DeutschFrom 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.
