Aukleté Explorer

25/08/2019

Contrasting Beautiful Namibia

Namibia is one epic country to visit in Africa. Of course, Africa is a diverse and incredibly beautiful continent; with many other places being beautiful countries to visit.

There is, however, literally so many of the best contrasting places in Namibia dotted all over the country, which is perfect to explore.

Now, the very best places in Namibia are totally eye-opening landscapes that, I swear, compare to nowhere else in the world. That’s what makes this country so very special.

From bustling little towns, incredibly vast deserts to beautiful mountain ranges, it’s one place you should definitely think of visiting when in the southern hemisphere of Africa.


📸: Various

25/08/2019

Sorris Sorris Lodge, Namibia

Sorris Sorris Lodge is an oasis in a very dry and harsh Damaraland of North Western Namibia - popularly known as the Brandberg. The lodge encapsulates a modern expression of African architecture and has achieved luxury without seeming out of place, rather embracing the stark surroundings in its construction.

There is an outdoor swimming pool (with panoramic views), perfect for summer body refreshment. The dining area, lounge, and bar are all housed in the main lodge, while each individual suite is entirely private.






📸: Various

25/08/2019

Windhoek, Namibia



📸: Julina Photography

19/11/2018

Kolmanskop, Namibia

Kolmanskop is a ghost town in the Namib Desert of Namibia, it is about 12 kilometres inland from the port town of Lüderitz. Once a small but very rich mining village, it is now a ghost town and a tourist attraction.

Driven by the enormous wealth of the first diamond miners, the residents built the town in the architectural style of a German town, with amenities and institutions including a hospital, ballroom, power station, school, skittle-alley, theatre and sport-hall, casino, icefactory and the first x-ray-station in the southern hemisphere, as well as the first tram in Africa.

The town started to decline after World War II when the diamond-field slowly started to deplete.

The town was ultimately abandoned in 1956. The geological forces of the desert mean that tourists now walk through houses knee to waist-high sand.

📸: Various

04/11/2018

The Wild Horses of The Namib Desert, Namibia

The wild horses of the Namib hold a powerful fascination.

For decades their origin was shrouded in mystery. Their habitat, the barren plains around Garub on the eastern fringe of the Namib Desert (part of the Namib-Naukluft Park), is no paradise. Nevertheless, they have managed to adapt to the harsh conditions and the arid land which fulfills all their needs.

Their forebears, once in the service of mankind, gained their freedom a century ago to live their lives in the vastness of the Namib Desert away from human civilisation, according to the natural ways of the land. Perhaps our yearning for the wild and free is the reason for our deep attraction to the Namib wild horses and explains why thousands of travellers visit !Garub, Namibia every year.

There have been several theories proposed over the years as to the origin of the wild horses. The two most likely stem from the period between 1915 and 1925. During World War One, Union of South Africa troops were stationed at Garub. Reports from the time make reference to 10 000 soldiers with 6 000 horses who pitched camp on the dusty expanse at the edge of the Namib Desert.

Suggestions on how visitors can contribute to the horses’ protection:

– Take special care on the tar road and avoid driving at night

– Do not get too close to the horses and remain in the viewing hide. (Disturbance can lead to foals being separated from their mothers.)

– Keep your distance for your own protection, too. The horses are not aggressive, but serious injury can be sustained through their movements or kicks while interacting with each other.

– Please refrain from feeding the horses at all times.







📸: Gondwana and Various,
Proudly 🇳🇦

03/11/2018

The Skeleton Coast Of Namibia, Namibia

The Skeleton Coast is a coastal area along the Atlantic Coast of Namibia that is infamous for its unpredictable weather, choppy sea, and numerous shipwrecks

The Skeleton Coast of Namibia has a very ominous sounding name, and with good reason! This 976-mile stretch of Atlantic coastline is covered in animal skeletons and shipwreck ruins.

This section of the coastline is situated along the northern edge of Namibia, just south of the border of Angola, between the Kunene and Swakop rivers. The Skeleton Coast has also been called the “Land God Made in Anger” by the Bushmen and the “Gates of Hell” by Portuguese explorers.

Why So Many Skeletons?

Why exactly does this particular beach have such a high number of skeletons and shipwrecks? The answer lies in the ocean currents running just off the coast. The Benguela current carries its cold waters up from Cape Point in the south, colliding with the warm air located off the coast of the Namibian Desert. This extreme mix of temperatures creates a heavy fog that covers both the beach and the ocean. In addition, strong winds blow from land to sea, resulting in heavy waves along the beach. These conditions can best be described as harsh and hostile; they are responsible for the high number of shipwrecks and animal carcasses on shore.

📸: Various, Text: World Atlas.

21/10/2018

The Zambezi Queen Collection, Zambezi Region, Namibia

Located on the great Chobe River that borders Namibia and the Chobe National Park in Botswana, the Zambezi Queen Collection is made up of four houseboats; the ever elegant Zambezi Queen and her three Chobe Princesses as well as the secluded tented Ichingo Chobe River Lodge.

The Zambezi Queen

With ten standard suites and four master suites, the Zambezi Queen is a boutique floating hotel offering unsurpassed elegance and luxurious comfort. Departing three days a week, this unique African river safari traverses 25km of the Chobe River while you soak up beautiful scenery and enjoy mouthwatering food.

The Chobe Princess

The three Chobe Princess houseboats offer a smaller, more personal safari experience. Explore up to 50kms of the remote Zambezi and Chobe riverine ecosystems.

Ichingo Chobe River Lodge

Nestled on Impalila Island in Namibia, Ichingo Chobe River Lodge is a secluded tented lodge surrounded by breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife, birdlife and ideal fishing conditions.

19/10/2018

Etuna Guesthouse, Ongwediva, Oshana, Namibia

Etuna Guesthouse is located in Ongwediva in the Oshana Region.

Etuna offers modern, comfortable rooms in a tropical design garden.
Private, customized tours to historical sites such as those of the Finnish Mission to Namibia, or the famous Himba tribes are offered.

📸: Etuna Guesthouse

19/10/2018

Taranga Safari Lodge, Kavango West, Namibia

Taranga Safari Lodge, located at the banks of the Kavango River, west of Rundu, offers 4 luxury en-suite tents and 8 camping sites. Activities include guided river safaris, sunrise and sundowner cruises, wato trips and flyfishing.

A nearby attraction well-worth a visit is the Mbunza Living Museum.



📸: Taranga Safari Lodge

29/08/2018

Wolwedans Dune Lodge, NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namib Desert, Namibia

Namib A dramatic landscape of rocky mountains, vibrant orange and red dunes, sweeping grassland valleys, rocky outcroppings of wind-smoothed boulders and a sprinkling of trees create the most spectacular setting for the Wolwedan Dune Lodge. Located south of Sossusvlei, NamibRand is synonymous with some of Africa's most breathtaking locations. The special attraction of this private reserve is the diversity of desert landscapes in one cohesive area. The Dunes Lodge is perched on top of a dunes plateau and overlooks panoramic vistas in all directions, capturing the desert in a most memorable way. The building style is a combination of wooden structures, large canvas blinds and windows that open up to the desert beyond. The lodge reflects the ambiance of a tented camp, but provides the comfort and protection of a permanent building. Each of the nine spacious chalets with en-suite bathrooms lead onto a private veranda and vast stretches of pristine desert sands. Sleeping with your blinds up is as good as sleeping under the stars.

Accompanied by experienced guides, visitors are introduced to the many facets of NamibRand Nature Reserves desert habitat with its diverse fauna and flora - on foot, by car, or from the air. Our interpretive scenic drives in open Land Rovers and nature walks with resident field guides, reveal the fascinating wonders of the desert - as do picnics in the wild, sundowners on the dunes and dinners by candlelight.

📸: Wolwedans Dune Lodge

17/08/2018

Desert Quiver Camp, Sossusvlei, Namibia

Surrounded by granite outcrops and with stunning views and roaming wildlife, Desert Quiver Camp offers modern self-catering accommodation, located just 5 km away from the entrance gate to Sossusvlei.

The uniquely designed units at Desert Quiver Camp come with a spacious bedroom and en-suite bathrooms. The units include a covered patio area, fitted with kitchenette, fridge, seating area and barbecue facilities.

Facilities include a fully stocked on-site bar, 2 communal boma areas for groups or families traveling together as well as an outdoor pool with views towards the Elim dune.

📸: Desert Quiver Camp

16/08/2018

Etosha National Park, Namibia

Etosha National Park, covering more than 20,000 sq km, is one of the world’s great wildlife-viewing venues. Unlike other parks in Africa, where you can spend days looking for animals, Etosha’s charm lies in its ability to bring the animals to you. Just park your car next to one of the many water holes, then wait and watch while a host of animals – lions, elephants, springboks, gemsboks etc – come not two by two but by the hundreds.

Etosha's essence is the vast Etosha Pan, an immense, flat, saline desert that, for a few days each year, is converted by rain into a shallow lagoon teeming with flamingos and pelicans. In contrast, late in the dry season, everything, from the elephants to the once-golden grasslands, seems cast, spectrelike, in Etosha’s white chalky dust. And what wildlife there is! Even if you’ve had a taste of African wildlife watching previously, you are likely to be mesmerised by it here

📸: Etosha National Park/ Lonely Planet @ Etosha National Park

16/08/2018

Ngepi Camp, Kavango East, Namibia

Ngepi Camp is situated in the unspoiled upper reaches of the Kavango delta panhandle in Namibia's Kavango East Region.

With clean Kalahari desert air, the camp is set on an island under amazing trees with permanent river frontage and surrounded by seasonally flooded swamps. It is a paradise of flooded plains, secret swamp backwaters and wildlife. Ngepi Camp is nestled between Mahango Game Reserve, a few km’s to the south, and The Bwabwata National Park directly opposite across the river.

📸: Ngepi Camp @ Ngepi Camp

16/08/2018

Dolomite Resort, NWR, Namibia

Dolomite Resort is located in a previously restricted scenic area in the western region of Etosha National Park, rich in biodiversity due to the absence of mainstream tourism. The dolomite formations in the area give the resort its name and provide a lush vista.

With no less than 15 waterholes, wildlife sightings are very common around the resort and provide excellent photography opportunities. The area is rich in waterholes that attract elephants, rhinos, leopards, lions, springboks, gemsboks and red hartebeests. The seasonal flowers of Dolomite Hill are a highlight for botanists.

Moreover, the specially arranged game drives bring you to the most exclusive areas of the Etosha National Park, generally only known to conservationists.

16/08/2018

16/08/2018

Bwabwata National Park, Namibia

Bwabwata National Park is one of the attractions found in the ever green North Eastern Namibian wildlife paradise.

The National Park measures about 630 400 hectares and extends for 180km between the Kavango River, Kwando River and the Angolan Border.

Bwabwata National Park has become known as the champion of the local communities, conservation and sustainable tourism.

The park consists of 2 main tourist areas; the Mahango Core Area which borders the Kavango River, and the Kwando Core Area on the Kwando River.

For wildlife viewing, you will find all your regular favorites in the Bwabwata National Park i.e. elephants, lions, leopards, crocodiles, wildebeests and buffaloes.

There are 3 community-run campsites located within the park, these are:
1. N//goabacha
2. Nambwa
2. Bum Hill

Outside and around the the national park you will find more luxurious offerings, such as: Popa Falls, Rainbow River Lodge, Ngepi Camp, Nunda River Lodge, Divava River Lodge, Riverdance Lodge, Shametu River Lodge, Divundu Guest House, Mahangu River Lodge

These accommodation facilities offer day trips into the park.

A trip to Bwabwata National Park offers an old-school African adventure. Perfect for 4×4 enthusiasts and those who love undisturbed nature.