Erongo Wilderness Lodge

Huddled among – and even built around – huge orange boulders of a rocky outcrop in the dry grasslands of the Aba Huab Valley, Kipwe is a gem of an eco-friendly camp.

There are nine dome shaped rooms at Camp Kipwe and one sprawling, thatched roof suite. Natural touches such as rocks embedded in the floor and animals carved into the wood, mimicking the area’s famous engravings, add to the unique sense of place, as do incredible views out across Damaraland.

Follow paths through the rocks to the heart of the camp – the communal lounge area and dining area with its expansive deck area and cool swimming pool where birds flock.

Explore the area in search of long wandering desert adapted elephant herds, hike along the river bed and marvel at the ancient rock carvings at Twyfelfontein, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the oldest engravings might be as old as 10,000 years. Sustainable eco-tourism and community upliftment is of the utmost importance and local villagers can also give you a unique insight into life and traditions here.

Boasting an incredible setting at the foothills of the immense Grootberg massif and amongst the ancient Etendeka lava flows of northern Damaraland, Etendeka Mountain Camp puts its emphasis on nature, and rightly so.

The eco-friendly camp uses solar power and features ten en-suite meru tents connected by pathways to the main dining tent. Modern amenities such as flush toilets, hot-and-cold running water, and a stunning open-air “bucket” shower will make your stay as luxurious as it’s possible to be while in the heart of the wilderness. You’ll enjoy simple but delicious meals, prepared on solar or on open fires and eaten under starry African skies.

You’ll spend your days here exploring the area by foot and in open game drive vehicles accompanied by exceptionally knowledgeable guides. Keep your eyes peeled for desert elephant and black rhino, cheetah, lion, zebra, and herds of oryx.

You’ll find Wilderness Desert Rhino Camp in a wide valley, nestled amid the undulating hills of the 450 000-hectare Palmwag Concession. This tranquil area is recognised for its minimalist beauty and the large range of desert-adapted wildlife that call the area their home, most noticeably for its free-roaming black rhino population, the largest in Africa.

Blending in with the surrounding rugged terrain, the thatched stone Wilderness Doro Nawas Camp is set atop a rocky mount in the dry and dramatic Aba-Huab River Valley.