gallery of 10 photos

Damaraland, Namibia

Desert Rhino Camp

Our clients consistently come home raving about their experiences at Desert Rhino Camp. The camp is set in an achingly beautiful area. Tracking temperamental and ornery black rhino on foot is a real kick! A stay here offers good wildlife opportunities, like seeing rhino and desert elephant, as well as exploring this fascinating desert region of Namibia.  — Mango's view

Desert Rhino Camp lies amongst rolling, rocky hills with scattered euphorbia, ancient welwitschia plants, scrubby vegetation and isolated clumps of trees. Yet there is a tranquil, minimalist beauty and a surprising amount of life in this concession.

The camp is run in conjunction with Save the Rhino Trust (SRT), an organization that has been has been solely responsible for helping to ensure that these rare, desert-adapted black rhino survived the slaughter that went on throughout other parts of Africa in the 80s and 90s. Today this population of black rhino is growing in numbers and the area boasts the largest concentration of rhino anywhere on the planet outside of 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 its trackers and guides. Guests gain an amazing insight into the ecology and conservation of this area, while at the same time a portion of guest revenue contributes to the Trust and its rhino conservation projects.

Desert Rhino Camp, set in a wide valley sometimes flush with grass, has eight large Meru-style tents with an en-suite bathroom comprising hand basin, flush toilet and a classic bucket shower that is filled with hot water whenever needed. A tented dining and living area offers uninterrupted views of the desert and mountains, while the extraordinary welwitschia plants dot the plain in front of camp.

Activities include rhino tracking on foot or by vehicle, full-day outings with a picnic lunch, birding and day and night nature drives to explore this intricate ecosystem. Dedicated guides will provide you with an informative and exciting experience.

The concessions freshwater springs support healthy populations of the famous desert-adapted black rhino, desert-adapted elephant, Hartmanns mountain zebra, giraffe, gemsbok, springbok, kudu and predators such as lion, cheetah, leopard, brown and spotted hyena. Bird life is prolific and diverse with most of Namibia's endemics present.

Includes: All meals, drinks (except premiums), laundry & safari activities