Following the proposal by Burchard Führer, Bailli Honoraire of Sachsen-Anhalt, who is an Honorary Consul of Namibia, 18 members from three Bailliages (Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thuringen) took a flight from Frankfurt Airport direct to Windhoek for a great adventure to the fascinating country of Namibia, the land of vastness and natural beauty.

On arrival in Windhoek, the country’s capital, we linked up with our guides and coach driver to head to the GocheGanas Nature Reserve Lodge where we were able to see large animals such as giraffes, oryxes, springboks and ostriches in the wild for the first time.

We continued to the Sossusvlei Lodge to marvel at the world-famous dunes of the same name, whose play of colour, light and shadow gave unique impressions that immediately made us forget having to get up very early (as would the case so often on the trip).

Next it was Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast, a place with many memories from the German colonial era with German-speaking residents, German street names and architecture reminiscent of a small German town.

From there we sailed to Walvis Bay for seal and dolphin spotting. This day also saw a first dining occasion with members of the Bailliage of Namibia.

At Twyfelfontein, the UNESO World Heritage Site, where it was 40 degrees in the shade, we were amazed at the 5,000-year-old rock engravings.

The highlight of the trip was to stay at the luxurious Etosha Oberland Lodge on the edge of the Etosha National Park. In the park all our wishes were fulfilled, namely seeing rhinos, elephants, giraffes and lions including cubs.

After several other amazing visits, on the last evening before our return home, we celebrated with a Chaîne dinner with over 30 participants at the Immanuel Wilderness Lodge, hosted by Maître Rôtisseur Stephan Hock.

I was particularly impressed when, upon arrival, I enquired about Bailli Délégué Sean Stevenson and was told that he, along with two other Chef members were in the kitchen preparing the dinner for us! We spent a wonderful evening on the terrace of the lodge with the best food, drinks and conversations.

During our visit we all absorbed impressions that we will never forget. A big thank you goes to all those who made this unique opportunity possible, especially Burchard Führer and his colleague Andreas Konitschke.

Adapted from a detailed report in German prepared by Claas Plesch, Bailli of Sachsen-Anhalt

Photos courtesy of Sachsen-Anhalt members Vice-Chargée de Presse Antje Plesch and Vice-Chargé de Missions Olaf Matho