• Hoanib Valley Camp

Where The Elephant Roam

In a country jam-packed with vast, spectacularly beautiful landscapes, Kaokoland may just be the most incredible of them all. Deep in north-western Namibia, the area is a melee of towering mountains, sand dunes, and huge expanses of desert, scattered with unique wildlife and nomadic Himba settlements. It’s also one of Namibia’s most remote and wild environments, and one that not many will get the chance to discover in a lifetime. And that’s exactly why we’ve decided to build Hoanib Valley Camp. A joint venture between the local communities and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, the world’s only Africa-wide giraffe conservation organization, the camp is an elegant, intimate affair that immerses you into the wilds of the desert.

Kaokoland

Cradled in the protective embrace of a crescent-shaped mountain above the ephemeral Hoanib river, deep in the heart of Kaokoland on Namibia’s isolated north-western fringes. The camp, which has been designed to be removed without trace at the end of its natural life, occupies a magical spot from which to observe lions, elephants and giraffe parading among the ana trees.

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SPACIOUS & LUXURIOUS

GLORIOUS LANDSCAPES

Hoanib Valley’s six guest tents blend almost perfectly into the rugged environment. The colours, textures and patterns are inspired by the experience of the Hoanib; the rich ochre of the dunes, the geometric patterns of the Himba people and, of course, the giraffe that inspired the project. True to the ethos of Natural Selection, we’ve sourced materials locally, and you’ll find furniture shaped by the local Rundu carpenters and Himba carvers, and baskets weaved by the people of the Omba Project in Windhoek. The whole camp is a clean and green sort of place, leaving virtually no footprint on this fragile eco-system. It’s entirely solar powered to ensure carbon emissions are kept to a minimum, and the tents sit on decks made of a wood, bamboo and 70% recycled-material composite.

DELIGHT IN A WILDLIFE RETREAT

MARVELLOUSLY UNIQUE

 The focus at Hoanib Valley Camp lies on the astonishing diversity of desert-adapted animals that survive in the Koakoveld’s demanding ecosystem. Spend your days tracking these giraffe, elephant, springbok, oryx and lion on desert game drives and guided nature walks. The Himba, Herero and Damara communities of the area have ingenious ways of thriving here and will teach you how to adapt to the desert environment. The camp’s blockbuster, however, is the stargazing. Spend your evenings around the campfire after dining al fresco, and be dazzled by the jaw-droppingly sensational African night sky in a place with very little light or air pollution.

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