Our adventure started as we arrived in a rented 4×4 Toyota Hilux at Mowani Mountain Camp. Lying in the heart of Damaraland – a panoramic, rocky desert in central Namibia – the lodge can only be described as a hidden gem. Set among huge, towering boulders, Mountain Camp has incredible views and the sunset paints the boulders in a beautiful red colour – truly a sight to be experienced. The staff were welcoming, the lodge completely integrated into its surroundings and the food was absolutely brilliant!
Activities at camp include guided nature drives in search of Namibia’s famous desert-adapted elephants and an excursion to the rock engravings at Twyfelfontein and the geological wonders of Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes. The self-guided nature walks are a real bonus especially if you are doing a self-drive trip through Namibia. There’s quite a bit of driving to do and it felt great to do some exercise and stretch the legs in such scenic surroundings. Longer nature walks – good for birders – can also be done with a guide.
And then to the Skeleton Coast, set in the far north of Namibia and a destination renowned for its remoteness. We left Mowani soon after breakfast to make our mid-afternoon rendezvous and made it in good time. Entering the Skeleton Coast National Park, we drove to the meeting point at Möwe Bay.
The Skeleton Coast was given the name ‘The Land God made in Anger’ by the San Bushmen who once lived in the area. The coast is pounded by cold Atlantic storms and the interior is dry, rugged and almost completely uninhabited. Deriving its name from the whale and seal bones that once littered the shore from the whaling industry, the Skeleton Coast is now best known for the skeletal remains of shipwrecks caught by offshore rocks, fog and foul weather. It is estimated that thousands of vessels of various sizes line the coast, notably the Eduard Bohlen and the Dunedin Star.
On arrival at Möwe Bay we had to deflate our tyres to around one bar to do some 4×4 driving in deep sand in order to reach our next destination: the beautiful Shipwreck Lodge – finally we were at the Skeleton Coast, truly Off the Beaten Track! The lodge is located in the Skeleton Coast Central Concession between the Hoarusib and Hoanib River and has chalets uniquely designed to resemble shipwrecks nestled between the dunes with a view of the Atlantic Ocean.
The chalets are a unique combination of rustic and modern décor and the fireplace was a welcome friend on the first night at the lodge. During the day, temperatures hover around a very pleasant 21 to 25 degrees Celsius but be warned – the mornings and evenings can be chilly, especially on an open game drive. We had a cold font on the first day and temperatures were around 12 degrees Celsius during the day accompanied by a cold wind.
One of the activities at the lodge is a visit to the local Suiderkus and Karimona shipwrecks which I thought was very appropriate; other activities enjoyed were the dune walk to the beach, the fun-filled quad biking, sandboarding, running down the Roaring Dunes, a beach lunch and nature drives, exploring the nearby oasis. The Skeleton Coast is simply unique and a must for those who enjoy pure, wild remoteness. There are animals there too: we were hoping to see brown hyena and spotted the tracks a number of times but did not see it. We did however see oryx and springbok.
We had decided to combine Shipwreck Lodge with a stay with Hoanib Valley Camp which is about 70 kilometres inland and just outside the Skeleton Coast National Park. This allowed us to enjoy a one-of-a-kind self-drive activity through the interior of the Skeleton Coast with a transfer vehicle driving ahead of us.
Without the transfer vehicle to guide us we would never been able to find the way to Hoanib Valley Camp! The six-hour drive took us through the Hoarusib riverbed, over soft sand dunes, past rocky outcrops, over gravel plains and always with dramatic landscapes – simply a raw and rugged adventure through the Skeleton Coast.
For the last hour of our transfer, we drove along the dry Hoanib riverbed and saw many of the desert animals the area is famous for. We spotted desert-adapted elephants, oryx, giraffe, ostriches, springbok and African wildcat. One of the guests we met at Shipwreck Lodge had seen lion on the transfer. We also ticked off some wonderful birds of prey and desert birds that are not often seen elsewhere.
Hoanib Valley Camp is a beautiful six-tented lodge set in a spectacularly beautiful landscape and surrounded by mountains on three sides. Days are spent with guides tracking the critically-endangered black rhino as well as desert-adapted elephant and giraffe, blended with visits to a nomadic Himba settlement and nature walks to explore the surroundings in more detail.
The combination of the Shipwreck Lodge and the Hoanib Valley Camp is a must and gives a full picture of the greater Skeleton Coast area. Again, the lodge staff were amazing and we were treated to fabulous food from beginning to end. On the day of departure we received a wonderful packed lunch for the drive home. All in all, it was an incredible adventure!
