Namibia Information Website Kalahari Desert Bushmen by Karen B. Hoffman Ecotourism: Intu Afrika. A rare opportunity to learn from the Bushmen themselves about their hunter-gatherer traditions and the ecosystem of the Kalahari desert awaits travelers to INTU AFRIKA'S Kalahari Game Reserve in Namibia. For thousands of years, Bushmen were an integral part of the ecosystem of the Kalahari. As the area was colonized, the Bushmen were driven out and forced to live outside their traditional hunting areas. No longer able to hunt, the Bushmen were reduced to living on government handouts. In January, 1996, INTU AFRIKA, under the direction of two South African anthropologists, Michael and Bets Daibar, invited 40 !Kung Bushmen to reestablish a self-sustainable community on the company's Kalahari Game Reserve. These families now are working successfully in a variety of income generating projects such as game guiding, camp site supervision and the making and selling of traditional handicrafts. Although the Bushmen have built a typical !Kung village where visitors come to learn about their traditions, they actually live in the privacy of their own village. INTU AFRIKA offers a choice of accommodations, the luxurious Kalahari Game Lodge, and for the more adventurous, the fully equipped !Kung campsite managed by the Bushmen. The beautifully appointed lodge, designed to be in tune with the desert environment, has 8 double rooms and 5 freestanding chalets. The complex contains a full range of facilities including a restaurant, lounge, bar, curio shop, swimming pool and boma. The highlights of the INTU AFRIKA program are an early morning desert walk, where the Bushmen demonstrate tracking skills and share their desert survival secrets and an afternoon visit to the!kung village. It is here that one witnesses the characteristic playfulness and spontaneity of these traditionally nomadic people. The magical red dunes of the Kalahari serve as a dramatic setting for the roller coaster-like game drives, evening desert sundowners and sunrise bush breakfast. The night drives are topped-off with a hearty braii (barbecue) served under a star-filled sky. Visitors staying at the !Kung camp have choice of two hiking trails that wind through the rolling red dunes of the Western Kalahari. Both hikes are led by Bushmen who introduce the hikers to the secrets of the desert !Kung camp facilities feature fully equipped tents, "open air" flush toilets, hot showers and basic cooking facilities. INTU AFRIKA, 011-264-61-248741, Fax 011-264-61-226535. AFRICAN TRAVEL LAUNCHES ACTION AND ADVENTURE TOUR TO NAMIBIA African Travel Inc, who have been operating African safaris since 1976 and are based in Glendale CA, have launched a new action and adventure tour to Namibia 'Roaring Dunes & Silent Skies'. This tour is one of the recently created collection of specialty safaris, Exclusively Yours Africa, geared to the independent traveler who wants to experience unique aspects of Africa that are not available on group 'Roaring Dunes & Silent Skies' is a luxury 13-day journey through Namibia that culminates with 3 nights in Cape Town. The cost is from US$ 10,890 per person sharing. This rare adventure brings together the roaring sand dunes, the thundering Atlantic Ocean and the endless skies of the Namib Desert with activities that focus on Namibia's extreme environments. Action and adventure feature prominently on this trip of a lifetime: dune boarding and walking, quad biking, sea kayaking, rhino and elephant tracking on foot, night game drives, hot air ballooning, abseiling, fly fishing, river boating and walking with the nomadic Himba tribe.     For the Exclusively Yours Africa collection, African Travel have selected intimate and exclusive accommodations, often with 15 rooms or less: private retreats, elegant bush homes, regal manors and off-the-beaten track safari lodges not typically found on most Africa itineraries. Personal service, attention to detail and flexibility at these elite properties guarantees a stay tailored to each guest's needs. Many are award winning and all are chosen because of their unique qualities.     On this 'Roaring Dunes & Silent Skies' itinerary, guests will stay at Gache Ganas Nature Reserve, where a 60-minute marula oil massage, as well as morning and afternoon game drives, is included in their stay. In the Namib Desert they will stay at Kulala Tented Camp in one of only six tents, enjoying a hot air balloon ride at sunrise over the incredible sand dunes of Sossusvlei and experiencing the excitement of night game     Bungalows on stilts overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the Swakop River are the accommodations for two days of adventure and excitement that include dune boarding and a lunch of fresh oysters and champagne on the beach. The Swakop River and Walvis Bay are teeming with bird life: thousands of flamingoes, pelicans and other water fowl can be observed from sea kayaks and from the beach. On a quad bike excursion, guests will explore the river bed, gravel plains and the mystifying dune field, all arranged for the maximum enjoyment of both the sightseers and the thrill-seekers.     Highlights of a stay in the rocky desert area of Damaraland are excursions to track the rare and endangered desert elephant and rhino. Wildlife in this area includes lion, cheetah, leopard, hyena, black rhino, mountain zebra, giraffe, ostrich and the desert-adapted elephant. A maximum of 12 guests at one time can explore this wild and remote area, staying in Palmwag Rhino camp, a luxury tented camp run in conjunction with the Save The Rhino Trust. The large tents all have ensuite facilities that include bucket showers with hot water on call.     A chartered light aircraft takes guests to the extreme north west of Namibia and what is probably the most remote camp in Southern Africa, Serra Cafema. Here guests will take a boat trip on the Kunene River. This river creates a lush oasis surrounded by rugged mountains and sand dunes and the boat trip provides opportunities to observe the many unique birds as well as basking crocodiles. Guests will also enjoy a tour in a 4x4 vehicle, walking trails and quad biking.     Cape Town is the final destination on this 'Roaring Dunes & Silent Skies' itinerary, where guests will stay at the luxurious eight-room Kensington Place for three nights. Two days of private sightseeing encompass visits to Table Mountain, Cape Point and the wine areas of Paarl and Constantia. Transport options include combinations of private vehicle, cable car, bicycles, hiking and abseiling. A sumptuous picnic lunch will be arranged for guests  on the beach at Cape Point Nature Reserve, as well as lunch on the top of Table Mountain.      African Travel Inc is a member of USTOA and is covered by a $10 million consumer protection plan. For more information and a copy of the Exclusively Yours Africa brochure, contact African Travel Inc, The Safari Building, 1100 East Broadway, Glendale CA 91205, telephone 800-421-8907 or 818-507-7893. Email: ati@africantravelinc.com. Web site: www.africantravelinc.com.   NAMIBIA KEY CONTACT: Elena Group of Companies Namibia P.O. Box 3127 Windhoek, Namibia Tel/Answering machine: +264 61 244443 Fax: +264 61 244558 Cellphone: +264 811 246286 Web site: http://www.NamibWeb.com The online guide to Namibia Just Namibia Tours Company Profile: Just Namibia Tours a classical African Adventure with style and quality or for the more discerning, a hands on expedition of real adventure, all within the parameters of Eco friendly and sustainable tourism activities across Namibia. Our lodging Safaris are done in comfort under the guidance of fully qualified bi- and trilingual Namibian tourist guides. Join us for a truly out of Africa safari with the comfort, classic style and quality service Just Namibia Tours is known to have, and is proud to offer you. Just Namibia Tours offers a wide range of scheduled departure tours within Namibia. These tours are operated in a fleet of modern mini buses and all all- terrain vehicles. We combine all our safaris and tours with action activities wherever possible so that you get to experience all there is to offer. These include parasailing, sand boarding, stand up boarding, quad biking, hot air ballooning, micro lighting, big game tracking, shark and tiger fishing. Special interest safaris are also offered with a Namibian specialist in their various fields, and include ornithological, geological, fauna and flora based expeditions. For more information on itinerary's and general information on Namibia, contact Just Namibia Tours at: e-mail: ondulisafaris@yahoo.com Photo Credits: Africa Travel Association 21st International Congress Guide, Windhoek, Namibia, May 1996. Images by Naimibia Tourist Office.