BITTEN BY THE TRAVEL BUG
After an exciting few years working as a social worker at the Rundu State Hospital, right on the Namibian/Angolan border, I was bitten by the travel bug and began taking my friends and family on safaris along the Kavango River and Caprivi Strip. I decided to move to Walvis Bay on the Namibian coast, and soon became intrigued by the fascinating Namib Desert - Namibia’s “Living Desert” - with all its interesting life forms and dynamics. This is when I decided to pursue a career as a naturalist guide. I successfully completed my Namibian NATH guiding qualification, and then spent several years working as a freelance guide, travelling throughout Namibia’s untouched wilderness areas. The majority of those years were spent guiding mobile camping Expeditions for &Beyond, and this is what inspired me to complete &Beyond’s Inkwazi Ranger Training Programme at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa. Soon after, I was appointed to senior guide for &Beyond’s Expeditions in Namibia. During these years, it so happened that the fleet manager for Wilderness Safaris, Andrew Milne, would turn up regularly in the same camps and areas that I visited on my Expedition route. We got married in January 2005 - and exactly nine months later little Wendy-Lee Milne was born. I ‘retired’ to the &Beyond office in Windhoek, which I am currently managing. I still love being outdoors and love travelling to new lodges and wildlife reserves. Since I often travel with my daughter, I have become sensitive about the child-friendliness of Namibia’s lodges, and I can use this knowledge, combined with my guiding skills, to create great adventures for families in Namibia. When not on the road or in the office in Windhoek, I live on the outskirts of Windhoek in Avis with Andrew, Wendy-Lee & her bearded collie, Balto. We live close enough to the bush for Balto to smell jackals and baboons and growl when they come too close to the house!
MY FAVOURITE ADVENTURE
BEATING ABOUT THE NAMIBIAN BUSH (14 DAYS)
As you land in Windhoek, I will be there to meet you and help with your luggage. The 45-minute drive to the beautiful Hotel Heinitzburg will already give you a sense of Namibia’s magnificent, open landscapes. The evening will be yours to relax and unwind at the hotel.
Our first highlight will be arriving at Onguma Tented Camp where we will spend two nights in an elegant tent. Here we will spend time exploring the eastern region of the spectacular Etosha National Park.
Then we’ll move on to Okaukuejo and explore the more arid western part of Etosha. Two nights will be spent in a beautiful chalet.
For any birder, our time spent in the Erongo Mountains region will be unforgettable. To fully appreciate this area and its brilliant birdlife, we will enjoy two nights at Erongo Wilderness Lodge.
We’ll make our way along the Skeleton Coast towards Swakopmund and explore this charming coastal town from our base at Beach Lodge Swakopmund where we will stay in a luxury room for three nights.
Towards the end of this incredible adventure, we will visit the awe-inspiring sand dunes of Sossusvlei. Staying at the exceptional &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, we will have plenty of time to get to know the desert even better.
Or let me help you tailormake something even more extraordinary!
DOWNLOAD THE ITINERARY FOR THIS TOUR
““Our guide, Hazel, was the highlight of our entire Expedition (and there were many!). She is so much more than just a guide. She was a true companion throughout our adventure and her hosting skills are exceptional. Everything comes alive when she talks about it, and her attention to detail is amazing. She made me forget my age and made me act 50 years younger!”
“Hazel is wonderful. Her enthusiasm about Namibia knows no bounds – it is contagious and she has unbelievable knowledge. She seems to have an incredible connection with wildlife – all this contributed to the most fascinating experience!”
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Guest
Describe yourself in one or two words
Incurable optimist! I love to see all the sides to a story, a person, everything. I’ve always been curious and I love to make people happy (especially ones that were unhappy when I first met them). Just to prove that everyone has a capacity for joy! I’ve always loved children and guiding, and a great challenge to me would be to combine these two interests.
What do you consider to be your greatest strengths or achievements in life so far?
My greatest strengths are my sense of humour and my ability to carry on when I see others give up. My most cherished guiding achievement was when one of my former guests wrote to me to say that he had hurt his back and had to be immobilised for 3 months. In order to stay sane, he wrote a day-by-day account of the Expedition that I guided them on. When I read it, I realised he had remembered every word I said; the colour of the sky on different days; even the shipwrecked game we played on the Skeleton Coast!
What are you most proud of?
My 4 year old daughter’s crèche report. They said the world will be a better place because of her!
What motivated you to become a Private Journey Host?
My &Beyond guests (and the wonderful chance to get out of the office!).
What 2 or 3 things are most important to you in your job?
It is very important to make every second count – to give your guests memories to last a lifetime.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
First an air hostess, then a journalist, and then I decided to become a social worker.
What has been the happiest day of your life?
I once slept in a little backpacker’s tent in a riverbed in Damaraland. The next morning when I woke up, all the camp staff were standing in a circle about a metre from my tent. They were looking at elephant tracks – three elephants had apparently surrounded my tent for hours that night! I never woke up while they were there, but upon seeing their tracks, I felt really happy to be alive and somehow special to have been singled out by these great pachyderms.
