Experience real farm life in Namibia

Author: dornhuegel (Page 2 of 2)

Excursion destinations around the farm

From Dornhügel you can reach several well-known attractions of Namibia. They are close enough so that you can visit them during day outings.

Etosha Nationalpark

The east entrance of the Etosha park is just two hour’s drive from the farm, so that many guests come from there or are on their way there (mostly well equipped with a lot of tips, as well as lunch packs from Dornhügel).

 

Grootfontein and the Omulunga boarding school

Grootfontein is a typical Namibian regional town with a small museum located in the old fort. The town does not have a lot of attractions but provides you with deep insight into the lives of Namibians. In addition the town offers almost complete local care with doctors, pharmacies, supermarkets, a small shopping mall as well as various specialist shops.

Our community project, the Omulunga boarding school is also situated in Grootfontein. The children enjoy visits from the Dornhügel guests immensely, especially if they bring some sweets along …

Bushman Country

Particularly worth seeing is a small village in the bushman country just a short drive from Dornhügel. This is a worthwhile day outing, on which we will accompany you on request.

The visitors can witness the traditions of the bushmen – the San – you can also participate actively by for example creating jewelry or learning to hunt with bow and arrow.

This project is organized by the community of Grashoek itself and the proceeds go to the village and the local people.

Hoba meteorite

Not far away lies the largest known single meteorite found on earth. It is located on the farm “Hoba West” and is also easy to reach during a day trip. This celestial body struck earth approximately 80 000 years ago and weighs about 60 tons. As it consists of mainly iron and nickel, it can be described as an iron-meteorite.

The big Baobab

The possibly most well-known tree in Namibia is the Baobab. According to legends this tree was planted by the Creator, with its roots towards the sky.  They can live for up to 3,000 years and become up to 30 metres high. The one next to our fireplace has grown quite a bit since it was planted in 2000. However, another particularly impressive specimen can be admired after a short drive from Dornhügel.

Otjikoto Lake

The Otjikoto Lake is a sinkhole lake that was created by a collapsing karst cave. It is a national memorial in Namibia and is an about 1.5h drive from Dornhügel. The lake was a dumping ground for German Schutztruppe during World War 1; in June 1915 German troops dumped war materials in the lake before surrendering. Nowadays there is a small exhibition and a park which you can visit.

 

Other outings

Ask us about current happenings in the area. Grootfontein has a small but active cultural scene and often there are interesting street festivals or the like.

Maybe you are lucky and we have some cattle on auction. You can come with and be part of this special event.

The Omulunga boarding school

We are especially proud of our community project, the Omulunga boarding school. The boarding school was founded by us in 2006 and we run and finance it until this day. For many farm hands it is impossible to bring their children to school every day. On the other hand they cannot finance the accommodation in a hostel.

The boarding school offers them a solution. For a heavily subsidized monthly fee, which above all is supposed to ensure that the place in the hostel is taken seriously by everyone, we have about 16 children living there.

Our matron Esther cooks for the children (twice a week delicious Dornhügel meat), but not just this. She also helps the children with their homework, walks them to school and picks them up afterwards.

The small yard offers the students the opportunity to play various ball games and partake in other activities. Many make friends for life here.

The children enjoy every visit from our guests, so feel free to ask us for a trip to Omulunga.

Directions

Plan a visit to one of the last genuine Namibian farms during your holidays in Namibia. Dornhügel is situated close to the B8, directly next to the D2844 and only 42 kilometers east of Grootfontein. The farm can be easily reached from several destinations. The gravel road is also in very good condition and an all-terrain vehicle is not necessary.

Perfect location to reach well-liked tourist destinations in Namibia

Are you on your way from the South to the Etosha pan, the Caprivi-region, the bushman country? Or do you intend to visit the Waterberg after coming from the North? At Dornhügel you will find an ideally located accommodation for your holidays in Namibia.

Since the guest farm is located so close to the main road it is also worth a stay for only one night to find a delicious meal and a really good bed. If you however want to experience the agriculture you will have to stay for at least two nights at Dornhügel – this is the only way to discover and experience what Dornhügel has to offer.

 

Read the testimonies from our guests and you will see that almost no-one ever regrets coming here.

 

Our spacious guest rooms

Our eight spacious and newly renovated guestrooms are all individually decorated and surround the lush green courtyard – our Oasis in the middle of the farm.

All our rooms are equipped with mosquito nets so that you can choose to enjoy the African night air seeping in through the windows or you can escape the heat and have a restful sleep by making use of the air conditioners that we have installed in each room.

Each room has WLAN reception and an en-suite bathroom with a shower and a separate toilet.

Holidays in Namibia at one of the last authentic farms

The view from the Suricate-, Kudu-, Guinea-Flow-, GEcko- and Zebra-room wanders into the bush – maybe you can catch a glimpse of our cattle or a warthog.

Porcupine- and Giraffe-room guests enjoy the view of our garden and the fruit-trees growing in our courtyard.

In addition, all our rooms have some special features:

The Kudu-room for families

Unsere Gästezimmer mit guter Austattung

This is our biggest room and is best suited for families. We are happy to provide you with one or two extra beds for the smaller guests.

The Suricate-room

This room is also suitable for families and is also specially furnished for disabled persons.

The Gecko-room

If you would enjoy sleeping close to the swimming pool and the restaurant, this would be the perfect room for you.

The Oryx-room

The Oryx-room is a little suite. This room is located a few meters outside the courtyard close by the stables and as a result closest to the farm scenery. Divided over two floors it has two bedrooms with two beds each, so that a family with older children can stay here comfortably.

However, since it is so close to the farm scenery it does not have air-conditioning, but the best view from the top floor.

The best beef and vegetarian meals

Our different kinds of cattle, Brahman, Simmentaler, Angus and the indigenous N´Guni cattle amongst others grow up with a lot of exercise. As a result their meat is very lean.

A speciality however is the N´Guni – it provides us with fine-fibred, delicately marbled meat which offers a very unique taste sensation. 

But that’s not all – game meat from the Kudu, warthog, Oryx or Eland antelope hunted ourselves is offered on our daily changing menu.

 

Eigene Rinderzucht macht Dornhügel zum besten Steakhaus Afrikas

Doch damit nicht genug – Wildfleisch vom Kudu, Warzenschwein, der Oryx- oder Eland-Antilope aus der eigenen Jagd steht ebenso auf der täglich wechselnden Speisekarte.

 

The best meat – prepared on our stone-built barbecue

Closely experience the preparation of your meals on the grill or in the Potjie, the traditional cast iron pot.

Find out more in the Dornhügel meat handbook, which also describes the various varieties of game that can be found on our farm.

 

Vegetarian dishes

Unser Gemüsegarten für vegetarische gerichte

Vegetarians will get their money’s worth as well, because our vegetable and herb garden as well as our fruit trees defy the Namibian drought. Melanie makes the most wonderful salads, juices and jams from our produce.

 

Home-made stone-oven pizza

Our smaller guests, and not just them, will appreciate our wood fired pizzas prepared with all the delicacies Dornhügel has to offer.

Experience agriculture close-up

Agriculture in Namibia is mainly extensive cattle breeding.

Due to long dry seasons a cow requires a large area and a lot of grass to live. At Dornhügel this comes to at least 10 hectare per cow.  As a result we have approximately 1000 cows on our 11 000 hectare farm during good rainy seasons. We farm with Brahman, Simmentaler, Angus and the indigenous N´Guni cattle. Due to the low-calorie feed the cattle grow slowly which guarantees possibly the best meat quality in the world.

In addition to our cattle Damara sheep, dogs, cats, ducks and chickens are part of the farm. A special feature is our Basotho horse stud.

Dornhügel is a family-owned farm in the third generation. Irmgard and Max Beyer manage the agriculture. Dornhügel is a real family business which is evident all over the farm.

 

 

Namibian farms are special

The path from calf to grown cattle is a difficult one and it involves mastering many challenges. Drought, heat, bush fires and predators such as the leopard pose just one of many risks. Farms in Namibia are very unique and we want to give you the opportunity to find out as much as possible about them. To achieve this goal we have a range of activities prepared for individual preferences.

 

1. Accompany us on a farm trip

Tour über die Farm

During a 2 or 3 hour drive we will show you large parts of the farm. You will find out where we get our water from and how it gets to the watering holes distributed over the farm.

You will get to know our different varieties of cattle as well as our Basotho horses and the Damara sheep.

See the old red stone building, which today could well be the backdrop of a western movie. Experience the diversity of wild animals that live in harmony with the agriculture. The elegant jump of the Kudu over the fence will render you speechless. The Kudu can jump off the cuff two meters far and also high.

 

2. Walk along the Makalani Palm tree trail

It is a memorable experience to discover Dornhügel on foot. While walking along the Makalani palm tree way you will pass the stately termite mounds and our central agricultural buildings where you can witness the tasks our team has to master every day. The trail also leads you to the picturesque hills that gave our farm its name.

 

3. Become a farm hand

For those that want to know exactly what they are capable of, we have a special offer. Become a farm hand for one day (or just a few hours). De-bush the fields in the glaring sun, supply the cattle with water, repair the fences or drive our bulldozer when our roads have to be improved. You can be sure that no sundowner has ever tasted as good as the one you will have during that evening.

 

4. Experience special events with us

Feel free to ask us about any upcoming events that you might be able to attend. Maybe you are in luck and can accompany us to a cattle auction or be involved while the auctioned cattle are unloaded and get their brand.

You can also be present while a calf is being born.

 

Last, but not least: 

Long conversations next to the bonfire give you an insight into the country and its people that you will get nowhere else. Under the Southern Cross you can discuss and deepen the experiences of the day.

Dornhügel Gästefarm

Im Norden Namibias, auf dem Weg ins unberührte Buschmann-Land und das Caprivi-Gebiet, nur zwei Stunden von der Etosha-Pfanne entfernt, erwartet Sie auf der Dornhügel Gästefarm eine einzigartige Kombination aus einem Gästebetrieb in familiärer Atmosphäre und stilvollem Ambiente und dem typischen namibischen Farmleben.

Erleben Sie die Landwirtschaft Namibias hautnah

Werden Sie ein Teil des Farmlebens – auf der Farmrundfahrt, an der Wasserstelle, im Gespräch mit der Farmerfamilie oder besonders intensiv, indem Sie die Farmarbeiter einen Tag lang begleiten. Und treffen Sie dabei neben rund 1000 Rindern und über 50 Pferden, auch auf Giraffen, Kudus, Elands, Dik-Diks, Warzenschweine und viele Wildtiere mehr, mit etwas Glück auch den scheuen Leoparden.

Steaks aus eigener Zucht

Genießen Sie das Essen aus eigener Herstellung – von der Marmelade, über die Säfte bis hin zu Salat und Gemüse. Und nicht zuletzt: genießen Sie ein Dornhügel-Steak vom Wild aus eigener Jagd oder Rind aus eigener Zucht, das nach der Zubereitung auf unserem Holzkohlegrill aus der Gästefarm das beste Steakhouse des südlichen Afrika macht.
Ihre Gastgeber Melanie und Götz freuen sich darauf, Sie zum Teil einer namibischen Farmerfamilie zu machen und begrüßen Sie auf deutsch, englisch oder afrikaans.

Bester Komfort

Die neu renovierten Zimmer unserer Gästefarm, mit WLAN, Moskitonetzen und Klimaanlage für die heißen Tage, bieten Ihnen allen Komfort, ob im Einzel-, Doppel- oder Familienzimmer.

Kinder sind bei uns ganz besonders willkommen

Sie genießen neben dem Farmerlebnis unsere kleine Oase mit Pool, Tischtennisplatte und dem echt namibischen Tenniscourt. Alexander und Tamira, die Farmkinder, erwarten euch schon!

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