Wilderness Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp

• The dramatic Skeleton Coast, a 500 km long, desolate stretch of coastline in Namibia is somewhat forbidding – yet fascinating. Here, the Atlantic's unpredictable, cold Benguela current meets the warm desert air, creating a moody micro-climate and an evocative and unique atmosphere.
• An unforgettable day trip includes a drive along the Hoanib River’s gravel floodplain, taking in the area’s towering dunes and sporadic, surprisingly lush oases – where flamingos are seasonally seen – to the wild Skeleton Coast. Fly back to camp for a jaw-dropping aerial view of the dry Hoanib watercourse.
• Thrilling guided nature drives through the vast desert produce rare desert-adapted wildlife.

Destination: Wilderness Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp adds a very different, and special dimension, to our north-west Namibian circuit. Its location in the isolated Kaokoveld makes it an ideal option for adventurous travellers seeking an off-the-beaten-track destination close to the Skeleton Coast and within the true Namib Desert.

Arguably one of the most remote lodges on Earth, this magnificent desert camp is only accessible by light aircraft with Wilderness Air. Flying over the Namib is a unique experience and the best way to arrive in style while appreciating the vast beauty of the desert. The camp is found in a remote area of the Kaokoveld where gravel-strewn plains and dry riverbeds draw in rare and magnificent wildlife.

Experience: Guests can explore this isolated yet diverse area on guided nature drives along the riverbed’s narrow ribbon of vegetation, where a surprising array of desert-adapted animals can be found. Day trips to the mysterious and beautiful Skeleton Coast, with its shipwreck remnants and colonies of Cape fur seals, are also on offer – usually outbound on an adrenaline-packed drive over the dunes, returning by light aircraft (the flight is weather-dependent).

Back in camp, the Research Centre offers profound insights into the area and its wildlife. Here guests have the opportunity to engage with researchers who may be in camp, to find out more about this astonishing wilderness.

Purpose: This fully solar-powered camp is a joint venture with the neighbouring conservancies of Anabeb, Torra and Sesfontein, and is a centre for research, accommodating scientists and biologists committed to conserving the desert-adapted carnivores of this harsh region. This enables guests to come eye-to-eye with desert-adapted elephants, lions, hyenas, giraffes, and oryx. Our researchers study them, and community members benefit financially from their conservation.

Wildlife: In this true desert, guests will be surprised to find a rich and diverse wildlife – the camp offers outstanding viewing of desert-adapted creatures, with prime access to a vast, remote and isolated wilderness. Expect to see elephants moving through this stark environment, along with giraffe, lion, and brown hyena. Oryx (gemsbok), springbok, steenbok, scrub hare, and inquisitive ground squirrel may also be spotted.

As one heads towards the coast, vastly different wildlife emerge. The Skeleton Coast hosts Cape fur seals in their thousands along with black-backed jackals and brown hyenas. Birds are wonderfully diverse, with endemics like Rüppell's korhaan, Benguela long-billed lark, and lark-like bunting regularly spotted.

Towards the coast, the bird community changes and tractrac chat can be seen, with jaegers, and skuas found around the seal colonies.

Wilderness Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp: It is an icon for the high-end, intrepid traveller seeking chic and exceptional hospitality within a startlingly rugged and isolated, ancient landscape.  Overlooking a wide desert valley that slopes down to the almost-always dry Hoanib River, the main area and sparkling pool look out over a waterhole that attracts a surprising array of wildlife. Eight large tented guest suites (including one family unit) provide shady viewpoints to an otherworldly landscape.

Wilderness Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp is designed in harmony with its desert surroundings, resulting in a tranquil and graceful camp that offers the opportunity to witness a variety of desert-adapted species from the comfort of the tented accommodation.