Chameleon Holidays & Travel - Windhoek, Namibia

Ghost Valley - Klein Aus Vista...
Why not visit Klein Aus if you travel as far south as Fish River Canyon or Luderitz and Kolmanskop. Stories about in this great place.
Text by Ron Swilling in the Namibian paper
Alongside a sandy track leading to Klein-Aus Vista’s Geisterschlucht Cabin, a rusted and bullet-ridden 1934 Hudson Terraplane rings with mystery.

As the story goes, the automobile belonged to two diamond smugglers who had stolen diamonds from the nearby Tsau IIKhaeb National Park, the restricted diamond area.

After a high-speed car chase, the diamond detectives caught up with them in Geisterschlucht (Ghost Valley) and a gunfight ensued in which the smugglers lost their lives.

The diamonds were never found. Some say the ghosts of the smugglers still haunt the valley on moonlit nights, searching for their lost diamonds.

Although the years have left their mark on the abandoned Terraplane, it still retains a dramatic presence with its large imposing grille and swooping lines, as did the vehicles in their day.

The Terraplanes, manufactured by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit between 1932 and 1938, were made to be comfortable, stylishly streamlined, reliable and affordable.

In 1938 a Terraplane cost around $900 (N$16 000). It was risky to launch a new model of car during the Great Depression, but Hudson went ahead, giving the car a name that would appeal to the public’s interest in aviation at the time.

One of their more popular sale slogans was ‘On the sea that’s aquaplaning, in the air that’s aeroplaning, but on the land, in the traffic, on the hills, hot diggity dog, THAT’S TERRAPLANING’.

Famous aviator Amelia Earhart (the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean) helped to introduce the Terraplane at its launch on 21 July 1932. Aviation pioneer Orville Wright was one of the first people to purchase one.

The 1933 Terraplane had an optional eight-cylinder engine, making it one of the more powerful cars in the world and popular among gangsters of the time like Baby Face Nelson, John Dillinger and John Paul Chase, who appreciated its handling and acceleration.

Road tests showed that the car could accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 14,4 seconds and was particularly good on hill climbs – excellent performance for a 1930s automobile.

Being lighter than other cars and having a favourable power-to-weight ratio contributed to its sporty performance, while keeping the price down. In later models advanced engineering features were introduced, notably a self-starter, making ignition easier and safer, an ‘electric hand’ to change gears rather than using a floor shift and duo-automatic brakes offering both hydraulic and mechanical braking for emergencies. It could now reach a speed of 128km/h.

The Terraplane was produced in large numbers and retained its aeronautical name until 1938 when the name was phased out. During the years of production, the vehicles were also assembled under license in Canada, England, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

There are other stories of how the 1934 Terraplane got to Geisterschlucht although none are as exciting or as evocative as the one about the diamond smugglers.

Some say that the valley was a popular spot in the Aus hills regularly visited by the locals for a braai and kuier, and that the troublesome Terraplane, belonging to one of the visitors, caught fire and was abandoned.

Another theory suggests that the high grass which appears after good rainfall must have accumulated around the exhaust system and caught fire and that the shell of the burnt-out car was later used for target practice.

And perhaps they are true.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=798926619094535&set=a.789988629988334

Kuri joined our family just before Christmas 2023 having spent a few months at SPCA where she’d been left in the dropbox. Despite this start, she has an enthusiasm for life and loves to play with her friends and going to the dam.
Kuri particularly likes toys, cushions, treats, hopping onto the bed when no-one is looking, and coming to work with her human mum and doggy sister. Visitors to the guesthouse are made welcome on arrival with a wagging tail and a demand for a stroke /cuddle (or 10) before racing around and amusing everyone convincing them of her cuteness.

Click LIKE to vote for Kuri's chance to become the Pet of the Year 2025!

Want to make sure your pet(s) get featured in the calendar too? Email [email protected] before 20 August to submit your entry!

The Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area is a colossal expanse stretching across five Southern African countries, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Angola. It offers rich biodiversity within a variety of ecosystems. Boasting iconic natural landmarks such as the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, Lake Kariba, Makgadikgadi Pans, Victoria Falls to name a few. A true investment for all wildlife enthusiast seeking an exceptional African experience.

The New Kavango Zambezi Destination Brand Reveal Video "Five nations unite to champion conservation and community-led tourism in world's largest terrestrial Transfrontier Conservation Area"The Kavango Zambezi Tra...

Deborah and Tony are currently "on the road" exploring Namibia and Caprivi area before entering Botswana... first pictures from them enjoying fantastic sightings of rhinos at one of the lodges... they are returning clients and still loving Namibia

Calling Namibian Tour Consultants looking to develop their career further....

Towards the end of 2023, thanks to GCF, giraffe were introduced to the region - just in case you missed it - have a read.
https://conservationnamibia.com/articles/reintroducing-angolan-giraffe.php?fbclid=IwAR1UAFeuD3W3XfU-k-Cwl3Y-oZPu4FHdboVphluxpB5WbjolQMbVAO3145c

Reintroducing giraffe into communal conservancies in the remote northwest Transporting giraffes is a tricky process that requires skill and experience to ensure their safety. GCF has moved four from a private reserve to communal conservancies.

Some great facts from BBC Earth about rhino (in case you dind't know).....

Rhino horns are made up of the same protein found in our hair and nails – keratin.

'Rhino(ceros)' actually comes from two Greek words meaning 'nose' and 'horn', and their horns aren't actually attached to their skull. They are a collection of tightly bound hairs which grow throughout their lifetime, with the longest one ever recorded measuring at just under five feet! To put that into context, that's roughly the size of your average step ladder.

by via Instagram

Angela and James van der Westhuizen having a wonderful time in Namibia 💫

Thank you so much for choosing Chameleon Holidays and Travel to organize your holiday 💯.

Beautiful 💯

Beautiful pictures from Walter Triches and his family 💯.
We are so happy 😃 that they had a wonderful time while in Namibia 🇳🇦.
Wishing them many more happy returns to our beautiful country.

‼️ Seeing double - only weeks after the birth of a spotless giraffe 🦒 in the USA, the first spotless giraffe has been spotted in the wild in Africa 🌍! Check out this cutie in Namibia and stay tuned for more images soon.

📷: Eckart Demasius

Brights Zoo Mount Etjo Safari Lodge

A place to see💯

One of the highlights of Namibia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Encouraging to see GCF continuing in their excellent work and releasing giraffe back in Angola.

We love the work that TOSCO carries out supporting conservation and community work and proud to be a sponsor.

TOSCO 2022 Members Namibia with its wide-open landscapes, free-roaming wildlife and authentic traditional cultures, will continue to be an inspiration for travellers from all a...

Okapuka Safari Lodge has reopened. Okapuka is one of Namibia's oldest lodges and is located about 30km north of the capital city making it perfectly located for a first or last night stay. The lodge and rooms have all undergone a facelift but the lawns and mature trees offer shade and a quiet place to sit and reflect on your holiday.

So in 2022, not only did Save the Rhino expand their successful rhino ranger programme to a new landscape to the Nyae Nyae conservancy but they also have started a new Mounted Patrol Programme - great news to help protect the rhino!

A great spectacle for bird-lovers at Luderitz in southern Namibia

Do you want a "get-away-from-it-all" experience when on safari. Then consider Hobatere Treehouse - located on the Hobatere concession, west of Etosha, spend a night in your own space and listen to the calls of the wild. You'll still have your own creature comforts but can enjoy nature at it's best. Contact us for more info

Fascinating stuff .... then again I guess we all knew there was more to it than what humans initially said

Watch: The signals great apes use to communicate Scientists say that humans are able to understand many of the gestures made by wild chimpanzees.

You'll never look at p**p in the same way again .....

Ancient p**p offers unusual insight into animal behaviour Studying fossil dung offers another avenue for scientists trying to recreate ancient landscapes.

Have you ever heard about the Wildebeest migrations that take place from the Tanzanian Serengeti northwards into the Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya?
The migration takes place yearly around mid-July till end of August and slowly starts to decline into mid-September. It is a very fascinating display of wildlife behaviour.
These members of the antelope family are driven from the Tanzanian Serengeti into the Masai Mara area due to greener grazing land from climatic rainfalls around that time of the year.
Fun fact: Wildebeests are ruminants meaning they have a four chambered stomach to help them digest food.😄

Are you a travel guru that is interested in culture and what Namibia has instore for you? Then we can assist in organizing a visit for you to a Himba village.
This is a small tribe found in the north-western part of Namibia that are semi-nomadic and live in an isolated area. This group to date are strong believers in cultural practices like colouring their skin with red ochre and keeping ancestral fires burning in the centre of their homes as a means of strengthening the bond that they have with their ancestors.
Come learn more about their unique way of living, how they have managed to adapt to their environment over the years and be part of a personal experience.

Fish River Lodge is situated on the western edge of the Fish River Canyon. The canyon is the largest in Africa and is located in the southern part of Namibia.
The lodge provides guided and unguided excursions that guests can partake in like a full day canyon drive or hiking.

We also love the lodge for its great views over the canyon and the excellent star gazing that it provides at night.
Contact us for further details, information on this lodge & the activities that it offers so we can help incorporate this breathtaking lodge into your next travel adventure to Namibia.😃

Namibia's Fabulous Skies
If you are currently planning your trip and evening/night photography is on your "must-do" list or if you simply want to have stunning sunrise /sunset pics then look no further. With such a small population, it is easy to get away from bright city lights but there's more to it than that. Are you focusing on the planets and stars only, or do you want a spectacular backdrop as well. Consider the following places
Quiver Tree Forest - back drop of unusual trees
Wolwedans/NamibRand Nature Reserve - a Dark Sky Reserve (Gold Award) and internationally recognised as one of the best places - it was only the second place to receive the gold award due to its exceptionally dark skies
Spitzkoppe - fantastic sunsets and rock formations help create equally fantastic photos
Contact us for more information as to how you can build any of these options into an itinerary