Damaraland

Damaraland is one of the most scenic areas in Namibia, a huge, untamed, ruggedly beautiful region that offers the more travelers a more adventurous challenge. Here there are prehistoric water courses with open plains and grassland, massive granite koppies and deep gorges. Towards the west, the geography changes dramatically with endless sandy wastes, that incredibly are able to sustain small, but wide-ranging, populations of desert-adapted elephant, black rhino, giraffe, ostrich and springbok. These animals have adapted their lifestyles to survive the harshness of the sun-blistered, almost waterless desert spaces. Elephant move through euphorbia bush country, and can travel up to 70km in a day in search of food and water and unusually, do not destroy trees in their quest for food.

The Damaraland tour starts with a visit to Cape Cross to view the Seal Colony. The cape fur seal, Artocephalus pusillus pusillus, is the largest of the world’s nine fur-seals. As my as 210,000 of these animals gather at Cape Cross at any one time during the November/December breeding season. Thereafter we continue the journey into the heart of Damaraland. The Damaraland tour also includes a visit to the Palmwag concession, which comprises an oasis surrounded by large makalani palm trees. Many travellers with an interest in conservation, ecology and wild places prefer the Palmwag Concession to Etosha, as it is a true wilderness area. In addition to the extremely wild and rugged landscape, Palmwag also offers opportunities to see the desert-dwelling black rhino, and the desert adapted elephants. Due to the extremely wild terrain and environmental sensitivity, inexperienced travellers should be discouraged from entering the area unescorted.

Other highlights of the area include:

• The Brandberg – Namibia’s highest mountain, home to the famous ‘White Lady’ Bushman Painting and popular with rock climbers.
• Twyfelfontein – a wonderful rocky outcrop with thousands of Bushman engravings.
• Spitzkoppe – nicknamed the Matterhorn of Africa, is a typical pointed inselberg, and a place of great mystery to the ancient San people. It is also popular with rock climbers.
• The Petrified Forest – which is millions of years old.

The Forbidden Coast

Kaokoland

Bushmanland