The Damaraland region is a land of striking contrast, of desert alongside rolling grasslands, high mountain ranges with strikingly unusual rock formations, San rock art and the rarest of fauna and flora. Khorixas is the capital of this strange region. From there one
can explore the intriguing mystery of the petrified forest, where massive tree trunks up to 30m in length lie scattered across
the plains.
Scientists believe that they were carried here some 200 million years ago by gigantic floods. These have now turned to stone with every detail of grain and bark still clearly visible. Twyfelfontein offers one of the most spectacular collection of rock paintings and engravings in Africa done by hunter-gatherers who lived here thousands of years ago. “Vingerklip” or rock finger is one of the many unique rock formations found in the area. This formation stands about 35m tall and was carved by the winds and sands of the surrounding plains. Burnt Mountain is a desolate landscape of volcanic rock which, when caught by the setting sun, glows a fiery red, orange and purple. The Brandberg Mountain Range contains the highest peak in the country (2573m) and is also host to many rock paintings including the famous ‘White Lady of Brandberg’. Damaraland captures one in prehistoric time when the dinosaurs walked the planet.
Southern Africa / Namibia / Khorixas
Damaraland Camp
Damaraland Camp is a warm, friendly place situated in the Huab River
Valley in one of the most pristine wilderness areas in Namibia; as such it offers endless vistas across stark plains, ancient valleys and soaring
inselberg of the Brandberg Mountains. Damaraland Camp is a rare synergy which integrates the local community and the environment with sustainable eco-tourism, and has won an array of awards including the 2005 WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Conservation Award, one of the top two global travel environmental awards in the world.
Located on the north face of the Haub River valley 90 kilometres from Torra Bay, the camp is situated in the mountainous region of north-west Namibia. 10 large Meru-style walk-in tents with en-suite facilities provide accommodation. The stone living area combines dining room and pub and an open fire is enjoyed on calm evenings. There is a swimming pool next to the bar. An open campfire and outdoor 'boma' are enjoyed during calm evenings and stargazing is superb thanks to the crystal-clear night skies.
Large wildlife is not concentrated year-round here, the natural cycle of rainfall dictating its seasonal movements along the Huab River. Activities include nature drives, walks and mountain biking during which guests can see species such as desert-adapted elephant, gemsbok, greater kudu springbok, and occasionally cheetah and black rhino as well interesting flora like euphorbias and shepherd's trees. The area also has some of Africa's best rock engravings including the famous Twyfelfontein etchings.
Early morning fog generated by the icy Atlantic Ocean and the warm desert air of the Skeleton Coast drift inland, providing precious water to the flora and fauna, all of which has adapted superbly to this harsh environment. Considering the proximity of the concession to the stark Skeleton Coast National Park and true Namib Desert, this area is home to a surprisingly high diversity of wildlife. The 350 000-hectare Torra Conservancy supports a healthy number of desert-adapted elephants. There are good populations of Hartman's mountain zebra, southern giraffe, gemsbok, springbok, cheetah, spotted and brown hyaena.
Birding is excellent with raptors including Martial Eagle, Lappet-faced Vulture and Pale Chanting Goshawk. Ephemeral pools in the Huab sometimes harbour Black Crake, South African Shelduck, Hamerkop and Three-banded Plover. The endemic Benguela Long-billed Lark is common on the rocky slopes here, its plaintive whistling call an evocative sound. Common camp visitors include Pale-winged Starling, Mountain Wheatear, Rüppell's Korhaan and Cape Bunting, while Namaqua Sandgrouse are often startled between the tents. Along the dry Huab River with its large camel thorn trees, Common Scimitarbill, Acacia Pied Barbet and perhaps a roosting Spotted Eagle-Owl can be found.
Damaraland Camp is the successful result of a partnership between Wilderness Safaris and the Torra Conservancy, and has become an inspiration for communities and conservationists throughout Africa and beyond.
Wilderness Safaris and the local Torra community in Damaraland have formed a highly successful partnership, with the community acting as landlord. It has resulted in a 352 000-hectare (869 000-acre) conservancy being proclaimed in what was once barren denuded land. The rare desert-adapted elephant, black rhino and plains game are flourishing again and poaching, once rife, has stopped.
Today, this area has been transformed; the wildlife numbers are climbing and many of the animal populations have doubled. Revenues flow from Damaraland Camp to the community through significant bed-night levies, the provision of services, secondary businesses and salaries. The community earns a percentage of the camp's bed-night accommodation revenue and its Trust is one of the most successful community trusts in Namibia.
Camp staff are sourced from the surrounding community; thus the very existence of the camp has been instrumental in alleviating poverty in the region. This partnership has resulted in the Torra community being one of the first in Namibia to have its area proclaimed a Community Wildlife Conservancy, known as the Torra Wildlife Conservancy.
Rooms: 10 tents
In the Rooms:
Comfortable, large walk-in safari tents with doors not zips, valley-facing with wonderful views of the mountain, en-suite facilities at the back of each tent, tea/coffee station in each tent for which the guide will provide a flask of hot water along with their wake up call, soaps, shampoos and insect repellents are supplied in each tent, safe in each tent
Facilities: Stone living area combining dining room and pub,open fireplace, swimming pool next to the bar, small curio shop stocking primarily clothes.
This is a wonderful area for enjoying the desert environment. There are no large concentrations of game as the desert cannot sustain the numbers. What makes this area fascinating is that this is the Africa of old with no fences, and local herdsmen with their live stock living side by side with the wildlife. The Torra Community are shareholders in the camp, so they benefit directly from employment and an equity stake in the venture.
In the vicinity: /5 things to do
• Game drives in 4 x 4 seater open Land Rovers
• Sundowner drives
• Guided walking safaris
• Private vehicles can be booked at an additional cost, subject to availability
• 8 x Mountain bikes
Children: Children over the age of 8 yrs welcome
Restaurant:
Credit cards accepted: Visa and Mastercard
Additional Information:
Local drinks and house-wines are included but premium imports are not.
Flying times to/from Swakopmund approximately 60 minutes
Flying times to/from Windhoek 1 hour 40 mins
Flying times to/from Ongava 60 minutes
Southern Africa / Namibia / Khorixas
Untitled Document
BEST TIME TO VISIT AND THINGS TO DO
1. Culture
Namibia is home to some of the worlds most ancient tribes including the Himba and Herero people. Both groups are easily recognisable through their very distinctive clothing styles. A good starting point for learning about these two tribes is Opuwo. Those interested in learning more about eh Herero people should travel further north to Epupa Falls (4 x 4 required)
2. Fishing
Thanks to the cold Benguela current which flows northwards from the Antarctic, Namibia offers some of the best surf angling in the world. The best time for surf angling is between November and March and the sport is permitted north of Walvis Bay and south of the Ugab River. Most fishing is done around Swakopmund and Henties bay area.
3. 4 x 4 ing
Huge undeveloped and sparsely populated land makes Namibia a paradise for 4 x 4 enthusiasts. The most popular areas are the sandy coastal areas between Luderitz and Swakopmund and through the rough, rocky expanse of the Koakeveld in the north west. Drivers should note that this is not for the inexperienced drivers.
4. Hiking
Namibia’s best known hiking trail is the Fish River Canyon, an 80 km trail that requires 4 to 5 days to complete. This lies in the south close to the South African border. Due to extreme heat conditions in summer, it is only open between 01 May and 15 September and bookings need to be done in advance.
5. Game Viewing
Namibia offers incredible game viewing experiences in landscape like no other in the world... Etosha National Park covers approximately 22 000 km2 and supports more than 100 mammal species and over 300 different bird species. The best time of the year to visit Etosha is during the height of the dry season where animals are forced to congregate around the water holes. The best time for seeing enormous flocks of migrating water birds including flamingoes is during the brief rainy season between November and March.
While not allowed in the National Parks, hunting is very popular in Namibia and is available on many private reserves and game farms.
6. Sossusvlei
The bright orange sand dunes at Sossusvlei are said to be the highest in the word, reaching some 300m off the desert floor. The changing colours on the dunes make for an amazing photo opportunity. Several companies offer hot air ballooning flights or small plane flights over the dunes which are usually done in the early mornings. You can reach within 4 km of the dunes in a normal car and then the last 4 km need to be done either by foot or in a 4 x 4 vehicle.
CAPITAL: Windhoek
CLIMATE:
Dry and arid, Namibia has two season
Summer: November through to April and is hot and sunny. Daytime temperatures reach 40 C and night time drops to around 18 C
Winter: May to October and is sunny and mild. Daytime temperatures average around 23 C while night time temperatures can be very cold at around 0 C.
In the north the rains come in February and March making many of the 4 x 4 trails on the Angolan border impassable.
COMMUNICATIONS:
The international country code for Namibia is + 264
Cell phone reception beyond major towns is very limited.
Windhoek, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay have internet cafes
ELECTRICITY:
250 V. The plug type is the rectangular 3 pin (as found in the UK)
LANGUAGE:
The official language is English, but outside major tourist areas it is not widely spoken. Afrikaans and German are the most commonly spoken languages.
TIME:
Namibia observes daylight saving time.
First Sunday in September to first Sunday in April - GMT + 2 hrs
From April to September - GMT + 1 hr
ENTERING AND GETTING AROUND:
AIRPORT DEPARTURE TAX: None
ARRIVAL BY AIR: Namibia’s main airport is Hosea Kutako International Airport 49 km outside of Windhoek. There is also an international airport in Walvis Bay which services Swakopmund area.
DRIVING: Foreign drivers require an international drivers license. Driving is on the left hand side of the road. Four wheel drive vehicles are essential for exploring the Kaokoveld, Damaraland and Bushmanland regions
CUSTOMS:
Duty free allowance of 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco, 2 litres of wine and 1 litre of spirits, 50 ml of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette. Currency must be declared on arrival.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
A valid passport is required to enter Mozambique and the validity date needs to be atleast 6 months after the visitor intends to leave the country. Visitors may also be asked to produce outgoing travel documents and proof of sufficient funds to finance their stay. Nationals of some countries require visas – please check individual requirements. Visas need to be obtained prior to departure and will not be issued at border posts on arrival.
HEALTH
Please check with your local doctor on which immunizations are deemed necessary and whether malaria prophylactics should be taken. The northern areas of Namibia are considered a malaria risk area especially during the rainy season. Windhoek. Walvis Bay and Swakopmund have good medical facilities on par with European standards, but in the rural areas they are below standard.
It is strongly recommended that you ensure that you have adequate medical insurance when visiting Namibia.
MONEY
ATM’S:
Available in most cities and towns
BANKS:
There are 4 commercial banks with branches I mot towns and cities: Standard bank of Namibia, First National Bank, Nedbank and Bank Windhoek. Operating hours vary, but most banks are open between 09h00 and 15h30 weekdays and 09h00 to 11h00 on Saturdays.
CREDIT CARDS:
Credit cards are readily accepted in most cities and towns but in the rural areas only cash is accepted. Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted, but some places also accept American Express and Diners. Petrol stations do not accept credit cards.
CURRENCY:
The unit of currency is the Namibian Dollar which is divided into 100 cents. Notes are issued in ND200, ND100, ND50, ND20, ND10. The Namibian dollar is pegged to the South African Rand and South African Rands are accepted as currency throughout Namibia. Please note that Namibian Dollars are not accepted in South Africa.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE:
Foreign currency and travellers cheques can be changed at banks and Bureaux de change. There are Bureaux de change at airports and some of the larger hotels.
TRAVELLERS CHEQUES:
These can be exchanged at banks and Bureaux de Change. Some vendors accept travellers cheques, but do not rely on this as a payment method.
The Damaraland region is a land of striking contrast, of desert alongside rolling grasslands, high mountain ranges with strikingly unusual rock formations, San rock art and the rarest of fauna and flora. Khorixas is the capital of this strange region. From there one 
