birdwatching from your doorstep

Eco friendly living at the lagoon - our home fulfils high standards of a "green" lifestyle to reduce our carbon footprint. Combined with quality and European standard, there's no need to cut down on comfort. Solar-powered hot water system, highly sufficient insolation windows, LED lights Fully equipped kitchenette, comfy king size bed, nice bathroom and a patio to enjoy a sundowner while watching the flamingos. Private entrance, safe parking area in the back, fast WiFi and TV with DSTV. Modern and very well equipped accommodation in an upper class neighbourhood. This area which is called “Meersig" (Afrikaans for "Sea view") right on the lagoon is secure with little crime and burglary, there are no ugly electric fences. Walvis Bay is a harbour town and does not have the beautiful historical buildings and architecture like the neighbouring town of Swakopmund, but it is a quirky and lively city that continuously grows and attracts more and more people who have chosen to settle here. With many possibilities for outdoor activities right on your doorstep, and the beautiful lagoon (RAMSAR site) nearby, Walvis Bay it is not just a paradise for bird watchers. Kite surfers are enjoying the shallow waters in the lagoon as well, and the waves at the world-renowned "Donkey bay" are just another half an hour further - for those who are looking for a surf in one of the longest pipelines in the world (4x4 required). So if you consider to stay overnight in Walvis Bay then THIS is the area where you want to be. Breakfast options to moderate prices are available in the nearby hotel and lodge, just a few steps away from the studio. Are you interested in day trips to Sandwich harbour or Kayaking tours: most tour operators can even pick you up in front of your door at our house as they all drive past there in the mornings. Please contact us beforehand before you book on your own because we are getting discounted rates which we pass on to our guests! This is the place where everyone goes and wants to be, cruise-ship passengers are dropped off their buses at the parking space in front of our house and every tour operator brings his guests here to have a look at the thousands of pink flamingos ... Now the other thing to note: I feel I have to be honest with my guests and you should be informed that there is not just flamingos, there is also a busy road in front of our house which is highly frequented during workdays (07:00 – 17:00), it is getting used by the salt works-trucks from down the road and they can be noisy. However, one only realises the noise when being outside, if you have the windows closed you won't hear any of it, I can guarantee that! All the guesthouses along the lagoon are facing the same problem, luckily our high quality windows can keep a lot of the noise out (according to our previous guests). Now let's get back to the space itself: The studio is fitted with a lots of things, but there is no washing machine. If you are staying long time or are in desperate need of doing laundry, you are welcome to make use of my washing machine free of charge, I also provide the soap-powder. KITCHEN: - microwave oven with convection and grill function - fridge - coffee-maker & filter bags, selection of teas - kettle - toaster - efficient extractor hob to keep cooking smells out of your living space - blender - many pots, pans, kitchen utensils - cooking oil, vinegar and spices - cleaning stuff, brush & pan, vacuum cleaner - dishwashing liquid, brush, towels - coffee, tea, biscuits, fresh milk and a bottle of water in the fridge. When you take a glass out of the cupboard it is sparkling clean – all I ask is that you leave the kitchen into a similar condition when you are moving out. That means to me the hob is clean and the dishes are done, please! Please remember: unlike some other hosts I don't charge a "cleaning fee" - therefore I need your support to keep the costs low. Please make use of the extractor hob when cooking, it works very well and there will be no cooking odours sticking in the studio! BATHROOM: - shower, basin and toilet (with sanitary shower, oriental shower) - towels and toilet paper - soap, shower gel, shampoo, body lotion - hairdryer - shower cap, sewing set, hygiene bags, first aid kit Towels and linen will be changed once a week or on request, in case you are a long-term resident. BEDROOM: - king size bed with a very comfortable mattress - fluffy feather duvets and pillows, sheets, linen and some extra blankets (can be found in the wardrobe ) - wardrobe with plenty of hangers - a shoehorn, a hot water bottle, ironboard and an iron. Above the bed is a ceiling fan and the latest addition to the studio is an airconditioner (for heating and cooling). Although our climate does not require an air-conditioner at approximately 330 days a year there might be a few days during summer time when it is hot and therefore an A/C helps to keep the room temperature comfortable. For the cold winter days the A/C provides a cosy warm bedroom and lounge. LOUNGE: - flat screen TV with a comprehensive DSTV package to choose from several channels of TV programmes (most of them in English language) and in addition a lots of music channels, too. - Loads of Magazines to read, also a small library with a selection of German, French and English books - WIFI (high speed) Furthermore is the studio equipped with plenty of power plugs, South-African AND European style, what means if you come from these parts of the world you don't even need to bring an adapter. We also offer to our guests to hire one of our kayaks (one double, one single available) for a small fee - if weather conditions allow. The Welwitschia - Drive and the famous moon landscape are approximately one hours drive away, our beautiful neighbouring town of Swakopmund just half an hour drive. To get to Dune 7 it takes you only minutes by car and the international airport Rooikop Walvis Bay is just five minutes further away. Most excursions and tours are going from Walvis Bay, hence it is the ideal hub for you on your way along the coast and if you are interested in these activities. The studio is located on the ground floor of our house, it has its own entrance and is totally private. There is a secure and very spacious car parking in the backyard, in case you are arriving with your own car we hand out a remote control to operate the gate. We will live under one roof what means we are almost always available for questions and help. When the weather permits we enjoy to invite our guests for a sundowner drink on our balcony because watching the sunset with a chilled drink is mandatory in Africa! You are free to join us, it is up to you. We will gladly assist you with bookings, either for local day-trips or eating places, just ring at our door bell! You really don't need to worry that you are disturbing us - we love to help and give advices, we know our country pretty good and we can give you some good ideas for your further travels in Namibia! Please respect our “do not disturb" times – from 20:00 to 08:00 and our lunch-break which is 13:00 – 14:00. For emergencies we are - of course- always available. Meersig, the upmarket neighbourhood of Walvis Bay. The direct access to the lagoon attracts visitors, photographers and the sporty ones - what can beat a morning run along the promenade with a view onto flamingos? Please be informed that there is a main road in front of our house and there will be traffic noise during the day.... if you gonna spend lots of time on your patio and want to do some yoga, that's not gonna work ;-( Please note: there is unfortunately no public transport - Namibia is a country where everyone owns a car, because that's what you need to get around. The closest supermarket, restaurant, ATM machine etc. are all 2,5 km's from our place... The international airport Walvis Bay (Rooikop) is located just 15 minutes away, there are daily flights from and to South Africa (Cape town and Johannesburg) and several times in the week flight to our capital Windhoek. On request we can arrange an airport shuttle service to pick you up (additional charge). We are “normal" people who like to socialize, we are easy going but clean and organised and so is the studio. We expect you to treat our home like yours and if you are used to eat dinner on the sofa in front of the TV - we ask you not to mess up our rugs and sofa pillows. We keep the costs low because our studio is not very big (40 sqm) and for us it is more important to have the Airbnb experience than making money. Therefore we offer our place to share with others who appreciate a nice and clean holiday home, and not only to people who are travelling on low budget and are just looking for an affordable place to stay. We are located 2.5 km's from the CBD with shops and restaurants and there is no public transport, if you are arriving without your own car it can be problematic to do your shopping and get around – so please do not complain afterwards that it is a bad location, if you read this you will know what you will be getting. By the way, the location is stunning! Check-in on day of arrival until 19:00 please