The word "Treesleeper" has been derived from the biggest ethnic group in the village of Tsintsabis, the Hei//omn Bushmen in northern Namibia. For the people who are not familiar with Khoisan (Bushmen/San and Nama) languages: The sign "//" in the word Hei//omn is not a mistake. In the Khoisan language group four so-called "clicks" are being used, them being: "//", "!", "/" and "‡". When the Hei//omn still used to hunt in the old days, they sometimes fled into trees not to be caught by lions. Because of the incredible patience lions have, the Hei//omn sometimes even had to spend the night in the tree. Hei//omn in fact means Treesleepers. Therefore the name Treesleeper symbolises the whole project: It respects the traditional culture of the Hei//omn while at the same time covering the tourists who are to visit the enterprise.

Tsumeb Museum video:

The tourists who visit the enterprise will have a very interesting African experience. They have to possibility to experience Bushman culture, whilst sleeping comfortably, surrounded by those typical African bush trees. For a short period, tourists might even feel like "Treesleepers" themselves, although of course they sleep under the trees and not actually in them. For the tourists Tsintsabis is an excellent place to meet the original inhabitants of this area, combined with a visit to Etosha National Park. The Treesleeper-project in Tsintsabis is a form of what we call "community based tourism". Tourism is a relatively new trend within the development aid. Community based tourism means that the members of a local community are involved in all the aspects of info@namibweb.comrying out the tourist activities, so they can have some income of their own. They should have a fair income for all their labour activities. As much as possible will be done by the local community, and we will pay extra attention to "modern" abilities like working on a computer. By training and educating the local people, they will eventually be capable of improving their situation independently and with responsibility.
Therefore, especially for this project a committee has been founded in Tsintsabis. Everything related to the Treesleeper project will always be discussed with the committee (as representatives of the community). Men and women are equally represented in this committee. Quite a variety of subjects are discussed with them. Matters like "folklorisation", where cultural expressions are adapted to the needs of tourists. Traditional dancing? Fine, but the local community should be able to do it their way, if at all. Treesleeper does not aim to adjust attractions to the needs of tourists. We want to give a realistic image of both the traditional and the contemporary way of live. Without bothering the tourists too much with ethical or moral aspects (they are on vacation, after all), we will give some attention to pointing out the contemporary situation of the (Hei//omn) Bushmen to them.

Accommodation - Camping:

• Category 3: Camp site with shared ablution and no tree deck, max 9 persons;
• Category 2: Camp site with shared ablution and a tree deck, max 18 persons;
• Category 1: Camp site with a personal ablution block and a tree deck, max 8 persons.
The tree decks can be used as a viewing platform or for placing tents if a visitor prefers to sleep on the deck. All camp sites are private areas with a braai, a tap and a bin. All ablutions have warm water.