A stylish, friendly place in a good location for exploring Windhoek. Excellent food and great cappiccinos.
The Olive Grove is one of those places that you can feel instantly familiar with and at-home in. Small, open and friendly, this is rather more a guesthouse than a hotel but errs slightly more towards the “boutiqueî rather than the fusty b&b. Built around an open pool-terrace, the hotel has a number of different styles of rooms, each with en-suite bath and shower. Open terraces, outdoor dining and cosy lounge all make for a relaxed ambience.
The service and food at the Olive Grove is far from relaxed, though, and you can expect beautiful continental brekkies served right from the open kitchen, the best cappuccinos you are likely to have in Namibia, and fresh, healthy three-course dinners. While there are plenty of places to eat out around Windhoek, you don’t need to if you’d rather stay put and relax.
The Olive Grove is a short walk from Independence Avenue, although it’s best to arrange to be dropped off in town. The area is reasonably quiet but it is a town hotel, so don’t expect the quality of silence you’d get if you were staying in the bush.
11 en-suite rooms
A stylish, friendly place in a good location for exploring Windhoek. Excellent food and great cappiccinos.
Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, was established as a town in the mid 1800s by Nama settlers from South Africa. The area was originally known as /Ai//Gams (the / indicating one of the clicks of the Nama language) for the numerous hot springs. Today, Windhoek bears the influence of its erstwhile South African and German colonisers and has a distinctly continental feel, complete with geraniums on the balconies. Wrapped around low hills, under a hot desert sun, the town is attractive, well-kept and surprisingly cosmopolitan. It is pleasant to walk around the main shopping areas where sidewalk cafes and restaurants are juxtaposed with vendors selling curios. Read more?
If you are considering travelling to Namibia, chances are you are looking for something out of the ordinary. A journey through Namibia is all about daily surprises; the impossible number of stars, the expanse of views over desert mountains, the improbable salmon-pink of sand-dunes at sunrise, the ingenuity of small creatures adapted to the harsh environment, the ochre and leather dress of the Himba and petticoated dresses of the Herero, the first taste of ostrich biltong and the excellent seafood. Jump straight to some of our favourite Namibian experiences. Read more?
_120_70_80_s_c1.jpg)
Can't find the camp you're looking for? Just let us know and we will be sure to help.
Catherine's long experience of, and enthusiasm for Africa, makes her a mine of travel information. Add to the mix her vivacious character and inscrutable attention to detail and there are few people you'd rather have plan your holiday.
At Natural High, we've had long experience putting together trips in Africa that really work. Whether it's intimate bushcamps in out of the way places, or a private lodge in one of Africa's top-billing wildlife areas, light mobile camping or remote island escapes, we know there is a lot to choose from. We're absolutely confident that we can recommend the right places for you.
