Viva Touristika 2009

Wein aus Südafrika

Südafrikanischer Wein genießt schon lange hohes Ansehen bei Feinschmeckern und Weinkennern. Schon aus diesem Grund sollte der Besuch auf einem der Weingüter bei Ihrer Reise durch Südafrika nicht fehlen. Es gibt viele, wunderschöne Weingüter mit großen Traditionen, exzellenten Weinen und weitläufigen Parkanlagen, die zu einem gemütlichen Picknick einladen. Inzwischen gibt es aber auch einige neue Weingüter, die einen Besuch über das Weinerlebnis hinaus lohnenswert machen. Eines davon ist das Weingut M’hudi der Familie Rangaka. M'hudi leitet sich vom Wort “Mohudi” ab, was in Setswana so viel wie "Erntehelfer” bedeutet. Es ist aber auch der Name einer afrikanischen Heldin, die der Sage nach ihr zerstörtes Dorf verließ, um einen Neuanfang zu starten. Die Geschichte M’hudis ist auch die Geschichte Südafrikas. Eine Geschichte über Mut und Entschlossenheit das scheinbar Unmögliche zu erreichen, über das unablässige Streben einen Traum wahr werden zu lassen. Gerne organisieren wir für Sie den Besuch auf dem Weingut M’hudi und, insbesondere bei unseren Gruppen- und Studienreisen, auch die Begegnung und das Gespräch mit Familie Rangaka. www.mhudi.com

Zimbabwe - ein neuer Anfang

Der Grund meiner Reise nach Zimbabwe war, dass ich selber erfahren wollte wie es tatsächlich dort aussieht. Einen neutralen Bericht aus Zimbabwe zu erhalten ist nicht einfach, die Nachrichten die uns erreichen sind meist nur negativer Natur und in der Tat, gab es vor allem im letzten Jahr sehr viel Negatives zu berichten. Ein politischer Disput, der auf Kosten der Bevölkerung ausgetragen wurde, der Ausbruch von Cholera und die höchste Inflation in der Geschichte eines Landes . Seit Februar 2009 stabilisiert sich das Land allmählich wieder, doch in wieweit sind die Narben geblieben? Gibt es tatsächlich eine positive Entwicklung? Zumindest hatte es mich gefreut, als ich vor meiner Reise, auf der Webseite des Auswertigen Amtes geschaut habe, dass die Reisewarnung für Zimbabwe aufgehoben wurde.

Ankunft in der Hauptstadt Harare: der Flughafen ist recht modern – vergleichbar mit anderen afrikanischen Flughäfen. Wir werden von einer Gruppe traditionellen Tänzern und Trommlern empfangen – und neben dran stehen ein paar große Mercedes und andere Luxus-Autos. Wir fahren durch ein Wohnviertel der Stadt – die Straßen weisen viele Schlaglöcher auf, die Häuser sind einfach, aber im guten Zustand und die Stadt blüht förmlich. In jeder Straße stehen Jakaranda-Bäume. Es erinnert mich an Pretoria in Südafrika, die Jakaranda-Stadt genannt wird, doch in Harare stehen weitaus mehr der Bäume. Sie verlieren ihre violetten Blüten auf den Straßen und die Stadt sieht „geschmückt“ aus.
Am Schluss meiner Reise werden wir noch mal ein paar Tage hier verbringen, doch jetzt geht die Fahrt ca. 300 km in Richtung Süden nach Masvingo und den Ruinen von Great Zimbabwe.
Erstaunlicherweise ist die Straße nach Süden, die auch die Verbindung mit Südafrika ist, in einem sehr guten Zustand. Geteert – entgegen meinen Erwartungen auch ohne Schlaglöcher. Lediglich ein wenig holperig bei 120 km/h. Das liegt an den vielen LKWs, die diese Straße nach Südafrika und zurück nutzen. Unser Fahrer muss aber Gas geben denn unser Flug ist verspätet gelandet und wir würden gerne vor der Dunkelheit ankommen.
Unsere erste Unterkunft ist „Lodge at the Ancient City“. Eine Lodge, die im Stil der Ruinen von Great Zimbabwe gebaut wurde. Zwischen riesigen Felsen und „Msasa Trees“ Bäumen stehen die einzelnen Hütten (Rondavels), in denen wir übernachten. Sie sind großzügig gebaut und im afrikanischen Stil eingerichtet. Früh am nächsten Morgen, kurz nach dem Sonnenaufgang fahren wir zu den Ruinen von Great Zimbabwe. Man kann die Ruinen jeden Tag in der Zeit von 6:00 Uhr bis 18:00 Uhr besichtigen. Der Eintritt kostet 15,00 USD, mit einem Führer weitere 3,00 USD – eine geringe Investition für eine sehr gute Führung. Auf dem Weg zu einem kleinen Hügel, der den Hauptsitz des Königs darstellt, erläuterte uns unsere Führerin Joyce den Ursprung der Ruinen – es war damals die Hauptstadt eines Reiches, das sich von Mosambik bis nach dem heutigen Botswana erstreckte. Die Ruinen im Tal waren die „Gemächer der 200 Frauen die der König hatte – seine Frau Nr. 1 hatte das größte Gemäuer mit den bekannten Turm. Erbaut wurden sie zwischen dem 13. und 17. Jahrhundert – man kann gut erkennen wie die Entwicklung der Bauweise über die Jahre voranschritt. Die ältesten Teile waren einfach nur Steine, die aufeinander gestapelt wurden. Die neusten Teile der Anlage sind viel stabiler gebaut und mit Mustern verziert. Die Bauwerke von Great Zimbabwe haben eine sehr große Bedeutung für das Land, es gibt dem Land seinen Namen „Zimbabwe“ und bedeutet in der Sprache der Shona „Haus aus Stein“. Nach der Unabhängigkeit im Jahre 1980 hat das Land diesen Namen bekommen. In den Ruinen standen ein paar Statuen vom Bateleur Adler, ein Symbol des damaligen Staates. Heutzutage ist das Abbild dieser Statuen auf der Landesflagge und weiteren offiziellen Abzeichen zu finden.

Die Fahrt geht weiter zum 300 km entferntem Bulawayo – die zweitgrößte Stadt des Landes. Die Straße dorthin war in einem noch besseren Zustand als die vom Vortag. Die Stadt auch hier, geschmückt mit vielen Jakaranda-Bäumen, erstaunlich ordentlich und sauber. Da es ein Sonntag war, waren die Straßen leer gefegt, schon fast unheimlich. Am nächsten Morgen jedoch sah alles ganz anders aus. Man kann sich tatsächlich nicht vorstellen, dass es vor nur ein paar Monaten hier kein Benzin und keine Lebensmittel zu kaufen gab – die Stadt brummte und funktionierte so gut wie jede andere afrikanische Stadt, die ich bis jetzt besucht hatte. Die Einführung des US Dollars und Abschaffung der eigenen Währung hat den entscheidenden Unterschied in den letzten Monaten gemacht. Es gab dem Land wieder Stabilität, die es wirklich gebraucht hatte. Generell gab es Verbesserungen, z.B. gibt es jetzt auch wieder regelmäßig Strom – es gibt immer noch genügend Ausfälle, doch die Zeiten, in denen man gerade mal 4 Stunden Strom pro Tag hatte, sind vorbei.

In Bulawayo wohnten wir in dem alten Club-Haus aus der Gründungszeit der Stadt. Erbaut 1895 trägt es jetzt wieder den Charme der damaligen Kolonialzeit. Großzügige Räume im alten britischen Stil mit Ledercouchen, Kamin und Holzverkleidungen an den Wänden. Das Haus ist gerade komplett renoviert worden und ist ausgestattet mit Porträts der ehemaligen Mitglieder, deren Jagdtrophäen und mit allen Accessoires im königlichen Stil, die die Herren der Zeit aus London mitbrachten. Wie die Managerin Hazel uns erklärte, ist man natürlich nicht stolz auf den Teil der Geschichte des Landes, doch gehört es alles zum Werdegang des Landes und man sollte sich auch an die Teile erinnern, die das Land geformt haben.
Den Sonnenuntergang haben wir auf dem Felsen „World of Views“ verbracht in den Matopos Hills. Es ist einer der Orte, die man nur schwer beschreiben kann was genau die Schönheit ausmacht. Auf einer großen Felskuppel liegen verstreut ein paar runde Felsen, als ob man die dort hingerollt hat. Schon Cecil John Rhodes fand diesen Ort so beeindruckend, das er in seinem Testament schrieb, dass er hier seine letzte Ruhe finden möchte. Sein Grab liegt zwischen den Felsen.
Am Nächsten Morgen fuhren wir wieder zu den Matopos Hills, in den Nationalpark und der Gegend, an der es die höchste Konzentration an Leoparden gibt (ein Leopard pro 2 km²) doch sieht man sie nur selten in den felsigen Hügeln. Allerdings sind wir an diesem Tag noch aus einem anderen Grund früh aufgestanden – ein Rhino Walk. Von einem Ranger geführt, liefen wir zu Fuß durch den Busch, um den Breitmaul-Nashörnern ganz nah zu kommen. Zum Glück riechen die Tiere keinen Angstschweiß! In dieser Gegend vermehren sich die Breitmaul- sowie die Spitzmaulnashörner sehr gut und werden auch öfters von hier aus in andere Parks gebracht. Es dauerte also nicht sehr lang bis wir die erste Nashornkuh und ihr Kleines sahen. Kaum zu glauben, dass wenn man sich auskennt, man tatsächlich bis auf wenige Meter an die Tiere herankommen kann, ohne dass es sie stört.
Zum Mittagessen waren wir in die Amalinda Lodge eingeladen. Diese Lodge ist in der Tat etwas Besonderes: Die einzelnen Zimmer sind in den felsigen Hügeln hineingebaut. Vielmehr sind die Zwischenräume der Felsen mit Mauern ausgefüllt und daraus sind Zimmer einstanden. An diesem Ort herrscht Ruhe – die Natur ist trocken und idyllisch. Kein Fernseher und kein Handynetz. Nur Vogelstimmen und das Rasseln vom Wind in den Bäumen.
Die Fahrt ging weiter in den Hwange National Park, dort übernachteten wir in der Ivory Lodge. Die Ivory Lodge besteht aus einzelnen Zimmern, die hoch auf Stelzen um ein Wasserloch gebaut wurden. An Stelle von Fenstern verfügen die Zimmer über einseitige, großzügige Aussparungen und somit fühlt man sich dem Bush wirklich nahe. Eine Herde Kafferbüffel trafen wir mit dem Geländewagen direkt vor dem Camp an, gefolgt von ca. 10 Löwen, die versucht hatten die Herde anzugreifen – ohne Erfolg. Die Tiere warten geduldig – und wir auch, also saßen wir in einem Hide bei der Lodge und beobachteten die Herde, ca. 80 Büffel und das Rudel Löwen in der Ferne. Im Flutlicht, das am Wasserloch angebracht wurde, fühlten sich die Büffel sicher. Sie verbrachten die ganze Nacht dort. Von meinem Zimmer aus konnte ich sie beobachten und am nächsten Morgen ist die Herde erst kurz nach Sonnenaufgang weitergezogen. Die Löwen haben keinen erwischt.

Am nächten Tag waren es dann nur noch 280 km bis zu den Victoria Falls. Der Ort ist ein wenig kleiner als ich dachte, nur eine Straße, an der die meisten Veranstalter ihre Büros haben. Hier kann man alle Aktivitäten rund um die Victoria Falls buchen. Diese Region scheint nicht so sehr von den Problemen betroffen zu sein, die das Land in den letzten Jahren betroffen hatte. Wir sind nach der Trockenzeit da, also sind die Fälle nicht sehr voll mit Wasser und trotzdem sind sie sehr beeindruckend! Mosy-oa-Tunya heißt „der Rauch, der donnert“ wie es bei den Einheimischen heißt, ist eine große Attraktion. Es ist sehr anders hier als im Rest des Landes. Die Hotels sind gut gefüllt, es werden viele Kuriositäten und Souvenirs verkauft. Wir haben die Nacht ein wenig außerhalb und ruhig gelegen im „Stanley & Livingstone Hotel“ verbracht – ein wirklich schöner Ort, abseits vom Trubel. Die Einrichtung ist sehr britisch und großzügig.
Eine Bootsfahrt auf dem Zambezi-Fluss darf nicht fehlen – es legen zur gleichen Zeit viele Boote ab, wir haben 12 gezählt. Sie verteilen sich aber auf dem mächtigen Fluss und der Sonnenuntergang ist wahrlich zauberhaft.

Per Flugzeug ging es zurück nach Harare zur Shanganai–Messe. Eine Tourismusmesse, die zum dritten Mal in Zimbabwe veranstaltet wird. Wir hatten in den nächsten Tagen viele Möglichkeiten, uns mit Leuten aus der Tourismusbranche aber auch der Presse, Industrie und Politik zu unterhalten. Sie überzeugten mich, dass das Land nun wirklich eine Veränderung durchlebt und sich in eine neue und bessere Richtung bewegt. Die Stimmung ist durchaus positiv – jedoch ist jedem bewusst, dass es noch ein weiter Weg ist bis das Land wieder auf einem grünen Zweig gelangt. Die Menschen, mit denen ich die Gelegenheit hatte zu sprechen sind jedoch bereit, alles dafür zu tun und viel Kraft zu investieren. Weiterhin wurden wir eines Nachmittags zum State House geladen, vom Präsidenten des Landes Robert Mugabe. Eine kleine und feierliche Zeremonie hatte unter einem Zelt im Garten des State House stattgefunden. Die Ansprache war beeindruckend. Der Präsident erschien mir als ein alter weiser Mann, den man niemals zutrauen würde, Entscheidungen zu treffen, die seinem Land schaden würden. Die Geschichte hat uns jedoch eines anderen belehrt. Er scheint über all dem zu stehen und hatte auch beteuert, dass das Land noch nie mit einem anderen Land streiten wollte – mit Individuen, ja. Er hatte keine Entschuldigung für die Vergangenheit, er hat auch nicht gesagt, dass in der Zukunft alles gut sein wird. Er hat gesagt, es ist wie in einem Spiel – man soll es spielen so gut man kann, mal verliert man und mal gewinnt man – die Hauptsache ist, dass man die Regel befolgt, man sein Bestes gibt und niemals aufgibt. Was man davon hält ist jedem selbst überlassen. Nach meiner Reise empfinde ich, dass die Menschen diejenigen sind, die die Motivation haben, die Zukunft zum besseren zu wenden, auch haben sie sehr viel Geduld bewiesen unter den schwierigen politischen Umständen im letzten Jahr. Es hätte auch ein Bürgerkrieg ausbrechen können, stattdessen arbeiten sie jetzt hart daran, das Land wieder in eine stabile Position zu bringen.
Als Tourist wird man im Moment dort mit offenen Armen empfangen, denn die Hoffnung ist groß, dass es wieder viele Menschen geben wird, denen sie ihr Land mit Stolz präsentieren können. Es ist auch ein sehr beeindruckendes Land und wir freuen uns darauf, dass auch wir ab 2010 Reisen nach Zimbabwe wieder veranstalten werden. Das Südliche Afrika hat Zimbabwe zurück – entdecken Sie das vergessene Land!

- Ralf-Erik Hahn
(Text und Bilder von Ralf-Erik Hahn)

Cape Town shines in British travel awards

The city of Cape Town and the Bulungula Lodge on the Eastern Cape’s Wild Coast were among the favourites of British travellers in 2009.
A cable car takes visitors to the top of Cape Town's iconic Table MountainThe Guardian, Observer and guardian.co.uk announced the winners of their annual Travel Awards this week.
Their readers voted Cape Town their second favourite overseas city, five places up from last year.
The CEO of Cape Town Tourism, Mariette Du Toit-Helmbold, said they were thrilled at the news and see it as a sign that Cape Town is now widely recognised and celebrated as one of the world’s favourite city destinations.
"In the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup and with the eyes of the world upon us, we are working hard to maximise the exposure for Cape Town in our key source markets and amongst new markets," said Du Toit-Helmbold.
She added, "We hope to establish a lasting legacy for our City, capturing the hearts and imagination of potential visitors through PR and media platforms. The World Cup is our opportunity to build brand Cape Town and establish the Mother City as Africa’s greatest City and one of the top ten cities in the world to visit, live, work and study."
In the Guardian's category for judged awards, South Africa’s Bulungula Lodge on the Wild Coast came second in the Ethical Travel Awards.
The Lodge runs on solar power and was one of the first lodges in the world to be Fair Trade accredited.
According to the Guardian, many travel companies not only survived, but thrived this year despite huge challenges due to the recession. Surveys show that holidays are still regarded as a top priority for many in the United Kingdom.
19 248 readers of the British newspapers voted in their annual Travel Awards, up from 17 000 votes last year.
In 2008 Cape Town was voted ‘Best World City’ by readers of the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph in their Telegraph Travel Awards.

Source: http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/tourism/cape_town_shines_in_british_travel_award.html

Music extravanganza to kick off World Cup

Next June's World Cup in South Africa will kick off with a live music spectacular featuring mainly African artists, along with a clutch of world stars, organisers said Wednesday.

Kevin Wall, producer of the ground-breaking global music event Live Earth, is working with soccer's international governing body Fifa to produce a primetime concert in Soweto's newly-renovated Orlando stadium on June 10, eve of the official World Cup opening.

"It will be one of the greatest live shows ever to come out of Africa," Wall told a press conference held at the world's biggest TV trade show, MIPCOM.

"This is the first time we are doing something for Africa and an overwhelming number of international artists want to participate," he said.

Wall declined to name names, saying they would include the top stars in African music and saying he was still mulling the choice of global celebrities. But the musicians, he added, would come from a wide range of musical styles and countries.

"This will be a unique blend culturally that has never been done before," he said. Football fans can also look forward to special appearances by past and present football legends on the show. It was too early, Wall added, to know whether South Africa's Nelson Mandela would also participate.

South African film and TV production companies are out in force at the four-day MIPCOM trade show with South African football-themed programmes that are attracting unprecedented interest from countries worldwide.

"There has been high interest at this market," Azania Muendane, who heads up marketing for South Africa's national film and video foundation, told AFP. "It's a real catalyst for us and attracting a lot of interest across the board in our programmes from all broadcasters," she added.

Wall said a total 50,000 tickets will be sold for the show, which will be aired on free TV channels worldwide. Tickets go on sale at the beginning of 2010. It will air in European prime time and 2000 local Johannesburg time in some 192 countries through the world.

Net proceeds from the sale of tickets will go to the FIFA World Cup South Africa's "20 Centers for 2010" campaign to build 20 planned Football For Hope centres, FIFA's Director of television, Niclas Ericson told a press conference.

Source: http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/countdown_to_2010/africa-led_music_extravanganza_to_kick_off_world_cup.html

SA stadiums on track for 2010 World Cup

The 10 South African stadiums for the 2010 World Cup will be ready on time, organisers said on Wednesday, after world football governing body Fifa inspected the sites.

"This inspection gave us a high comfort level of what is needed," Fifa's head of operations in South Africa, Ron DelMont, told reporters.

A 50-member delegation from Fifa and the local organising committee (LOC) inspected the five newly built stadiums over the last six days.The team comprised experts in competition broadcasts, media operations, medical and transport logistics, and protocol.

The competitions chief for the LOC, Dereck Blanckensee, said preparations were on track for all stadiums to be completed within the first quarter of 2010."There are one or two minor problems which were pointed out to the host cities but nothing to worry about," Blanckensee said.

DelMont said it was important for the host cities to have test events to fine tune operational plans.LOC chief Danny Jordaan said: "It is clear to me as we go towards the draw in December, we go in full confidence that everything will be in place and ready for a wonderful World Cup."He also announced that 570 new buses to be used during the World Cup were delivered on Wednesday.

"The buses are now a reality, not just a plan. There is also progress on the trains and rail in terms of transportation. In terms of safety we will also have a mobile police station on the train, so if you misbehave during the World Cup, you will be arrested on the spot." -- AFP

Source: SA Good News

Durban in Lonely Planet top 10

Durban has been listed as one of the top 10 family beach holiday cities in the world by travel publishing heavyweight Lonely Planet.

The South African east coast city shares the prestigious list with the likes of Kauai in Hawaii, Cottlesloe in Australia, Karon Beach in Thailand, Portugal's Tavira, Mexico's Sayulita and Bali's Sanur in the latest edition of Lonely Planet's "Travel with Children".

The new book, which hit US bookstores last week, is the fifth in the popular series first published in 1985.

"Durban resembles a gigantic resort holiday paradise, raised for the sole purpose of entertaining families," the Lonely Planet publication says of the city in its section on South Africa. "Lined with safe beaches watched over by lifeguards, the Golden Mile is great for swimming, snorkelling and water sports."

SA tourism grows despite global slump

More than 9.5 million foreign tourists spent R74.2 billion in South Africa last year, according to Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk on Thursday.
This was 23.5 percent more than foreign tourists spent the year before, an increase that was "especially encouraging", he said in a statement. Foreign tourists spent R60.1 billion in 2007. A total of 9,591,828 foreigners visited South Africa last year, compared to 9,090,881 in 2007. In a statement ,van Schalkwyk said, "The South African industry continued to perform well in spite of pressures exerted by the global financial crisis that had seen growth in the global industry shrink to 1.3 per cent last year. South Africa had recorded 5.5 per cent arrivals growth over the period."“I am especially encouraged by the fact that foreign direct spend in 2008 had grown by an estimated 23.5 per cent, bringing the total revenue generated by tourism to more than R356 billion since 2003," he added. Regional and short-haul tourists remained the largest and most lucrative market. The most popular provinces visited by foreign tourists last year were Gauteng and the Western Cape, which snared 32.3 percent and 26.9 percent of visitor nights respectively. The third most popular province was KwaZulu-Natal, with 10.7 percent of visitor nights.Looking towards to the future Van Schalkwyk said the hosting of sporting events, such as the Indian Premier League, the ICC Champions Trophy, the British and Irish Lions Tour, the Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, will bode well for the country’s tourism industry. "These events will help the industry weather the global economic storm and it gives us an opportunity to prove our global competitiveness. Our successful hosting of these events will also entrench South Africa both as a capable and a desirable leisure destination," the Minister said.

More than 9.5 million foreign tourists spent R74.2 billion in South Africa last year, according to Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk on Thursday.

This was 23.5 percent more than foreign tourists spent the year before, an increase that was "especially encouraging", he said in a statement. Foreign tourists spent R60.1 billion in 2007.

A total of 9,591,828 foreigners visited South Africa last year, compared to 9,090,881 in 2007. In a statement ,van Schalkwyk said, "The South African industry continued to perform well in spite of pressures exerted by the global financial crisis that had seen growth in the global industry shrink to 1.3 per cent last year. South Africa had recorded 5.5 per cent arrivals growth over the period.

"“I am especially encouraged by the fact that foreign direct spend in 2008 had grown by an estimated 23.5 per cent, bringing the total revenue generated by tourism to more than R356 billion since 2003," he added.

Regional and short-haul tourists remained the largest and most lucrative market. The most popular provinces visited by foreign tourists last year were Gauteng and the Western Cape, which snared 32.3 percent and 26.9 percent of visitor nights respectively. The third most popular province was KwaZulu-Natal, with 10.7 percent of visitor nights.

Looking towards to the future Van Schalkwyk said the hosting of sporting events, such as the Indian Premier League, the ICC Champions Trophy, the British and Irish Lions Tour, the Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, will bode well for the country’s tourism industry.

"These events will help the industry weather the global economic storm and it gives us an opportunity to prove our global competitiveness. Our successful hosting of these events will also entrench South Africa both as a capable and a desirable leisure destination," the Minister said.

Source: http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/tourism/sa_tourism_grows_despite_global_slump.html

SA's World Cup welcome suffers from shortage of hotels

South Africa on Friday promised England fans a warm welcome at the 2010 World Cup but fears persist over a high crime rate, extortionate hotel prices and inadequate public transport. As the scramble for flights, accommodation and match tickets began in earnest, visitors were urged to use official tour operators and beware scams. The local World Cup organising committee insisted that all fans were welcome and space would be found for everyone.

Fifa's accommodation agency is believed to be facing a deficit of 9 000 hotel rooms for the half-million international visitors expected. Thirty-five hotels are being built and space has even been booked in neighbouring countries including Mauritius, which would entail a 17-hour round trip to see one match.

Prices for hotels and guest houses in the smaller host cities have already rocketed by up to five times. Rates vary from R1 000 to R30 000 per night, with luxury suites rising to R49 000, the Star newspaper reported. One beach villa was asking R75 000 a night. A shock could also be in store for impulsive fans who pitch up with a tent and hope for the best.

The tournament will take place during the South African winter when temperatures can plunge well below zero at night.Mkhondo said that more than 6 000 hotels had now been officially graded and would be available to supporters. "We have no worries about accommodation at all," he said, although he did acknowledge that fans may face long commutes. "There will be an aviation lift. If, for example, a game is played in Bloemfontein, there will be planes taking off up to midnight to get fans back. There will be some negotiation with the airlines over prices.

But Heidi Holland, an author and owner of the the Melville House hotel in Johannesburg, said: "Accommodation is going be a problem. The organisers are relying a lot on small operators like me. A lot of people have been contacting me asking to stay a few days but my instinct is to hold off for now. People are a little bit at sea."

Source: Mail & Guardian 11 September 2009

World Cup Prices

IN July we were in Pietermaritzburg visiting our parents and took the opportunity to do some forward planning for next year: a family reunion, when our daughters with their husbands will be joining us to visit and attend a few of the 2010 Soccer World Cup games.

We thought we would try to find a place close by to stay and we were recommended the new Regal Inn Xpress in Scottsville, which is only five minutes from our parents. We visited the inn and asked for prices for next year and were quoted R420 for a double room per night, which we thought very reasonable.

As our plans weren’t completed by then, we waited to make a reservation. I sent an e-mail on August 11 inquiring about the availability of two rooms for nine days in June 2010. Apparently, the Regal Inn Xpress has increased its room rate for the period of the World Cup to R1 200 per night. This is outrageous, especially in a city where there are no games being played. How can this be allowed to happen?

We shall also travel to the Drakensberg, Johannesburg and Kruger National Park. Although bookings have been difficult to secure we have managed it and the rates have been reasonable with only slight increases in airfares from Canada, accommodation and car rental.

This ripping off of the world is not a good advertisement for South African tourism.

JOHN AND ERICA GILBY Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Source: The Witness 10 September 2009

Thumbs up for World Cup: Survey

Tuesday, 08 September 2009

South Africans' confidence about the country's ability to successfully host the 2010 Fifa World Cup is at a record high, a survey released on Tuesday found.

Eighty-seven percent of those polled were convinced the country would be ready to host the competition, research company SPORT+MARKT found. This was the highest level of confidence shown since the first study, conducted in December 2008, when 73 percent of respondents declared their confidence, followed by 83 percent in March.

Ninety-one percent of those questioned said the spectacle would improve public infrastructure, while another 97 percent said it would strengthen the country's tourism industry.

The study indicated that 66 percent believed crime would be an issue for visitors to the tournament, compared to the 58 percent who thought so in March.

The number of interviewees who believed local businesses would inflate prices during the tournament rose from 59 percent in March to 77 percent.

Half the respondents said transport infrastructure was below par, up from 42 percent who thought so in March.The survey was conducted amongst 1004 people in all major cities and World Cup host cities, with quotas for ethnic origin, age and gender.

Interviews were conducted on a face-to-face basis. According to the research the higher scores could be attributed to an increased awareness of the World Cup due to media coverage, and the performance of the national team in the Confederations Cup.

"The scores reflect a higher sensitivity to all aspects of hosting the World Cup and an anxious enthusiasm to put on a good show for the watching world," read the report.

Source: http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/countdown_to_2010/thumbs_up_for_world_cup_survey.html

South Africa - the leading economy in the world?

Since the end of apartheid South Africa has become a world economic powerhouse. But how are the country's businesses placed to deal with the global recession? asks CNBC European Business.Time was, not long ago, when South Africa was a pariah, isolated from the world and cut off from international sport, theatre, music and business. Fifteen years into its new era of democracy, it is back in the fold of the international community. The same is true for the country's role in the wider business world. Multinational investors are back; but more and more, South Africa is becoming a net exporter of its own companies.According to African Business magazine, 15 out of the top 16 companies on the continent are South African, as are 54 out of the top 90. And the companies in the former apartheid state are flexing their muscles and finding new markets in Africa and across the world."South Africa is probably the leading economy in the world," says Dr Martyn Davies, chief executive of Frontier Advisory, a research and strategy company working in frontier and emerging markets and director of the Centre for Chinese Studies at Stellenbosch University. "No other country of our size and economic ranking has produced as many globally successful Fortune 500 companies as we have. The only comparable country is South Korea. There is a phenomenal ability for South African companies to grow and go global from South Africa. No other comparably sized emerging market has been able to succeed in doing that; not even the Chinese, not even the Indians."
For more on this story, visit the CNBC European Business website.

Source: http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/economy/south_africa_the_leading_economy_in_the_world_.html

Singita voted world's best hotel - again!

The Singita Sabi Sands Game Reserve in the Kruger National Park was recently named the Best Hotel in the world in the 2008 Travel + Leisure Magazine's World Best Awards, making it the only hotel to win the accolade three times in the 13 year history of the awards.

Singita came second in last year's rankings but earned first place honours in 2004 and 2006.

The World's Best Award winners are determined through an online poll where globe trotters are asked to score a range of tourism companies and destinations based on their recent travel experiences. In the 2008 awards, Singita achieved an overall score of 94.2, for its "exceptionally well-designed lodges deep in the African bush."

Other key features of Singita that were highlighted by Travel + Leisure include Singita's 14 000 bottle wine cellar, cuisine and "service that set the gold standard for bush luxury".

Despite their luxury rooms and facilities and unique bush experiences, Group Manager Mark Whitney attributes the hotel's success to the people who work there. "When we look at feedback from our guests, 90% of the time they write about the people who work here. It's our culture of service and the authenticity of our service that people remember."

Whitney believes that Singita's success in the global tourism industry bodes well for South Africa. "[The global recognition] is remarkably good news for a small place on the southern end of the continent, that doesn't get a lot of good press."

Other South African hotels that featured in this year's Top 20 are Sabi Sabi Game Reserve (8) and the Cape Grace (20), while Bangkok was voted the world's best city and Virgin America, the world's best domestic airline.

Singita will be presented with their award at a ceremony in New York on the 24th of July.

For a full list of winners visit: http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2008/

Source:
http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/tourism/singita_voted_worlds_best_hotel_again_.html

Playing for Change

http://playingforchange.com - From the award-winning documentary, "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music", comes the first of many "songs around the world" being released independently. Featured is a cover of the Ben E. King classic by musicians around the world adding their part to the song as it travelled the globe.

SA’s first newly-built 2010 stadium complete

This weekend the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in the Eastern Cape Province became the first newly-built stadium to be opened for 2010 FIFA World Cup.

A public opening was hosted by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality on Sunday. More than 25 000 residents of the city attended.

Deputy Executive Mayor, Councillor Bicks Ndoni, said the public opening gave residents the chance to see first-hand the stadium’s “state-of-the-art facilities, experience its beauty, warmth and uniqueness, and bask in the glory and pride of knowing that we are the joint owners of a truly world-class facility”.

“Today’s first opening of a newly-built 2010 FIFA World Cup stadium is a huge boost,” said the Organising Committee’s Chief Executive Officer Dr Danny Jordaan, who attended the stadium’s opening.

“[It] is a huge credit to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. It’s a tribute to their project management capability, the construction company and the workers that they managed to complete the stadium in record time,” he added.

Situated on the shores of the North End Lake in Port Elizabeth, the multipurpose stadium will seat 48 000 people. Eight World Cup games, including a third and fourth place playoff and a quarter final, will take place at the new stadium.

The stadium will host its first competitive game next week when the touring British & Irish Lions rugby team play a local Southern Kings Invitational side on 16 June 2009.

- Source - www.sagoodnews.co.za

Besuch der INDABA in Südafrika

Noch 370 Tage bis zur Fußball-WM...



Mit großer Vorfreude und sehr gespannt, was sich seit meinem letzten Besuch im Dezember alles verändert haben könnte, landete ich nach sehr angenehmen Flug mit South African Airways am 08.05. in Johannesburg. Nachdem sich der morgendliche Nebel verzogen hatte, begrüßte mich meine zweite Heimat, wie doch fast immer, mit einem sonnigen Tag, tiefblauem und wolkenlosen Himmel. Obwohl ich Südafrika nun seit 10 Jahren regelmäßig besuche und sehr gut kenne, überrascht mich dieses tolle Land und seine Menschen immer wieder. Mein letzter Aufenthalt in Johannesburg liegt ja nun nicht gerade lange zurück und trotzdem ist der internationale Flughafen kaum wiederzuerkennen. Helle, freundliche Hallen, eine neu strukturierte Passkontrolle mit einer wesentlich größeren Anzahl von Kontrollschaltern, eine neu gestaltete Ankunftshalle und zusätzliche Gepäckbänder sind nur ein paar der vielen Verbesserungen. Auch der Weg zum Inlandsterminal ist nun kürzer und das Umsteigen leichter geworden. Schnell war ich für den Inlandsflug eingecheckt und es ging weiter nach Durban. Auch in Durban verlief dann alles wie am Schnürchen und ich bin immer wieder beeindruckt, wie groß die Servicebereitschaft in Südafrika ist und wie gut speziell die INDABA als Reisemesse organisiert ist. Nachdem ich ein köstliches Abendessen, in Durban natürlich mit Meeresfrüchten, und einen leckeren südafrikanischen Wein genießen durfte, hatte sich die Reise bereits gelohnt. Am nächsten Morgen traf ich dann Percy und mit vollem Terminkalender zogen wir in die Schlacht. Natürlich muss man feststellen, dass die Weltwirtschaftskrise auch nicht spurlos an der Tourismusbranche im Südlichen und Östlichen Afrika vorübergezogen ist und ebenfalls Auswirkung auf die Besucherzahlen der INDABA hatte, aber wahrscheinlich hat genau dies dazu beigetragen, dass die Gespräche mit den einzelnen Anbietern, Leistungsträgern und Geschäftspartnern umso produktiver waren, neue Konzepte und Programideen umso kreativer und die Preisentwicklung für 2010 bei Weitem nicht so dramatisch wie mit Hinblick auf die Fußballweltmeisterschaft erwartet.

Ganz im Gegenteil! Zumindest bis kurz vor der Weltmeisterschaft bleiben die Preise für Südafrika stabil oder sinken sogar ein wenig. Die ideale Gelegenheit Südafrika im Vorfeld der Fußball-WM zu besuchen, die großartigen Landschaften, die einmalige Natur und Tierwelt zu genießen, die gastfreundlichen Menschen kennenzulernen und sich selbst von den positiven Entwicklungen und den Vorbereitungen zur WM 2010 zu überzeugen. Und wenn man zur Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft 2010 selbst nicht Reisen kann oder möchte, aber trotzdem Fußball-Fan ist, warum nicht mal ein Spiel der südafrikanischen Premier Soccer League besuchen? Zum Beispiel Ajax Cape Town gegen Orlando Pirates und dabei die Mannschaften mit einer Vuvuzela (eine Art Trompete aus Plastik oder Blech und Symbol des südafrikanischen Fußballs) anfeuern, so wie sie auch vielzählig auf der INDABA zu hören war. Gerne kümmern wir uns um entsprechende Eintrittskarten oder organisieren andere Programmpunkte zum Thema Fußball auf Ihrer Reise. Ganz Südafrika ist im Fußballfieber. Am 14.06. beginnt der Confederations Cup und die Vorfreude auf die Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft steigt täglich. Natürlich stand die WM 2010 auch auf der INDABA im Mittelpunkt und South African Tourism zeigte als Weltpremiere den neuen Werbespot zur Welcome-Campaign.



Die Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft 2010 ist nicht nur sportlich ein besonderes und für das Land einmaliges Ereignis, sondern natürlich auch wirtschaftlich und gesellschaftspolitisch von enormer Bedeutung für Südafrika und sogar ganz Afrika. Zum ersten Mal, und vielleicht auch zum einzigen Mal, wird eine Fußballweltmeisterschaft auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent ausgetragen und wir finden, es sollten möglichst viele Menschen, nicht nur innerhalb der Tourismusindustrie, davon profitieren. Fußball ist der Lieblingssport der meisten Afrikaner und viele, insbesondere die Kinder und Jugendlichen aus benachteiligten Verhältnissen, haben nicht die Möglichkeiten oder die finanziellen Mittel diesen entsprechend auszuüben. Wir haben uns deshalb entschlossen, einen bescheidenen Teil dazu beizutragen dies zu ändern und unterstützen als offizieller deutscher Partner das Fußballprojekt "Alive&Kicking".

http://www.aliveandkicking.org.uk/

"Alive&Kicking" hat sich zur Aufgabe gemacht 100.000 Fußbälle bis zum Ende der Weltmeisterschaft 2010 an die Kinder im Südlichen und Östlichen Afrika zu spenden. Jeder Ball trägt verschiedene Botschaften, um auf die Gefahren von HIV/Aids, Malaria und TB hinzuweisen. Um Arbeitsplätze zu schaffen werden die Bälle in entsprechenden Manufakturen in Südafrika, Sambia und Kenia selbst hergestellt. Wir hoffen, damit beizutragen, dass der Fußball und die WM möglichst viele Menschen erreichen und auch langfristig positive Nebenwirkungen für Afrika haben.

Entgegen aller gegenwärtigen Vorurteile, steht für mich spätestens seit dieser Reise nach Südafrika eines fest: Es wird eine tolle WM und Südafrika wird nicht nur ein hervorragender Gastgeber sein, sondern auch mit allen Vorbereitungen planmäßig abschließen. Viele der Stadien sind bereits fertig, an den Stadien in Kapstadt und Durban wird mit Hochdruck gearbeitet und auch alle anderen Bauarbeiten laufen auf vollen Touren. Die sowieso schon guten Straßen werden weiter verbessert oder vergrößert, zusätzliche Hotels werden gebaut oder wurden bereits fertiggestellt, auch die Arbeiten an der neuen Schnellzugverbindung vom Flughafen Johannesburg nach Pretoria gehen zügig voran. Einzig das generelle Transportproblem könnte weiterhin schwierig bleiben, denn in Südafrika gibt es öffentliche Verkehrsmittel doch nur sehr eingeschränkt. Aber auch hier wird es wie doch immer am Ende eine Lösung geben, denn eine von vielen Lektionen, die ich in Afrika gelernt habe ist, Ruhe bewahren und abwarten, denn zum Schluss klappt alles immer irgendwie. Dies liegt unter anderem auch an den bemerkenswerten Menschen Südafrikas, Ihrem Humor und Ihre Begeisterung für das eigene Land.



Die Stimmung in Südafrika, gerade nach den Wahlen im April, ist hervorragend, wie ich insbesondere auch bei einem Anschlussaufenthalt in Johannesburg, Soweto und Pretoria feststellen durfte. Auch meine südafrikanischen Freunde, egal welcher Hautfarbe und Herkunft, bestätigen mir dies. Irgendwie sind alle mit dem Ausgang der Wahlen zufrieden und einige Ängste im Vorfeld haben sich nicht bestätigt. Die vierten demokratischen Wahlen seit Ende der Apartheid wurden wieder vom regierenden African National Congress (ANC) gewonnen. Allerdings wurde die absolute Zweidrittelmehrheit nicht erreicht und es gibt eine recht starke Opposition. Nach Auszählung aller Stimmen erreichte der ANC 65,9%. Zweitstärkste Partei wurde die von der Kapstädter Bürgermeisterin Hellen Zille angeführte Demokratische Allianz (DA) mit 16,66% der Stimmen und die „ANC-Abspaltung“ Congress of the People (COPE) erreichte 7,42% der Stimmen. Die Wahlbeteiligung war sehr hoch und lag bei 77,3%. Bei den parallel abgehaltenen Wahlen zu den Provinzparlamenten ging der ANC in 8 von 9 Provinzen ebenfalls als klarer Sieger hervor. Die Provinz Western Cape dagegen wurde von der DA gewonnen, die damit erstmalig die Regierungsverantwortung für diese Provinz übernehmen wird. Ein positiver Nebeneffekt für die Tourismusindustrie ist, dass Südafrika in der neuen Regierung ein eigenständiges Tourismusministerium erhält. Der bisherige Minister für Umwelt und Tourismus, Marthinus van Schalkwyk wurde zum neuen Tourismusminister ernannt. Branchengrößen in Südafrika begrüßten diesen Schritt als positives Signal für die Industrie. Von Minister Van Schalkwyk wird zudem erwartet, dass der Umweltaspekt im Tourismus weiterhin einen hohen Stellenwert behält, da er sich in seiner letzten Amtszeit gerade auf diesem Gebiet profilieren konnte.

Zusammenfassend kann ich sagen, dass es sich in vielerlei Hinsicht mal wieder mehr als gelohnt hat nach Südafrika zu reisen und die INDABA zu besuchen. An dieser Stelle möchte ich mich bei South African Tourism, South African Airways und allen anderen bedanken, die dazu beigetragen haben, dass diese Reise so erfolgreich war. Es gibt immer genügend Gründe nach Südafrika zu reisen. Sei es die Vielfältigkeit des Landes, die kulinarischen Köstlichkeiten, die landschaftlichen Schönheiten, die hautnahe Begegnung mit der Tierwelt oder die unterschiedlichen Kulturen einer bemerkenswerten Regenbogennation.

Wann reisen Sie nach Südafrika?

Ein ganz besonderer Sohn des Landes lädt Sie ein….




Text Ralph Schulze – Photos und Videos © South African Tourism

Wir freuen uns auf Ihre Anfrage. Für Individualreisen wenden Sie sich bitte an info@elangeni.de und für Gruppenreisen bitte an ralph.schulze@elangeni.de

Namibia – The Green Deserts

A fly-in safari - Northern Namibia

- Solitaire, Namibia - photo: Ralf-Erik Hahn

It was like landing in a land of abundance, between the green Hills near Windhoek. The fist day in a new country is always so full of new impressions that, at the end of the day it is hard to report on it everything seems to be so different at first and you see so many new things and different aspects on the life that they live here. As we came through the clouds to land at Hosea Kutako International, we saw a Land that seems to be filled with natural life and recourses – you have to remind yourself that, this is in fact a country of deserts.

Most Europeans that visit the country for the first time are impressed by the size of the country, and the lack of size at the International Airport. It is no more of an international runway, than an airport; there is not much else there, except for a runway and a couple of buildings. No other plains in sight, except for ours. But when you step out, the ground crew, none the less, behave as if it is a busy international airport. After stepping off the stairs and setting my feet on Namibian soil, a number of men in bright yellow vests guided us safely away from the aircraft and towards the terminal building. It was a welcoming party of at least 15 people that formed a corridor in which we were allowed to move without interfering the other “air traffic” (With a total of 5 arrivals and 5 departures a day, it you never know...)

After we made it safely though customs, Frans was waiting for us on the other side of the Gate. We made our way to the car, the weather outside was overcast and not quite like I expected it in Namibia. Frans, Anette and I drove the km to the City of Windhoek, where we would pick up Christl who arrived a couple of day before us. Then we went to have a coffee where Frans gave us a rundown of what we let ourselves into. He really had a great trip planned for us: 6 Lodges in 7 Nights, spread over three quarters of the country! It is a small tour of a massive country. We were to see only small sections of what the country has to offer, but of the parts that we did visit, we were going to get real close. From all the people that we were going to meet, we would not only get the background information to the areas, the relevant history, but also a feeling of what it must be like living in such an arid country. We also got to see the sights worth seeing, met the people worth meeting and got an insight to the cultural groups of each area. Not the least, we received the “Insider information” that you will only get when you are there yourself and one of the reason that we were here for.

The road to our first stop was long, (just like every road in Namibia) and the rains did a good job of making sure that we could only travel at a moderate speed. At this time of the year the streams wash away the drifts in the gravel roads, so that one has to slow down at every dip on the way. But we got there safely, and in good sprit.
The city of Solitaire, as they call it, consists of: the Lodge, the filling station, the shop, the lapa (bar), camp site, a newly build bakery and some buildings for farming. It lies in a flat area surrounded by mountains along the horizon. It feels like a little oasis in the middle of nowhere. This is where we met Frank, General Manager of Solitaire Country Lodge (and Major of the city of Solitaire). He is a character, hard to compare, but he also has a lot of character. You probably need to be very optimistic and always try to have fun, in order to work successfully in these merciless surrounding. Well, Frank does just that, an optimistic happy person in the middle of the desert.

He took us for a drive to the outskirts of the city and around the farm. We came past a heard of cattle that were newly delivered. A mixed bunch of all sorts of races: Brahman, Africander, Nguni, Kashivi and lots more, all a happy family on the farm. We took a long drive around the perimeter of the estate passing some Springbok here and there. We ended the tour on a little hill, at sunset, with a beer – the perfect! From here you can even see the petrified dunes of the Naukluftpark in the distance. The sunlight changed as the sun went down which created an amazing atmosphere, and made for some good photographs.

There is quite some wildlife in this region and they are slowly introducing more of the bigger game. You can also go for game drives at the foot of the Mountains. The Lodge itself has 25 rooms built in a square with a green lawn and swimming pool in the middle. The rooms have basic furniture: mostly twin beds, no air-conditioning, en-suite bathroom with shower. Basic but clean. The coffee facilities that were available in the rooms is something that I personally enjoy very much. It made waking up in the early morning a bit easier. One thing that I did miss a bit in the other lodges we visited. Dinner is a buffet with a bit of variety in starter, main and dessert. Nothing too fancy, but tasty.

To most people, the stay a night in Solitaire is to stop over on the way to or from Sossusvlei – which we would also do the next morning. Our departure was at 5 o’clock! – because we did not want to miss out Sossusvlei which is about 80 km from the Lodge. What made the getting up a bit easier was a cold shower – they were having some electrical difficulties at the time of our visit, I assume this was also the reason why there was no hot water that day. Another nice service is the breakfast pack that they do for the early birds like us. The packed food lets you get a head start and the packs were filled with a lot of nice bites. It was definitely worth only a short night’s rest, to see the huge dunes at sunrise. We took a walk to Dead Vlei - what an eerie place with many fascinating little inhabitants of the sandy dunes when you have a closer look.

It was a long drive – but scenery is in constant change: we headed through the Kuiseb Pass and further northwest where the vegetation gets lesser, the landscape gets flatter and the ground got sandier – till we got just in front of Walvis Bay and there were only little sand dunes left. We did a short trip through Walvis Bay. A Town set amongst sand dunes, with little resources, only able to exist because of its harbor. Driving towards the town a wind came up and blew the sand over the street, it was hard to imagine that we will be arriving in a town soon, in such a hard terrain. We went further north towards Swakopmund. Another sight that boggles your mind: desert on the one side on the street and the ocean on the other, big ships on the horizon, holiday makers on the beach, kite surfers, quad biking – we were getting near the adventure capitol of Namibia – Swakopmund – a German town far away from home, yet at every corner you can see something familiar, like “Hohenzollern Haus”, “Altes Amtsgericht”, “Bismarck Str.” ect.

We spent the night further on, in Henties Bay. What a cute little town. In our Hotel (the only hotel in town) was a true event: Valentines’ day. The restaurant was all in red and white with hearts and a bottles of the sweet red sparkling wine was at each table. A special menu was printed (on red paper of cause) and seemed to be enjoyed by everyone.

The following day we left the coast for another stretch of barren, flat, white sand as far as the eye can see – something that captivates so many people that travel the country: sometimes “nothing” is the thing that is fascinating. We had a quick look a Brandberg, covered in a blanket of clouds and continued our journey past Uis till we arrived at Twyfelfontein. The Manager showed us around the Twyfelfontein Country Lodge, a the fairly new Accommodation that is beautifully situated in front a mountain of red rocks between some ancient rock carvings – leftovers from the stone age. Halve the rooms have a nice view over a massive vlei (pan). The quality of the rooms was similar to Solitaire, the setting of the lodge is defiantly the part that lets an atmosphere develop.

For lunch we had a stir fry on the buffet – very tasty.
We went with Siggi (the guide) on a nature drive around the area. Siggi has phenomenal knowledge about earth, he explained us the creation of the area starting in Gondwanaland, about the formations the landscape and the changes of the present day that still occur. The tour starts at 4pm in summer and 3pm in winter at the lodge and is very recommendable to get a better insight into the formation of these strange landscapes. Generally the lodge has a great selection of activities; a tour to the rock engravings is of course very worthwhile, whereby the “Verbranter Berg” and the “Organ Pipes” are less spectacular then I had imagined.

What followed was a long wait for Willem (General Manager Namibia Country Lodges). He came with a Cesna 210 from Windhoek to pick us up for the rest of the tour. After landing, there were some difficulties with the radio of the plain and we had to wait for the repair and continue hoping that the weather would not worsen and keep us from continuing our trip on that day.

Christl and Anette and I relaxed at the lodge and took a million photos of the Namibian Rock Agama and the Bushytailed Rock Rats, that you find around the lodge. We were in fact a lovely little group, Christl and Anette are easy going people, always up for just about everything that is offered – an we did just about everything that was to do. It was the positive attitude and the genuine interest in the tour and the Country that made this tour so successful. A great deal of optimisum probably comes from being in the industry for a long time and of the previous experiences in Africa. If you have ever made a trip to Africa where everything went as planned, then you have not really experienced Africa. It is more of matter of where and when, and how much fun it will be to solve a difficulty and to improvise – this is something people actually love Africa for and it is something that you start missing when things go too well for too long.

Our first flight was pure entertainment: the guys from the lodge tried to chance away the many birds that invaded the runway and we were able to take off without an incident. The flight was over a country that was green as far as the eye could see. Not really what you would expect in Namibia. We flew up, further North till we reached Opuwo and the country of the Himbas.

Willem gave us a nice intro to the lodge as we closely flew over the Lodge. The Lodge is situated on the one side of a hill facing a seemingly endless range of hills and mountains. On the other side of the hill is the town of Opuwo. The view from the lodge is magnificent, and the chalets are build in a way that you can sit on the veranda of your chalet and enjoy drink while the sun sets in front of you. The Opuwo Country Lodge is quite new and fells quite luxurious. The Design and interior decoration is a truly good combination of the Himba style and modern furniture. A Wine cellar in the upper floor has a great selection of South African Wines. We had a Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon for Dinner, very recommendable. The Dinner was prepared by a kitchen that is able to create dished that are a bit out of the ordinary, look great and taste even better. But before dinner and one of the most beautiful sunsets of our trip, we first went for a visit a Himba Village.

If it is your first time to visit a traditional village – you will feed quite out of place, you will feel like you are intruding in on a world that is so different from your own. But the children are the ones that come, look at the photos you take and get a connection to this other world going. The ladys come and sit around and have their photo taken. It is astonishing how firmly they hold on to their traditions and believes. We were shown how they prepare the “cream” for their skin, and how they “perfume” themselves with smoke of a certain bark. Slowly their interest in our world also developed and I was asked if Anette and Chrisel are my two wives, and how many children we had. For them, children are the true riches in life. At the end of our visit, they started to dance. You can see their joy in the dancing and singing – this lifts your spirit and you start to feel more comfortable around them.

The next morning we had a long flight ahead of us. We flew along the border to Angola in the direction of Caprivi. Dodging the rain clouds here and there. We followed the Okavango River as it crossed the Caprivi Strip, then we flew alongside the boarder to Botswana, further and further into this Bush that is so different to the rest in Africa. Willem made another low flying maneuver to have a look at the Namushasha Lodge from atop.

The Wildlife here is sheer bursting with life. There is an abundance of beautiful bird species, the vegetation is so diverse and green and you can find insects in all variations, forms and sizes.
Namushasha is situated directly on the banks of the Kwando River. The cottages are spread along the river allowing all a private piece of Nature when you sit on your veranda. The rooms are large with a big bathroom and an interior that is held in a natural tone. There are Mosquito nets on all windows and the door to the veranda, allowing you to sleep under the Mosquito nets with open windows. Waking up in the mornings to the sounds of nature - is a feeling of being home.

After our arrival, we when on an evening game drive with Gordon, Willem and some sundowners. Due to the heavy rains that had fallen previously, The bush is thick and animals are scares, but there is always so much more to see when you have someone that knows the wild. We made a stop on the river bank they call “horse shoe” to have a drink. A distance into the bush, the where a couple of baboons playing around on the banks and a lonely elephant bull slowly moved out of the bush and towards the water for a drink.

That evening we got to know the rest of the crew of Namushahsa and played a round of Kniffel with them and had a couple of drinks. They decided to go show us some crocodiles. So, in the middle of the night they packed the essentials – which in this case was a cooler box with Jägermeister. We took a boat out into the wild night with a lamp, scanning the banks of the river to find the reflections of crocodile eyes. But to no avail. With the amount of water which was in the river system at this stage, the crocodiles moved to the shallow areas away from the main stream of the river. In the end we just had a couple of Jägermeister on a river in the middle of the night.

The following day it was sunny and a perfect day to go fishing. We packed the rods and with Willem and Gordon, we went out onto the river. What a wonderful way to spend the day. The two Breams that Anette and Wihelm caught were later given to the chef who prepared them wonderfully as a starter at dinner.

The next morning it was time again to depart and head to the Bushmen. Our flight took us over a part of Botswana where you were able to see the Okavango Delta - at this stage with a lot of water. More water is still expected, when the river brings the rains from northern Namibia and Angola. Shortly before landing, we saw the Nyae – Nyae Pans in front of us. Willem made a dive with the plain and we flew over the heads a heard of Wildebees. They started to flee after they heard the sound of this great white bird coming to attack them.

After settling in to our rooms at the Tshumkwe Lodge, and paying a little visit to the Tshumkwe shop, we got back onto the vehicle and drove to the pans. They were wet, green and seem to stretch forever. Flamingos, Duck, Springbuck and the Wildebees that we had chased earlier were waiting for us there. They set up a table and some chairs at the side of the plain and served us a delicious Lunch. The overcast clouds decided to let go of the rain and we had to cut our visit short. The open 4x4 Vehicle took us back to the Lodge, however the rain increased and it started to poor, a wind started to blow and the rain was swept into the vehicle. Our Driver did the best he could to get us back to the Lodge as quickly and safely as he could. But by the time we got there we were soaked to the bone.

As quickly as it came, it was gone again. So we decided to visit the city of Tshumkwe, which consists of a cross section and a couple of houses around it. But Stacey Main (Community and Conservancy Relations for Namibia Country Lodges) knew were to go and took us to a small shop where the Bushmen of this area sell their crafts they make themselves. The income from these products goes straight back to them. Bow and Arrow, Jewelry made from Ostrich eggs, knives and other traditional items for sale which the Bushmen made from the few resources that they have in the “veld”.

That evening we sat at the fire and some Bushmen ladies came to sing. There is no text in their songs just melodic rhythm clapping and singing different tones. Hearing these songs and looking into the fire you feel set back in time.

After we had a truly delicious dinner, we went to our rooms. They are still busy renewing the lodge and are busy putting up little cottages all around the main building. They will be of a basic standard, Bedroom with a shower-bathroom and a veranda in the front. A new main building is also planed and the construction will start soon.

The Bushmen are the attraction of this remote area. So Stacy took us to visit a Bushmen village on the following morning. They do not life the traditional way anymore, but the older generation had still grown up in the traditional way and sill know all the trick on how to survive in the Kalahari. The little village was complete with the traditional grass huts, men women and children, all together like a big family. They led us out into the bush to show us a couple of their traditions: From a broad leaf they extracted the fibers to make a piece of rope, within minutes this was done and they used it to set up a trap for birds. When showing us how it works, one of them imitated a francolin hopping along on the ground and imitating the sound. What a funny sight: a grown man behaving like a little bird. They went to certain bushes and after a while they returned with a branch. On it was a small worm. This they used, together with parts and extracts of other plants to mix the poison thy use for their poisoned arrows. Furthermore they would look at a certain twig sticking out of the ground, they go dig out a big boll that was the root of this which could be cooked and would taste a bit like potato. Because the Bushmen of this area do not require this knowledge anymore to survive in the everyday lives, these skills might soon vanish. But if they continue to practice these skills, even though it is just for the sake of the tourists, their skills and their unique knowledge might remain alive for a little longer.
The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, we took off again, did a low flying maneuver over the pans, where we scared an Ostrich half to death. The poor bird must have never seen such a large bird fly so low.

Back in civilization, in Windhoek, we rested a while in our accommodations. I stayed at the Terra Africa Guest House, a very friendly and lovely little Guest house with a view to the new and impressing Government buildings – a monumental complex that they have been building for the last couple of years.

On our last evening in the country, Chrislt, Anette, Frans, Willem and I met at Joe’s Beer House for the last time. This is a perfect setting to review the adventurous last couple of days. The portions of meat at Joe’s are huge and the food is good. We carried on and had some Jägermeisters in a local Bar with a local live band, Afrikaans music.
Throughout the tour we were attended to, looked after and were shown a good time by Frans, Willem and all the others from Namibia Country Lodges.

Thank you guys very much! And a big thanks to Petra Feyand-Weilbächer (http://www.feyand-tourismus.de/) who invited me to this tour. She represents the Namibia Country Lodges here in Germany.

- Ralf-Erik Hahn

(all text and pictures by Ralf-Erik Hahn)