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Email: sylvanetteguesthouse@namibiabookings.com
Welcome to Sylvanette Guesthouse, your
best choice in informal country hospitality!
Conveniently located en-route to Namibia’s north or beautiful
coast, Sylvanette Guesthouse is found in the heart of Okahandja.
Whether on a business trip or exploring the country as a tourist,
Sylvanette Guesthouse with its nine cool and quiet en-suite rooms
will cater exactly for your needs.
You can relax by the pool and indulge in a colourful birdlife or
undertake a trip through and around Okahandja including a visit
to the town’s famous traditional craft markets.
Whether you have a keen interest in history, wildlife or adventure
or are simply looking for a comfortable stopover destination, Sylvanette
Guesthouse is the excellent accommodation choice for you.
Come and enjoy our cold drinks and warm service. We’ll make
you feel right at home.
A little history
If you have an interest in history, Okahandja is an exciting place
to embark on a little historical journey.
The name ‘Okahandja’ springs from the Herero language
and symbolically describes the place where the rivers meet.
The town traditionally is the seat of the Herero nation, a tribe
which comprises the second largest population group of Namibia.
Although the first missionaries arrived as early as 1844, the town
finds its origins back in the late 1800’s when Okahandja became
a colonial military base.
In 1904 the Herero uprising broke out which led to many bloody battles
with the German ‘Schutztruppe’ and cost the Herero tribe
great loss to their people.
On August 26, 1923, the great herero leader Samuel Maharero was
laid to rest here.
As Okahandja has once been the seat of the famous chief Maharero,
it remains to be of great cultural importance to Hereroes all over
the country until today.
Each year on August 26 - Hero’s Day- thousands of Herero in
traditional attire gather in the small town to commomerate their
ancestral chief.
Visitors are welcomed to the ceremonious events.
This occasion is definitely worth watching!
Arts and Crafts
Okahandja is also an important trading point for woodcarvers from
the northern regions like Owamboland or Caprivi.
The carvers can be watched practising their ancient skills at the
wood-and-thatch Mbangura Woodcarvers Market next to the main road.
This is a good place to go shopping for souvenirs and pick your
own individually crafted hippo or giraffe to take home for lasting
memories of Namibia.
Activities in the area
If you are looking for a wildlife experience, ‘Okapuka Horsetrails’,
60 km’s south of Okahandja, offers different safari options.
Explain options?
For those guests hungry for adventure, a day of tackling 4x4 trails
on the nearby farms Bergquell and Teufelsbach, can be arranged.
Different routes can be chosen from, varying from easy riverside
driving to a more challenging road leading to the ‘Black Eagle
Camp’.
These activities will need to be reserved.
A further outdoor activity offered is a day of fishing for Catfish
and Carp on the nearby von Bach Dam. This can be arranged by your
hosts.
Other possible activities include visiting the little town of Omaruru
which is known as ‘the jewel on the desert edge’.
It is located only 170 km north - west from Okahandja and sports
its own distinct character by being home to a commune of Namibian
artists.
If you need some snacks on your trips exploring the area pick up
some hearty biltong from CLOSWA or Piet’s Biltong.
Email: sylvanetteguesthouse@namibiabookings.com
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