By Roxanne Reid
Looking for a stopover on our way to Etosha National Park in Namibia, we stumbled on Weaver’s Rock Guest Farm south of Otjiwarongo on the C22 that goes to the Waterberg Plateau. It turned out to be a good stumble.
Looking for a stopover on our way to Etosha National Park in Namibia, we stumbled on Weaver’s Rock Guest Farm south of Otjiwarongo on the C22 that goes to the Waterberg Plateau. It turned out to be a good stumble.
We’d planned to camp, but the bungalows were just too inviting so we decided to treat ourselves.
What a good decision. Don't get confused - as we initially did - by the word 'bungalow'; they're more upmarket than the cheaper and more rustic 'chalets'. They were modern and bright, fully tiled with crisp white percale on the beds, little touches like wild flowers or guinea fowl feathers laid on the towels for artistic effect, a tea trolley, a queen-sized mozzie net, a very welcome ceiling fan, even a semi-circular balcony with a wonderful view of the bushveld and the setting sun.
The guest farm is on the cattle and game farm Hohenfels, which means ‘high rock’. It has been in the family of Graf (duke) zu Bentheim Tecklenburg-Rheda since 1903. Duke Richard Friedrich bought the farm from the German colony and built the farmhouse and stables in 1904. Today the farm is still managed by the zu Bentheim family and the guest farm belongs to the sixth generation.
What a good decision. Don't get confused - as we initially did - by the word 'bungalow'; they're more upmarket than the cheaper and more rustic 'chalets'. They were modern and bright, fully tiled with crisp white percale on the beds, little touches like wild flowers or guinea fowl feathers laid on the towels for artistic effect, a tea trolley, a queen-sized mozzie net, a very welcome ceiling fan, even a semi-circular balcony with a wonderful view of the bushveld and the setting sun.
The guest farm is on the cattle and game farm Hohenfels, which means ‘high rock’. It has been in the family of Graf (duke) zu Bentheim Tecklenburg-Rheda since 1903. Duke Richard Friedrich bought the farm from the German colony and built the farmhouse and stables in 1904. Today the farm is still managed by the zu Bentheim family and the guest farm belongs to the sixth generation.
Old Stables
We had breakfast in the old stables, and a delicious three-course dinner in the lapa near the pool. (Meals cost extra.) You can also have sundowners in the lapa or on your balcony. Our dinner menu was African lentil soup, steak, rice with a yummy onion topping, salad, and a very rich chocolate mousse. It was all served by the charming chef in her white hat (which the new young barman irreverently said looked like a mushroom). There was delicious homemade bread too. Meals are freshly prepared and, as the brochure in our chalet said, ‘served with butter, cream, fresh herbs and lots of love’.
There are also campsites with power and water laid on. The shady ones near the old stables have grass, but they’re only really suitable if you have a tent, not a caravan.
There are also campsites with power and water laid on. The shady ones near the old stables have grass, but they’re only really suitable if you have a tent, not a caravan.
View over the open veld
What to do on the farm
1. hiking trail
2. waterhole where you can watch baboons, warthogs, duiker, kudu and birds
3. pool and children’s playground as well as pony rides for the ankle biters
4. sunset game drive, the ‘hour of the long shadows’
5. if you’re keen on fishing and have your own gear,
you can try your luck in the lake on a catch-and-release basis
6. spa treatments, e.g. 60-min full-body Swedish massage, 45-min stress therapy massage, manicures, pedicures, etc
7. you can even make a day trip from here to the Waterberg Plateau Park, the Cheetah Foundation or a Crocodile Farm.
More about Namibia
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
1. hiking trail
2. waterhole where you can watch baboons, warthogs, duiker, kudu and birds
3. pool and children’s playground as well as pony rides for the ankle biters
4. sunset game drive, the ‘hour of the long shadows’
5. if you’re keen on fishing and have your own gear,
you can try your luck in the lake on a catch-and-release basis
6. spa treatments, e.g. 60-min full-body Swedish massage, 45-min stress therapy massage, manicures, pedicures, etc
7. you can even make a day trip from here to the Waterberg Plateau Park, the Cheetah Foundation or a Crocodile Farm.
More about Namibia
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
