Visiting friends and neighbours on the edge of the Namib

‘LEKKER! Visiting Friends and Neighbours' is a celebration of love for the land and its inhabitants in the arid but fascinating region between Namib and  Naukluft. Garnished with LEKKER! recipes.

By  Ria Henning-Lohmann and Kathrin Schulze Neuhoff

 Want more LEKKER! ? This time, Kathrin and Ria are travelling together, visiting neighbours and friends in the districts surrounding their home farm in the NamibRand and Naukluft area. They even head all the way to the east of the country, to the Kalahari. The resulting book offers an intriguing glimpse into the lives of those who have found their home — or paradise — in this seemingly barren yet incredibly diverse and fascinating region.

LEKKER! Visiting Friends and Neighbours is the second book in a series about life far away from civilisation.
However, this is the only book we have produced in two language versions. After all, English is the official language of Namibia.

The book is also available to buy in Namibia. After a long journey on a container ship, co-editor Kathrin Schulze Neuhoff is now selling it to various bookshops in Swakopmund and Windhoek and on her farm Ababis. Detailed information on Namibian sales outlets is also available on Tel: +264 (0)63 29 33 62

This area, located at the intersection of the Namib Desert and the Naukluft Mountains, is renowned for its natural beauty, diverse wildlife, and pristine environment. It is also known as the region of the three passes: Spreetshoogte Pass, Remhoogte Pass and Gamsberg Pass, which provide a link between the central region and the vast desert.

However, the harsh climate makes life there challenging. The Ababis farm is located in the heart of this region, surrounded by magnificent yet unforgiving nature that constantly challenges its inhabitants.

Regardless of the situation, the residents of Naukluft and the surrounding area of Ababis Guest Farm face the same challenges: extreme temperatures, droughts, heavy rainfall and raging rivers. Above all, there is the incredible beauty and vastness of Namibia's barren landscapes, where a neighbour 30 kilometres away is considered close. What kind of people live there? What connects them to this landscape? What characterises them?

To explore these questions, farmer Kathrin Schulze Neuhoff and photographer Ria Henning-Lohmann visited their neighbours and friends in the Ababis region.

They went on farm tours, shared meals, and heard many fascinating stories that offer a glimpse into life in the wilderness.
The people and their stories are as diverse as the landscapes between the Namib and the Naukluft, and include sheep farmers, balloon pilots, cattle farmers, guest farm operators, bush pilots, olive farmers, shop owners, horse breeders, desert enthusiasts and solar experts. The result is an inspiring illustrated book containing personal stories, impressive pictures and delicious recipes.
Let it surprise you!

Note for all Swiss people: We now have a dealer who sells the book directly in Switzerland: Tracks4Africa

Kathrin and Ria have already collaborated on several projects for the Ababis guest farm. In 2019, they took the risk of publishing a cookbook featuring Ababis's farm cuisine. They had no idea whether anyone apart from their own guests would be interested in it. However, the book proved popular and there is now a third edition, which has been carefully revised and features a newly designed hardback cover. This encouraged us to do more!

Kathrin's approach to Ria, her photographer and publisher friend, about a new collaborative book was therefore well received. This book was another great adventure and a big challenge because so many things kept coming up.  At the same time, the circumstances provided a lively insight into the lives of the people involved.

The result is a book that's about more than just food and the recipes that go with it. The inhabitants' fascinating accounts of their world and lives are definitely worth reading. Little by little, very special excursions and stories into this unique world on the edge of the desert have been created.

We hope that the effort was worthwhile and that you will enjoy the recipes and stories. We also hope that the book will remind you of wonderful times in Namibia or get you in the mood for your upcoming holiday in this beautiful country.

‘LEKKER’ is Afrikaans and is used for everything beautiful, delicious, tasty and nice.

The title ‘LEKKER! - Visiting friends and neighbours!’ could hardly have been better chosen.
Where the book takes us as ‘visitors’ in 12 easy-to-read and descriptive chapters, with recipes and flying visits, and whisks us away to the Namibian desert, Afrikaans is often spoken. And in this language, the word ‘lekker’ always has a positive meaning. It can mean ‘nice’ or ‘good’, ‘pleasant’, ‘entertaining’ or ‘beautiful’, literally of course also ‘delicious’.
I felt all of these things when reading this atmospherically illustrated book - a successful mixture of travelogue, cookery book and description of various life stories. Reading, leafing through, looking at and dreaming a little with pleasure and interest, all of this came together quite perfectly for me, making the book my favourite summer read this year.
I was only too happy to accept the invitation to ‘a culinary journey of discovery through the wild heart of Namibia around the Namib and Naukluft’ from afar. My thanks for this ‘journey’ go to Ria Henning-Lohmann and Kathrin Schulze Neuhoff, but of course I am also grateful to those neighbours around the Ababis guest farm for sharing their exciting biographies with the readers.
A book recommendation for everyone who likes Namibia, knows Namibia or wants to get to know Namibia, who is interested in Namibian life stories and enjoys cooking.

Jürgen Becker

I discovered and bought your book in the ‘Muschel’ in Swakopmund in January. And today I'm sitting on my little balcony in Oldenburg with the book and reading it properly for the first time, so not ‘just’ looking at the pictures and the recipes ...
As soon as I read the text by Brian Jackman on page 5, I said ‘YES! Exactly!!!’
Long story short: Thank you for writing, illustrating and publishing this culinary travel book about and through a part of my favourite country!
Best wishes from north to south from
Karin Emmelmann