Roxanne Reid - Africa Addict
  • Home
  • Book author
    • Travels in the Kalahari >
      • Photo gallery: Travels in the Kalahari
      • Book reviews: Travels in the Kalahari
    • A Walk in the Park >
      • Photo gallery: A Walk in the Park
      • Book reviews: A Walk in the Park
    • The Essential Guide to Self-Editing >
      • Book reviews: Essential Guide to Self-Editing
    • Betrayed
    • Book reviews online
  • Editing & proofreading
  • In the media
    • Travel features
    • Health features
    • Online media
  • Blog
  • Testimonials
  • Links
  • Contact

Kalahari Farmhouse: a relaxing oasis in the Kalahari, Namibia

1/8/2018

2 Comments

 
Kalahari Farmhouse, Stampriet accommodation, Namibia
​By Roxanne Reid
You know the feeling when you smell the yeasty aroma of freshly baked bread then bite into it to discover the taste is even more heavenly? Now imagine you watched the swirl of spinach threaded through the roll being harvested earlier that day. That’s when you know that the concept of farm to fork is thriving here at the Kalahari Farmhouse, a relaxing oasis in the Kalahari, Namibia.

​But it’s not only the veggie gardens at Kalahari Farmhouse lodge near Stampriet that are special. An artesian basin lies under the area and water bubbles up from a spring on the property, so there’s a secret flower garden too. Drive past the lodge on the C20 and you won’t have a clue it’s there. Turn off to the lodge - a great place for your Stampriet accommodation - and discover a peaceful oasis of green grass and tall palms and other evergreen and deciduous trees. When we visited in June red leaves of creepers draped the trees and sprinkled the grass as birds fluttered here and there in search of insects and worms.
Kalahari accommodation near Stampriet, Namibia
Lodge entrance, with the bar on the left and dining room on the right
​The old farmhouse belonged to Johannes van der Wath, first administrator of South West Africa under direct UN responsibility in the 1960s. It’s now home to the dining and bar areas. Perhaps this history, the locals quip, is why there’s a tar road all the way to Stampriet, despite it being such a dot on the map.
Kalahari accommodation Namibia: Kalahari Farmhouse lodge
A garden to relax in
There’s a cosy feel to it all, with photos in distressed frames, a bike mounted above a dresser, old-fashioned bread boxes and egg holders in the breakfast area, a dresser with pots of jam just like you might find in your granny’s farmhouse. Continuing the farmhouse theme is an aged mangle in the courtyard, old telephones and posters in the bar. Best of all, almost floor to ceiling windows mean you can enjoy breakfast while looking out at the garden every morning. 
Dining room at Gondwana Namibia's Kalahari Farmhouse
Dining room with a view
Breakfast area, Kalahari Farmhouse, Namibia lodges
The breakfast buffet is laid out in this area
I imagine that in summer the pool courtyard with its loungers and picnic tables, its built-in braai, would be the focal point of the lodge. But in winter, it was the fires in the bar and dining area that drew us in, enveloped us in a warm hug. Even the rooms have their own fireplaces to ward off the biting desert chill and add a touch of romance to your day.
Pool at Kalahari Farmhouse, one of the Stampriet lodges, Kalahari
The pool courtyard
Outdoor picnic area for the perfect Namibia hollidays
Picnic tables make a cheery al fresco dining area by the pool in warm weather
The rooms are individual little houses built in a Cape Dutch style using limestone rocks found in the area. Crisp duvets and colourful crochet blankets, armchairs next to the fireplace and an enamel basin on a wooden washstand in the bathroom add authentic touches.
Kalahari Farmhouse, Kalahari lodges Namibia
Part of the horseshoe of tiny Cape Dutch houses that are the accommodation
Bedroom, Kalahari Farmhouse - Kalahari lodge Namibia
The bedroom had a fireplace just out of shot to the right
There’s a homely feel that’s very seductive, luring me onto the room’s stoep to sit in the sun with my book, to enjoy the view of the gardens and the busyness of its bird visitors. But if you dig beneath the surface, there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes.

For instance, the lodge closes from January to March when it’s used as an academy for ongoing training of the Gondwana Collection’s staff, aiming for them to leave with new skills and fresh motivation for their work in the tourism business.
Wash basin, Kalahari Farmhouse, Kalahari Namibia
An enamel basin continues the farm theme in the bathroom
Staff of the Stampriet accommodation at Kalahari Farmhouse
The staff, like the lodge, are relaxed and friendly
Self Sufficiency Centre
There’s also a Self Sufficiency Centre on the property that supplies 70% of the needs of the Gondwana Collection’s Namibian lodges, from the Fish River Canyon in the southwest to the Zambezi and Chobe rivers in the northeast.

Using water from the natural aquifer on the property, the centre’s aim is twofold. First is obviously to make the Gondwana Collection’s lodges self sufficient. Second is to create jobs. It employs 22 permanent staff and around 11 seasonal workers in spring/summer.

We visited in winter, a quiet time when few veggies grow because of the cold – down to minus 9 degrees in manager Breshnef Diergaardt’s 17-year experience here. But the scale of the operation is impressive nonetheless. ‘We produced 5500 lettuces last year,’ said Breshnef. Using shade-net tunnels, they also produce watermelon, pumpkin, cabbage, onion, tomato, pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach – just about any vegetable you can think of except potato, which has its own particular challenges. There’s a small vineyard too.
Gondwana Namibia's Self Sufficiency Centre at Stampriet
Self Sufficiency Centre manager Breshnef Diergaardt in one of the shade-net tunnels
The centre buys in meat, including game and pork, even though it has its own pigs which live in beautifully clean, big pens. All meat is processed in the centre’s butchery, which produces everything from droë wors, biltong, salami and sausages to steaks and roasts. ‘We specialise in processing game meat because no one wants to come to Africa and eat beef they could have at home,’ Breshnef said.

As part of a social responsibility effort, the Gondwana Care Trust gives off-cuts from the butchery to some 40 organisations that help to support underprivileged people.
Pig at Gondwana Namibia's Self Sufficiency Centre at Stampriet
Pigs live in a large enclosure at the Self Sufficiency Centre
10 things to do at Kalahari Farmhouse
So, what is there to do in this oasis among the dry Kalahari sands? Here are some ideas.
  • Go walking at sister lodge, Kalahari Anib, about 25km to the west. Collect a walking trails map from Kalahari Anib reception when you arrive, then choose from as little as 5km or as long as 16km. Note that there are no dangerous large predators in the reserve.
  • Join a morning or sundowner drive at Kalahari Anib Lodge. Kalahari Farmhouse will phone ahead to confirm your place, then you drive about 25km to Kalahari Anib for your activity. Animals you may see include springbok, oryx, red hartebeest, kudu, eland, giraffe, wildebeest and zebra. To get a sense of what the sundowner drive is like read my blog post, Kalahari Anib Lodge: enjoy a sundowner drive in Namibia.
Nature drive at Kalahari Anib Lodge, Kalahari Namibia
Sundowner drive at Kalahari Anib Lodge nearby
  • ​Enjoy good food that’s a cut above what you’d expect here in the Middle of Nowhere, Namibia. Breakfast is a buffet of all the usual suspects, but I especially loved the fresh fruit (what a luxury in this semi-arid area) and the light-as-air pastries and croissants. Dinner is a set menu that includes things like delicious vegetable soup, springbok fillet in a wine sauce, and toffee apple pudding. It’s good farm-style food with a sophisticated edge. 
Chef, Kalahari Farmhouse, Namibia
Head chef Paulus Andreas
  • Once you’ve tasted the food, you’ll know you have to tour the Self-Sufficiency Centre. The profusion of produce seems paradoxical in this semi-arid area, but is made possible by an aquifer that pumps water to the surface naturally. All the Farmhouse had to do was install water canals, piping and a pressure pump to get it from the spring to the rest of the farm. You can buy directly from the butchery, so stock up here for your holiday braais.
  • Admire the parade of old farm implements that line the entrance road to the lodge. Especially atmospheric in the early morning light, they will put you in the farm mood and evoke nostalgia in anyone with farming in their blood.
Old farm implements at Kalahari Farmhouse near Stampriet, Namibia
Old farm implements march down each side of the entrance road to the lodge
  • ​Go for a swim in the pool, a welcome treat on a hot Kalahari summer’s day. There are loungers, chairs and tables around the pool where you can soak up the sun even in winter.
  • Relax on your stoep – it may be the only time you really do this during your Namibia holidays. Our visit was during the last week of an extended and busy trip to Namibia so it was a pleasure to kick back and just chill out, no long distances to drive, no madcap activities to be ticked off the list. If you’re quiet you may even hear the tinkling of water from the aquifer that bubbles up near the main building.
Statue i nthe garden at Kalahari Farmhouse, Stampriet, Namibia
Kitsch but rather endearing small statues dot the garden
  • Take a stroll in the garden to enjoy quirky touches like small statues (I loved one old man taking a nap next to a pile of red leaves, as if he was tired from sweeping them up). Order a cold drink or cup of tea to enjoy on a rustic bench or sit at one of the tables that dot the garden. Listen and watch for birds like white-browed sparrow-weaver, hornbill, laughing dove, Namaqua sandgrouse, wagtail and olive thrush.
  • Enjoy some star-gazing. Here in the clean, dry Kalahari air, you’ll be astounded by the masses of stars in the dark sky, the density of the Milky Way. Try to walk a little distance away from the lodge’s lights for the best effect. If you’re camping at the lodge’s campsite, you’ll know what I mean.
Lions in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Lions of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
  • Remember that Kalahari Farmhouse's Stampriet accommodation is just a three- to four-hour drive from the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, so perhaps schedule a stopover there on your way to or from the lodge. The Kgalagadi landscape is pure Kalahari, just like Kalahari Anib Lodge, but with the added excitement of large predators like lions, leopards and cheetahs.

Like it? Pin this image! 
You may also enjoy
Kalahari Anib Lodge: 12 things to do in Namibia’s Kalahari
The Kalahari in bloom

Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
Visit Kalahari Farmhouse in the Kalahari of south-east Namibia and discover a Stampriet lodge with a self sufficiency centre and a farm-to-fork ethos. Relax, enjoy the gardens, go birdwatching, for a nature drive or walking trail, swim in the pool, go stargazing, enjoy good food. #Namibialodges #KalahariNamibia #Kalaharilodge #Kalahariaccommodation #Stamprietaccommodation #KalahariFarmhouse #Stamprietlodges #Stampriet #Namibiaholidays #KalaharilodgesNamibia #Namibia #kalahari
Visit Kalahari Farmhouse in the Kalahari of south-east Namibia and discover a Stampriet lodge with a self sufficiency centre and a farm-to-fork ethos. Relax, enjoy the gardens, go birdwatching, for a nature drive or walking trail, swim in the pool, go stargazing, enjoy good food. #Namibialodges #KalahariNamibia #Kalaharilodge #Kalahariaccommodation #Stamprietaccommodation #KalahariFarmhouse #Stamprietlodges #Stampriet #Namibiaholidays #KalaharilodgesNamibia #Namibia #kalahari
2 Comments
Rene
3/8/2018 06:25:49 am

We are huge Gondwana supporters! We are travelling to Namibia in september on a three week trip and will be staying at The Delight, Canyon Lodge and Klein-Aus Vista. We stayed two years ago at the Kalahari Anib lodge and loved every minute. We even named our trip 'the gondwana tour'. The service is great and the food is even better. You just cannot go wrong with a gondwana establishment!

Reply
Roxanne
16/8/2018 04:12:36 pm

We love Gondwana too, good value at 40% reduction for SADC visitors with a Gondwana Card, and great campsites at many of the lodges too if you want to mix it up a bit. We haven't stayed at The Delight - it was still being built last time we were in Swakopmund - so I'd love to know what you think of it. Have a wonderful trip in September, you lucky fishes.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Get email links to the latest posts

    Buy my books
    Travels in the Kalahari, amazon.com e-book
    E-book 2012​

    A Walk in the Park, amazon.com e-book
    2nd ed e-book 2015
    The Essential Guide to Self-Editing, amazon.com e-book
    E-book 2017

    About 

    I'm an independent travel writer and book editor with a passion for Africa - anything from African travel, people, safari and wildlife to adventure, heritage, road-tripping and slow travel.
    My travel buddy and husband Keith is the primary photographer for this blog.
    We're happiest in the middle of nowhere, meeting the locals, trying something new, or simply watching the grass grow.
    Use this website to discover new places to go, revisit places you've loved, or take a virtual tour of destinations you only dream about.

    Categories

    All
    Baviaanskloof
    Books
    Botswana
    Camping
    Cape Town
    Chobe
    Conservation
    Drc
    Eastern Cape
    Etosha Namibia
    Food
    Free State
    Garden Route
    Gauteng
    Issues
    Kalahari
    Karoo
    Kenya
    Kruger National Park
    Kwazulu Natal
    Lesotho
    Limpopo
    Linyanti
    Madagascar
    Malawi
    Mozambique
    Mpumalanga
    Namaqualand
    Namibia
    Nature Parks
    Northern Cape
    Okavango
    Overberg
    People
    Photography
    Richtersveld
    Tanzania
    West Coast
    Western Cape
    Wild Creatures
    Zambia
    Zimbabwe

    Archives

    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    January 2010
    November 2009


Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without written permission from roxannereid.co.za

Privacy Policy, GDPR and POPIA compliance
​* We promise that we take data safety seriously and use your private data only to offer a personalised experience
* If you subscribed to our newsletter, you will receive our newsletters. You can always unsubscribe by following the link in email or by emailing us
* If you gave us your name, it will only be used to personalise the newsletters
* We have never sold, we are not selling, and we will not sell any of your personal data provided to us
* The blog uses cookies to track activity. It is anonymous except for telling us your location and what you did on our blog
​
Photos from berniedup, Lucy_Hill