Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Foraging is very likely to turn up edible roots and tubers, wild fruits and nuts, and even
medicinal plants. At the end of your excursion, the women will be more than happy to
slice up a bush potato for you, which tastes particularly wonderful when roasted over a
bed of hot coals. Baobab fruit is also surprisingly sweet and tangy, while protein-rich nuts
are an exotic yet nutritious desert treat.
While stereotypes of the San abound, from misleading Hollywood cinematic represent-
ations to misconstrued notions of a primitive people living in the bush, San society is ex-
tremely complex. Before visiting a San village, take some time to read up on their won-
derfully rich cultural heritage - doing so will not only provide some context to your visit
but also help you better engage your hosts.
AROUND TSUMKWE
In addition to village visits, the area around Tsumkwe is home to a number of natural at-
tractions that are accessible by private 4WD vehicle.
Panveld
Forming an arc east of Tsumkwe is a remote landscape of phosphate-rich pans. After the
rains, the largest of these, Nyae Nyae, Khebi and Gautcha (all at the southern end of the
arc), are transformed into superb wetlands. These ephemeral water sources attract itinerant
water birds - including throngs of flamingos - but they are also breeding sites for water-
fowl: ducks, spurwing geese, cranes, crakes, egrets and herons. Other commonly observed
birds include teals, sandpipers and reeves, as well as the rare black-tailed godwit and the
great snipe.
NATURAL SITE
Baobabs
The dry, crusty landscape around Tsumkwe supports several large baobab trees, some of
which have grown quite huge. The imaginatively named
Grootboom
(Big Tree) is one of
the largest, with a circumference of over 30m. One tree with historical significance is the
Dorslandboom
, which was visited by the Dorsland (Thirst Land) trekkers who camped
here on their trek to Angola in 1891 and carved their names into the tree. Another notable
tree, the immense
Holboom
(Hollow Tree), dominates the bush near the village of Tjok-
we.
NATURAL SITE
Aha Hills
Up against the Botswana border, the flat landscape is broken only by the Aha Hills. Given
the nearly featureless landscape that surrounds them, you may imagine that these low
HILLS
