I have been extremely blessed to experience some of the best Namibia has to offer. I have seen the mountainous regions of Damaraland, the highest and reddest dunes of Sossusvlei, and the waves of the Atlantic Ocean have touched my feet at least twice. Like I said, the best Namibia has to offer.
On my latest assignment, I got to add to those life-changing experiences by driving off to the northeastern part of the country.
You may be tired of hearing this, but I am always pleasantly surprised by the greenery of that part of Namibia – my goodness; it is beautiful!
My first stop was the Hakusembe River lodge, which falls under Gondwana lodges
Here are some facts about the lodge
• Hakusembe River lodge is just a short drive outside Rundu. The gravel, although not the smoothest, is so short; it almost does not exist; therefore, the lodge is accessible – even to sedans drivers.
• The lodge offers a number of activities, such as sunset and sunrise boat cruises, bird watching and cultural experiences.
• Hakusembe recently opened their much-needed spa; it is beautiful!
We arrived at the lodge just sometime after 15h00, which, for me, is usually the perfect time.
There is no clutter at the check-in point, and the sun has just about cooled down.
We proceeded to check in – and quite smoothly, I might add, perhaps the smoothest check-in we have ever had; it felt like a simple signature and everything was done.
Here’s the thing about excitement: it does not know how to wait; that’s why immediately after the check in, we were in our closed shoes with cameras and selfie sticks, ready and headed to our first activity at the lodge – and boy was it an experience!
A big part of why I travel is to learn, learn about people, their way of living, their food and their culture.
That is what I got to experience during my visit to the Mbunza living museum.
Let me backtrack, yeah!
Just so I paint a clear picture of what exactly the museum is and why it should be on your itinerary when you make your way to Hakusembe.
The Mbunza Living Museum is about 14 kilometres west of the Kavango capital, Rundu; the experience can be booked via the Hakusembe River Lodge.
The museum is 3km from the lodge, which is perfect for the visit.
The museum is a traditional school for culture, simultaneously operating as a business for local people of Kavango.
This is a beautiful way to preserve their culture and generate additional income.
If there is an activity you must do, it is this one.
I got to see how the Mbunza people make their art for resale, which contributes to their livelihood: how they make food, medicine, fishing – and they even performed a couple of songs for us.
It was amazing!
The Hakusembe River Lodge falls under Gondwana’s Premium collection.
Gondwana cardholders qualify for a 50% discount on accommodation, so get booking and have your cultural experience of a lifetime.
Don’t hesitate to contact me for any travel-related consultation and questions.
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