Indaba News

Felix Unite Tented Camps continues to dominate its niche market and can now run three large camps concurrently with accommodation for up to 300 people. "Every tented camp is tailor-made to the client's requirements," said Tented Camps sales and marketing manager Hein van Blerk. "Some are happy with basic facilities. Others want the works, with air-conditioning, heating, and full bar and entertainment areas which come with a pool table and DSTV.

"As we've grown we've continually improved our service and the facilities we offer. The newest product on offer is our 4m x 8m luxury tents which are as fully appointed as any hotel room. The tents come complete with a bathroom and are triple-layered to keep them cool. We offer them as a family unit with two three-quarter beds or as a double-bed option."  The tent was used for the first time to accommodate pop star Jennifer Lopez who was filming in Namibia for the movie The Cell. 

Hein said: "Other companies have tents like these but they are permanently pitched. We are the only operation that will pitch them at any location requested by clients." Tented camps take between five to eight days to set up and another three days to dismantle. Some of the remote locations used this year for the filming of commercials have included the dramatic Spitzkop Mountains in Namibia for a Perrier television ad and a site near the Ameib Guest Ranch in the Erongo Mountains for Filmworks Africa, which was making a documentary called Planet-M. 

"The crew from Planet-M were pretty exhausted as they had been on the road for three months filming in the US, Tibet, Nepal, Egypt and Australia," said Hein. "This was their last leg and they enjoyed the site and the tented camp so much that they rented it for an extra two days just to have a holiday."

A tented camp was also erected at Wolmaranstad for Peter Gird Productions which used a cheetah to reflect the speed of a Suzuki in a television ad overseas. "We also went back time and again to Verneuk Pan, south of Uppington for the filming of a number of TV commercials," said Hein. "It was a popular location this year as it boasts a 7km horizon and vast expanses of flat earth that stretch for 30km or more."

Tented camps is receiving an increasing number of inquiries from incentive tour operators and large corporate and private groups who realize the advantage of setting up camps at a place of their choice for holiday or work purposes.

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