Bushmanland is a remote village that is located within the Kalahari Desert and it is mostly called Bushmanland because it’s the ancient name that was used and that is what most of the locals know. Locate east of the most visited National Parks in the country which is the Etosha national Park, this old town in the Kalahari is filled with the San Bushmen who are considered to be the first inhabitants of the country. And even though most people think that the place is all Desert like, you will be shocked to find that it is filled with a green vegetation and this can be seen in the different parts of the area. Many years ago, it was filled with sand but after a shift in the weather conditions in the area and it getting enough rainfall, it became a former glory Desert of itself and that is how the vegetation came to grow in the area.
At the moment Bushmanland is referred to as the Otjozondjupa region although the best way for people to know where you are heading to is by referring to it using its old name which is Bushmanland. Bushmanland is not all about sightseeing but you get to meet and get to know more about the San Bushmen and Bushmanland and your visit to the place helps them to keep their culture alive and their livelihood.
When we talk about the Kalahari Desert most people think about sand dunes but you should note that there are no sand dunes in the Bushmanland but you can find them at the other side of the Desert but there are other things that will make your trip to the Bushmanland worthwhile. Most of the locals who live in the area are pastoralists due to the fact that the sandy nature of the land that is found in the area is so bad and cannot be used for farming.
The Khaudum National Park
The Khaudum National park is located within the Bushmanland and is one of the many sights that you should see when you visit the area. The National Park might have a lot of wild life like the rest of the National Parks that are located within Namibia but the experience of the wilderness is enough for you to enjoy your visit the Khaudum national Park. The Park is best visited and maneuvered of you have a 4×4 car and this is because of the sandy nature of the roads which makes it hard for the normal cars to go through the roads. Some of activities that you can do while in the Khaudum National Park include the following:
- Wild life viewing, some of the animals that habitate within the Khaudum National park include the red hartebeest, lions, leopards, kudus, Oryx, spotted hyenas, the African elephant, the roan antelopes, African wild dogs and many more others. The best time for you to go game viewing in Khaudum is during the dry season which runs from the months of May to October.
- Birding in the Park, this is done when the rainy season has reduced and the roads are easily accessible and some of the bird species that habitate within the Khaudum and the migratory ones that fly in during this period that is from November to April include the western banded snake eagle, the Abdim’s stork, yellow billed stork, the African openbill, Bradfield’s hornbill, the southern ground hornbill, the pallid harrier, Meyer’s parrot, the Dwarf bittern, lesser spotted eagle and many more others.
- Camping, this is done between May and October that is the dry season as this is the only time that the ground is dry and comfortable. The Park has two camps that is one that is located in the southern part of the Park while the other is located in the Northern part of the park and all tourists are expected to keep to these camp sites in order to avoid accidents from the wild animals that roam freely through the National Park.
The Aha hills
The Aha hills are located close to the border of Namibia and Botswana and they were named after the way geckos call themselves and that sound is how the hills were named. They are a bit flat and easy to climb and even though they do not have anything that is actually fun to see as you are climbing the hills, it is a good exercise that can be carried out by everyone and you also get to see the Bushmanland from a bit of raised land.
The Nyae-Nyae pan
The Nyae-Nyae pan is one of the few salt Pans that is located within Namibia and in the Bushmanland it is located a few kilometers away from the Tsumkwe town and it is quite a sight to see for all those who visit the Bushmanland. During the dry season, it is a dry sparse land and many tourists can be seen walking towards it and exploring the whole expanse of the Pan.
Towards the end of the dry season and the beginning of the wet season, you will find that there are animals that keep on coming to the salt pans in search of water as it keeps on filling up with water as the rains come in and some of the animals that come here for the water include leopards, lions, kudus, hyenas, black jackals, bush duikers, elephants and many more other species.
During the wet season when the rains are heavy, the Nyae-Nyae pan fills up and it acts as a habitat for the many bird species. These fly to the salt pans and breed from there and some of these include the pink lesser flamingo, the pygmy goose, plover birds, grebes and many more other species.
The San Bushmen
The san Bushmen are the real habitats of the Bushmanland and a visit to their villages will be a once in a life time for all tourists. Most of the rock paintings that are found in the different parts of Namibia are all attributed to the San Bushmen and they also have a lot of things that make them different from the rest and a visit to Bushmanland will make you learn more about how to survive through the Desert and many more others.
- The san men speak with a clicking sound to their tongue and that is one of the many ways that you can differentiate them from the rest of the tribes that live within Namibia.
- The San are known for their love of craft and most of the women can be seen putting on beads all over their bodies that they make for themselves from the egg shells of ostrich eggs and you can also learn how to do this if you visit Bushmanland.
- The san Bushmen are known hunters and although at the moment they are not allowed to hunt from the national parks in a bid for the animals to be conserved but they still know how to hunt and when you get to Bushmanland, you will also be taught how to hunt and also how to track down animals.
- If you are a fun of trekking or taking bush walks then Bushmanland is the place to be as the Bushmen take tourists around the villages and the Khaudum National Park where you can see the different wild life that habitates within the National Parks.
- Once you visit the Bushmanland, you will learn how to get drinking water from leaves, medicine from the different parts of the area and also getting water from underground especially during the dry season when there is a bit of scarcity of water in the area.
You will also be able to enjoy their culture and traditions that they practice and this can only be seen and enjoyed when you visit the Bushmanland where most of the San Bushmen live.
The Kalahari Desert
Known to be the largest Desert in the southern part of the African continent, it is shared among most of the southern African countries and Namibia is one of those countries that have the desert and it is where Bushmanland is located. Drive through the Kalahari Desert with your 4×4 car and get to experience all that the Desert has to offer tourists for example quad biking and seeing some animals that are used to the Desert conditions in the Bushmanland.
Before you head out to Bushmanland for a trip, you should be able to know when to visit as all seasons have different activities that you can carry out that is during the dry season, you will be able to see the different animals that are in Bushmanland, camping and also enjoy camping. And during the wet season you will be able to go for birding and enjoy a more conducive weather than what is experienced in Bushmanland and you can either go there on a self-drive or hire a tour operator to take you around with a tour guide.