Ghaub Guest Farm
Lodges near Otavi - Namibia
Ghaub Guest Farm, situated in the Otavi Mountains, was built as a mission station in 1895. In 1999 it was converted into a guest farm and the old-style atmosphere has been retained despite the modern-day conversions. Both the original farmhouse and the homestead were renovated, with 2 further buildings being constructed as part of the improvements. The historic character of the complex has been retained by the new owners.
The central areas of the lodge are functional and homely. There is a cozy lounge/bar area, furnished with comfortable sofas and the slightly larger dining area is fitted out with pine chairs and square tables. There are a number of photo albums on the coffee table for guests to muse over and old milk jars have been converted into flower pots. An original 'mangle' stands as a reminder of an old-fashioned spin dryer!
The large swimming pool has a canopy of palm and acacia trees and the view of the Otavi Mountain from here is exceptional. The jacuzzi has its own thatched roof!
Some 80 metres from the accommodation is a small hide where guests can watch animals come to the waterhole to drink.
There are 10 large rooms with high ceilings, large French doors, wooden and cane furniture, old- style wall pictures and a private porch with magnificent views of the surrounding area. Each room has an en-suite bathroom, ceiling fan, tea/coffee station, dressing table with mirror and chair, wardrobe and electric shaver point.
Most meals are home cooked. For breakfast you can expect homemade bread, cold meat, cheese, juice, tea/coffee, fruit and yogurt. Guests can also order bacon and eggs. Lunch and dinner can be ordered from the chef's 'a la carte' menus.
Guests at Ghaub can go horse-riding, mountain biking or set off on one of a number of signposted walking trails (guided and non-guided). One in particular leads through lush vegetation to a spring, where you can still find an old borehole! The more prominent trees and shrubs have been tagged by a botanist. Hikers will receive a map with a list of the trees and shrubs to be found en-route before they set off.
Due to the mountainous nature of Ghaub, kudu and eland can be found in the region. The area also attracts warthog, Damara Dik Dik and klipspringer.
Alternatively, take a drive in one of the farm's 4WD vehicles in search of resident game.
An unusual activity would be to spend an afternoon exploring the nearby Ghaub Caves. Once inside, you will find that most sections are tall enough to stand up in, but other areas need a bit of breathing-in to squeeze into. Guests are reminded that as are no handrails or hand-holds, holding on to the stalagmites or stalactites will only cause irreparable damage.
Ghaub Guest Farm is conveniently situated between Otavi and Tsumeb, and is an ideal stopover to and from Etosha National Park.
- Walking
- Ghaub has a number of marked walking trails, along several of these trails a botanist has marked the more interesting flora. Hikes can either be guides or you can choose to explore on your own
- Nature Drive
- On the guided nature drive you can expect to see kudu, eland, warthog, several smaller antelope species and lots of birds
- Ghaub Caves
- The caves are about 15 minutes' drive from the guest farm, armed with a torch your guide will lead you as you walk, crawl and generally get very dirty in the cave system
Directions:
Ghaub is situated 410 km north of Windhoek, (25 km from B1 between Otavi and Tsumeb). Ghaub can also be reached via a very scenic route, the D2863 turning off from the B8 between Otavi and Grootfontein at Kombat

Situated north-east of Grootfontein this serves as an gateway between the Caprivi and central Namibia
Initially a christian mission station this property was converted into a lodge in 1999. The Ghaub caves nearby are well worth a visit
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