On the 9th of May, the magical Mushara Collection has turned 24 years old. An absolute milestone for any company as longevity equals success in any format. We would like to extend a warm and heartfelt congratulations to Marc and Mariza Pampe and their team at Mushara from the rest of The Naturally Namibia family!
This wonderful African story all began 25 years ago when Marc started building the Mushara Lodge. The dream took a year to become a reality. When the lodge opened, the couple and their staff had their hands full with the arrival of guests streaming in from all over the world, so much so that when they were to marry later that year, Mariza famously served guests in her wedding gown!
A Catholic priest travelled to Mushara to wed the happy couple under African skies in front of a massive termite hill. As guests were being accommodated at the Lodge, everyone was invited to attend the ceremony, even though Marc and Mariza did not know them personally. Following their vows, and with no rest (or honeymoon) for the wicked, Mariza then proceeded to serve the Mushara guests in her wedding gown.
Over the years since then, that termite hill has sadly eroded, but the Mushara story has happily blossomed and grown.
The Mushara Collection offers luxury accommodation on the doorstep of the famous Etosha National Park in Northern Namibia. Located just 8 km from the Von Lindequist Gate on the eastern boundary of Etosha National Park, and is an ideal home for visitors to explore the game reserve.
Following the spectacular Lodge, the couple added two exquisite Villas in 2003, with the interiors created by well-known Namibian designer Heidrun Diekmann. (The Villas have since been refurbished in 2018, where Heidrun once again worked her interior charms.)
They then followed the Villas up with the private Mushara Outpost in 2007. The Mushara Outpost was another addition of exquisite accommodation establishments, accommodating 16 guests in custom-made tent-like wood and canvas structures that are nestled on the banks of an ancient dry riverbed, known as ”omuramba” in the Herero language.
Finally in 2009, came the Mushara Bush Camp. The Bush Camp accommodates 32 guests and 8 children in custom-made tent-like structures and offers a down-to-earth tented bush camp experience which is well suited as an exceptional affordable base for independent travelers and families.
With all the above offerings the Mushara Collection was finally completed, catering to the most discerning traveller and offering a superb combination of splendid accommodation, exceptional cuisine and personal service for an unforgettable experience.
All of the above offerings would not have been possible were it not for what Marc and Mariza call ‘The Spirt of Mushara’ which refers to the staff they work with. They are extremely proud and thankful that the Mushara staff are at the forefront of The Collections’ success, going above and beyond any expectations from them and guests alike.
It speaks volumes that two of the staff members, Rosalia Nekwaya and Maria Kangoma, who attended the wedding between Marc and Mariza in front of the termite hill, are still with them today. 7 other members of staff have been there for over 20 years and another 16 have been there for over 13 years. One can certainly see why Mariza and Marc so value the people they work with.
On the doorstep of the magical Etosha National Park, The Mushara Collection is your optimal Namibian destination.
Once again, we send huge respect to Marc and Mariza for 24 years of incredible achievement, and here’s to many more.
Written by Robbie Stammers