Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve

This traditionally game-rich part of the Kalahari was developed into a wildlife reserve with a lodge and today enjoys the status of a private game sanctuary accredited by the Namibian State. As a family business, the reserve combines tourism, education, and research directly with conservation projects. The guests experience the Kalahari Desert on an individual basis and gain insights into research projects. Your holiday on Kuzikus also directly supports the governmental Black Rhino Conservation project on the reserve.

About Kuzikus

KUZIKUS (Nama language: whitethorn tree, lat. Acacia carroo) is a private wildlife reserve on the edge of the Kalahari. It has been committed to protecting endangered species for the past 30 years.

Accommodation

The accommodation (5 rooms with own bathroom) is excellent, the swimming pool large, the cuisine (full board) with regional produce delicious, the recreational value high, and the leisure activities manifold. The Namibian hotel authorities have therefore awarded Kuzikus with 3 stars, which is the maximum rating.

Kuzikus Accommodation

KUZIKUS is a very exclusive guest lodge with only 5 suites. The comfortable, large, and light rooms have:

• Mosquito nets over large beds
• Gas heating & warm bottles for the winter months (June to August)
• Comfortable mattresses, where double beds have two separate blankets but one fitted double mattress
• Cotton linen
• Large, en-suite bathrooms

Room service:

• Every morning your room will be cleaned and in the evenings it will be prepared for bedtime
• Washing: your clothes will be washed and ironed daily on request (inclusive)
• Safe: a safe for your valuable belongings is privided
• Telephone & fax
• Very good mobile connection around the house area
• Free WLAN / WiFi in every room
• Video and DVD television is possible
• Electricity: 220 V, 36 V in every room, as well as adapters

Being in the middle of the Kalahari Desert, Kuzikus can unfortunately not provide you with daily newspapers nor satellite television.

Kuzikus is in a desert area; therefore, water has to be pumped daily to ensure a constant supply for human beings, gardens, and animals. We kindly ask you to be considerate with your water consumption and to please use biodegradable cosmetic products.

Meals and Dining

Included in your stay is a nutritious breakfast with bread, cold meat, eggs, cereals, fruit salad, good coffee, and a selection of teas, which we can serve directly outside your room. A most delicious warm lunch will be served together with a salad after your morning's excursions. In the evenings, we will surprise you with an elegant 3-course candlelight dinner at an open fire served either in our Caprivi Restaurant or in our spacious, straw-thatched Lapa in 'old Africa style'.

A selection of fine South African red and white wines brings the evening to a closure. Organic fresh lemons and oranges from our own garden and fresh ingredients in the kitchen are an obvious choice for us. In addition, we offer coffee and homemade cake in the afternoons. Our cook can naturally take any special dietary wishes into consideration.

Meal times

• Breakfast: between 7:00 and 10:00 am - we are flexible
• Lunch: 12:30 to 1:00 pm
• Afternoon tea and coffee: 3:00 pm
• Dinner: 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm - by arrangement

Additionally, there is a large selection of soft drinks & alcoholic beverages, an excellent wine assortment as well as Champagne and sparkling wines. The menu and prices can be found in the rooms and restaurant. The numbers of guests remain small, so that we can take our time to attend to you personally. Children are welcome too.

Personal Atmosphere

The number of guests will never exceed 10 people at the same time. This endows a homely feeling and personal contact with the host, cook, and other employees. We always try to organise our bookings so that you as our guest can enjoy your exclusive holiday. In this way, we are not only able to cater for your needs more effectively, but you too have the chance to experience some peace and quiet. On request, you can book Kuzikus exclusively for you only.

Kuzikus Activities

We will be happy to arrange a programme for you, which may include:

• Kalahari Wilderness Excursion
• Horseback rides into the wild
• Game drives
• Daytime excursions by plane
• Safaris after your stay

On Kuzikus, there is always time for:

Animal Observations

You can always sit by the waterhole at the lodge and watch, document, or take pictures of the drinking, bathing, or grazing animals. Species checklists and literature about flora and fauna are available upon request. Furthermore, it is always possible to discuss any interesting findings with the biologists of our family.

Exploring the Kalahari on Foot

Hikes off-the-beaten track are available upon request.

Insights into Biological Field Research Projects (seasonal)

Accompany our researchers (max. 2 guests) for a couple of hours and find out about their projects and discover what field research really encompasses.

Jogging

Should you enjoy Nordic walking or jogging, you are welcome to join us, or else take a different route. Someone from the family is bound to be out on a run every day.

Swimming

A jump in the pool is also always a pleasant refreshment.

Safari Experience

A typical aspect of a safari in Africa is the acquaintance of the fascinating fauna and flora. Due to prevailing conditions of a conventional safari, the visitor has to be satisfied with the passive status of being an observer. He/she can make observations from a safe vehicle and within a group of travellers where an experienced tour guide explains facts about fauna and flora competently.

An excursion into the Kalahari on our wildlife reserve Kuzikus offers the right conditions for an in-depth immersion into nature. Due to the individual character of our Kalahari Excursion (groups of 2 to max. 4 guests) as well as the aspect of "on foot through the bush" it is possible to carry out independent discoveries in nature and gain deep insights into the ecology.

Our aim is to discover the Kalahari ecosystem over a time span of 1 - 3 days (depending on the guest) during the mornings as well as during the afternoons for 3 - 4 hours respectively. Here observations of various wild and bird species, as well as their interaction with the other Kalahari biodiversity, are being discussed.

It is important that you move on foot (stalking) through the various vegetation zones of the reserve (savannah landscape, bush and saltpan). By way of this movement (stalking) you can experience the distinct differences of the various vegetation zones more clearly, you can directly experience contact with the wild animals, and you can feel the elements of nature, namely heat, cold, and drought more intensively. You will notice how much more you can hear, see, and smell once you can understand and interpret the signs of the Kalahari.

Africa on Horseback

Our six riding horses are well-trained and taken care of by a trained professional who will be glad to give riding lessons or accompany you on a Kalahari ride, no matter whether you are a beginner or an advanced rider. The horses are accustomed to game (including rhinoceros and giraffes), allowing them to be ridden past game at close distances.

Before venturing out into the bush, we will ask you to visit the riding stables to ensure your saddle is comfortable and you feel confident on 'your' horse. We have a dressage arena, a jumping arena, a special area for lunging, and a fenced-in Round Pen. We also offer riding experiences for children. Our horses are all in good condition, well-groomed, trustworthy, and do not bite or kick.

Game Drives

We offer drives to several different biotopes, e.g. over grass-covered dunes, through expansive saltpans, passing by thick bush or open tree savannas. On our way, we learn about the resident animal species. As game drives are limited to 6 guests, we always have time for in-depth animal observation, stopping for pictures, or getting out of the car to try and stalk an animal.

Recommended Stay

For your stay at Kuzikus, we recommend a minimum of three nights and four days to fully appreciate the stillness of the Kalahari and the many game observations. This allows enough time to thoroughly explore the savanna and begin to understand the interactions of the ecosystem.

Animal Species at Kuzikus

The vast diversity of free-living wildlife (most are conservation-dependent on the IUCN red list) is the major attraction of Kuzikus. There are over 3000 individuals from more than 20 larger animal species such as:

• Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx)
• Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)
• Gemsbok (Oryx gazella)
• Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus)
• Gnu (Connochaetes gnou and C. taurinus)
• Blesbok (Damaliscus albifrons)
• Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis)
• Steenbok (Raphicerus campestris)
• Common Duicker (Sylvicapra grimmia)
• Impala (Aepyceros melampus)
• Burchell's Zebra (Equus quagga burchellii)
• Ostrich (Struthio camelus australis)
• Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa)

Kuzikus is also home to Pangolins (Manidae), aardvarks (Orycteropus afer), Bat-eared foxes (Otocyon megalotis), aardwolves (Proteles cristatus) as well as Rock Pigeons (Columba livia), and an impressive array of other birds, insects, spiders, and plants.

Especially in the vastness of the Kalahari, it is a unique experience to witness the large, free-roaming game herds or explore the expansive saltpans and overgrown dunes on foot or on horseback. The south-western Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis bicornis) is critically endangered (IUCN red list), facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild, and we feel privileged to have obtained special permission to renaturalise these rare creatures on Kuzikus. This offers you a good opportunity to see the Black Rhinoceros in the wild and learn more about the Custodian Black Rhino Project.

Our reserve lies off roads with heavy traffic and main tourist routes, hidden on the edge of the Kalahari, making it ideal for a most individual holiday. In close co-operation with nature conservation authorities, we endeavour to preserve a part of unspoilt Africa.

Discovering the Flora and Fauna

The experience of discovering the opulent flora and fauna in Kuzikus is especially impressive as you can leave the vehicle at any point (with or without an accompanying tracker from either the Bushmanland or the West Caprivi) and as you are not bound to a set schedule. The ability to walk freely through the Kalahari brings about the actual 'Africa flair' by a perception through all the senses (smelling, silence, natural sounds, tactile stimulus, vast expanses, cold, and heat) with an intensity that many people from abroad have become estranged to.

The informal atmosphere and direct contact with the nature-passionate host family contributes to gaining an impression of what it means to live on the edge of the Kalahari and uphold a wildlife reserve and lodge. Guests can learn about the necessary infrastructure, as well as the re-introduction and preservation of endangered species and experience for themselves what it means on a day-to-day basis to maintain such an integrated nature conservation concept. The 1-3 day Kalahari Wilderness Excursion is highly recommended.

Our game often uses the waterhole in front of the lodge. It can therefore be photographed directly from the lodge without disturbing them.