The Naukluft massif, which is
part of the Great Escarpment, is a symbiosis of nature and
history. Geological formations, rare plants, and a rich diversity
of wildlife combine with traces of prehistoric and early historical
settlement, together forming a unique lebensraum.
To protect this area for posterity while opening it up to
tourists is the aim of an initiative entitled “NAUKLUFT
EXPERIENCE”, which was launched by 2 guest farms.
However, the sustainable utilisation of the Naukluft’s
natural environment is only possible with the cooperation
of local communities. For this reason, the initiative plans
to set up a centre for training tour guides, as well as for
teaching people how to make roads and build stone walls.
The development of sustainable tourism
offers the potential of balancing human needs with those of
nature, financing nature conservation through tourism, and creating
new economic incentives for local communities. To take nature
conservation into account in Namibian tourism is of fundamental
importance for future generations. |
The Naukluft Mountains are fascinating in terms of their
topographical diversity as well as their extraordinary natural
elements. In order to truly understand the spectacle of this
mountain landscape, which is almost devoid of human habitation,
the traveller can be guided by a member of the local community,
who know the Naukluft like the back of their hand.
Amongst the proposals made by
the Naukluft Experience initiative was to establish, during
2005, a horse trail in the ephemeral Tsondab River (a river
that flows only after a flood) from BüllsPort over Ababis to Remhoogte, and to set up a geological open-air
museum during 2006.
The receptive traveller and horseback rider can get to know
the flora and fauna of the Naukluft. Not only would s/he gain
biological and historical information, but the traveller or
rider would also become aware of how important the protection
and conservation of nature and the biological diversity of
the Naukluft are. The members of NAUKLUFT EXPERIENCE are the
guest farms Ababis and BüllsPort, which
formed an interest group in May 2004.Vision
NAUKLUFT-experience
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