Team Chitabe’s Delta to Desert incentive trip

Written by Lentswe Moalosi

As a key part of staff motivation, reward, and recognition following last year’s incentive trip, Wilderness Chitabe arranged an incentive trip for eight Managers and Guides to Namibia in February 2024, to discover this breathtaking destination.

The group included:

Odumetse Modikwa – Chitabe Guide

Joyce Letlhogela – Chitabe Lediba General Manager

Masedi Disho – Chitabe Assistant General Manager

Gloria Amos – Chitabe Manager

Josephine Ndana – Chitabe General Manager 

Karisanene Munduu – Chitabe Operations Assistant

Ebineng Rabosigo – Chitabe Guide

Kushata Thela – Chitabe Operations Assistant

While there, the group relaxed, unwound and indulged in unforgettable experiences that are endemic to Namibia only. For most of them, this was their first time to cross the border into another country, and as soon as they entered Namibia they started falling in love with the journey. They described the trip as the best way to feed the soul and expand their minds, as they explored the vibrant streets of Swakopmund and were greeted by a gentle ocean breeze, which for a few was their first time ever to see the ocean.

The guides enjoyed the drive on the dunes with the charming Namibian guides, and were captivated by the beauty of the dune landscapes and the diverse wildlife and natural wonders of Namibia. Every experience they had was authentic and adventurous, and they couldn’t get over the kindness and professionalism of everyone they encountered, and were delighted with every service provided on their educational.

The trip to Namibia was a trip of a lifetime and this is what a few of the staff had to say:

Gloria Amos – Chitabe Manager

In my whole life I have never crossed a border into another country. Namibia was my first trip outside of Botswana and I must say it will not be my last. Growing up in the Delta and being in camps has always felt comfortable and the fact that there is no other place like the Okavango Delta anywhere in the world made me believe I did not need to travel. That is until I got to Namibia and my goodness…

Swakopmund is like heaven on Earth and my first experience of the beach. We explored the city for four days. Every day we would sit and relax by the beach, enjoying the coolness and the beauty of the sea. We did a couple of activities while in Swakopmund, including a 30-minute quad bike ride, which happened to be my favourite of them all. It was beautiful riding on the sand dunes, our guides were very good at making sure we were all comfortable and that we enjoyed ourselves. We also did a snake park tour.

The game drive on the desert dunes was amazing. It was crazy how many little animals and snakes we saw just in the first 20 minutes of the tour. We learned a lot about how the animals and birds survive in the desert, a very educational and interesting tour.

We also did a boat ride at Walvis Bay which was a great experience. It was a bit chilly and we were given warm fleeces which was very helpful. We had a seal jumping in our boat a couple of times, they are friendly animals. Birds landed on the boat too. We were given a history talk, which was informative and educational. We had a lovely lunch and champagne while on the boat. In ending I will say this was my best-ever first experience, and Namibia will be my second home from now on. I loved every bit of it and am privileged to work for a company that has its employees’ best interests at heart.

Masedi Disho – Chitabe Assistant General Manager

It was on Monday morning around 6am when we left Maun for Namibia on an educational trip with our colleagues. It was a great journey and we arrived in Windhoek in the evening for a night stop. It is indeed a very beautiful city especially when viewed from the mountain top. I have never seen such a beautiful landscape with mountain ranges on our drive to Swakopmund. The following day we went to the dunes, we did camel riding and quad bikes, very interesting and unforgettable. I enjoyed camel riding on the dunes and also going up and down the dunes on the quad bikes, it was a great experience.

I had an opportunity to visit the ocean for the first time. Viewing the waves was something I will never forget in my life, and being a guest was very enjoyable. Our Namibian colleagues gave us amazing hospitality that made us feel very special as guests.

I have learnt a lot about hospitality while I was there, and being a guest you see so many details. It was an eye-opening vacation for me since my hobby is to learn new things.

We also did a desert tour with a car and we saw a variety of things like lizards, snakes and chameleons that are endemic to the Namib Desert, we also had an interesting boat cruise on the ocean at Walvis Bay and saw the seals. We also had an opportunity to visit the snake park and the museum. It was a trip of a lifetime that I will never forget.

Everyone who travelled said it is hard not to overstate their appreciation for the wonderful trip that the company did for them, and for the truly countless memorable experiences they had. They felt so grateful for the hard work that the company did in putting the itineraries together and making the trip such a success.