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Thursday 18 June 2015

Destination Namibia, Windhoek, the popular Katutura Tour.


Katutura which means “the place we do not want to live” in Windhoek, Namibia exists due to the fact that “the ‘black’ people” of Namibia, previously known as South West Africa before Independence 25 years ago, were forced to abandon their homes forcefully in the 60’s at the “Old Location” which was declared a Museum after the Independence of Namibia, to re-locate to their “new location”, christened by them as Katutura then. The “Old Location” is a popular tourist “must see” attraction to start off an interesting Katutura day tour for many a guest from anywhere in the world.

 

The time and money spend is worth it once visitors find themselves guided by a local driver whilst being able to experience and see the reality of poverty, hope, dreams, results and prosperity of those that never gave up as quitting was and never is an option in Katutura. No-one can or wants to leave Katutura without the overwhelming feeling and realization of being humble and thankful.

 

Penduka, meaning “Wake Up” is an organization that was started as a humble beginning to empower the women of Katutura and has since grown to a formidable organization which exports to countries such as the Netherlands and Germany to only mention a few.

 

This organization is situated along the Goreagab Dam, teaches and assists women from all over Namibia already to make use of their fantastic ability creating artwork through their own handwork, such as sewing garments, handmade embroidery items, handmade crockery, using recycling materials such as glass bottles to create the most beautiful jewelry and much more.

 

Penduka is an organization where dreams become reality; poverty turns to hope and creates results which leads into prosperity, especially for the women of Namibia. Any visitor to Namibia is usually in a dream-world of their own while being guided through the whole process by the women of Penduka that keeps the dream alive and well. Accommodation and a restaurant, also a dream come true is available to assist visitors and there is a factory shop open on the same premises with the handmade craftsmanship of women with dreams and a goal to become totally independent.

 

No wonder Katutura is such a popular destination for tourists to visit. As the tour progress, visitors experience Eveline Street, the street in Katutura that never sleep. Imagine you are part of an ant group, always busy working…day in…day out…night in…night out. This is the most well-known street in the whole of Windhoek, never sleeping, always negotiating, selling, washing vehicles with one bar after the other and plenty “Shebeens”(liquor stores) operating 24 hours a day when they have only half a chance. Within the “Buzz” of it all, there is a Church which can be missed easily in all the excitement of vehicles moving up and down the street and people gathering in groups all over…heck, should your toilet have a sudden problem you may even be able to buy the necessary parts exhibited on the side of the street.

 

Any visitor will find time to pass quickly but oh, before we leave the inner-center of Katutura one must see the reality of humble beginnings where people build “shacks” after arriving in Windhoek with their dreams been a burning desire to achieve success one way or another. “Shacks” are built with any kind of material they may be able to lay their hands on such as carton (paper boxes), old material fabrics, plastic, old iron roof sheets, tin and any other material that could be used to build something they call “home” for a short time; which in many cases become a life-long home.

 

The Katutura Tour will have an impact on any visitor’s mind and heart and will most certainly give anyone many reasons to be thankful for what they have. Katutura, “the place we do not want to live”, re-named and called by some already today to Matutura, “the place we want to live”. Come and live the reality of poverty, hope, dreams, results and prosperity of a Nation that never quitted and most certainly never gave up…whilst still reaching for the stars…

 
For more information feel free to contact me, Heila, at hcribo@iway.na Heila’s Shuttle Service, Windhoek, Namibia.

Friday 8 May 2015

Their Emotions Became Mine as we said our Goodbye's...

Strange and a bit awkward, the emotional feelings rushed through each one of us the moment I wished my Finnish transferring guests a good trip home at the International Airport 40 kilometers outside Windhoek. Why strange? Only had a call the Friday with a request to transfer the two ladies to Okapuka Game Ranch for a Game Drive on Saturday and a Game Drive Sunday at Dusternbrook Game Ranch, altogether two and a half days getting to know two people who wanted to see a little more of Namibia and it's wonderful wildlife before leaving.


To have a shuttle service transferring guests from one destination to the other does not mean one can not be of assistance. An important factor is to make guests feel comfortable and safe being friendly and accommodating at all times.

Yes, this might be my own personal business which is still young and small in comparison with most other services that are established already in Namibia though there has always been a difference in my attitude towards any client, customer and/or guests throughout my complete business career which definitely gives me an advantage and I will always keep to my strategy to the best of my ability within my power and with the grace of God.

Let's discuss a few facts though your opinion could differ. Feel free to comment and add your personal feelings and preferences towards any ideas or facts mentioned. Any opinion towards this discussion is welcome as I am open to productive, positive criticism.

Attitude towards guests play an important role and if one's attitude is negatively projected through one's body language when facing guests, you've lost their trust before you have introduced yourself. Meeting new guests at the airport only having their flight number & time as well as names will always be a challenge, true but also solvable.

In order to project a positive attitude one should be aware that flights can be delayed or land earlier there-for it is always important to be at the airport ahead of time especially when a guesthouse, pension hotel or hotel booked  for transfer from the airport. Once you are late your body language will already show signs of restlessness and/or irritation due to rushing. Guests are usually tired, uncertain of the unknown and could also be off-balance due to long flights.

A Memo board with your expected guest's names should be written plain and clear or printed in order for your guests to be able to find their names with ease. Make sure you are visible and be relaxed with an assuring posture towards your guests. Once your guests recognize their names welcome them with a warm handshake while announcing your first name & immediately offer assistance with their luggage. Most guests prefer handling their own luggage and why not? How will you feel after a ten hour flight finding that your luggage at least made it as well?

Most guests would want to find a bank or ATM to be able to withdraw money immediately and after you have assisted them to the right spot you settle your parking ticket. Keeping your guests waiting for long periods can add to their fatigue and we want them to feel welcome. As Namibia does not have an enormous airport the ATM could be without funds available in which case one can stop on the way to their destination at a safe and reliable ATM driving into Windhoek. It is always a good option to stay with your guests should they need assistance and always at all times stay friendly and relaxed.

Be aware that guests might not prefer air-conditioning in a vehicle there-for always request which option they prefer and comply. Guests are also used to driving their own vehicles. It is necessary to keep your guests informed of driving regulations and laws and make sure that you drive safely at all times. You and all your guests must wear seat belts at all times. Explain more about the road you are about to embark on, discuss wild animal movements and describe animals in general.

Any person and in this case, your guest, enjoys when you are interested in them and their well-being. People enjoy talking about themselves and this is the perfect opportunity to make any guest feel comfortable while you are driving by asking general questions about their visit, where their home is, how long their visit will be and where they would be visiting in Namibia. Please keep your questions general as your guests are not under questioning and the goal is to keep them relaxed only. Steer clear of discussions such as politics and religion unless a guest ask you directly about the Namibian stability regarding these subjects.

Be proud giving your guests information about Namibia in general and make sure you have general knowledge about your own country. Yes, you are not a tour-guide but keep in mind, you are the first person in Namibia your guests will have to accumulate information from there-for it is important to have knowledge about Namibia you enjoy most as enthusiasm is contagious and guests tend to respond with a keen interest for more information. Keep in mind not to answer a question you do not have the correct answer to, be honest and suggest whom they can contact or find the information from. Incorrect information can cause safety issues and we want more guests and visitors instead of people avoiding Namibia as a tourist attraction. There is no shame in acknowledging not having an answer, instead you will be respected for being truthful.

Always make sure to hand your guests your name and number should they be in need of your services to be able to contact you directly. You will find guests appreciate your gesture and it will create a feeling of trust which will help to relax your guests as well knowing they would be able to reach you in case of any emergency.

Once arriving at your guest's destination make sure that you will be able to drive in keeping the safety of your guests in mind. Assist with off-loading of their luggage and inform the information desk of the arrival of their guests. Guests mostly settle the amount charged arriving at their destination and you will find most of the time that your warm welcome earned you something extra and/or more transferring being requested by your guests.

The two Finnish ladies drove through three rivers twice, enjoyed every minute of excitement and cancelled their previous booking with their first transfer service to make sure we see each other one more time before their flight. Now, that was awesome! We are now linked through a social website becoming friends as we learn from each other.

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Join our social network!

Join our social network!: We have some inspiring innovative Namibians that started our own social network 100% Namibian. Though still a very young social network, it will become the mouth piece for thousands of Namibians all over Namibia as well as the fact that more and more information about our beautiful country will be shared for all to see. This can become your direct link to Namibia when you plan your holiday of a lifetime to Africa, in particular, Namibia. Why wait...join now for free and grow with us. Meet new people and learn more about local news, music, events and much more.

Thursday 9 April 2015

Join our social network in true Namibian style!

Join our social network!: Very new but most certainly going to give you much more about the Namibian life-style, events, people, nature and so much more! This is going to be a buzz!

Sunday 22 March 2015

Tuesday 10 March 2015

Left-side driving a hired vehicle? 1st encounter into Africa, Namibia?

"Are you here for business or pleasure?"


"Pleasure, with at least 21 days of holiday to look forward to. Please drive slow as I want to see how you are driving on the left-hand side of the road."


"At night I always drive slow as there are wild animals to look out for, the road is dark & people tend to speed without realizing the dangers lurking. Are you going to experience Namibia with a tour-guide or have you planned your trip before-hand?"


"No, we are going to rent a vehicle tomorrow & plan our days into certain areas such as Windhoek for a few days, Luderitz & should time allow it, some more places we hope."


"Have you been to Namibia before?"


"No, it is the first time ever in Africa, let alone Namibia."


What does one think immediately? Are they simply adventurous getting up their usual holiday planning perhaps, or are they simply two people who decided to make a sudden huge decision to venture into Africa for the 1st time taking dangerous chances...or are they simply looking for trouble doing something that they know nothing about?

All those thousands of kilometers from Germany all the way to Africa, Namibia & 21 days have not been planned ahead? Two people, a warm-hearted couple having the holiday of a lifetime & they want to drive their own rented vehicle into the vast countryside of Namibia without a guide, no planning ahead...and no experience of driving on the left-hand side of the road except the 30 minutes they spend in the vehicle with myself driving them to their designated Guesthouse from the International Airport.


Yes, thank goodness, we all have different personality types & there-for many people reading this right now would either not agree with their decision or my responsibility towards the fact that I truly care for visitor's safety within the borders of our country. Yes, it could be due to the fact that we would like to reap a financial benefit by assisting visitors to the best of our ability, and yet it could also be for the mere reason that so many visitors in all countries can simply not be safe enough without the proper investigation, planning or/and proper guidance by people that can assist. Which weighs heavier?

The following ideas and points given is merely examples from a normal person when this person decides to venture into an unknown country & anyone with expert knowledge are welcome to add ideas & points into the comments for future visitors to take into serious consideration when planning such an amazing holiday.


1) Decide which country you sincerely want to explore.
2) Find as much information as you possibly can to read, see & hear about the country by means of travelling books, the internet, international news.
3) Add friends of the specific country to your internet social mediums and start corresponding with those friends. Look for the cities or towns you are interested in visiting and add friends living in those cities.
4) Find travelling agencies on the internet within the border of the country chosen & request to be sent different holiday packages or ideas. Request for self-driving ideas & assistance to link with personal tour-guides or information for group tours. These same requests could be put forward to your new-found-friends at your social pages as well & you will be surprised how much information you will find.
5) Search for Guesthouses, Pension Hotels, Game Lodges, Hotels, Bed & Breakfasts in the different towns or cities within the country of your choice & correspond with a few to find the correct answers which is suitable for you & your companion/family.
6) Study the wild animal life within the border of the country & the effect the wildlife might have on driving on the country's roads for you as a 1st-time driver within the country. Search for National Parks in order to add at least one on your list of planning into your days.
7) Search for the laws of driving within the country's borders in order to know what you are letting yourself into. Either practice some-where remote before even planning to leave for the country in mind or speak to your social friendship via internet to receive tips of travelling & driving in the country or simply find a reliable guide driving you & your family through using all the information above as everyone have access to reliable drivers, tour-guides and/or shuttle services which they trust.
8) Download a complete map of the country in question and become familiar with the areas & distances. Keep updated of the weather conditions at all times to get a good idea of how it could be similar or different from your home-country.
9) Request personal normal information from your internet social circle in the country such as; what is more important, water, cool-drinks, clothing to wear & anything small that might be considered by yourself as nothing...which could in fact just save your life and those of your loved-one's in time of need.
10) Plan your trip according to the days you have planned to visit, making use of the map you should by now know off-by-heart. Start at one side of your interests moving into a selected direction to be able to visit every main feature of your choice without having to back-up all the time wasting precious time. Use all the information you have gathered from everyone & each company involved or simply book a complete tour with the travel agency of your choice & save yourself the time & effort to enjoy an amazing holiday away from home.


You will find all the above mentioned are capable of finding the right places to stay, select reliable shuttle services for long-distance transport as well as in-town transport & keep your safety at heart trusting your experience will be awesome...so awesome, you'll be back for more pampering...and bring friends along next time!


Enjoy your travelling hunting for a great experience.

Wednesday 4 March 2015

Say...what!!! A Taxi? Why not find out more about Shuttle Services as a traveller?

"As a Russian being employed in Dubai gives me a chance to travel to numerous countries exploring Africa such as Namibia where I've been on a tour for only 4 days. We paid an incredible amount of money to our 'transport/guide/tour-leader' and I ended up being in the desert for who-knows-how-long due to the fact that our transport rattled all the way, lost a tire and had no spare...and in the end caused me to miss my flight back to Johannesburg for travelling further back to Dubai with a complete day! Inevitably costing me an extra air-fair ticket which this person are not willing to credit me for...and I have one day extra at more costs! If only I knew about you before I came to Namibia...if only I had more information before letting myself into a mess like this!"


Those were the words of an extremely disappointed young, but warm-hearted lady while we were driving from Windhoek to the International Airport in the early morning hours of another wonderful Namibian sunny day being expected. What was extraordinary is that she still had the positive thinking of arranging another trip soon into the future back to our beautiful and interesting country...and this, after such a bad experience she obviously had to endure the last 4 days of her holiday travelling so far from home.


Spending time making arrangements to travel to a foreign country seems like a lot of hard work and doesn't seem to be worth the effort by some however, doesn't it seem fair towards yourself to spend enough time gathering as much information as you possibly could for the money you are about to spend on an adventure even only for a couple of days, let alone two weeks or more?


The information era has given us an incredible advantage to "Google", link with new friends from abroad and ask as many questions as we want to have the best possible experience. I would suggest that young and older should make use of this opportunity to avoid disappointments such as what happened to this lady...oh, and there are many such stories, only with many visitors sadly it turns out they will never return to enjoy the real true warmth of a country with it's vast country-side and wild animals.


Where to start is usually the first question coming up in ones mind. Find the web page for the country you are planning to visit as even there one finds information, sometimes limited, nevertheless a start to finding more websites and information that one can follow up.


To make it really easy, link yourself to "Facebook" and or "Linked In" if you are not a member yet, search for people residing in the country, ask to become friends and be truthful why you would like to get to know them and their country. These days this is the most common solution to finding more relevant information. When you search for Shuttle Services, Taxi's, Transport, Guesthouses, Lodges, Pension Hotels and Hotels at either one of these sites, you are bound to find more information than you can actually use. Other search titles could be tour guides, tour companies, hunting farms and so on. Doesn't this make more sense than just becoming a backpacker with no idea what is awaiting for you on the other side of the globe?


I believe most people reading this right now would be nodding saying, "What the heck, does this person think we are idiots?" No, I am most certainly not even suggesting that, simply guiding some people that happens to be like me, make an immediate decision, forgets about the pros's and con's, and grabs the opportunity usually landing up with disappointment more likely than having loads of fun.


I might not have a large Shuttle Service, but I am reliable, and so are many other Shuttle services and yet there will always be those that simply can not or will not give the reliable service they should and this is found anywhere in the world. The same applies to all those businesses I mentioned above.


Should anyone have questions regarding Namibia in general, you are most welcome to contact me at hcribo@iway.na and I shall be glad to give you further information, details or contact persons to deal with arranging your trip to Namibia. I am certainly not the best candidate to be a perfect touring guide but I am here to transfer visitors safely to the best of my ability and I am willing to find information in an effort to assist any future visitor to find the right business or services you might need.


Happy hunting for your dream vacations!