Read 12 traveller reviews of Dabis Guest Farm

Dabis Guest Farm is situated about 10km north of the small town of Helmeringhausen, surrounded by a limestone plateau in the south of Namibia. It has been owned by the Gaugler family since 1926 and is now run by the fourth generation, Stephan and his wife Jenny and their children. Dabis is still a working sheep farm and has achieved a good balance between welcoming guest and operating as a sheep farm.

Dabis Guest Farm has seven simple but comfortable farm-style twin-bedded rooms with en-suite showers and flush toilets. One of the rooms has a bath. The rooms are very basic and are sparsely decorated but clean and comfortable. Each has a little sitting area, a dressing table and towels and small guest soaps are provided. The rooms do not have fans, air-conditioning or mosquito nets, instead the windows are covered with a gauze screen, as is the front door, which means that visitors can leave these open without having any concerns about insects. Outside each room, on the veranda, each room has its own sitting area.

There is a tennis court – which is fairly unusual to find at a guest farms in Namibia – and also a swimming pool here. However, the real highlight of most visitors' time here is the farm drive, where Stephan will share his knowledge on the area and explain to you how the farm works. These drives typically last for an hour or two and really are interesting as they allow the visitor to get a much deeper understanding of farming in this arid land. The farm is self-sufficient and Stephan and Jenny use home grown produce to create delicious meals for the guests.

In conclusion…Dabis Guest Farm is one of our favourite places to stop for a night or two between Luderitz and the Namib Naukluft National Park. The farm has a very welcoming atmosphere and on our last visit, in June 2011, we felt very at home here. Stephan and Jenny were lovely people who did their best to make sure that my stay here was comfortable and enjoyable, and they made delicious meals, mainly prepared from farm produce.

Lodge overview

Lodge type: Safari

No. of bedrooms: 6 bedrooms

Season: Open Year Round

Ideal length of stay: One or two nights is ideal to stay at Dabis

Central facilities: The main building at Dabis, which is also Stephan and Jennifer's own house, comprises of a small but intimate, small lounge and dining area. There is no bar and all drinks are kept in their kitchen. The garden has beautiful green lawn with big trees providing lots of shady areas to relax under. There are no loungers at the swimming pool but plastic chairs are available. From the swimming pool one has some beautiful views. The tennis court can be used and rackets is available should you want to have a game.

Geographics

Location: Southern Namibia, Namibia

Directions: Dabis is situated 10km north of Helmeringhausen on the C14 towards Maltahöhe. From the turnoff it is about another 7km along a farm road to the farmstead.

Accessible by: Self-drive

Key personnel

Owner: Stephan & Jenny Gaugler

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Half Board

Food quality: Dabis Guest Farm offers very good farm style cooking. For dinner on our last visit we had lamb stew with rice, beetroot salad and butternut. Delicious! Breakfast is a simple affair. Cereal, yogurt, juice, fresh baked bread, cheese, salami and of course, tea and coffee. Fried eggs are available too. Tea/coffee and cake is served in the afternoon. We had freshly baked banana bread with real butter.

Dining style: Group Meals

Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining

Room service: No room service are included

Cost of meal e.g. lunch: Included

Drinks included: No drinks are included. Soft drinks cost between N$7 – N$9. Beer is approx. N$15 and wine anything between N$35 and N$92

Children

Attitude towards children: Dabis Guest Farm is family-orientated and children are very welcome

Age restrictions: No age restriction

Activities: None

Equipment: Stephan and Jenny have a baby themselves and a highchair is available.

Generally recommended for children: Yes

Notes: Children will love the farm drive!

Central communications

Power supply: Solar Power

Communications: The area has weak mobile phone reception; there are no phones in the rooms or internet facilities.

TV & radio: None

Health & safety

Malarial area: No

Medical care: The closest doctor is about 250km away but the farm has an airstrip about 15km away for emergencies.

Dangerous animals: Low Risk

Security measures: None

Fire safety: There are fire extinguishers outside the rooms

Extras

Disabled access: Not Possible

Laundry facilities: Available at an extra charge

Money: There are no safety deposits in rooms and currency exchange is not possible and traveller's cheques not accepted.

Accepted payment: Cash only is accepted

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