A seed was planted when the first piece of land was investigated near the Fish River Canyon in 1995. This was a vision of a large conservation area in Namibia. It would take many years to come to fruition. As sheep farmers put up their land for sale, discouraged by drought and the infeasibility of farming in the inhospitable south, farm after farm was acquired. Fences were dismantled, waterholes established and wildlife reintroduced. The area evolved into the professionally-run Gondwana Canyon Park, one of the largest protected areas in Africa, administered full-time by park wardens and monitored through annual game counts. Slowly, animal numbers increased and the flora regenerated as the land was ‘rewilded’ and brought back into balance. Gondwana’s dedication didn’t stop there. As the Collection grew, three more reserves were created in other parts of the country, totalling 1 970 square kilometres of protected area. In 2019, Gondwana took over Palmwag Lodge & Camp and with it the management of the Palmwag Concession Area, a vast nature reserve that covers 5 500 square kilometres.
This attention to conservation and sustainability, and determination to tread lightly on the Earth has extended to our lodges, where water-recycling plants enable this precious resource to be used to water gardens, solar panels harness natural energy, recycling minimises waste and a Self-Sufficiency Centre grows fresh produce for our guests.
Most of our lodges have received top honours in theEco Awards– the environmental seal of quality.
