The Elegant Farmstead

What To Do at The Elegant Farmstead

Various hiking trails via the dry river beds and open plains to the Signal Mountain can be explored on your own.

The hiking trails will allow you to become intimate with nature as the endless horizons are engraved into your heart.

We also recommend to you a visit to the Herero village Ovitoto and Okahandja with its cultural sites such as the Herero graves and the most famous Namibian wood-carving market.

The Elegant Farmstead Activities and Things to Do

• Game Drive
• Wildlife and Bird viewing
• Hiking
• Visit Herero Village
• Wood-carving Market
• The Ovitoto Cultural Tour

The Ovitoto Cultural Tour

The Ovitoto Cultural Tour offers a blend of tradition and modernity. The tour begins with a visit to a Government School, providing guests with a unique opportunity to gain insight into Namibia’s school system. The Principal of the Ovitoto High School personally explains the system and shares the challenges of running a school with nearly 600 children in such a remote area.

Next, the tour proceeds to the Ovitoto Garment Centre, where Helga provides a detailed explanation of her privately funded project. Helga rents the building from the Government and uses it as a base to produce and distribute her beautifully crafted garments to the local community.

The following stop is the Day Care Centre, established by the Otjiruze Child Care Trust. The centre cares for around 30 children daily, managed by Magdalena and three other nannies. Funded solely by international aid, the centre provides three meals a day, basic school materials, and serves as a refuge for orphans. Here, children can read, write, and play in a nurturing environment.

The tour also includes a visit to a mini-market that supplies the Ovitoto community with essential items such as fruits, bread, and milk. After this, guests head to a Damara Village. The Damaras are one of Namibia’s many ethnic groups, and approximately 200 Damaras reside in the Ovitoto area, raising livestock primarily for their own use. Visitors will gain a glimpse into their daily lives.

The next stop is a Herero Village, home to one of the lodge’s staff members, Jobie, and his family. Jobie’s mother guides guests around the village, sharing insights into their way of life and their decision to settle in this remote location. The Herero people, known for their pride and cattle herding traditions, thrive in this area, which provides for their livestock. Guests may also purchase handcrafted Herero puppets, made by Jobie’s mother, as souvenirs. While exploring the village, guests are treated to a traditional lunch under the shade of large trees, featuring local dishes.

After lunch, the tour returns to the lodge, offering guests another opportunity to appreciate the stunning surroundings of Ovitoto. On the journey back, a short detour through the private game reserve provides a chance to spot some of the 11 different game species living there.

A Brief History of The Elegant Farmstead

Originally named Otjisazu, The Elegant Farmstead derives its name from the red cattle of an old Herero man who lived in the area (ozosazu = red oxen). The farm is situated 1520 metres above sea level, approximately 115 metres higher in altitude than Okahandja. It is located at 21° 56' 17" east, on the right bank of a small river originating in the mountains east of Okahandja. This river flows into the Swakop River two hours below Otjosazu at Ozoserekaze, also known as "the old honoured lady".

The area once boasted rich gardening land along the riverbanks, a beautiful mimosa forest, and excellent grazing land, with rainfall averaging 350 mm in good years and 150 mm in dry years. Wildlife such as ostriches, leopards, hyenas, wolves, and jackals were abundant. Even the 5-6 metre long Ondara snake was occasionally sighted in the Ondrohungu Mountains.

In 1871, the Rhenish Mission Society decided to establish a mission station at Otjisazu. The young missionary J. Irle was tasked with converting the Herero and Mbanderu people under Chief Kukuri to Christianity. Irle, along with his wife, spent 31 years at Otjosazu, gaining profound knowledge of the Herero culture and traditions. When the Herero rebellion against German colonial rule began in 1904, Irle became a key figure in explaining the causes of the rebellion to the German public.

Missionary Brockmann succeeded Irle at Otjisazu. During the rebellion, Senior Chief Samuel Maherero passed a resolution to protect non-German whites, German women, children, and missionaries. Despite this, on 29 January 1904, Brockmann was asked by the Herero to leave Otjosazu for Okahandja. Like other missionary stations, Otjosazu was eventually looted and destroyed.