Archive for August 4, 2008

Namibia, Botswana, VicFalls – Part 4

August 4, 2008 at 6:18 pm · Filed under Namibia, Travel ·Tagged , , , ,

Elephants & Lions, Etosha

Elephants & Lions, Etosha

 

 

20 July 2008, Rustig Toko Farm, Kamanjab, Namibia

Weltevrede was ok. We were not completely blown away by the service but the rooms were quite nice, the sun set was stunning and the hot showers were very much appreciated. The food in the evening was also quite nice. The staff was not trained very well and that always makes my hands itch. Coming from a hospitality background I am very very picky and believe training is the way forward. Weltevrede was well situated for visiting Sossusvlei, the highlight of the area. Sossusvlei is famous for the big red sand dunes and Dead Vlei. We visited both. From the entrance of the nature reserve it’s about 45 km to get to Dune 45. This dune can be climbed. It’s best to plan all activities in the morning because of the heath. Even in winter time, day temperatures can get up to 30° C and no shade to hide. We did an excellent walking excursion with Frans from Sossus-on-Foot. He told us all kinds of incredible things about this area. Did you know for example that it only rains every 10 years in this area? Did you know that little shrimp eggs can hatch even after being stuck in the clay for 30 years? Did you know that spiders dig a 1.20 m hole and close the hole? Frans recognized all kinds of tracks of little beetles, spiders and geckos and showed us how it is possible for these animals to survive. He showed us the Ostrich salad, a type of dessert plant that provides enormous amounts of water. More and more we understood how bushmen could survive in this barren but beautiful area.

 

Swakopmund

This time in Swakopmund we did a wonderful dolphin safari which I can highly recommend. We were so lucky to spot 2 whales as well. The skipper took good care of us, giving us sparkling wine as well as snacks. The tricks with the seals were rather funny although some passengers were a bit scared when they were on the boat. It was a stunning morning. We enjoyed the sunshine and being on a boat. In the afternoon I finally got to an internet café to download 140 messages. Work, work, work. Dinner was enjoyed at The Grapevine, a cosy small restaurant with delicious meals. I had a sea food pasta with a soft mustard sauce, absolutely lovely. The second evening we had dinner at a new place. I had heard about it and obviously, being the gourmand I am, I wanted to try this out. My guests are also the kind of people that love nice food & wine so I was sure to do them a favor by taking them to a nice restaurant. It was a bit difficult to find. 5 km outside of Swakopmund on the way to Walvis Bay, The Dunes Lodge. Ask for good directions if you arrive at night because it’s not very clearly indicated. The restaurant was great, the food was fab and the service was super. Only minus was the coffee. We had to wait half an hour for a terrible cup of coffee. But, I would definitely recommend this place for a beautiful evening with good food and wine.

We stayed in a kind of backpackers lodge, Villa Wiese. Good price / quality wise but next time I will choose something a bit more sophisticated. For the budget traveler I can recommend Villa Wiese.

 

It was time to move on the next place which was Xaragu Camp. Now, I had high expectations of this place because I heard some positive stories about it from other guests. Boy, was I disappointed. Upon arrival nobody knew exactly what was going on. We were given tents and chalets. The chalets were ensuite the tents had shared facilities. Many zippers were broken, lamps were not working properly and tents could not be locked. When I checked the booked dessert elephant excursion for the next day, nobody knew about it and I got a bit nervous. To see the dessert elephants was one of the highlights of the tour and NOT organizing the safari was not an option. Now the owner of the camp, Danie, got very upset with me because I insisted on finding a solution. He came up with a good solution which was booking it with Twyfelfontein lodge. This lodge is about 35 km away from Xaragu Camp. I thought this was a decent solution but somehow Danie was totally upset with me for the rest of our stay. Another thing I didn’t like about Xaragu was the captured animals. There was a python, pofadder, scorpions and other type of animals in cages. Anyway, I was very lucky with the bunch of people I have with me because there are super easy going and take things as they come and don’t complain about anything.

The next day we went to see the rock engravings at Twyfelfontein. These are the only engravings in Southern Africa. There are many rock painting all over but engravings are only to be found at the world heritage site of Twyfelfontein. We had a guide called Desiree who showed us around and explained about the 2 to 6.000 year old engravings.

We had lunch at the beautiful Twyfelfontein lodge with stunning views and a lovely buffet. Bernd, the General Manager, showed me around and I was very much impressed with the facilities. Maybe I shouldn’t say this but all the lodges in Namibia with German management are impeccable, all the places with Namibian or South African management are pretty useless. So far that has been the most important lesson for me.

Like today we arrived here at Rustig Toko Lodge in the Kamanjab area. We were welcomed by Marieke, a German lady. And just by her welcome, I just KNOW that everything is perfect and it is. Rustig Toko is the true Out-of-Africa farm experience with breathtaking views, a lovely veranda to enjoy it and spacious rooms with ensuite bathrooms. The pool is sparkling and at 15h00 in the afternoon tea & biscuits are served. At sunset a fire is lit and we are all stargazing for a while. Dinner is a Butternut soup to start with, a homemade Bobotie with fresh salad as a main and butterscotch for dessert. Yammie! We want to stay here for an entire week. Tomorrow we will leave as late as possible.

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Namibia, Botswana, VicFalls – Part 3

August 4, 2008 at 6:17 pm · Filed under Namibia ·Tagged , , ,

Red sand dune, Sossusvlei

Red sand dune, Sossusvlei

10 July, Windhoek, Namibia

Sossusvlei – Swakopmund (450 km, dirt road)

We left Le Mirage Tuesday morning and our first stop was Solitaire. I love Solitaire because of the delicious apple pie and the book of Dutch writer Ton van der Lee: Solitaire. It’s a wonderful story that has put this little place with Moose on the map of Namibia. Moose is the only one that’s still there. The other characters of the book have left. Ton now lives somewhere in Ghana, escaping busy Solitaire and writing more beautiful books about Africa.

The rest of the day was pretty much planned for driving. Welwitschia Drive was high on my list. We got the permit to drive through this famous stretch of desert in Sesriem. So far the directions we got from Leading Lodges all made sense so we were looking forward to find the 1.000 year old plants. Boy, did we get lost, AGAIN! Well not really lost but we were driving and driving and we didn’t see a single soul for about 2 hours and that, even in Namibia, is very weird. We got a bit anxious. We decided to turn around and get back to the main road. Suddenly I spotted another car in the distance. It was our lucky day. It turned out to be a friendly French family and we decided to just follow them so at least we wouldn’t be driving alone. We drove through what must be the ugliest part of Namibia. There we no signs at all for many many km and finally we saw one in the distance and couldn’t wait to read it. It said: Dust free zone in 2 km. THANKS GUYS! But where on earth are we?? We had a good laugh about that sign. We passed Uranium mines. I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody. If you decide to do Welwitchia Drive, first get to Swakopmund and get your permit and directions. Don’t try to do it from the Kuiseb Canyon side. You will not encounter any shops, villages, petrol station for about 200 km.

In the end we found the old plants and made a few pics. We just wanted to get out of the desert and have decent shower or bath.

 

Swakopmund is a funny looking place. I’ve been here before but I can’t get used to it, somehow. It has a wild mix of architecture and not always the prettiest. We stayed in a place called Sam’s Giardino, a small guesthouse with 10 similar rooms. The lounge area is very nice with a library and many pictures of the beloved Einstein, a Bernese mountain dog that unfortunately passed away some time ago. The bar area is quite nice, built around a big gum tree. Sam’s is famous for his goumet cooking so we enjoyed a wonderful 4 course dinner. The theme for Tuesday night was fish. Great to have some fish after the overcooked meat we had at Le Mirage. We were so tired from all the driving that we nearly fell asleep in our soup bowl so at 20h30 we went to sleep. What a day!

Swakopmund – Windhoek (380 km, tarred road)

After some necessary time in the internet café, I found a wireless place in Swakopmund, we got on the road to Windhoek. What a pleasure! 380 km on tarred road. We flew to Windhoek! Fiona suddenly spotted a bushman on the side of the road while we were driving 140 km/h. She reversed because a picture had to be taken. Obviously this poor bushman was trying to make a living. Fiona has her picture and the bushmen has 5 Namibian Dollars. The trip went so smooth we were able to have lunch in Windhoek and found the most fabulous place in the Old Brewery which is now an Arts centre with a GREAT lunch café. Imagine kiwi smoothies and paw-paw, black forest and avo salad. Our best meal since the beginning of this trip. In Windhoek we stayed overnight in Villa Verdi, a beautiful guesthouse with lovely staff and a fabulous 4 course dinner. It was wonderful and the perfect last evening for a short but wonderful trip through Namibia.

I just got back from the airport where I’ve picked up my clients for a 21 day trip through Namibia, Botswana and Zambia. I’ve been looking forward for this since long. It will be a wonderful journey. Tonight we will have dinner again at Villa Verdi, the perfect setting for a first evening.

 

14 July, Weltevrede Guesthouse, Solitaire

Everything is going very smooth so far. Cori Pension in Windhoek I would not recommend. It’s cheap and that’s what you get. Next time I would start definitely at Villa Verdi. The next place we went was in the Kalahari and absolutely lovely, Bitterwasser, close to Marienthal. The Manager, Christine, was a very organized German lady that took us on a little game drive into the Kalahari dunes. Nice explanations about the Witgat tree and the Groendoring Boom. The Witgat tree is like a survival tree to the bushmen. They make coffee from the bark, use the leaves for a stomac medicine; the animals also love it because the leaves are full of protein. Bitterwasser is worldwide known for gliding. From October to February many pilots are staying here enjoying the good weather conditions and achieving new records. In Bitterwasser everything was done with German perfection and we all enjoyed that very much.

 

The next day we had a long way to go to the Fish River Canyon. We stayed in another beautiful place, Cañon Lodge where we were welcomed by Victor, a Dutch trainee from Hotelschool The Hague. How convenient! We were accommodated in lovely little cottages between huge boulders and dinner was served in the cozy dining area with 4 fires. The next morning, guide John took us on a rather strenuous hike. After sitting in the bus for so long it was lovely to have a bit of exercise although I was a bit worried once in a while if the elderly would all be fine. Cañon Lodge is also offering a new product: A hike in to the Fish River Canyon with pack donkeys. So it’s the kind of hike where you don’t need to carry your own pack, only your day pack with some water and lunch. When you finish hiking for the day a cool Gin & Tonic will be waiting for you. How fabulous is that!

 

After Cañon Lodge we stayed in Seeheim Hotel. Now there’s a place that you just want to forget as soon as possible. These people have no clue about hospitality and nothing in this place works. Terrible! Skip it if you can. Only go there if absolutely necessary and don’t book more than 1 night.

 

Today we arrived at Weltevrede Guesthouse. We haven’t experienced much yet but at least we had hot water. I had a lovely shower which was very very necessary. The weather also got a bit better now so we’re enjoying some nice warmth. Hopefully tomorrow as well.

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Namibia, Botswana and Victoria Waterfalls

August 4, 2008 at 6:09 pm · Filed under Travel

6 July 2008, Le Mirage Desert Lodge & Spa, Namibia

This will be my first attempt to start a useful blog for travelers. Being in the travel industry since 4 years, I think it’s about time. My passion is travel and in particular for the Southern African region.  My vision is to bring 5 000 guests to this area by 2010. And my speciality, you might ask – finding you a home-from-home, speciality experience in a country that you will never forget! As a life member of the XL Results Foundation I also aim to contribute and leverage 10% of my gross profits to charitable organisations in an attempt to lessen poverty and environmental degeneration.  Causes for 2008 included www.malealea.com and www.theartofliving.co.za.  The cause for 2009 is the Chaeli Campaign.

I look forward to sharing my experiences with you.

At the moment I’m spending 3 nights at Le Mirage Desert Lodge & Spa in the Namibian desert, the Naukluft. It’s almost surreal, staying in this Arab-style castle in Southern Africa. My friend, Fiona Sacks, is joining me on this trip.

 

After arriving in Windhoek at 11h35 with SAA from Cape Town we picked up our rental car and were on the road at 12h30. Knowing Namibia a little bit I know we were going to be pressed for time. Le Mirage Desert Lodge is about 400 km from Windhoek. I wanted to arrive before the sun went down. It’s not fun driving on gravel roads in the dark. We arrived at 18h30. Only half an hour we were driving in the dark. Gravel roads in Namibia are quite good though.

Looking forward to a gourmet dinner, we quickly checked-in and moved towards the dining room. The setting is absolutely beautiful but we missed a big fire. Temperatures last night we close to 0° C so a fire would have been an absolute treat. Never mind, we just moved on to the wine list. We opted for a glass of red house wine. I wish I could say something positive about dinner but the food was rather disappointing. The 5 course gourmet dinner consisted of: a mushroom with spinach, tomato soup, baby marrow topped with brie, Springbok fillet and baked pear as desert. The Springbok was the toughest meat I ever tasted and I actually couldn’t finish it. The rest was all a bit mediocre. Don’t get me wrong: we felt that the staff was making a huge effort but they were making things unnecessarily complicated. Just keep the food plain and simple. It must be quite a challenge though to get food to this part of the world. We didn’t complain because everybody was extremely nice and friendly and we were just tired from a long day of travel and couldn’t wait to get under the duvet. The rooms are very spacious with a lovely little terrace and the beds are very comfortable with beautiful linens. We didn’t quite understand why we have a shower in the basin. I still have to find out from Jan, the General Manager.

After a good nights rest and a scrumptious breakfast we were ready to explore Sossusvlei and the Namib Desert. I was SO glad I bought a warm beanie at Cape Town Airport because the mornings are freezing cold. Beautiful blue skies, crisp but freezing.

 

Sesriem is only 20 km from Le Mirage. At the offices of Namibian Wildlife Resorts you pay the entrance fees and then it’s still 45 km until you get to Dune 45. The gate currently opens at 6h45 and it’s best when you go in as early as possible to get most of the sun rise (changing of the colors and shades). We were already a bit late (breakfast was good!)

 

In the park you drive on a tarred road and we were lucky to spot springbok, ostrich, gemsbok and a jackal. The drive is beautiful with rising red sand dunes on both sides.

 

Climbing one of the dunes is a must although some might not be fit enough. We saw people taking off their shoes and that might be the best way to go up. I decided to leave my shoes on and up I went. A little bit of exercise to work off that omelet was just what I needed. I had visited this place also in 2003 and 2005 but for me these huge sand dunes are super special and I can keep coming back here. For Fiona it was the first time to see them and she absolutely loved it.

Some 15 km further than Dune 45 you can make another stop and visit Dead Vlei. If you don’t drive a 4×4 you need to leave your car and take a taxi to the Vlei. Another surreal place and paradise for photographers. See the pictures.

 

Looking forward to a lazy afternoon around the pool at the lodge we headed back and got totally lost!! Instead of driving 20 km, we drove about a 100 km before we were back at the lodge. Jee, these kind of things always bring me in a bad mood. I was nervous that we would miss lunch because they said lunch from 12 – 2pm. Not to worry, as soon as we arrived a delicious lasagna and tomato, mozzarella salad were prepared for us and got me back into my good mood. Yes, food IS important! We also decided on a balloon safari for tomorrow and obviously got totally excited that this was maybe one of these once-in-a-lifetime adventures and NOW was the time. Will report on this tomorrow but it will be absolutely beautiful!

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Namibia, Botswana, VicFalls – Part 2

August 4, 2008 at 6:07 pm · Filed under Namibia ·Tagged , , ,

Ballooning in the desert

Ballooning in the desert

 

7 July 2008, Namibia, Namib Desert

Today a dream came true. I went in a hot air balloon. What a way to start the day. It was absolutely spectacular and worth every single rand of the ZAR 3500 that we spend. We were picked up at 6h15. It was freezing outside so we wore every single piece of clothing that we could find, including beanies, scarves and gloves. We needed it. The set up of the balloons was spectacular already end we couldn’t stop taking pictures. Paul, our balloon pilot, had a tough job getting everything ready. We were in total 12 passengers. To fly in complete silence above such an impressive landscape as the Namib Desert was absolute magic. I can recommend it to anybody. Paul, being in radio contact with the ground, prepared for landing after about an hour. We saw bakkies (= SUV in Afrikaans) drawing nearer as we slowly went down. Breakfast! And WHAT a breakfast. We were welcomed with a champagne sabrage and moved on to smoked zebra, ostrich terrine, smoked butterfish, fresh fruit, salmon, eggs, croissants and so on. It was a feast in the middle of nowhere. An absolute Out-of-Africa feeling and we were waiting for Robert Redford to enter the scene. To keep a long story short: We spend a memorable morning in a magical setting.

 

While in this area I also wanted to visit other lodges. High on my list was Little Kulala. It was only about 20 km from Le Mirage so Jan, the General Manager of Le Mirage, phoned the lodge and we were on our way. We stopped for some beautiful springbok and saw the lodge in a beautiful location. We were welcomed with a lovely fruit cocktail and shown around by Johan. This place exceeds any expectation. WAUW!! Look at the beautiful shots I took. You simply just want to move in and make yourselves comfortable in one of the big white couches or cushions. All the rooms look out to the beautiful red sand dunes. Roof beds are prepared for world class stargazing. This place is hugely popular with newly weds and most guests fly in. Another place to stay in this Wilderness area is the Kulala Desert Lodge. This is more your classic safari lodge with luxurious canvas safari tents and en-suite bathrooms.

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