How long have you been living in Namibia?

Garth and I are Namibians and have been here since before Independence in 1990.

What makes Namibia so special?

Space and freedom in Africa. An incredibly diverse environment  both physically and culturally – stunning desert moonscapes in the north-west with lush tropical rivers and green floodplains in the north-east; plenty of wildlife and less than 2.5 million people in a country two-thirds the size of South Africa.

What are your 3 best memories?

So many best memories this is hard! Maybe the first time some guests and I helped our lion researcher change a lion’s collar and therefore got to stroke a live (although sleeping) lion.  Or sitting on top of a high hill in the Hoanib River, with a glass of cold white wine, with a group of desert elephant below us, playing, interacting and feeding as the sun set.  Seeing a baby elephant – just a few weeks old – lie down under his peaceful, relaxed mother to sleep, with our vehicle not 10 metres away and remembering how once this same herd would panic and flee, or go into a security circle with the calves in the middle, when a vehicle approached. That was what it was like here 30 years ago after years of commercial poaching. The community-based conservation movement, of which Conservancy Safaris Namibia is a part, has stopped such illegal hunting and brought real benefits to the people who live with wildlife.  It is great knowing the CSN is owned by five remote conservancies and that each of our guests and every expediution we do is  therefore helping both conservation of wildlife and enhancing the quality of life of thousands of rural Namibians. Another best moment was hearing that the 4-year-old Herero girl we treated for dreadful burns and rushed to the nearest clinic had recovered full use of her hand and arm. If a CSN vehicle has not stopped to help she would have had to go by donkey to the clinic which was about 80 kms away.

What are your 3 worse experiences?

Getting my vehicle stuck in mud in a river that was flooding, and knowing more floodwater could come down – luckily we carry the right equipment such as high lift jacks so I got the car out with some help before the next flood!  What me laugh later though was that our guests told us the experience was exciting and one of the highlights of their trip – the difference between a tame safari with set destionations and a real expedition.

When did CSN start?

CSN was started in 2008 with a soft loan from some visionary Swedish philanthropists. Getting going just as the world economic recession happened seemed to be very unfortunate timing at first. Then we realized that many Europeans and Americans people were questioning whether they should travel for holidays to faraway destinations like Africa and that many of them would only travel if they were sure their carbon footprint was really counting. CSN – which directly benefits both wildlife and people – is thus just what such people are seeking.

What is the concept behind CSN?

It aims to directly benefit both wildlife and the people who live with the wildlife. At the same time we offer CSN guests an insiders’ experience that is unbeatable simply because the company is owned by nearly 2 000 Himba and Herero semi-nomadic herders through their five conservancies. Thus when we visit those conservancies we are truly guests, not just tourists. I am an anthropologist by profession and I can only say that the difference this makes in terms of how CSN guests are treated is remarkable – our cultural exchanges are real, not canned. Because it is the owners of our company who are hosting CSN guests, most thinking visitors enjoy the experience even more.

How would you define the Himbas and Hereros in 5 words?

Semi-nomadic cattle, goat and sheep herders, some of whom now benefit from managing and conserving their wildlife as well.

How to find balance between Culture/Tradition and modern World?

We need to realize that traditional and modern are NOT opposites – you can be very traditional but also modern. I love seeing a traditionally dressed Himba man or woman, for example, on his/her mobile phone when in the town of Opuwo!  What is important to me – and to CSN – is that people like the Himba and Herero are themselves in charge of how they interact with the modern world, including tourism. For us it was logical that CSN should be owned by the people themselves, even if a skilled and experienced technical team is needed to run expeditions at this stage.

What is your vision for the next 10 years?

Sustainable tourism is going to become highly sought after in this changing world, not just a buzz phrase for marketing. CSN and its products are thus well placed.  We would like to see wildlife thriving and rural Namibians living well – valuing their wildlife as Namibia’s gold. CSN products will always only be for those people who value space and freedom from crowds, cities, traffic and urban development.  We see Namibia – and CSN – continuing to offer this unique experience.

You can see some of Steves pictures here:

Please tell us about yourself; background, where you’re from, what you do, how did you end up where you are etc.?

I was born in Zimbabwe and schooled in Cape Town. I spent 2 years in UK and 4 years in Australia but really wanted to work in the African bush. I came to Botswana 15 years ago and work as a specialist photographic guide teaching people about wildlife through their cameras. I believe the medium of photography is an important one for raising awareness for conservation. Outside of guiding, I do photographic assignments, contribute to Discover Botswana and Air Botswana’s in-flight magazine. I also guide film crews doing documentaries. This year I am guiding two film crews – one doing a documentary on the African Wild Dog and the other a documentary on David Livingstone.

In November last year we launched Cameras for Conservation – an initiative that hosts Botswana’s Wildlife Photographer of the year competition. These images are then used to do talks in schools in northern Botswana to raise awareness amongst the younger generations in Botswana. I have also lived in Mozambique for two years and Namibia for a year and am the author of two books – Earth|Ark – a photographic safari through northern Botswana and– Wildlife Photography in Botswana – a practical guide – co-author with James Gifford.

What do you spend your days doing?

In between spending around 6 months in the bush I write articles and work on images. See above.

What do you love most about what you do?

I am one of a few privileged individuals that lead a lifestyle like this. For this I feel a great sense of responsibility toward saving what is left here in Africa. I believe in the utmost importance of preservation not only for mankind but for the sake of all the amazing species that we share planet Earth with.

Can you run us through your ideal day?

Up at 5am usually, coffee around the fire while the stars are still out. Most days we are out all day photographing and observing. In all my time in the bush, I still see new things each and every day. We usually get back to camp after dark and sit around the evening fire going through the day.

Can you share your favourite inside travel tips for us?

Travel with an open mind and an open heart. The people of Africa have an infectious friendliness and a smile and a greeting will get you places. A far as destinations go – I love that I live in the highest concentration of Elephants on Earth. Spending any amount of time with them is humbling. Second to that, one of my favourite destinations is Makgadikadi Pans. This is the largest salt pan system in the world – the size of Switzerland. When you go out there, there is a nothingness that leaves one alone to think and dream.

What do you love about where you live and can you share some of your favourite tips about it?

I live in Maun, Botswana. It is the gateway to the Okavango, Chobe and Kalahari. These are some of the largest and best preserved eco-systems in Southern Africa. Again, a huge privilege!

City, Beach or Safari? Which do you prefer and why?

Cities you may keep. I used to dive in Australia and did lots of snorkelling in Mozambique. The sea is rich with life. My ideal would be a sea and land combo. I recently did a safari to the Skeleton coast in Angola. It was a raw and dramatic experience.

One place in Africa you have never been but would love to go and why?

I would say the Niassa Game Reserve in northern Mozambique. Few travel there. I hitched across the Niassa Province a few years ago but not to the reserve. But I got a feel for the landscape and vow to go back. There are free standing mountains called Inselbergs – each an individual. There are some of Africa’s last big tuskers (bull Elephants) out there and I would love to see them dwarfed by these amazing mountains. The Niassa is one of Africa’s biggest parks and has a viable population of Lion and African Wild Dogs.

Do you have any favourite spots to have a meal, to watch the sun go down, go for a stroll, go to sleep and why?

The sunsets in the Okavango Delta are truly amazing. Dust and dreams washed down with a cold beer!

What advice would you give someone looking to explore Africa?

Invest in good camera equipment. For many it is a lifelong dream to visit Africa and so recording the journey is important to me. And sharing with folk back home means that each individual will inspire others to do the same. Be a traveller not a tourist and have fun.

Anything else you would like to add?

Yes, do it. We have but one life!

Find out more about Steves new initiative at: http://www.camerasforconservation.com

Luke Dale Robert, previously from Cape Towns La Colombe restaurant (a former 12th place in the top 100 list), opened the Test Kitchen just over a year ago and made an impact from day one. Making the list after such a short time is an incredible achievement and a real tribute to what Luke has created. The restaurant is situated in the very trendy Old Biscuit Mill complex in Woodstock, Cape Town. It can take 40 people and has a bit of a cosy industrial/factory feel to it which reminds me a bit of places you would find in New York. The food is a real experience with dishes like billionaire shortbread containing chicken livers and chocolate or horseradish cafe au lait. Take our advice, if food is your thing (or even if it isn’t) make sure you don’t leave Cape Town without visiting the Test Kitchen.

The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francias in Franschhoek is well known on the gourmet scene and has been in the list every year since 2005. It was also voted the best restaurant in Africa and the Middle East in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009. The restaurant is part of a boutique hotel and set in the stunning Franschhoek valley. Margot Janse is the chef in charge of an ever evolving menu that continues to impress people year after year. We thoroughly recommend Le Quartier Francais and the Tasting Room for anyone looking to explore the spectacular Cape Winelands.

School Meals
Nema provides over 800 children from five villages with a daily school meal. Each child receives a nutritious meal providing 75% of their daily needs. To make this project as sustainable as possible, we also support the participating primary schools to develop school farms that will one day produce enough to replace the food currently bought from central Mozambique.

The aims of this project are three-fold; to improve school attendance, concentration at school and child nutrition. The results have been dramatic; school attendance at Guludo school jumped from 80 to 300 children following the launch of the project.

Scholarships
Launched in 2007, this project provides 127 students from 12 villages with secondary-school scholarships. The nearest secondary school is 50 km away from the Guludo area, meaning that the vast majority of children were unable to complete their studies due to the prohibitive costs. Nema covers school fees, boarding fees, transport to and from school at the beginning and end of every term and essential school materials, such as notebooks, pens, pencils and school uniforms.

Primary Schools
Many local primary schools consist of mud walls, thatched roves and in some cases the shade of a large tree. We have built a primary school in Guludo village and are currently building a second school in Ningaia village.

Hudsons is based on the classic American style diner but has been put together with more than a bit of great design. It is a simple concept. Great burgers and drinks, done well and with a large dose of care. It even has its own Hudsons Pale Ale which is worth a trip on its own. The home made cookies are a must and with new items hitting the menu regularly Hudsons is always worth returning to.

With stores in Kloof Street, Green Point and Claremont, Hudsons is set to blow up all over South Africa and we are fully behind Ross and his team!

I wasn’t about to turn down this opportunity and the more I read about the Schoeman family legacy and the area itself, the more intrigued and excited I was to have the opportunity to explore this historic land of rolling sand dunes, seemingly never-ending valleys inhabited sporadically by the nomadic Himba tribe and of course, the deserted beaches.

Louw Schoeman was a major player in the process to formalise the Skeleton Coast National Park in Namibia in 1971 and since then he and his four sons have set up Skeleton Coast Safaris and guided many adventurous souls around the area. They are unbelievably knowledgeable and have unrivalled knowledge of the region’s indigenous flora and fauna and stories of the many shipwrecks and deserted diamond mines dotted along the coast.

This is Namibian exploring at its best, saying goodbye to the relative bustle of capital city Windhoek, we were soon flying northwest over vast stretches of barren but beautiful landscapes before landing in what I can honestly say is the middle of nowhere. Whilst each lodge on the trip blends seamlessly into its surroundings, the only life you’ll see in this part of Namibia are desert-adapted oryx, elephant and even lion and possibly also catch a sighting of the most shy of all the animals in the area, the elusive brown hyena.

Driving from the air-strip to our first camp we passed a solitary bull elephant in must (a period where the elephant’s testosterone levels are extremely high and they are likely to be more aggressive than usual) who gave us a good look before continuing on what we were told by Bertus (our pilot/driver/guide/fountain of knowledge) would be a 70 kilometre walk through the night to find water. Either he didn’t take to us too well or he had got tired on his hike because when we returned to the plane the next day we found considerable damage to the tail wing where he had clearly leant against it. This could have been a considerable problem seeing as we were due to fly a couple of hundred kilometres further north along The Skeleton Coast to our next camp but this was merely a chance to demonstrate the organisation of the team looking after us and the efficiency of their operation. They had a replacement plane ready to whisk us on our way in less than an hour, considering our location this was quite a remarkable achievement!

Up near the Kunene River in the north of the Skeleton Coast region we were introduced to two local Himba families. The brief but extremely humbling encounter was an indication of just how harsh this area is, given the difficulties in living off the land. Their existence depends on the rains and they are forced to walk for days to find new homes when their valley becomes too dry. A herd of goats is about all they have but they fashion bracelets and baskets from the land for themselves and of course, for sale too! Himba ladies cover themselves in a thick layer of ochre which is a deep red colour and have amazing long, braided hair, signs that their traditions and identity have survived many a drought and Namibia’s long struggle for independence.

Other highlights on a skeleton coast safari include rolling down the roaring sand dunes whilst keeping an eye out for springbok and oryx, walking through crumbling settlements which were once the homes of explorers on their quest for a diamond fortune and views from the plane of seals in colonies that number in their thousands and a flurry of so many flamingos that the lagoons seem to turn pink.

I didn’t want this Skeleton Coast adventure to end, but not getting back on the plane would’ve meant a long old walk to find civilisation again (that’s if I’d known which way it was).

South Africa is a big country to travel in and there is so much to see in between all the big well known bits such as Cape Town, the Garden Route, Game Reserves and the Battlefields of Kwa-zulu Natal that when thinking of coming to visit, you should be sure allow time for the actual travelling part.

The Wild Coast is one of those places that doesn’t immediately pop into your mind as a first time traveller to the country. It doesn’t have any of the big name attractions that generally seduce visitors to Cape Town, Garden Route or on safari. But for me as a born and bred South African I feel it would be sacrilege to travel to South Africa and not visit The Wild Coast.

The Wild Coast is slightly out of the way from any major cities or Safari  Parks, but if you have made it all the way down to travel in South Africa and have some extra time, you very well might want to consider travelling down to the coast lines of the Wild Coast.

As the Wild Coasts name might suggest, this rugged stretch of wild coastline has some of the most spectacular landscapes and wildest oceans in the country. The Wild Coast forms part of two former homelands during the South African apartheid days; Ciskei and Transkei. It lacked any economic government support and so it is still extremely rural. This is what which makes it so amazing to visit and travel through. It is mainly inhabited by the ‘Xhosa’ people. This is a unique South African world where women with painted faces and wrapped in blankets are gathered around outside fires cooking meals in large cast iron pots as the young adults round up the cows and sheep for the night. Suns set behind silhouettes of rolling hills and the thatched mud huts of the Wild Coast. Children are excited by visitors and wave enthusiastically as you travel past. The culture aside, the landscapes of green hills rolling down towards rough seas crashing against the rocky coastline is seriously inspiring for anyone travelling in South Africa. It truly is one of the most natural and untouched coastlines in South Africa.

Most accommodation options are fairly simple and have tried to keep in with the culture and feel of the Wild Coast. But in true South African style this doesn’t mean a lack in comfort and hospitality.

Bulungula Lodge is a prime example of accommodation where you will get a truly African experience. Everything will not happen on time, and everyone will not necessarily speak great English but this lodge, has been able to provide something incredibly real for anyone coming to the Wild Coast. From its location atop a hill above an untouched beach, to the accommodation in traditional mud huts, if you are interested in getting experiencing the traditions and lifestyles of the people who live in South Africa, Bulungula is a must.