Hi there again....

Sorry I was off line for almost three weeks.  Work in tourism in Namibia is never-ending, so I was off doing my thing!

LIONS... yep.  There be lions here. 

This photo above is of the Stinkwater pride near the Namibia Wildlife Resort's (NWR) Onkoshi Camp... NWR calls it a 'camp' but it is a LODGE and actually a quite nice one. 

When she knew I was going to live my life in Africa, my Momma implored me not to go anywhere where I was not the top of the food chain.  That warning aside, I go into Etosha National Park in Namibia ALL the time and it is wonderful!  I keep it real though...this is not Animal Planet or the old 'Dakatari' series on TV.  This is the real deal.  The lions in Namibia are many and are a sight to see when you come here on your vacation!  But, they are wild and it is us humans who are invading THEIR neighborhood!  So we must make allowances for their living needs first. 

My first rule is this:  There shall be no Jackie-burgers served up in Etosha. So, I follow my guide's and the Park Ranger's rules and enjoy from safe distances.

The NWR Onkoshi lodge is built right on the Etosha Pan itself.  Actually, we probably shouldn't have built that lodge in that spot, due to lack of fresh water (we have to truck it in!) and the roads in and out are left 'natural' and that plays havoc on the supply trucks and other vehicles.  Our staff working at the lodge have had some lion adventures that are hair-raising!  But, with careful safety measures, we have solved that problem. Still, we have challenges.  Right now, our guests have to use NWR vehicles only to get in and out and that is limiting.  Thankfully, we learn from mistakes and make sure something GREAT comes from the situation.

The new road to Onkoshi will be finished probably in about 10+ months or so; NWR is working with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to make that happen.  Slow is better in sensitive environments.  We don't want to make an environmental mess and piss off the Stinkwater family above as well as our resident bull elephants by massive digging and noisy construction, so we must proceed safely (for our workers sake!) and carefully with as small a green footprint as possible.  Haste makes waste indeed!

But, the Onkoshi lodge is there and wonderful! Go online to NWR and I am sure you can get some photos of the inside of the luxury bungalows there.   There are only about 15 bungalows so you can have a private vacation stay if you go there.   Wow.... I love just lying on the giant king-sized bed and pulling the wall/windows wide open and watching the Flamingos fly over the pan and falling asleep for a nap just before the sun sets ...what colors!  Wow...  The sunset hues of lavender, mauve, deep pink-orange, fading into cobalt blues and shifting to midnight blue is amazing!

Waking up in the morning and looking down across the 'sands' of the salt pan and seeing the various animal tracks tell a story of what could have happened in the dark of the night.  You hear all the sounds and that, in itself is a thrill!  The bungalows are up on stilts and walkways connect the entire thing suspended about 14 feet above the ground.  It is safe, but you are close enough to hear the animals moving below in the night. 

Onkoshi's prices dropped significantly from last year and the year before.  You should consider booking there during your Namibian holiday.  Get to Air Namibia's website and find a connection out of Frankfurt that will bring you straight to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia.  Hook up with a tour operator like Sense of Africa or SWAsafaris or Ultimate Safaris to get your arrangements together for your three week visit (or less) to Namibia. 

Do me a favor...no matter what tour operator you work with, insist on staying at Onkoshi Camp inside Etosha National Park for at least one night!    You won't regret it!

Tell'em.... Jackie sent you!

Have fun.... 

Dear All,

"Winter" is here in Namibia.  But, our winter is not like other places in the West and North.  Winter for us is brisk mornings and evening and sometimes downright cold mornings and evenings, with warm and even HOT weather during the day.  Desert weather is Namibia's weather in most places.

Of course the coast is very different and the South of Namibia can be colder than anywhere else.  I have read that the only place in Namibia to ever get snow was a place called Aus in the South of Namibia.

I always have found it interesting that Namibians, when the temperature dips even slights, bundle up as if it is the Arctic here!  I was born and raised in Washington, D.C. and lived in various locations in the US and in Europe during my lifetime.  Winter for me means ice storms, sleet, and wind chill factors.  Now, that is the Arctic and that needs bundling up!

Come to Namibia now. This is the best weather for it!

Bye.

Jackie