If you’re even a little bit like me, you likely know very little about the Kwando River.
Lucky for all of us, I believe in the concept of each-one-teach-one.
I am, therefore, at your service.
The Kwando River is in south-central Africa, flowing through Angola and Namibia’s Caprivi Strip, and into the Linyati Swamp on the northern border of Botswana.
Downstream Linyati Swamp, the river is called the Linyati River – and further east, The Chobe River, before it flows into
the Zambezi River.
I know this feels like a lot of information, but if you continue further down the column, you will understand why I share.
Let’s get one last piece of information in before we move onto the fun stuff, shall we?
Let’s talk about Gondwana Collection. Who are they?
Gondwana Collection is a hub for travel and safaris in Namibia.
Lodges under Gondwana are grouped under either glamping (Camping2go), premium plus collection or secret collection.
We will talk about a premium collection lodge in the next column, because today we are talking about the secret collection.
The secret collection, which I would describe as their luxury option, has two lodges, namely Desert Whisper – I wrote about this lodge not too long ago – and the Namushasha River Villa, which is our destination of choice in today’s column.
Namushasha River Villa
This is a floating villa on the banks of the Kwando River that hosts only two guests at a time.
This makes the destination the perfect private oasis for couples who are looking to spend some time away – whether simply for vacation, an anniversary celebration – perhaps even your honeymoon.
Endless possibilities, you see?
Check-in to the villa, which is fairly easy and takes about five minutes of your time, happens at the Namushasha River Lodge, which is an approximate 15-minute boat ride away from the villa.
Fun fact: The villa is only accessible by boat.
So, what’s in the villa, and at what cost?
The Namushasha River Villa experience is all-inclusive.
This means all meals and activities are included in the rate.
I know what you’re thinking, but the explanation is coming.
As explained earlier, the villa is a boat ride away from the villa – and because of this, food is pre-packed for your pleasure.
The villa also has a fully-kitted kitchen to make this experience a pleasant one.
There is nothing Gondwana did not think to provide.
Corkscrew? They got you.
Salads? In abundance.
They have the best pots on the market as well as crockery and the wine?
Champagne, vodka and whiskey – you name it.
Both the consumer of alcohol and the non-consumer are all equally catered to.
The space
The villa is a two-story space, consisting of a living room with a balcony for a two-party outdoor braai and a kitchen on the ground floor.
Upstairs is an elegantly-decorated and spacious bedroom and quite possibly the biggest bathroom I have ever seen.
The bedroom, which is my favourite area in the villa, has a 180-degree view of the Kwando River.
At night, sounds of hippos may keep you up if you scare easily.
I, however, found it to be refreshing.
There is nothing that fascinates me quite as much as nature does.
Activities
Various activities are offered during your stay at the villa.
We went with the sunset boat cruise.
I shared this with my Instagram followers recently, and I am going to share here as well.
Our country, Namibia, is largely safari.
Because of this, activities offered in all parts of the country are fairly similar.
I choose to always go on any of the activities for two reasons: no game drive/activity is the same; you will experience at least three things differently.
And secondly, you will learn at least one thing you didn’t know from each guide, so take the drive/cruise.
The boat cruise at the villa was a little uneventful.
We did not see too many hippos up close, which is what I would have liked, but we saw hippos nonetheless.
The best part of the cruise was the sunset.
There is something about Namibian sunsets; they have that ‘je ne sais quoi!’
Price
The Namushasha River Villa experience comes at a cost of N$16 000 per person per night.
If you are a Gondwana card holder; however, you qualify for a massive 50% discount on accommodation.
The Namushasha River Villa was definitely one of my favourite vacations this year.
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you want to connect, need travel consultation of want to collaborate!
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