Wilderness Damaraland Camp

Damaraland Camp sits in the Huab River Valley in northwest Namibia, in a landscape of flat-topped mountains, wind-shaped sandstone cliffs, and broad dry riverbeds. Nine twin en-suite rooms and one family unit are built in adobe style under thatch, each on a raised wooden platform with a large private deck looking out over the valley. The family unit has two bedrooms, each with two three-quarter beds and its own bathroom, connected by a shared outdoor deck.

Morning and afternoon nature drives go out in search of desert-adapted elephant — the primary reason most guests come — whose movements along the Huab River shift with seasonal rainfall. Black rhino, oryx, Hartmann's mountain zebra, southern giraffe, springbok, and kudu also live in the area, along with lion, cheetah, and spotted and brown hyena. More than two hundred and forty bird species have been recorded on the concession. Guided walks cover the geology, plants, reptiles, and birds of the desert. Guests staying three nights or more can take a full-day excursion to Twyfelfontein, where San rock art dating back six thousand years is preserved in the rock faces, with a picnic lunch provided.

The camp is the result of a formal partnership with the Torra Conservancy — the first community-conservation arrangement of its kind in Namibia. A cultural excursion visits nearby farmsteads and the local school, where you meet Nama-Damara, Herero, Owambo, and Riemvasmaaker community members. Evenings end around an open boma under a sky with little light pollution this far into the desert.