Credit: Wilderness Safaris

In the morning you will be picked up and escorted to the airport (the time will be advised on the evening before but will be around
10h00 ). The flight from Windhoek (approx. 2.5 hours) to Skeleton Coast Camp takes you northwest over the interior plateau of Namibia. You will fly over the striking geological features of Damaraland, over craters of long-dead volcanoes and meteorite impact sites meeting the coastline at the Hoarusib River mouth. From here do some low level flying along the coast as far as Rocky Point, viewing the coastal plains and dunes from the air.

Arrive in time for lunch and settle into camp on the Khumib River. An afternoon introduction to the desert environs of the region includes a drive through dry riverbeds, gravel plains, natural springs and dunes, concluding with sundowners on the rugged coast near the loneliest grave in the world! Namibia's Skeleton Coast is one of our planet's most beautiful places and is now host to one of our finest safaris. Over much of the past decade, access to this private area within the National Park has been restricted. However, in April 2000 we opened our 12-bedded, luxury tented camp and we can now offer superb 4 or 5 day fly-in safaris to this incredible area, with guaranteed departures every Wednesday and Saturday.

Close on 300,000 hectares (660,000 acres) of the National Park has been set aside as an exclusive safari experience for those who want to really get away. It is wild, desolate and uninhabited - and stunningly beautiful. Skeleton Coast Camp is a six-roomed luxury tented camp in the heart of Skeleton Coast Park within the private concession area. It is built on an island in the dry Khumib riverbed, about 20km inland from the coastline. Each of the 6 tents is large, roomy and has a en-suite bathroom. We have a wonderful old gnarled Leadwood tree which offers shelter from the elements, and makes for a shady dining room for our outdoor meals.

Because of the uniqueness and vastness of this area, most activities are done in 4x4 vehicles that are closed to the elements. All vehicles have pop-top roofs and sliding windows to enjoy the fine weather. There is however plenty of opportunity to walk and stretch the legs too. Activities include either full-day nature drives or walks with a picnic lunch, returning to camp in the evening, or half-day nature drives or walks returning to camp for lunch and venturing out again in the afternoon.

Credit: Wilderness Safaris

Your base for the 3 or 4 nights of this safari will be the Skeleton Coast Camp and you will return here each evening for dinner, or at midday for lunch before setting out again later in the day. Excursions may include visits to the clay castles of the Hoarusib River, Rocky Point, the roaring dunes, lichen fields, seal colonies, Himba villages, shipwreck sites and secret water seeps that attract wildlife like oryx, springbok, giraffe, ostrich, brown hyaena, jackal and other smaller mammals. Walking also plays a part in the activities; due to the pristine nature of this area many parts are accessible only on foot, as vehicle tracks can damage the environment. Many specially adapted species of plants like Lithops and Welwitschia can be visited in this way. The terrain is rugged and harsh, hence this camp will be enjoyed by those who are looking for a true wilderness experience, in some of the most spectacular scenery in southern Africa.

This safari is unlike any other of our safaris. The area is so vast and there is so much to see and experience that we usually abandon our traditional early morning and afternoon activities. We leave camp after breakfast and spend the full day exploring the park. A picnic lunch is enjoyed out in the wild and we return to base camp in the late afternoon. We travel in 4 x 4 Land Rovers and cover an extraordinary variety of terrains. Below is only a suggestion as to what may happen in camp - as daily wildlife sightings tend to throw the schedule right out of schedule.

07h00 -  Early morning breakfast

08h00 -  Depart camp with picnic lunch for a full day excursion

18h00 -  Return to camp in the evening

19h00 -  Dinner - local Namibian game dishes and fresh cape salmon caught by the guests and cooked on an open fire

Accommodation is provided in 6 tents in total. The tents are large luxury "Meru" style tents with doors, wooden floors and en-suite bathrooms with shower, wash basin & toilet. Guests are requested to keep water useage to a minimum. Soaps, shampoos and insect repellents are provided in each tent. Each tent has a solar powered overhead fan. This camp is built up on wooden decks on an island in the Khumib River. There is a central lounge, bar and dining area with views of the desert as well as a library and an outside eating area for fair weather under old Leadwood tree. Solar power is used for lighting and hot water. A 12v battery power (charged by solar power) is used for lighting in each guest tent. Video batteries can be charged, but please bring lots of spare batteries as this facility is limited. No laundry service is possible due to water shortage.

On the morning of departure guests may either spend their time at leisure in and around camp, or go on a regular early morning activity returning with ample time to pack and have lunch. At lunch time you will depart for Windhoek by light aircraft, flying over the interior of Namibia .