LONE RANGERS
Lone Rangers - Luxury Travel Magazine
 | |||||
Lone Rangers | |||||
| By: Ute Junker, Issue 46 – Autumn 11 | |||||
| (Namibia) | |||||
| UTE JUNKER FALLS IN LOVE WITH NAMIBIA’S EMPTY LANDSCAPES. | |||||
| It’s an odd feeling to drift off to sleep in a velvet-draped four-poster bed, lulled by the gentle chattering of river rapids outside your chalet, knowing you’re in the middle of the desert. Amid the creature comforts at Serra Cafema camp – the chic dark wood interiors, the attentive service, even the plunge pool – it’s easy to forget that here in Namibia you’re in one of the world’s driest countries, a land so barren that just one per cent of the country’s area is suitable for agriculture. Namibia is the other Africa. Unlike Kenya or Tanzania, where massive herds of wildlife roam fertile plains and valleys, Namibian landscapes are only occasionally punctuated by fleet-footed gemsbok or placid-looking zebras. Instead of capturing cheetahs in the long grass, here your camera itches to record the surreally beautiful landscapes, otherworldly in their emptiness. The technicolour Hartmann Valley, in which Serra Cafema is located, could be another planet, with its shocking green grass springing out of rust-coloured sand, while an overpoweringly blue sky seems to hang just out of reach of your hand. The beauty of the landscape is deceptive. As you fly into the Hartmann Valley, the undulating hills appear to be covered in verdant grass, punctuated by large “fairy circles” of flattened grass, whose origin remains a mystery. As you step out of your light aircraft, however, you realise that what appears to be a lush lawn is in fact a sparse covering of fragile looking stalks scattered across the rich red sand that covers much of Namibia. Even in this harsh environment, life finds ways to flourish. Many smaller species rely for moisture on the dense nighttime fogs that roll in from the sea, more than 40 kilometres away. There is a bizarre beetle that, every night, perches itself on top of a sand dune, balancing on its head with its legs in the air. As the fog rolls in, droplets of moisture get caught on its legs and roll into its mouth. It’s one hell of a survival tactic. The wonder of survival makes Namibia a compelling destination. At Doro Nawas visitors come face to face with a group of elephants uniquely adapted to the desert landscape. Unlike most African elephants, which require 200 litres of water and 150 kilos of food a day, Namibia’s sinewy desert elephants can survive up to five days without water, and will walk a phenomenal distance, between 50 and 80 kilometres a day, to find it. At Serra Cafema, visitors can meet a different type of survivor: the Himba, one of the world’s last nomadic tribes, who coat their skin in otjize, a reddish mix of butter fat and ochre, to help survive in the burning heat. Namibia is not an easy country to travel through. The most popular tourist destinations – from the dunes of Sossusvlei in the south to the wild beauty of the Skeleton Coast and the wildlife-rich Etosha National Park – are scattered throughout the country, making travel by small plane the only practical option. However, remoteness is its own reward. Away from the crowds that swamp many of Africa’s most popular destinations, Namibia’s boutique camps allow you to explore magnificent landscapes with only a handful of other guests, before returning at night to the creature comforts of your own luxurious villa. Each camp has its own flavour. At Serra Cafema you can spend the day on dune buggies exploring the areas rolling hills and plains alongside long-limbed ostrich, or simply cruise along the river counting crocodiles, before returning to the handful of stylish chalets that constitute the camp. For a spectacular location, it’s hard to go past Little Kulala, perched in the shadow of the spectacular dunes at Sossusvlei. These monumental agglomerations of red sand, towering up to 300 metres high, stretch as far as the eye can see. The dunes are at their most magnificent at sunset, when they seem to blaze with an inner fire; they’re at their most revealing in the hours after dawn, when experienced guides can translate the array of animal tracks left behind during the night – from jackals and mice to snakes – revealing the life that’s hidden inside the apparently empty landscape. Little Kulala’s proximity to the dunes gives guests access at a time when few other visitors are around. Stroll through the sands before the fierce heat of the morning sets in, or savour sunset cocktails perched on a ridge overlooking the deserted sea of sand. Little Kulala is not just perfectly positioned, it’s also incredibly intimate. The camp consists of just 11 kulalas (the word means “to sleep” in the Oshiwambo language), scattered along the watercourse of a dried-up river. Bleached shades of linen and mohair against wooden walls and floors provide a desert chic ambience; each kulala also has a private plunge pool, daybed and rooftop bed. Namibia’s most exclusive camp, however, is Little Ongava, which accommodates just three couples, with sprawling villas featuring large living, sleeping and bathing areas, in addition to an outdoor sala with a plunge pool and shower. Little Ongava is set in a private 30,000-hectare game reserve adjoining the Etosha National Park, a wildlife-rich environment that is the closest Namibia comes to a traditional safari experience. A game drive in the private reserve means you’re unlikely to cross paths with any other groups. Here, a cloud of dust doesn’t indicate another Land Rover: it’s more likely to have been kicked up by a lioness with half a dozen almost-grown cubs, all rubbing up against each other as cats do. Our guide explains the youngsters have been out hunting, and this is a welcome-home ritual. Game drives in the national park, on the other hand, mean more vehicles, but also offer some spectacular wildlife spotting. Elephant herds wander through the scrub; a hungry jackal brings down a slow-moving bird; zebra crowd together at a waterhole, while at another waterhole, a lone splay-legged giraffe lowers its long neck for a drink. Alternatively, there’s another wildlife spotting experience on offer at Little Ongava: you can just stay at home. With great foresight, the camp’s operators positioned the camp’s verandah opposite a waterhole where lions like to lounge during the heat of the day. Order a cocktail and laze away a leisurely afternoon communing with nature at its wildest. | |||||
| The Sea Of Dunes | |||||
| Little Kulala is at the gateway to Namibia’s extraordinary red sand dunes at Sossusvlei. With the tallest, aptly named Big Daddy, standing at about 380 metres high, the dunes are often referred to as the highest dunes in the world. The older the dune, the brighter the colour, which is brought on from slow iron oxidisation as well as tiny fragments of garnet. The oldest dunes at Sossusvlei are called petrified dunes, and have essentially solidified, some dating back billions of years in age. | |||||
| Where To Stay | |||||
| The Classic Safari Company offers a stay for seven nights, pay for six special departing from Windhoek, including two nights at Little Kulala, two nights at Little Ongava and three nights at Serra Cafema, including all accommodation, all meals, charter air and road transfers, all park fees, all activities, all drinks, all laundry, and services of a professional guide. Rates from A$8,600 low season (Jan 7, 11 – Jun 14, 2011), A$9,300 shoulder season (Nov 1, 11 – Dec 19, 11), and A$11,990 high season (Jun 15, 11 – Oct 31, 11) per person twin share. Phone 1300 130 218, or visit classicsafaricompany.com.au | |||||
| Getting There | |||||
| South African Airways has daily flights from both Sydney and Perth non-stop to Johannesburg with onward connections to the largest network in Africa including Windhoek in Namibia. Return economy class fares start at A$2,721, while business class fares start from A$7,394 including taxes. Seasonal conditions apply. For more information on SAA flights phone 1300 435 972 or visit flysaa.com | |||||
| Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines also fly to Cape Town daily via Kuala Lumper and Singapore respectively. Air Namibia offers daily connections to Windhoek. | |||||
| airnamibia.com.na | |||||
| When To Go | |||||
| Summer in Namibia can be very hot, so winter (May-September) is the best time to visit. Daytime temperatures can be up to the mid 20s, although evenings can be cool, particularly in the desert. | |||||
|
