Average rating Ju’hoansi Bushman Safari

Namibia is host to five bushmen tribes, modern bearers of an ancient cultural heritage that our common ancestors once shared; a lifestyle so deeply interwoven with the land itself that there is no distinct boundary between what is human and what is natural. Meet and experience the unique life of the hospitable Ju’hoansi tribe on this five day bushman safari.

The indigenous Southern African tribes collectively referred to as San, or Bushmen, are some of the world’s last remaining peoples still living as hunter-gatherers, with a cultural tradition stretching back thousands of years. They live surrounded by some of the most awe-inspiring landscape anywhere on Earth, a place that to most Westerners might seem utterly inhospitable, yet with their extraordinary local knowledge and skills they manage to thrive, even in the face of the threat and allure of modern technological society. A people continually mindful of their resources, never taking more than they need, the Bushmen may still have much to teach us about the place of humans on the planet.

You’ll meet the Ju’hoansi, one of Namibia’s five Bushman tribes, and some of the last that still live in the same way as their ancestors did. You’ll visit one of their villages in the immense Nyae Nyae Conservancy- 9,000 square kilometres of land officially recognized as belonging to -and controlled by- the Bushmen, where you’ll meet the headman of the village, and in the evenings witness dancing expressed with the whole being- dance as a vital part of life and means of expression, where the only “special occasion” required is that one is alive, on this day. You’ll be shown the phenomenal skill of these people as they demonstrate how they read the land for tracking, and find out about their herbal knowledge, the accumulation of thousands of years of living in harmony with the land around them.

This is a tour for those interested in experiencing something truly unique: meeting and learning from members of an extant culture whose ways are older than agriculture. You won’t be passing through along an air-conditioned glass corridor; this is an experience that will immerse you in another world: for two days and nights you will be sharing village life. Food, shelter, activities and everything else are simply as they are in day-to-day Ju’hoansi life. If you’re looking for something that will reawaken in you a sense of the true values of life and our place in the scheme of things, this trip will deliver in spades.

Getting there

You need to get to Windhoek. There are direct flights from most major UK airports.

Price includes

Tour as described, including transfers to and from Windhoek, meals (as specified), visits, guides and activities.

Price details

Price quoted above is based on two sharing. There are discounts for larger groups.

Available

Jan—Dec

Typical Duration

5 days

Comfort level

Down to earth (hostels, camping, huts)

Experience required

A reasonable level of fitness and interest is all that is needed