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“This has become more beautiful than I imagined. The first bungalows were constructed exactly where I recorded them on the floor. The swimming pool should be where the Braai (barbecue) is today. But the current pool location is much nicer.” Roland Vincent visited the Canyon Lodge at the beginning of 2017 with much enthusiasm. He had discovered this idyllic spot from a plane 23 years ago, and Manni Goldbeck was very certain that that was the right place to build a lodge. Near the second largest canyon in the world.

Travellers are always in need of good grub – and more importantly, places to pull off from the main road, rest and enjoy the surroundings. This month, Kameldorn Garten in Otjiwarongo caught our attention. A favourite stop when travelling north with good food, a shady courtyard, off-road parking and a casual and relaxed atmosphere. Dieter Radeck took over the restaurant in October 2011, bringing with him his cooking expertise. 

Like the fox in European folklore, the jackal is often represented in African folk tales as a trickster. Its ability to adapt to changing circumstances and its legendary stealth and cunning have inspired stories about the wily creature that dodges traps and avoids hunters year in year out. The jackal is reputed to be able to obliterate its tracks, feign death and rid itself of fleas by immersing itself in water, only exposing a tuft of sheep’s wool which it holds in its snout.

Birds do not have penises like mammals do, most birds can only enact erectile processes at the cloaca (reproductive opening). Flightless birds, such as ostriches, waterfowl (Anatidae) and tinamou, have a retractable penis which serves as a mating organ in the cloaca.

Years after the mystery of the bare circles in the grassy plains on the edge of the Namib has been lifted, biologists are still captivated. Not only can the circles grow as old as the hills but their creators now hold the world record in "ecosystem engineering". Much to the chagrin of beavers... 

Canyon Village is dedicated to the history and culture of the Nama and Oorlam peoples. Before this Gondwana lodge opened in September 2003, five Namibian artists were engaged to depict scenes from the everyday life of these peoples as it was more than 100 years ago in dozens of murals. The idea was for guests to become acquainted with the people of southern Namibia and to keep alive the past of the Nama that was slowly fading into oblivion. 

The Blue Crane, critically endangered in Namibia, occurs exclusively in the Etosha National Park and the Omadhiya lakes, a series of oshanas (seasonally flooded lakes) to the north of the park. To see this rare bird, tourists often visit areas near the Chudop waterhole in the Namutoni area, Salvadora in the Halali area, and recently at Nebrownii, east of Okaukuejo in Namibia’s most famous park.

On the new Gondwana Website you can now go shopping. With the new shopping cart function you can conveniently plan and book your entire trip. You can select and pay for more than one property at once. An integrated map functionality shows the route description. Clients will be able to create a profile and account on the store. Online shopping made easy.

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.