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Claire
The Search for Desert Elephants in Ancient Terrains in Damaraland
The landscapes of Damaraland are simply astounding - braille of ancient rock and arid sandscapes shaped by the ages.
Damaraland Links:
Damaraland Quick Travel Tips | What To Pack For A Safari To Damaraland in Namibia | Namibia Safari Destination Inspiration: Hobatere to Palmwag, Damaraland | Namibia Safari Destination Inspiration: Skeleton Coast To Twyfelfontein, Damaraland | Namibia Safari Destination Inspiration: Twyfelfontein and the Khowarib Schlucht, Damaraland |
After a week in Etosha, we emerged out of Galton Gate on the western side of the park. Gravel turned to tar and my heart dipped with that back-to-civilisation feeling. I was about to be taught that, in Namibia, the wildness of these places doesn’t end beyond the confines of the safety and structure of the parks.
If you close your eyes and picture Namibia, you’re probably imagining space – desolation and remoteness that hint at the world’s scale and how apparent nothingness has so much to offer. Beyond the Etosha gate, the landscapes that so characterise this part of the country shift and crack over every undulation in the road and around every corner. Little did I know that exiting the park was the beginning, the middle, the end – head-spinning magnificence that is an act of defiance against common ideals of beauty.
Our first stop was Hobatere Roadside Camp, a stone’s throw down the drag from Galton Gate. Stony kopjes were the elevated fortresses from which klipspringers watched our passing between the prickled fingers of halfmens. As we settled into our very comfortable campsite, taking in the view confirmed that there is peace in wild, less-inhabited lands.
We clambered between the rocks, the watery eyes of the klipspringers reflecting our forms like deep pools in this arid landscape. From the viewpoint, giraffe stooped to drink from the waterhole as if in worship and Hartmann’s zebra, sensing our presence, made a zigzag formation along the rockface in slow procession to the pool – sacrificing the rush of thirst for watchfulness. →
A Long Walk
Hobatere Roadside Camp has an elevated hide overlooking a waterhole - an amazing vantage point to watch wildlife congregate in the great, dry heat of the day.
Above us, a magnified moon was equally observant of the day’s dwindling sunlight. The ferocity of the earth’s exposed hues in this light accentuated wildlife, rock, sand, and water – a rebellion of thick, dark shadow on a desert palette.
That night, breaking an orchestra of campfire crackles in desert silence, we heard antelope alarm whistles and snorts and, later, the calls of lions echoing against every structure like cymbals. We had looked around with heads full of questions when we were told that lions roamed the area. Our earlier feelings of disbelief gave way to acceptance of this everyday miracle that was purely auditory in the darkness. It was an unfolding feeling as the days passed.
The next morning, we wanted to explore the Ombondi River along the Khowarib Schluct – a seasonal sand river that was used as a route by more adventurous overlanders. With tourism still experiencing a COVID quietness at the time of our trip, we were warned that it was a bad idea. If something happened, no-one would be driving along there for weeks. Heat, water, and fuel were all things to consider limited if we were to be stranded. “When do we leave?”
The only way to have a holiday is to have a no phone rule – and this meant no maps. We drove along hardly-discernible sand tracks, past occasional huts and livestock corrals. Like the scenery, this was human existence pared down to its most rudimentary form. I thought of the lion roars from the night before – enormous against the size of the mud huts and as a threat to the precious livestock these people tended. →
Zebra Zigzags
A tiger cannot change its stripes, but the stripe variation on the Hartmann's Mountain Zebra are a delight for any wildlife lover.
Eventually, we turned around. Historical tracks were not reliable route markers and I can’t say this for certain, but I’m sure that nothing spoils a holiday like the unplanned act of living a survival guide. That doesn’t mean we didn’t have hearts filled with ‘what ifs’ as we made our way back towards the tar – until we saw what looked like a delivery truck heading in the opposite direction. Let me just say at this juncture that little is out of place to the extent of a giant white truck in the sandy gravel land between the remote villages of Namibia. It’s probably a little like seeing Postman Pat in the high Himalayas.
We stopped and talked to the truck’s occupants, Mac and Linda, who also happened to be from South Africa. They were headed to the Ombondi River and their truck was loaded with everything we were worried about – fuel, food and drink, maps and GPS gadgets. They said they would pull us out of the sand if we were stuck. It turns out wishes are granted by rubbing hurricane lamps. With worries waylaid, we headed back towards the Ombondi River.
The truck episode of this trip could be a story in itself. It has a washing machine, air conditioning, a fully-kitted bathroom and kitchen. I found myself shaking my head from time to time at this overlanding marvel. It was like someone riding an elephant at a tuk-tuk rally, but it was made for this and it was undeniably amazing.
It wasn’t long before the heavy truck broke through the thin hard crust of the dried riverbed and got stuck. Sand tracks, manpower, and some sandy engine revving and hardworking diffs meant crisis was averted, but plans changed. We drove along for hours, past huge red cliffs and occasional puzzled villagers. We saw the incredible ochre forms of some Himba people in places so devoid of human life they felt like smiling red mirages. →
We saw the incredible ochre forms of some Himba people in places so devoid of human life they felt like smiling red mirages.
Remarkable Routes
Snaking gravel roads through incredible, rocky landscapes characterise this part of Namibia. Never has nothingness been more beautiful.
We wild camped that night on the riverbank, shared a lovely meal by the light of a giant moon, and told stories by firelight before heading to bed – one couple in a ground tent, another in a truck. In the morning, we noticed lion tracks on the road behind us – a few days old, but clear and close enough give the place a hard and steady heartbeat. Desert lions are a thing of dreams for me and these pug marks in the sand are shooting stars for hopes and wishes.
As we drove to the main road, we moved through truly extraordinary landscapes, watched by desert-adapted giraffe and occasional impalas. We had lunch with our truck buddies at the outpost town of Sesfontein and headed on to Palmwag. A post-script about our Ombondi buddies: they are currently exploring Europe and the UK in the same truck – and I am honoured that one of my lion drawings has been printed on its side like an adventure token.
The red, rocky landscape and palm trees at Palmwag give this amazing African destination a Thousand and One Nights feeling. We stayed at the Gondwana Collection campsite, with dried palm leaves rustling like thick skirts in the moonlit sky above us. The sightings board recorded desert black rhino, giraffe, and lions. →
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Birds Change Everything
According to Julie Zickefoose, "The presence of a single bird can change everything for one who appreciates them." Spotting near-endemic bird species like the Ruppell's Korhaan in landscapes like these take this sentiment to the next level.
On our way to Palmwag and after we left, our awe grew as we went over every undulation in the road. I’ve questioned the power of this place to move me many times since. I think understanding its power is to give credit to space. Space is a luxury – one that creates room for reflection, imagination, peace. It is a luxury that allows our minds to wander without borders or impediments. It is the very definition of freedom.
The hostility of the place means freedom comes with a healthy dose of fear. This landscape creates a camera obscura view of man’s relationship with nature – one of reverence, one in which the significance of cities and civilisations cease and what is important is laid bare. What would it feel like to be the only people in the world, the single vestige of humankind left to wonderland? For some, this is an uncomfortable idea but, in it, I feel a wise and poignant truth. I believe the closest you will get to that feeling is in wild Namibia. →
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A Road Through Nowhere
The road less travelled includes sometimes non-existent sand tracks through Namibia's unspeakably beautiful landscapes - the distant hills, dramatic cliffs, and varicose plant-life giving the middle of nowhere a powerful pulse of mysterious life.
Packing for Damaraland and the deserts of Namibia doesn't need to be daunting. Get expert safari packing advice and get packing with in-depth Damaraland safari packing advice and quick tips for travellers to Damaraland from our experts and your comprehensive safari packing list.
The Sweetness of Simplicity
The simple camp at Hobatere Roadside had everything we could need - and fit in perfectly with the landscape around it. Coloured by sunsets, it's a great stop-off for Damaraland adventures - and a great place from which to explore western Etosha.
The Oasis At Palmwag
Palmwag Lodge is a palm-filled oasis surrounded by rich red rock. The breeze through the dried palm leaves broke the stillness, but not the heat as we watched the horizon for desert-adapted wildlife.
Namibia Safari Links:
Damaraland Quick Travel Tips | What To Pack For A Safari To Damaraland in Namibia | Namibia Safari Destination Inspiration: Hobatere to Palmwag, Damaraland | Namibia Safari Destination Inspiration: Skeleton Coast To Twyfelfontein, Damaraland | Namibia Safari Destination Inspiration: Twyfelfontein and the Khowarib Schlucht, Damaraland | What To Pack For A Safari To Etosha National Park | Quick Travel Tips For A Safari To Etosha National Park | Safari Destination Inspiration: Etosha National Park | Safari Destination Inspiration: Jackalberry Lodge, Nkasa Rupara National Park | Safari Destination Inspiration: Nkasa Rupara National Park, Caprivi | Steve’s Off The Beaten Track Safaris: Skeleton Coast | Desert Namibia | Namib Naukluft National Park & Sossusvlei | Namib Desert and Namibrand | What To Pack For A Desert Namibia Safari | Quick Tips For The Namib Desert & a Desert Namibia Safari |