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These days the dune belt between Walvis Bay and Lüderitz is a popular 4x4 route. At the start of the 20th century, however, intrepid explorers ventured into it without any resources worth mentioning. Most of the expeditions which attempted to cross the Namib from east to west did not make it very far because they simply got stuck in the sand. In 1909 Georg M. Stillger became the first European who managed to reach the Atlantic coast by crossing the dunes with camels. The Lüderitzbuchter Zeitung reported about Stillger’s expedition which had set out from Sesriem.

Salt is vital: human beings should take in 3 to 6 g per day. We use it without thinking twice – and often far too liberally. But it was not always like that. Advanced civilisations of earlier times valued salt almost as highly as gold. More than 60 types of industries are based on salt and the chemicals which are made with it, and it is hard to imagine life without them. The supply of salt seems virtually inexhaustible. Apparently the salt domes of the world contain 100 trillion tons of the ‘white gold’- enough for the next 400,000 years. In addition there is the salt from the oceans, which is also harvested here in Namibia. 

“Stunning Oasis”, “Little garden village”, “Excellent place for family”. These are the kind words used to describe the Gondwana Lodges that have received the Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. Kalahari Farmhouse, Damara Mopane Lodge and the Canyon Roadhouse have each received a “Certificate of Excellence 2016” to award their dedication to providing outstanding customer service. TripAdvisor is a major travel-aid in the online world and offers travelers the opportunity to review and rate their experiences at various establishments across the globe. 

‘Mountain Zebra Drive - Permit Only’ – A couple from Hanover, Germany, came across this sign on their way to Canyon Lodge. They had arrived in Namibia just two days earlier and the husband was thrilled. “Let’s go now, we’ll pay afterwards”, he suggested. He left the regular road and off they went through the breathtaking landscape in the north-western parts of Gondwana Canyon Park. It is a challenging route and even though the couple were driving a four-wheel drive vehicle they managed to get stuck in a sandy dry riverbed. 

The pioneer mule trekking tour in the Fish River Canyon had a few hiccups – in the end the animals actually deserted us. It was a clear September morning when we set off to find out how the mules would manage in the canyon. Mannfred had invited me to join the pioneer tour: Four days trekking across country, drinking from waterholes, eating at the campfire, nights spent under the star-studded night sky. Awesome! But from day one it was clear that quite a bit of work was needed to prepare the mules for their new job.

The Responsible Tourism Awards 2016 were presented at the Namibia Tourism Expo today (19 May). Etosha Safari Camp was one of three finalists in the Accommodation Establishment category, together with Wolwedans Boulders Camp and award winner Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge. Sense of Africa received the tour operator award. The winners of the Responsible Tourism Awards were announced by the Expo organisers, Namibia Media Holdings. Etosha Safari Camp is located 9km from the Anderson Gate at the Etosha National Park. 

What a party! Gondwana started its 20th anniversary celebrations at the Namibia Tourism Expo yesterday (18 May). Fancy Galada and the Professors brought the Gondwana Shebeen’s roof down with catchy rhythms, and Namibian Kwaito star EES feat. The Hunta performed their new song “Sundowner” for the first time. The Sundowner song is a partnership project with Gondwana, EES and Namibia Breweries. Download the song for free and watch the video on YouTube.

What a celebration! Who could have imagined such a wonderful (and challenging) journey when Gondwana began humbly twenty years ago - inspired by the spirit of a new Namibia - with just a handful of people and a dream.  The vision to make a difference – to both people and nature – led a group of like-minded friends to purchase our first farm east of the Fish River Canyon, with the intention of creating a conservation area. Our first lodge, Canyon Lodge, opened its doors in 1996 to help fund the dream. 

This year the Gondwana Collection is celebrating 20 years at the Namibia Tourism Expo and heartily invites anyone who would like to celebrate with us. Join us from 18 to 21 May at the Gondwana Shebeen and grab one of our jubilee newspapers, or click here for the English edition Celebrate or the German edition Wir feiern. Participate in our Sundowner Competition and stand a chance to win your share of 101 nights at any Gondwana Lodge. Live music will be available in the evenings.

Heinrich Vogelsang was instructed by Adolf Lüderitz, a merchant from Bremen in Germany, to acquire Angra Pequena and the surrounding land from Nama Kaptein Joseph Frederiks.The Nama Kaptein was prepared to sell Angra Pequena and the surrounding land, “five miles in all directions”, for the price of 100 pounds sterling in gold and 200 rifles plus accessories. Frederiks assumed that British miles, the customary scale of length at the time, applied while Adolf Lüderitz later insisted on the much longer German mile. The deliberate misguidance became known as the “deception with miles”.