Namibian bushmen

Think of the Namib Desert and its bushmen, and what springs to mind? Spirituality, wildlife, beautiful landscapes? You would be right, and the romance of the dramatic scenery certainly is unforgettable, but to truly understand this closest of human connections with nature you can do no better than to become part of it. The Etosha National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty, is home to a group of people who have lived in symbiosis with nature for generations, and their daily lives are so different from ours that time spent learning from them is an education in survival methods as well as a fascinating glimpse of another culture. Visitors live under canvas for as long as they spend time with their bushmen guides, and will be taught how to forage for food, snare guinea-fowl and hare, track and observe animals, extract water from plants and even sing traditional songs round their campfire in the evenings.