Central Lodge grows, yet continues to set the standards.

Keetmanshoop, in the far south of Namibia, is one of those places that unerringly attracts both tourists and business people alike; for in these fascinating but mainly barren and certainly sparsely populated swathes of some of the country’s widest landscapes, there is little alternative! So where to rest awhile whilst en route to the Fish River Canyon, Luderitz and its diamond rich history, the Quivertree Forest or even South Africa? No doubt in my mind, and not in many other peoples either, it would seem; Central Lodge is the place to go. The astonishing year round occupancy rate of some 90% tells the story, so best to book early!

The town of Keetmanshoop itself was founded in 1860 by Rhenish missionaries; Johan Keetman, a missionary and stalwart benefactor himself, lent his name to the town. The years rolled by, and in 1910, the then Hansa Hotel opened its doors on today’s same site; draconian liquor lawmakers refused the Hansa’s drinks licence in the seventies and it closed its doors. Entrepreneur and highly successful local businessman George Roux bought the empty property seven years ago, spent a great deal of initiative, time and money restoring it to a very high standard and opened for business 18 months later. The number of rooms has grown since then and today Central Lodge offers 22 rooms in all. They are all exquisitely decorated and furnished; each is air-conditioned too. Most of the rooms look out onto a central garden quadrangle, a verdant breath of space. The lodge’s a la carte restaurant is extremely popular with locals as well as guests, and that’s always a good sign. Proprietor George is, in spite of his other business interests, very much a hands-on chap; he’ll unfailingly be on the premises morning and evening every day, greeting guests, overseeing staff, giving that all important attention to detail. And that’s one of the reasons Central Lodge works so well. There always seem to be copious staff on hand, for reception, rooms and restaurant; Two supervisors - Willem Liebenberg & Johann Stumpfe - their respective shifts covering a full 24 hour cycle, ensure everything runs so smoothly and staff have more than adequate support and direction. Business folk can benefit from excellent conferencing facilities at the Lodge too, whilst other guests will enjoy relaxing in the gardens or at poolside.

Central Lodge certainly sits at the hub of tourism in the south of the country. George Roux is himself passionate about tourism in this seemingly under visited yet enthralling area and is keen to promote the south in a far stronger light. For a plethora of activities and attractions are within such easy reach (see Activities section in Info Box below) as well as being a gateway to the Atlantic Ocean, The Namib Desert, The Kalahari too, as well as The Republic’s West Coast, Namaqualand’s Spring Flowers and Cape Town too. It makes perfect sense to rest awhile at the Lodge and venture forth daily to the wonders all around. Good service, comfortable rooms, lovely food and competitive rates will ensure you enjoy your stay, here’s to Namibia’s South!

INFO BOX

Directions: Central Lodge is indeed in the very centre of Keetmanshoop, on 5th Avenue. The border crossing into South Africa, at Noordoewer, lies 304 kms south on the B1 tar road. Mariental and Windhoek are 221 and 482 kms to the north respectively, again on the B1.

Accommodation: There are 22 rooms in total. 20 are spacious doubles, each with air-conditioning, telephone and coffee making facilities. A family room contains a double and three single beds. There is also a self-catering unit, capable of sleeping five. 3 of the doubles boast jacuzzis too.

Rates: A standard double room costs N$ 400, 00 per room per night. (Single N$ 275, 00). A double with spa bath is N$ 450, 00 per night, and a single N$ 300 ,00. The family room (for 3 people) will cost you N$ 475, 00 per night, as will the self-catering unit (for 3 people) too.  All prices include breakfast.

Activities: The Fish River Canyon, Ai-Ais / Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, Quivertree Forest, Giant’s Playground, Naute Dam, Mount Brukkaros, Warmbad Hot Springs & Museum, Groot and Klein Karas Mountain ranges, the historical town of Bethanie plus Luderitz & Kolmanskop (for the diamond story) are all within easy reach. There is a pleasant swimming pool at the hotel too.

Contact details: PO Box 661, Keetmanshoop, Namibia ◊ Tel: +264 63 225850 ◊ Fax: +264 63 224984 ◊ E-Mail: clodge@iway.na ◊ Web: www.central-lodge.com Their Agents are: Baraka Marketing Tel: +264 61 250586 ◊ E-mail: baraka@iway.na

© Neil and Brenda Digby-Clarke. July 2008. All rights reserved.