Lodge Review: Huab Lodge, Namibia

Huab Lodge has a stunning location in Damaraland, Namibia and is one of the country’s top birding lodges.

It is accessed via a 35 km dirt road just south of Kamanjab.  Look for D2670 on the signs, then just follow the signs to the lodge.

The buildings are very cool architecturally………….

…………even the local birds think so!

They offer a variety of activities including game drives.  We didn’t do the game drive as I thought the lodge grounds offered excellent birding.

Meals are served at fixed times around one large table shared by hosts and guests.  Teh food was excellent and dinner was quite a show when one of the local ladies described the food in their language which has a lot of clicks.  Just beyond the dining area is a deck where you can watch birds and relax.

Our room was stunning!  We weren’t bothered by mosquitoes so didn’t use the nets, preferring to have an open look out the window to the scenery below.

The bathroom is actually a bit similar to ours at home with the walk-in shower and stone floor although our window doesn’t have such a nice view!

Here’s our deck and you can see how amazing the scenery is!

The swimming pool is just next to the restaurant.

You can walk down this trail to the hot pool below.

The gorgeous hot pool with the stonework is nice and hot and very relaxing.  A great place to loosen up those aching muscles………………

…………………before a nice relaxing massage!  This was our “spoil ourselves” treat after a long trip through Africa!

You can book on their website or try an online travel agent for better deals.  We used Orbitz as they had a good discount already and I was able to stack it with a 15% coupon code that was emailed to me.  We only stayed one night as it’s not a cheap place but wish we could have stayed longer.

Hotel Review: Oase Guest House, Kamanjab, Namibia

We needed a place to break the journey between two birding hotspots – Kunene River Lodge and Huab Lodge so Oase Guest House in Kamanjab was a good choice for our budget.  It’s right off the main road as you drive south and enter Kamanjab from the north.

The property is very secure with a huge wall around it and a pool in the back.

The fan-cooled brick rooms were actually a good size and had ensuite bathrooms and wifi.

Dinner is served a-la-carte and they had some good choices at good prices.  Breakfast is a continental buffet.

I had been hoping to see birds in the garden but there weren’t any.

Someone told me there were Rosy-faced Lovebirds visiting another guesthouse just down the street a bit called Oppi-Koppi Rest Camp so I had to go over for a peek!  They were kind enough to let me see this little guy and his friend having a meal!

Kamanjab is kind of in the middle of no-where so whether you are headed north or south, I strongly suggest filling up your fuel tank before moving on.  I didn’t see any petrol stations between here and Huab Lodge.  There aren’t any restaurants that I could see in town so plan on eating at the guest house.

Burchell’s Starling (Lamprotornis australis)

Burchell’s Starling or Burchell’s Glossy-starling (Lamprotornis australis) is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae.  The name of this bird commemorates the English naturalist William John Burchell.

They can be found in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.  I had my best viewing at Kunene River Lodge but also saw a few in Etosha NP.

LEARN MORE ABOUT BURCHELL’S STARLINGS

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Biodiversity Explorer

VIDEOS

A safari guide explains some bird facts.

Stunning close-up of this beautiful bird.  Note the black eyes which are a major identification point.

 

 

 

Birding The Grounds Of The Kunene River Lodge

We were up early the next morning to bird the grounds of the Kunene River Lodge.  I had hoped to see Cinderella Waxbills but Pete, the owner said it was the wrong season.

First we wandered through the camping area.  Plenty of monkeys were lurking around hoping to steal food.

Swamp Boubou

Possibly a Goliath Heron in silhouette

The visibility was much better on the deck and we were able to see the trees in the lodge grounds and the river banks.

Yellow-bellied Greenbul

Burchell’s Starling

African Golden Oriole

The Rufous-tailed Palm-Thrush led us on a merry chase, even Pete was surprised they weren’t co-operating more.

Goliath Heron (Ardea goliath)

The Goliath Heron (Ardea goliath), also known as the Giant Heron, is the largest heron in the world.

A younger Goliath Heron

They have a huge range in Africa but I can only recall seeing them during the Zambezi River Cruise in Livingstone and the sunset cruise at Kunene River Lodge.

LEARN MORE ABOUT GOLIATH HERONS

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Heron Conservation

VIDEOS

Nice close ups here!

 

Fish for lunch!

 

Crocodile for dinner!

 

Kunene River Lodge Sunset Cruise

A sunset cruise at the Kunene River Lodge is a treat for birders and non-birders alike and not to be missed.  Lodge owner Pete knows all the local bird species and the best places to find them.

We did see a rare Grey Kestrel right off the bat, couldn’t get a decent shot of him though.

Goliath Heron

Rosy-faced Lovebirds flying off on the wrong side of the sun.

Small crocodile

Pied Kingfisher

Thick-knee

Finally, a Rosy-faced Lovebird poses for the camera!

A Dove points the way.

Landing on the Angola side.

Swamp Boubou

Time for some wine and a good sunset viewing spot!

Lodge Review: Kunene River Lodge, Namibia

The Kunene River Lodge is a birder’s paradise located on the Nambian bank of the Kunene River across from Angola.  I’d like to say that getting there is half the fun but not being used to rough gravel roads, it was quite daunting for me, but I managed in the rented Toyota Rav4.

They offer various accommodations from campsites to a-frame chalets.  This one was ours.

These beautiful little cabins are quite large and very comfortable for a couple.

Nice roomy walk-in shower

This deck has dining tables and can also be a good place to relax and watch birds.

The spacious grounds between the chalets and the camping area.  There is a pool in the rear that I forgot to get a photo of.

Dinner was our first meal and it was really good.  They offer 2 choices, this time I chose pasta and my husband chose steak and chips.  I love the bird placemats!

Here is the same deck in the morning where we hung out from the early hours to watch birds until it was time for breakfast.

Generous and delicious breakfast

More bird placemats!

The camping area attracts monkeys hoping to steal food.

Sunrise over the river

Souvenir hat with the Cinderella Waxbill logo, we each bought one!

Credit cards are accepted which was nice as we needed to pay for the meals, hats and the sunset cruise.  This is a beautiful place and I only regret we couldn’t have stayed longer.  The sunset cruise is a must (review to come) and I wish they had offered the morning cruise as well as the birding is really fantastic here!  You can book on their website or be on the lookout for discounts on booking sites like Orbitz as we got 15% off an already discounted room!

Off The Beaten Track – The Road To Kuenene River Lodge

Most of the roads in Namibia are good tarred roads but once you get off the beaten track, it’s quite another story!  For a city-dweller, the road to Kunene River Lodge can be quite hair-raising!

It starts off easily enough leaving Ondangwa after breakfast, nice tarred roads.

You do need to watch for traffic jams!

Animals can wander on the road so you need to pay attention, not drive too fast and avoid traveling at night.

Random town enroute

The turn-off to Ruacana (not much there) with the petrol station on the right.  There is a small shop for snacks and drinks but no restaurants.

It’s advisable to fill up despite the price as you don’t want to run out of fuel in the bush!

We met a South African couple in the petrol station so we just followed them as they wee also going to Kunene River Lodge.

The road becomes a rough gravel road which was do-able in the Toyota Rav4 but I was nervous  the whole way as I am not used to them.

Following someone made the trip pretty dusty but I was glad to have a safety net of someone else knowing we were there.

At last we arrived!

This is the return trip to Ruacana, then onwards to Kamanjab.  We left the lodge and hit the gravel road where the lodge turn-off is sign-posted.  At this point, we turned left to go back to Ruacana.

There were local Himba people going about their daily business.

Slowly, slowly!

That’s Angola across the river.

Small Himba villages and random houses.

There was a fork in the road a ways back and we took the wrong turn and ended up on a horrific road.  I knew something was wrong as the road hadn’t been THIS bad on the way in!

Luckily we managed to turn around and find the correct road.

A beautiful Burchell’s Starling is watching something.

More Himba people

Yet another unmarked fork in the road, this time we went left and it turned out to be right but I was nervous the whole time!

Another option, I didn’t see anyone here though.

Getting close to Ruacana!

I have never been so happy to see a factory and tarred road in my life! 

After re-fueling at Ruacana, we headed down the main road towards Kamanjab, a nice tarred road all the way!

Approaching Kamanjab which would be our pit stop for the night.

Red-headed Finch (Amadina erythrocephala)

The Red-headed Finch (Amadina erythrocephala) (also known as the Paradise Finch or the Red-headed Weaver) is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa.

They have quite a large range in southern Africa.  I found this one while driving through Etosha NP in Namibia.

LEARN MORE ABOUT RED-HEADED FINCHES

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Biodiversity Explorer

VIDEOS

It’s hard to find video clips of non-captive birds as this species seems to be very popular as aviary birds, but here’s one!

 

Hotel Review: Protea Ondangwa

Ondangwa is not going to be high on the list of eco-tourism must-sees, but it does make a handy layover point when traveling between Etosha NP (92 kms) and Ruacana (192 kms) which is the access point to Kunene River Lodge.  The Protea Ondangwa is a good deal which usually costs less than $100 or a category 1 in Marriott Rewards points.

We checked in around 8pm and it was pretty dark and the hotel is not well sign-posted from the main road so we had to pull into a petrol station and ask directions.  If we had arrived in the daytime, we probably would have seen the hotel sign, it’s just not lit at night.  It’s accessed on a back road around the corner so a bit tricky but this is what you are looking for.

The reception area looks clean and new and has some cool African art on display.

The room was a good size and nice to see bird art!  The wifi worked ok.

Just what you need after a long, dusty drive!

The next morning, we finally got a look at the hotel and grounds.  They have a security guard on duty and the property is fenced so we felt very safe.  Breakfast is included in the rates and served in the restaurant next to the hotel building.

This is more a business hotel than a tourist destination but it is a decent place to spend the night.  You can book online at their website.