Pinehas Nakaziko
Sitting on the deck, overlooking the surrounding hills at River Crossing Lodge, one can really feel the pulse of the capital city. From this stunning setting one has an amazing sunset view that is complimented by the gentle breeze that brushes past from the nearby hills.
River Crossing Lodge is really a pleasant place to relax and soak up the ambiance, particularly when coupled with the lodge’s delicious cocktails and canapé platters, the recipe works perfectly.
The lodge is situated some three kilometres from Windhoek on the airport road. While being outside the capital sounds quite far, in reality it is only five minutes from the heart of Windhoek and is located on a pristine 6 500 hectare game reserve.
New Era Entertainment Now visited the lodge over the weekend to experience some of the main attractions. The main lodge building comprises a dining room, a centrally situated bar, a lounge with fireplace, a conference room with seating for up to 65 delegates and a boardroom for intimate meetings of not more than 12 participants. What else can you ask except to sit down and enjoy the atmosphere to the fullest.
According to the Conference and Events Coordinator at the Lodge, Melissa Gillies, visitors love the fact that they can be a heartbeat away from the centre of Windhoek but still in the middle of the bushveld and only a 30 minutes’ drive to the airport. “The lodge is really conveniently situated, and thus ticks a lot of boxes for tourists,” she says.
She adds that the lodge is the ideal place to escape when the hustle and bustle of the city threatens to overwhelm the soul. “The peace and tranquillity, together with friendly service and freshly prepared cuisine, are very appealing to locals and tourists alike,” she added.
To enhance the experience the lodge is also a popular destination for brunches, celebrations, or simply just sundowners. Some of the amazing activities include game drives, horse-riding, nature walks and on request massage treatments too.
According to Gillies, visitors are mostly elderly tourists from Europe, business people from the SADC region and locals, both young and old.
“Being an accommodation establishment in and around Windhoek is quite tough. There are more than 100 accommodation offerings for guests to choose from, which makes the market very competitive. I believe this to be a good thing though, as it ensures that locals can definitely expect a very high standard,” she said.
This year, the lodge will be launching all new menus, and hopes to grow their restaurant. Peter Hoch, their general manager, is a well-known chef, having previously been the owner manager of the restaurant, Corner of 62nd.
Gillies says the name River Crossing originated from the small river that one crosses enroute to the lodge. “In the year that we opened the lodge, that small river flowed right through to July,” she says.
She adds that guests mostly complain about the fact that they don’t have enough time to see everything they would have liked to when visiting Namibia, as the distances are a bit of a shock for many people who find the driving quite exhausting.
“Over the festive season we were extremely busy… many locals only left the capital after Christmas, so we enjoyed an extended season this year.”
Some of the fascinating facilities are the long rectangular pool and, again, that elevated wooden deck offering a fantastic view of Windhoek.
The lodge and the rooms have been designed to emulate old German farmhouses. There are 20 guest chalets consisting of 14 twin chalets and 6 double chalets. All chalets have en suite bathrooms with showers. Two of the chalets have been designed with honeymooners in mind and have baths instead of showers.