Place: In a remote area of the Kaokoveld, with gravel-strewn plains and dry riverbeds that draw fascinating wildlife, lies Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp. Explorations of this isolated yet diverse area take place via nature drives along the riverbed’s narrow ribbon of vegetation, where a surprising wealth of desert-adapted animals can be found; while in camp, the Research Centre provides further insights. The unforgiving Skeleton Coast with its shipwreck remains and noisy colonies of Cape fur seals is accessed either by a fascinating drive or flight, depending on the weather.

Wildlife: Hoanib Skeleton Coast’s location – close to the Skeleton Coast and within the true Namib Desert – is home to a rich diversity of wildlife, boasting the Kaokoveld’s best viewing of desert-adapted wildlife and access to vast, remote and isolated wilderness. Almost miraculously it seems, in this stark environment, enormous elephant thrive along with giraffe, lion, and brown hyaena. Gemsbok (oryx), springbok, steenbok, scrub hare, and inquisitive ground squirrel may be seen. Entirely different to the rugged mountains and valleys inland, the Skeleton Coast hosts Cape fur seals in their thousands along with black-backed jackals, and brown hyaena. Birds are equally diverse, with regular endemics like Rüppell’s korhaan, Benguela long-billed lark, and lark-like bunting. Towards the coast, the bird community changes and tractrac chat can be seen; with jaegers, and skuas found around the seal colonies.

Accommodation: Hoanib Skeleton Coast 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 pool, look out over a waterhole that attracts desert-adapted wildlife. Eight large en-suite tents (including one family unit) provide shady viewpoints to an otherworldly landscape.

Purpose: This fully solar powered camp, is a joint venture partnership with the neighbouring Conservancies of Anabeb, Torra and Sesfontein, and hosts researchers committed to conserving the desert-adapted carnivores of this harsh region: lions, brown hyaenas and more.

Unique Selling Points

• Serra Cafema is leased from the primarily Himba-owned Marienfluss Conservancy, a 300 000-hectare (741 316-acre) wilderness area set along the ruggedly scenic Hartmann’s Mountains, and stretching to the Kunene River in the far north-west of Namibia
• Insights into the area and its wildlife are presented at the in-camp Research Centre, with guests having the opportunity to engage with resident researchers when the team have returned from their field studies and are available in camp
• A stay here offers a raw, rugged and intrepid adventure in a surprisingly life-filled private wilderness area with access to Namibia’s legendary Skeleton Coast