Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp

Highlights

The Skeleton Coast is a dramatic and intriguing 500 km stretch of Namibia’s coastline. Here, the cold Benguela current of the Atlantic meets the warm desert air, creating a unique and moody micro-climate.

An unforgettable experience includes a drive along the Hoanib River’s gravel floodplain, witnessing towering dunes and lush oases, where flamingos can often be seen, before reaching the wild Skeleton Coast. The return flight offers a breath-taking aerial view of the dry Hoanib watercourse.

Thrilling guided nature drives reveal rare desert-adapted wildlife. Wilderness Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp adds a unique dimension to our north-west Namibian circuit, located in the isolated Kaokoveld, ideal for adventurous travellers seeking a remote destination close to the Skeleton Coast and within the Namib Desert.

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp

One of the most remote lodges on Earth, accessible only by light aircraft with Wilderness Air, the camp offers a spectacular arrival experience over the Namib Desert. Situated in a remote area of the Kaokoveld, it is surrounded by gravel plains and dry riverbeds that attract rare wildlife.

Experience: Guests can explore this diverse area on guided nature drives along the riverbed’s narrow vegetation ribbon, spotting an array of desert-adapted animals. Day trips to the mysterious Skeleton Coast, with its shipwreck remnants and Cape fur seal colonies, offer an adrenaline-packed drive over dunes, returning by light aircraft (weather permitting).

Back at camp, the Research Centre provides insights into the area’s wildlife. Guests can engage with on-site researchers to learn more about this astonishing wilderness.

Purpose: This solar-powered camp, a joint venture with the Anabeb, Torra, and Sesfontein conservancies, supports research and conservation of desert-adapted carnivores. Guests encounter elephants, lions, hyenas, giraffes, and oryx, while researchers study them and local communities benefit financially from conservation efforts.

Wildlife: The camp offers exceptional viewing of desert-adapted creatures, including elephants, giraffes, lions, and brown hyenas. Oryx, springbok, steenbok, scrub hare, and ground squirrels are also common sightings.

Approaching the coast, visitors can see Cape fur seals, black-backed jackals, and brown hyenas. Birdlife is diverse, with endemics like Rüppell’s korhaan, Benguela long-billed lark, and lark-like bunting, and along the coast, tractrac chat, jaegers, and skuas.

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp: Ideal for high-end, intrepid travellers, this chic camp offers exceptional hospitality in a rugged, ancient landscape. Overlooking a desert valley that slopes to the often-dry Hoanib River, the main area and pool offer views of a waterhole frequented by wildlife. The eight large tented guest suites (including one family unit) provide shady viewpoints over the stunning landscape.

Designed in harmony with its desert surroundings, Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp offers tranquillity and the chance to observe a variety of desert-adapted species from the comfort of the tented accommodation.