Desert Rhino Camp

The Desert Rhino Camp is situated in the 1-million-acre private Palmwag Reserve in Damaraland, between Etosha and the Skeleton Coast - few places on the planet can offer this level of privacy and wilderness experience.

Desert Rhino Camp accommodates 16 guests in large East African-styled "Meru" tents each with an en-suite bathroom comprising hand basin, flush toilet and a classic bucket shower that is filled with hot water whenever needed. Lights are powered by solar panels and the tented dining room offers uninterrupted views of the desert and mountains. Welwitschia plants (ancient desert adapted plants) dot the plain in front of the camp. Activities include rhino tracking on foot or by vehicle as well as day and night nature drives. Guests often enjoy full day outings, with a picnic lunch, on the reserve.

Desert Rhino Camp is a joint venture between the camp and the "Save the Rhino Trust" - a non-profit conservation organisation that has been working in this area for 20 years. The Trust has been singly responsible for helping to ensure that these rare, desert-adapted black rhino have survived in the area. Today this population of black rhino is growing in numbers and the area boasts the largest concentration of rhino anywhere on the planet outside a national park. Community game scouts who were employed by the Trust to help with the patrolling and monitoring all these years are now seconded to the camp and are the trackers and guides. A portion of every guest's revenue at Desert Rhino Camp goes to the Trust. This desert reserve has a number of fresh water springs that support healthy populations of animals including desert-adapted black rhino and elephant as well as large populations of the rare Hartmann's mountain zebra, giraffe, oryx, springbok and kudu. The predator population is the largest outside the Etosha National Park with over 100 lion, cheetah, leopard, brown and spotted hyaena. Birdlife is also prolific and diverse with most of Namibia's endemic species present.

When to go

All year round destination, although the best time to visit Damaraland is from May to September as the temperature is tolerably cool, especially at night. The optimum game viewing times are between June and November. The land will have dried out meaning animals must again come to waterholes to drink. Summer (November to April) also known as the rainy season is best time to travel to Damaraland for bird watching as migratory birds (both intra-African and Palaearctic) flock into the park's many habitats after the summer rains.