NAMIBIA - Skeleton Coast Camp (scheduled 3 or 4 night safari)
Skeleton Coast Camp lies within the Skeleton Coast Park, a 10,150 square mile concession bordering the north-western edges of the Namib Desert. The Park takes its name from its stark, strikingly beautiful coastal landscape - littered with bleached whalebones, skeletal remains and the rusted carcasses of many shipwrecks. The concession is diverse - from roaring sand dunes and windswept plains to towering canyons, and from saltpans to freshwater springs.
Skeleton Coast Park boasts fascinating desert-adapted vegetation such as welwitschia and lithops, the succulent 'flowering stones', and the bizarre elephant's foot found in rocky crevices. More than a hundred species of lichen are found on the gravel plains and west-facing mountain slopes, which change colour as they absorb moisture when the coastal fog pushes inland.
ACCOMMODATION:
Skeleton Coast Camp is built on an island in the dry Khumib riverbed, approximately 12 miles inland from the coast. Six Meru-style tents with spacious, comfortable bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms comprise this small camp, with a central area made up of a lounge, bar and dining area with sweeping views of the desert. When weather permits, evening meals are served in the open-air 'dining room' under an old, gnarled leadwood tree.
ACTIVITIES AND WILDLIFE:
Activities at Skeleton Coast Camp revolve around the exploration of this unique, wild and desolate environment in 4x4s that are closed to the elements, although all vehicles have pop-top roofs and sliding windows to enjoy the fine midday weather.
The area covered is so vast, with so much to see and experience, so guests usually leave camp after breakfast and spend the full day exploring the Park. A picnic lunch is enjoyed out in the wild and guests return to camp in the late afternoon. An amazing variety of terrains are explored during your stay at Skeleton Coast Camp.
The arid conditions do not support large volumes of big game but freshwater springs permeate through the barren sands to create rare oases in the desert that sustain pockets of wildlife. Guests can see desert-adapted elephant, gemsbok, springbok, giraffe, ostrich, brown hyaena, Hartmann's mountain zebra and, occasionally, lion and cheetah. Black backed jackal are also often seen.
Birding in the area is also very good, with over 200 species recorded. This includes several of Namibia's desert endemic species - such as Tractrac Chat, Rüppell's Korhaan and Gray's Lark.
The seal colonies often have Jeagers and Skuas in attendance with Parasitic Jaeger, Pomarine Jaeger and Subantarctic Skua all possible in summer. The famous Cape fur seals are present in their thousands on the beaches, attracting predators as well.
There is plenty of opportunity to walk too, with many parts in this pristine setting accessible only on foot, as vehicle tracks can damage the environment. Many specially-adapted plant species such as Lithops and Welwitschia can only be visited in this way.
Extended walks with a picnic lunch, returning to camp in the evening, are incredibly popular.
OTHER EXCURSIONS:
Other excursions at Skeleton Coast Camp comprise visits to the clay castles of the Hoarusib River, Rocky Point, the roaring dunes, lichen fields, Cape fur seal colonies and Himba villages. Shipwrecks, now fast being devoured by the salty and vigorous coastline, can be viewed on request.