Camp Kipwe

Camp Kipwe sits in the Twyfelfontein Conservancy in Damaraland, Namibia, built into a rocky kopje where boulder, cement and rock walls make the nine round bungalows feel like cool caves in the hill. Each bungalow has a private open-air bathroom set among the rocks, hot water from wood-burning donkey boilers and solar geysers, and a verandah over the surrounding landscape. Two Luxury Suites sit higher on the outcrop, each with a separate lounge, an air-conditioned bedroom, an en-suite bathroom, a heated splash pool and a private sala with uninterrupted views east or west across Damaraland. A third option — a thatched suite with its own lounge, king-size bed and open-air bath — sits at a different elevation and draws on the same rock setting.

The main activities reach out across the conservancy. The guided nature drive leaves early — around six-thirty — and runs for four to six hours across the arid terrain in search of desert-adapted elephant, which have adjusted their behaviour and physiology to manage the dry, sandy conditions of northern Namibia. An afternoon excursion covers Twyfelfontein, Namibia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest collections of San rock art engravings on the continent, together with the basalt columns of the Organ Pipes and the oxidised hillside known as Burnt Mountain. A separate visit to the Damara Living Museum introduces guests to the traditions, crafts and daily practices of the Damara people of this area.

Guided nature walks operate within the conservancy. The camp has a bar, restaurant, pool and secure parking.