Read 10 traveller reviews of Ghaub Guest Farm

Situated in the heart of the Otavi Mountains Ghaub Guest Farm is a renovated mission station that has ten spacious rooms which have retained much of their historical character.

The first thing that strikes you about Ghaub Guestfarm is how big the land seems around the farm. There are acres of open green grass, lots of trees, a beautifully-landscaped garden and even some maize fields. The lush greenery of the area is very unusual for Namibia, thus can seem amazing in this semi-desert country.

The central areas of the lodge are functional and homely, but quite dated. The lounge-cum-bar area is not very big – the sofas are almost on top of each other – but the room does feel very cozy. The dining area is not much bigger; expect pine chairs and square tables, set with paper table-cloths. Again, it's functional but quite basic.

Dotted around you'll find a couple of photo albums on the coffee table, old milk jars that are now flower pots and an old 'mangle' – before the days of washing machines!

The swimming pool is big and shaded by palm and acacia trees – and from this the view of the mountain is just stunning. There's even a Jacuzzi – and it has its own thatched roof!

The rooms are very big and the beds are comfortable. Though the décor is very outdated, the high ceilings, large French doors and lovely “private” porch seem to make up for this – and we really enjoyed staying here. The bedding is plain and simple but clean, and an extra blanket is laid out on the bed. There is a ceiling fan, coffee/tea station, dressing table with mirror and chair, wardrobe and electric shaver point in the bathroom which is finished with marble tiles.

There are lots of options for activities in this area. Ghaub Guestfarm has a number of signposted walking trails, one leads through lush vegetation to a spring, where you can still find an old borehole! On the walking trails, the more prominent trees and shrubs have been tagged by a Botanist, and hikers will receive a little map with a list of the trees and shrubs, of which there are some beautiful specimens. These hikes can be done on your own, or with a guide from the guest farm.

Alternatively, explore Ghaub's area on a nature/farm drive in a 4WD in search of the farm's resident game. On our last trip, we spotted kudus, dik diks, baboons, warthogs and lots of birds. We're told that eland are also resident here – though we didn't see any!

A unique activity from Ghaub is to spend an afternoon exploring Ghaub Caves. The caves are only about 15 minutes' drive from the guestfarm, during which your guide will normally tell you some of their history of the caves. Then, with a torch provided for you by the guestfarm, you slide down into the caves. (Prepare for a lot of crawling, and to get your clothes very dirty!)

Inside the caves are pitch black. Most sections are tall enough to stand up in; but some areas of the cave require you to squeeze a bit to get into them. Note that there are no handrails or hand-holds, and you shouldn't hold the impressive stalagmites or stalactites in case you damage them. We found that it got quite warm underground; it is very interesting, but not for the feint-hearted.

In conclusion, Ghaub Guest farm is a delightful spot with fresh home cooking. It is conveniently situated between Otavi and Tsumeb, and makes a good stopover if you are on your way from somewhere like Okonjima to Etosha

The future of Ghaub Guest Farm

Since we last visited and wrote this review, in September 2007, we believe that the ownership of this guest farm had changed hands.

We now understand that it has new owners, and that they have done some good work updating the lodge in the last six months. We're told that the new owners are taking great care to not change the character of the original homestead – but unfortunately we understand that most of the historical artefacts from the Mission station have been taken by the previous owners. Apparently there are only some photographs left.

Recent visitors tell us that the food is still good, so Ghaub Guest farm might still be a good bet for a short and slightly-offbeat stop in northern Namibia.

Lodge overview

Lodge type: Town

No. of bedrooms: 10 en-suite bedrooms

Season: Open Year Round

Ideal length of stay: 2 nights but it is usually used as an overnight stop

Geographics

Location: Central Highlands, Namibia

Accessible by: Self-drive or Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Half Board

Food quality: The meal times are flexible but dinner – home cooked, is normally served from 19:00. Breakfast can be enjoyed anytime from 07:00 onwards. Expect a wholesome breakfast with homemade bread, cold meat, cheese, juice, tea/coffee, fruit and yogurt. Hot options are available.

Dining style: Inidividual Tables

Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining

Room service: No

Drinks included: No drinks are included

Children

Attitude towards children: Children will love this place because of its big open gardens, lots of space to run around

Age restrictions: None

Activities: No special activities but kids will love the openness of this farm.

Equipment: No cots or high chairs available

Generally recommended for children: Yes

Notes: None

Central communications

Power supply: Mains Electricity

Communications: No mobile reception, no phones in rooms. Phone, fax and email at reception but not for the use of guests.

TV & radio: No TV or Radio

Health & safety

Malarial area: No

Medical care: The closest hospital or doctor is in Tsumeb, about 85km away.

Dangerous animals: Moderate Risk

Security measures: There is a guard on site

Fire safety: No fire extinguishers inside the rooms but there are two between three rooms. The main building has an extinguisher on the veranda

Extras

Disabled access: On Request

Laundry facilities: Extra Charge – same day return

Money: Currency exchange not possible

Accepted payment: They accept Visa & mastercard and do not charge an extra surcharge

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