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Long before the Twyfelfontein engravings became a popular tourist destination and received recognition as a world heritage site, the land was visited sporadically by Damara people watering their animals at the trickling spring (or "fontein" as it is called in Afrikaans). It was named Twyfelfontein (doubtful spring) by farmer David Levin who settled on the arid land in the late 1940s in the hope that he could farm sustainably utilising the spring water. 

When you see workers removing cacti from riverbeds in Windhoek or undeveloped, open land, know that they are providing an invaluable service. The workers are part of the voluntary ‘Cactus Clean Up’ campaign, which is now supported by the Gondwana Collection. 

Over the years I have visited Bushmanland many times but never spotted an African wild dog, although every now and then I heard about other people who had seen the multi-coloured canids. This time I am fortunate enough to encounter some of these fascinating animals in the wild. I can hardly believe my eyes: three African wild dogs are chasing a young springbok less than 100 metres away from us!

The Delight Swakopmund, Namib Dune Star Camp, Etosha Safari Camp, Kalahari Farmhouse and Klein-Aus Vista Eagle’s Nest Chalets have each received a “Certificate of Excellence 2017” to award their dedication to providing outstanding customer service.

The legendary traditional leader of the Witbooi Namas, Hendrik Witbooi (1830-1905) kept a diary. In his leather-bound journal he also entered copies of letters, treaties and protocols of meetings. The journey of Chief Witbooi's journal from 1884 until it was inscribed into the 'Memory of the World' register of UNESCO in 2007, is an interesting tale.   

A short walk – or drive – from Hakusembe River Lodge on the Okavango River takes you to a museum with a difference. The Mbunza Living Museum is an outdoor arena where visitors have a chance to learn about the fascinating traditions of the Mbunza, one of the five Kavango groups. 

Devoid of life. That, at first glance, is the impression given by the red dunes and the adjoining white gravel plains of the Namib Desert on the doorstep of the coastal town of Swakopmund. The seasonal Swakop River, which reaches the Atlantic Ocean at Swakopmund, forms a dividing line between the town and the dunes to the south. Sand and stones, wind and fog, otherwise nothing. Or so it seems. This area is home to an amazing array of creatures, and there are also relicts from the past to take a closer look at. 

The Put Foot Rally is a rally of the ages in which fun, the experience of Africa and charity are at the forefront. The rally kicks off in Cape Town on 18 June and will make its way to Malawi via Namibia, Botswana and Zambia, and ends on 6 July. In Namibia, the Fish River Canyon, Sossusvlei, the red dunes of the Kalahari and the Etosha National Park are included. Gondwana looks forward to hosting the Put Foot Rally again this year.

Top-heavy sunflowers peeping over walls, lush spinach carpeting the ground and scarecrows eyeing you from the greenery may not be something you would expect to see at a tourist lodge, especially in your very own chalet garden, but then Damara Mopane Lodge breaks out of the box to offer its guests a truly unusual, memorable and extraordinary experience.

There are a handful of people who have changed the world through their vision of peace. Some, like Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King, spent years in prison or gave their lives for this cause. Namibia’s Toivo ya Toivo was one of these great men.