Natural Selection is a company that takes conservation and outreach work seriously, so seriously in fact, that 1.5% of every guest’s stay goes directly to conservation, and we’re offering one lucky winner the chance to win a six night Namibian Flying Safari to raise funds for our Covid-19 Village Support Fund.
The communities who live alongside the areas we operate in also rely on tourism to generate an income, and so Covid-19 has had a devastating effect on their livelihoods. Because of this we’ve been providing food parcels and health information to the most vulnerable communities in Botswana and Namibia since April. This includes the elderly, disabled and unemployed community members and their families.
We feed 472 families, totalling more than 3,300 people each month. The food parcels consist of a mix of meat, cabbage and dry food staples including mealie meal, rice, macaroni, mabele, milk, tea, sugar, tomato relish, mayonnaise and cooking oil.
Along with the food parcels, we’re distributing a Coronavirus Survival Kit – educational material in several different local languages, put together by Coaching Conservation, which includes environmental education information to help the communities stay safe and healthy during the pandemic.
We hope to be able to continue this work until the end of the year when new rains arrive.
Our Namibia Flying Safari Auction closes on 1st December, and offers the winner the opportunity to take three friends along on the trip of a lifetime.
The flying safari runs for a total of six nights. The first two will be spent at Kwessi Dunes in the glorious NamibRand reserve near iconic Sossusvlei. This is Africa’s first designated dark sky reserve, making the nights as wonderous as the days. So impactful are the celestial theatrics here, that each chalet comes with its own Star Gazer room. Forget Netflix, this is the only way to relax. The incredulity won’t end once dawn breaks though, in fact it’s only the beginning, with 200,000 hectares of desert wilderness to explore, and activities such as quad biking, scenic drives and walks, hot air ballooning and day trips to Sossusvlei, there’s no better place to lose yourself than Kwessi Dunes.
The winner and their companions will spend the middle of the trip at Hoanib Valley Camp. Well and truly in the middle of nowhere, this gorgeous camp sits amidst some of the world’s most awe inspiring scenery in Kaokoland. Nomadic Himba tribes punctuate the landscape, which comprises craggy mountains, undulating dunes and seemingly endless expanses of desert. This area is also home to some extraordinary desert-adapted species including lions, elephants, giraffes and rhinos. Nature walks and game drives provide ample opportunity to track and view these species, and guests can also partake in cultural experiences and learn more about the giraffe research that happens in the area.
The trip draws to an uncompromising close with the final two nights at Safarihoek in Etosha Heights Private Reserve. Perched atop a hill, overlooking a water hole bustling with myriad species such as lions, giraffes, elephants, aardvark and rhinos, Safarihoek occupies a decidedly epic position. 60,000 hectares of classic Etosha landscape surrounds, and is best experienced on game drives. Those with a penchant for photography though, might prefer to hunker down in the double storey photographic hide and watch the bountiful game arrive to drink.
Place your bid now to make a real difference.
