Namib News

Taleni Africa Products Take Gold, Silver & An Eco Award In Namibia The Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) makes annual Awards of Excellence to various categories of hospitality establishments in recognition of their hard work, dedication and eagerness to demonstrate the quality of their products and services. These qualities are recognized by the guests themselves and documented in HAN questionnaires which are sent to independent auditors for annual adjudication. The Eco Award Namibia are a mark of distinction for accommodation establishments that are planned and managed according to eco-friendly principles. They are assessed according to a catalogue of seven sets of criteria such as water & waste water management, waste management including recycling practices, energy management, approach towards the ecology, sustainable construction & landscaping practices as well as staff welfare & development programs and involvement in and social responsibility towards local communities. The emblem of the eco awards Namibia is the "Desert Flower" which not only symbolises roots, earth, water, leaves and the sun of Namibia, but also the human being. At the recent HAN awards ceremony of 28 November 2009 held in Windhoek, all three of Taleni Africa's hospitality establishments received recognition: Taleni Etosha Village - Gold Award of Excellence + Eco Award Namibia Sossusvlei Lodge - Silver Award of Excellence Desert Camp - Silver Award of Excellence (fltr) Fanie van Rooyen (GM - Etosha Village), Helena van Rooyen, Willie du Toit (Chairman - Taleni Africa), Lazarus Jacobs (MC), Ute de Jager (Marketing), Karl-Heinz Oosthuizen (GM - Sossusvlei Lodge/Desert Camp), Shane Hewitt (Director - Taleni Africa), Christo de Wit (Director - Taleni Africa) Congratulations to all the teams & support personnel involved in realising these great awards!

Sossusvlei Lodge Welcomes Karl-Heinz...

Mr Karl-Heinz Oosthuizen was appointed as the new General Manager of Sossusvlei Lodge and Desert Camp in June 2009. Born in Grootfontein, Namibia, he completed his schooling in Windhoek and then went to Germany to study hotel management. After successfully completing his tertiary studies, Karl-Heinz worked in a number of 4 and 5 star hotels in Germany, gaining extensive experience in all departments of the hospitality trade. After 14 years overseas, Karl-Heinz returned to Namibia to take on some more adventurous challenges. Needless to say, Karl-Heinz nonchalantly says that his favourite hobby is "his work"! Welcome to "The Team" Karl-Heinz - may your stay be long and mutually beneficial to one and all who work at or visit the Lodge....

The Green Tractor & The Journey To The End Of The World Manon Ossevoort is a lady on a mission! On Thursday 25 September, she, along with her dog Biba, came trundling down the D826 towards Sossusvlei on her green tractor. She arrived late at night and was given a room to sleep in at Desert Camp and one at Sossusvlei Lodge the following evening. Her journey - Southpole - besides being an expedition, is also a documentary. Above all, Southpole wants to give attention to special projects of NGO’s (Non Governmental Organisations) like WarChild and UNICEF, as well as small local projects and initiatives which deserve attention because they show faith, courage, endurance and love. Manon started her adventure 3 years and 3 months ago in the Netherlands and has traveled 38 000 km to date. She is also writing a book on her adventures for children. For more information, see her website at www.tractortractor.org.

The Green Tractor At Sossusvlei Lodge

With The GM & Lodge Management

Manon

What People Had To Say... "Your lodge at Sossusvlei is stunning and although we got very cold the one night we had a great time there. The combination of the tents and the brick building is stunning and gives a lovely feel of being close to the bush. It does however sound hectic when they have sand storms. They were preparing for the 100 km desert race over the last 2 days and that generated a nice buzz around the place. We sat down with the kids early each evening and got them fed and then spent some more adult time on the verandah listing to the night sounds and partaking in the well presented buffet. I really enjoyed the ability to sample all the different meats around the grill. The staff were very helpful and we were particularly impressed with the quality of the waiter and bar staff. The second day it rained and later in the afternoon I decided to take a drive towards the Naukluft (which I eventually did not get to). I did however come across a sign that said wine estate that I could not drive past. I had a delightful 2 hours talking to the proprietor of Naurus Wine Estate and eventually had to drive home for over an hour in the dark. The area around Sossusvlei has so much vegetation around that it at times looks a little like the Serengeti. The kids and I loved running up and down the dunes and we had a lovely although slightly wet walk down the Sesriem Canyon. It was my first time to that part of Namibia and it was well worth it."

5th to 12th July 2008 - 5th Edition

This competition is an extreme race experience in beautiful Namibia, where the competitors run 108 kilometres in 4 days through the oldest desert in the world. In contrast to the challenge of the race, the luxurious ‘Five Star’ accommodation at Sossusvlei Lodge allows one to prepare and recover in an environment of relaxation and comfort. Without question, the atmosphere, natural beauty, and location, combined with serious competition and challenging terrain, makes this an experience and an adventure that the participant will never forget.

The athletes before the start of the first race in 2007. Kneeling in front (in the middle) is Dr Petter Johannesen, the honorary consul of Namibia in Italy.

Just Making Sure There's No Confusion If you've visited the Lodge and you want to send a mail to one of the staff members on your return home, you might need to make sure that everyone at the destination knows exactly who the recipient is meant to be - even if it means that you must include some amplifying, 'descriptive' information to achieve this end... To the guest from Germany: Yes!, Rulien (the Nama woman at the Reception) did receive your mail - thanks.

Sossusvlei Lodge & Desert Camp At The 2007 Windhoek Expo

Taleni Africa's Eye-Catching Stand

The Marimba Band

You're Never Too Young To Visit The Lodge!

Desert Camp, the brand new self-catering facility just 4km from Sossusvlei Lodge on the private reserve, is now open.  Click Here To Read More...

What makes our Lodge the unique destination? With there being a number of Lodges in the Sossusvlei area, what makes Sossusvlei Lodge the one of choice?  Click Here To Read Of Some Reasons Why YOU Should Stay With Us...

The Directions For Self-Drives From Noordoewer And Windhoek To Sossusvlei Lodge Have Now Been Updated & Photos Added.