Fun, funky even wacky, these are words you might use to describe the Canyon Roadhouse not far from the Fish River Canyon in southern Namibia. Staid, dull and prim are definitely not. In fact, if you don’t have a sense of humour or a fondness for grinning like a basketful of baboons, don’t bother to visit; the place will be wasted on you.
The incomparable Canyon Roadhouse pops up on the C37 about 25km to the east of the Fish River Canyon. You’ll stumble on a cavernous barn that’s the hub of all things – reception, shop, bar, and food zone.
Mastermind behind this offbeat utopia for petrolheads is The Gondwana Collection, especially brand director Manni Goldbeck, whose passion lies behind the stockpiling of the vehicles that throng the space. Not just classic cars from the mid 20th Century but also motorbikes, trucks, a tractor or two, some old identifier plaques from steam trains, and other transport bits and bobs. Think auto nostalgia meets quirky wonderland. Understated it’s not.
The bar is also festooned with hundreds of motor vehicle licence plates, some of them from as far afield as Canada and Alaska. ‘People bring them to trade for Namibian plates,’ the barman told us.
Up there on the wall, among Marlene Dietrich, Mae West and Marilyn Monroe movie posters, among dated ads for Borax Extract of Soap and Coppertone, was an enormous portrait of a rather dishy dude with abs that would look good on a Men’s Health cover. We briefly made eye contact before I noticed the box nailed to the wall over his unmentionables. It had a little door with a handle, and a story warning why you shouldn’t open it. If you do – as one does of course – a siren goes off and a warning light flashes. The Roadhouse wins another bout.
PS Those of you treating yourselves to a night at a lodge to break the monotony of camping or self-catering will be pleased to know that there’s shaded parking under solar panels and – best of all – plug-points at the parking so you can keep your camping fridge running for a hassle-free stay. You’ll also no doubt be keen to hear that there’s wifi.
Things to do at Canyon Roadhouse
1. Admire old vehicles and auto memorabilia
2. Enjoy a meal or a drink
3. Drive a 4x4 trail
Go on a guided sunrise hike in the Gondwana Canyon Park. A vehicle will drive you to a spot where you can watch the always impressive Namibian sunrise while you scoff coffee and rusks. Afterwards, you’ll enjoy an hour’s walk back to the lodge before the heat begins to bite.
If you prefer to be independent, choose one of the self-guided walks at Canyon Roadhouse. There’s a 1.5km walk to a sunset point on a hill behind the lodge or you can do the full circular 4.5km trail that starts and ends back at the lodge.
5. See the Fish River Canyon
6. Cool down at the pool
7. Take a guided sunset drive
The final stop was at a sunset spot. We enjoyed G&Ts and a flurry of sunset and quiver tree silhouette photography while the sky lit up in a riot of orange, yellow and pink.
The guided sunset nature drive leaves from Canyon Lodge, which is about 23km away from Canyon Roadhouse, so you need to get yourself there and back independently.
8. Stay for a night or three
9. Go camping
Wake to watch dawn crack the sky wide open, sit around your campfire in the evening and admire the star-dusted sky. If you feel lazy, choose to have a drink and dinner at the lodge before tucking yourself into your tent for the night.
10. Do some shopping
For those who want a memento of their visit to the canyon, there’s a shop next to reception that sells anything from hats, scarves and clothing to books, jewellery, stuffed toys and toiletries. I particularly liked the room spray with nara melon and aloe.
11. Fill up with fuel
12. Hike the Fish River Canyon Trail
If you’re super fit and thrive on a challenge, tackle the 86km, 4-5 day hiking trail through the Fish River Canyon – one of the most famous hikes in southern Africa. You’ll start at the main viewpoint, which is 10km from Hobas campsite, and end at Ai-Ais resort to the south. The trail is open only between May and September because of excessively high temperatures and the danger of flash floods the rest of the year. Remember there are no facilities and you must carry everything you need and find whatever water you can in semi-permanent pools and tanks (thanks to hard-working water marshalls). Take a water filter. Book for your group on the trail through Namibia Wildlife Resorts in Windhoek, tel +264 61 2857333/4, email [email protected].
Although Canyon Roadhouse doesn’t organise or book this gruelling multi-day hike, it’s a great place to stay before or after your hike for some downtime, cold beers, and a relaxing pool.
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