hotels that provide excellent accommodation and fine dining right in town. Hotel Eberwein offers old-world charm and a Victorian atmosphere, while The Hansa is a classic old building that retains the feeling of a previous era while being centrally situated.

Sam’s Giardino is a more intimate boutique hotel which provides high quality accommodation for all. Hotel Pension Rapmund is an affordable option, centrally situated and ideal for families.

For those who require self-catering accommodation, Alte Brücke is the perfect option, while the Swakopmund Municipal Rest Camp offers budget accommodation for the fisherman or those on a tight budget.

The Swakopmund Hotel and Entertainment Centre is situated in the beautiful old station building and offers luxury accommodation, a casino and restaurants for those who would like to spend a few days relaxing in the lap of luxury.

This is truly a town to suit all visitors.

NAMIBIA: Damara People Oldest Inihabitants Of Namibia

Indigenous Damara people of Namibia


Damara are unique ancient and aboriginal hunter-gatherers but now agriculturalist-animal husbandry and Khoekhoe-speaking people inhabiting the environs of the Brandberg and Khorixas, which is now the Erongo Region of Namibia. They once inhabited large parts of central Namibia and are regarded as the oldest inhabitants of Namibia alongside San (Bushmen) and Khoekhoe (Hottentots).

The Damara have been giving anthropologists and historians serious headaches and continue to do so with regard to their actual origins. Their physical appearance and language indicate two completely different lines of descent. The language of the Damara is a Khoekhoe language similar to that of the Nama (Khoekhoe/Hottentots) and recognizable by its characteristic clicks. However, unlike Nama (Khoekhoe) whose physical appearance is of much lighter skin colour, the Damara are completely different and possesses some light but dark skin which resembles any Bantu groups.

The Damara are also known as Khoekhoegowab: ǂNū-khoë, which literally means "Black people." The German clolonialist called them Berg Damara, referring to their extended stay in the hills of Khomas Highland. At various times the Damrara (Daman or the Damaqua) as an ethnic group make up 8.5% of Namibia's population with total number of about 140,000 people.

Some Damara people now lives outside their homeland. They live in the capital Windhoek, Okanhandja, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Otabi and Tsumed. Some of Namibia’s most eloquent and influential politicians are Damara, notable examples being former Prime Minister, Hage Geingob, labour minister Moses Garoeb and the speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Theo-Ben Gurirab, also a former Prime Minister.

Language
The Damara speak Khoekhoe language, like that Nama people. The majority live in the northwestern regions of Namibia, however they are also found widely across the rest of the country. They have no known cultural relationship with any of the other tribes anywhere else in Africa.



Their name in their own language is the "Daman" (where the "-n" is just the Khoekhoe plural ending). The name "Damaqua" stems from the addition of the Khoekhoe suffix "-qua/khwa" meaning "people" (found in the names of other Southern African peoples like the Namaqua and the Griqua).

History
The Damara are widely believed to be the oldest inhabitants of Namibia after the Bushmen (San) and Nama (Khoekoe/Hottentots). Thought they share similar language and customs with the Nama people, but their historical origins still shrouded in a mystery. There are two schools of thoughts or theories concerning Damara origins.

One theory avers that which their physical Bantu features, the Damara were the first Bantu people to migrate from West Africa to Namibia where they were subjected by Nama people and as a result acquired similar language and customs through acculturation.
The other theory suggests that the Damara evolved alongside the Nama in Botswana thousands of years ago. And that explains the similarities in language and culture between them. The theory states that the Damara later migrated to Namibia.

Dr Theo Ben -Gurirab, former Namibian prime minister and ethnic Damara man. On the 24th of January 2014, Dr Theo Ben-Gurirab announced he was joining the International High Level Committee for the freedom of Marwan Barghouthi and all Palestinian prisoners. Dr Theo Ben-Gurirab is the Former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Namibia and current Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Namibia. He was elected as President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union for a three-year mandate in October 2008. Since October 2011, he is Honorary President of the IPU. During his 35 years in the field of international affairs and diplomacy, notably in the UN, he served as President of the 54th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. He was instrumental in driving the UN reform process forward and presided over the drafting of the historic United Nations Millennium Declaration in 2000.

By the beginning of nineteenth century Damara communities were established in the most central parts of Namibia. They were living in a mixture of hunting, livestock farming and limited crop cultivation. They were also skilled smelters and workers of copper. It is suggested that they engaged in trade with Ovambo people of the North and Nama to the South.

Moses Garoeb, ethnic Damara man shaking hands with as foreign envoy. Moses Mague ǁGaroëb (14 April 1942 in ǀArixas near Mariental —19 September 1997 in Windhoek) was a Namibian politician, founding member of SWAPO, and member of SWAPO's Politburo and Central Committee.
During his political career, ǁGaroëb served in the Constituent Assembly of Namibia and was a Member of Parliament from the day of Namibian independence, 21 March 1990. He was appointed Minister of Labour and Human Resources in 1995, a position he held until his death

However, as tension over land exacerbated in the 19th century, particularly between the Nama and Herero, the Damara became casualties in the ensuing scuffles as their land were squeezed out from them. Some immediately became servants to the Nama and Herero, whilst many fled to the remote mountainous areas, earning them the name "Berg Damara," meaning mountain Damara.

Following the German rule over colonial Namibia, the first Damara reserve was created in 1906 around Okombahe area. The colonial administration looked down upon them because of their hunter-gathering status. Goldblatt (1971) averred "the oldest inhabitants of the country, had no fixed abode and lived under primitive conditions, hunting game and being hunted like game by any newcomer into the Territory. They were outlaws of the country... from the earliest times, and those who could not hide in the mountains had been subdued and been made slaves of Namas."

The Okombahe area was enlarged upon the recommendation of Odendaal Commission of Inquiry in 1960`s, when so-called tribal homelands were created for the different ethnic groups in Namibia. In 1973 an area of approximately 4.7 million hectares was proclaimed as Damaraland, with Khorixas as its administrative capital. Following independence, this area became part of the Erongo Region. According to the latest census (2011), about 150 400 people live here, 42 400 more than in 2001. The Damara homeland comprises northwest of the country, from Uis in the south to Sesfontein in the north, and this remains predominant Damara area even up till now.

Economy
The Damara currently rely for subsistence on the varying combination of pastoralism, foraging and horticulture as well as alternative means of income-generation within formal and informal economies.
Nowadays rural Damara people cultivate corn and vegetables, while livestock production has become an important source of income. Many work on commercial farms; others in mines, with some making a living from small mining in the Erongo Region. A relatively large number are employed in urban centres as teachers, clerics and officials.

Tradition and Culture
The community consist of several larger families called haoti. These are clusters of clans and extended families that were formerly concentrated in specific areas, consisting of about eleven sub-groups.

Clans
The Damara consist of 11 clans:
The ǂAo-daman used to live in the settlements of Outjo, Kamanjab, and Khorixas.
The Ao-guwun, their home settlement is Sesfontein.
Dâure Daman (English: Brandberg Damara after Dâures, the Khoekhoe name for the Brandberg Mountain)
The ǀGaio-daman (English: Paresis Damara) lived in the Paresis Mountains between Outjo and Otjiwarongo
The ǀGobanin (English: dune people after ǀgobas, dune) used to live in the area between Rehoboth, Seeis, and Hoachanas.
The ǁHuruben lived nomadic in the Namib Desert between Uniab River and Huab River.
The ǀKhomanin (named after the Khomas Highland) in 1854 were more than 40,000 in number.Their tribal area today is part of the city of Windhoek, rendering the clan essentially landless. Their Chief is Josephat Gawaǃnab.
ǃKhuise-daman (named after the Kuiseb River)
ǃOe-ǂAn (English: Erongo Damara after ǃOe-gas, the Khoekhoe name for the Erongo Mountains) Their home settlement is Okombahe; their current leadership is disputed.
Hago-Daman (named after the Hakos Mountains)
Tsoaxudaman (English: Swakop Damara after Tsoaxaub, the Khoekhoe name for the Swakop River)

Their religion is focused on the ‘eternal fire’ and intertwined with their hunting activities.

Star-gazing Tourists Flock To Africa's Darkest Place

NOT many tourist spots boast of being dark and difficult to get to, but the Namib desert is one of a number of remote "Dark Sky Reserves" drawing in stargazers for a celestial safari.

In the cool night air, an urbane Austrian tourist climbs rocky steps behind a chic hotel lodge and peers into a matt-black metal cylinder containing a spine of mirrors and lenses that reveal the universe.

"My mum wanted to set him on fire yesterday when he said, 'We are looking ten million years in the past!'" he joked, pointing at the resident astronomer.

Not everyone is ready to face the enormity of the universe laid out so starkly by powerful magnification and the crisp desert sky.

But across the starkly beautiful Namib, hotels and lodges are betting that the stars will lead to more business rather than a spike in Galileo-esque witch hunts.

Many lodges have bought research-grade or "prosumer" telescopes and hired live-in astronomers as they try to lure tourists who want to gaze deeper into space and time.

According to consultancy Euromonitor, astro-tourism holidays are growing in line with increased urbanisation, with Africa in particular "taking off".

"Most people come here for the other activities, visiting the dunes or the nature reserve where you see all the wildlife. This is kind of a bonus," said Misha Vickas, formerly a guide at a public observatory in Sydney, but now resident at the AndBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge.

"Most people have never looked through a telescope and a lot of them have just never looked up."

Vickas operates a "go-to" telescope, a device which, once calibrated, pivots on demand to any star or planet with little more than a mechanical hum and whir.

Not that a telescope is really needed in the Namib.

Across as much as 50% of the Earth the starry firmament is obscured by an orange glow of man-made light pollution.

During the day, the Namib's sea of copper red and ecru yellow dunes and mountains glow blindingly, befitting the world's oldest desert.

But in the inky night sky, the Milky Way seems much closer than Windhoek, a half day's drive away across dirt track and sun-rippled single-lane carriageway.

Mars's red glow, Magellanic clouds -- dwarf galaxies outside our own -- and assorted gaseous nebulae are all visible with the naked eye.

"The sky is particularly good to look at here, because the Milky Way, which is the main part of our galaxy, is usually very high overhead," meaning light refraction is at a minimum, Vickas said.

"There is a lot to look at."


Darkest places on earth

In 2012, a sliver of the central Namib the size of Mauritius -- the NamibRand -- was named Africa's first "Dark Sky Reserve," in recognition of the sky's special allure here.

A handful of similar sites exist across the world, including Aoraki Mackenzie on New Zealand's South Island and the Iveragh Peninsula on Ireland's southwest coast.

Hawaii and Chile have also become renowned as astro-tourism hot spots.

"The darkest places are almost inevitably distant from populated places," said John Barentine of the Arizona-based International Dark-Sky Association, which awards the designation.

"The glow of cities can often be seen several hundred kilometres away under good conditions."

To rank sky quality, scientists use measurements like the Bortle scale.

An inner city is level nine, meaning you can see very little. Bright constellations like Orion may be faint or even invisible.

At the other end of the scale, in a first-class sky like the Namib, Venus and Jupiter shine bright, a white swathe of zodiacal light smears the sky.

Like parts of Chile, the Namib's good weather and ultra-dry atmosphere make for clear nights and particularly transparent air all the way to the horizon.

"A visitor to NamibRand has a statistically high probability of experiencing that exceptionally dark sky on any given night," Barentine said.

Namibia has just over two million people spread over an area roughly the size of Pakistan or Nigeria, making it one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world.

"NamibRand is located in one of the darkest accessible places that remain on Earth," said Barentine.

"It is as close as you get to the way the world was long ago, before the invention and proliferation of artificial lights."

That may be the only thing this remote region is close to -- thankfully for stargazing tourists.