The Skeleton Coast Park, is now acknowledged as one of Namibia’s greatest treasures, in that it is one of the world’s last  great wildernesses. Initially proclaimed in 1971, in its present form  in 1973, extends from the Ugab River in the south for 500 km to the Kunene River in the north and about  40 km inland. Dense coastal fogs and cold sea breezes caused by the cold Benguela Current add atmosphere to the windswept beaches that  are littered with shipwrecks, bones and other debris.

Stretching from the Swakop River to southern Angola, the Skeleton Coast is known as the 'Land God Made in Anger' and is remoteness at its best. Thousands of miles of sandy desert dotted with shipwrecks meet with the cold waters of the Atlantic and somehow an amazing array of wildlife and flora manages to survive in this harsh but beautiful environment.

Ocean fog creeps over the shoreline caused by the warm dry air of the Namib Desert colliding with the cold Benguela current. This otherworldly area is home to a diversity of wildlife including seabird colonies, Cape fur seals, zebra, gemsbok, desert-adapted elephant, lion and much more. Surfing enthusiasts are drawn to these powerful waves and photographers flock from around the globe to snap a shot of this eerie shipwreck graveyard and for the unrivalled maritime photographic opportunities. This coast is desolate but breathtakingly beautiful.

Park size: 16 390 km²

Proclamation: 1971

Natural features: The Atlantic Ocean, with sandy and pebble beaches, sand dunes, ephemeral riverbeds and canyons to rugged canyons with walls of richly coloured volcanic rock and extensive mountain ranges. Vegetation Namib Desert Biome. Vegetation type: Northern Desert,Central Desert, North-Western Escarpment and Inselbergs. Lichens, dollar bush (Zygophyllum stapfii), !Narra plant (Acanthosicyos horridus), vygies (Mesembryanthemum sp) on plains. In dry riverbeds makalani palm (Hyphaene petersiana), wild tamarisk (Tamarixusneoides) and mopane trees (Colophospermum mopane).

Wildlife Desert: Desert dwelling Elephant, Lion, Cheetah, Crocodile, Springbok, Hartmann zebra, Oryx, Heaviside’s dolphin, Green turtle. The 306 bird species recorded here include Greater Flamingo, Lesser Flamingo, Lappet-faced Vulture, Rüppell’s Korhaan and Gray’s Lark.Tourism Photography. Game viewing. Angling.  The park also contains rich lichen fields (more  than 100 species have been recorded),  is a sanctuary for desert- dwelling Elephants, Rhino and Lion and the Kunene River mouth is a vital wetland.

Hoanib - Skeleton Coast

In a remote area of the Kaokoveld, with gravel-strewn plains and dry riverbeds that draw fascinating wildlife, lies Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp. Game drives explore this isolated area, moving along the riverbed’s narrow ribbon of vegetation, where a surprising wealth of desert-adapted animals can be found; in camp the research centre provides even more insights. The unforgiving Skeleton Coast, with its shipwreck remains and noisy colonies of Cape fur seals, is accessed either by a fascinating drive or scenic flight, depending on the weather.

Hoanib Valley Camp

In a country jam-packed with vast, spectacularly beautiful landscapes, Kaokoland may just be the most incredible of them all. Deep in north-western Namibia, the area is a melee of towering mountains, sand dunes, and huge expanses of desert, scattered with unique wildlife and nomadic Himba settlements. It’s also one of Namibia’s most remote and wild environments, and one that not many will get the chance to discover in a lifetime.

And that’s exactly why we’ve decided to build Hoanib Valley Camp. A joint venture between the local communities and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, the world’s only Africa-wide giraffe conservation organisation, the camp is an elegant, intimate affair that immerses you into the wilds of the desert. The six rooms blend seamlessly with the environment, offering a simple aesthetic that matches the rugged landscape down to a tee. Days are spent tracking endangered rhino, desert-adapted elephant, and of course desert-adapted giraffe, before retiring to your private veranda to marvel at the magnitude of your surroundings (G&T in hand).