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Namibia Safaris > Walking Safaris

Desert Rhino & Elephant Walking Expedition 8 Days

For more than 20 years, the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) has worked ceaselessly to protect the last free-ranging rhino population on Earth: the rare desert-adapted black rhino. In the remote, rugged Palmwag Concession, teams of local trackers use camel trains to help with the research and monitoring of this animal.

On this original and exciting Exploration, guests join the “ships of the desert” on a great adventure: an eight-day walk (little time is spent actually on the camels) deep into the heart of the Namib Desert, the oldest desert in the world, where a camel train and a team of Save the Rhino trackers take us in search of this rare and endangered species. Guests thus gain access to some of the most remote and almost inaccessible regions of the Concession.

The revenues generated by this venture are directly channelled into the critically important conservation of the rhino population of the area.

This serviced walking safari offers a unique adventure for the traveller seeking an authentic African experience and a means to join skilled rhino trackers in their conservation, research and custodian work.

Explorations remote campsites on this itinerary provide 2.4 x 2.4m dome tents, designed for comfort in remote wilderness areas. Cotton linen and bedrolls (with duvets) with a lantern complement the atmosphere in this pristine and wild area. Separate short-drop toilet and shower ‘bathrooms’ with old-style bucket showers create simple serviced comfort.

By means of lively campfires, hurricane lanterns and a warm atmosphere permeating the camp (and its simplicity), Adventurer walking brings the guest closer to nature. Such camps are specifically outfitted to create that sense of wilderness with a clear emphasis on essential camp comforts and maximum wilderness experience.

Guide: The entire safari is guided and hosted by a professional and passionate guide, Gary Booth, who shares in-depth knowledge with the guests, to present a seamless, well-rounded experience. In addition, the experienced Save the Rhino Trust tracker team accompanies the trip, providing comprehensive interaction and valuable experience of the positions they hold as caretakers of these magnificent animals.

Exclusive experience: As the 450 000-hectare Palmwag Concession in north-west Namibia is a private reserve, exclusivity in this pristine and unspoiled area is unrivalled. All campsite allocations are for the use of Wilderness Safaris guests only, while at Palmwag Lodge we meet other independent travellers.

ITINERARY AT A GLANCE

ITINERARY DETAILS

Day 1: Palmwag Lodge, Palmwag Concession
Palms whispering in the wind and spectacular surroundings (with awe-inspiring sunsets), the home of the famous desert-adapted elephant and the rare black rhino - this is Palmwag Lodge, one of Namibia's oldest and most popular tourist locations.

The lodge offers 24 beds in 2- or 3-bed thatched bungalows, a fully licensed restaurant, swimming pool under shady palms and a small "Pool Bar".

On our arrival at Palmwag Lodge, we are welcomed by the guide to the area and receive a full briefing on the tour ahead.

Day 2: Aub River, Palmwag Concession After an early breakfast, we depart northwards by game drive to Mbakondja Camel Camp to meet the Save the Rhino Camel team. Then we ride or walk south to the Aub River, where our Adventurer camp has been erected prior to our arrival. In addition to the tracking and hopefully viewing of desert-adapted elephant and black rhino (the latter a rare subspecies of rhino), our guides reveal the sheer magnificence of nature’s survival strategies in this arid environment, concentrating on a variety of topics from birds, insects, medicinal uses of plants and viewing general wildlife.

Days 3: Barab River, Palmwag Concession
Our journey continues today with a walk to the Barab River, concentrating on the tracking of the elusive desert giants through a series of hills, rocky landscapes and diverse geology. After even a little rain, the gravel plains are covered in long golden grasses that ripple in the wind.

Day 4: Kudu Springs, Palmwag Concession
After an early breakfast, we ride out further west through the Okomutati Springs to Kudu Springs. This area is almost inaccessible to vehicles, an area of pristine wilderness where the sense of remoteness is complete. En route we also have the opportunity to see extraordinary plant life including the ancient Welwitschia plants and numerous lichens.

Day 5: Hunkab Spring, Palmwag Concession
Heading northwards, we move to the next popular drinking point for Kaokoland’s diverse animal life, the Hunkab Spring. Fresh drinking water in the desert forms the basis for seasonal animal movements and a surprisingly diverse range of animal life can be seen here. Animals from Hartmann’s mountain zebra to elephant and the endemic Ruppell’s korhaan come to slake their thirst.

Day 6 & 7: Hoanib Camp, Kaokoland
We bid farewell to the Save the Rhino Trust trackers and depart on game drive from Hunkab, travelling through the concession to the ephemeral river of the Hoanib Valley. Here, in an area seemingly parched and desolate, we enter one of Namibia’s richest desert wildlife areas.

We stay at Hoanib Camp, and enjoy game walks, rhino tracking, game drives and night drives into the Hoanib River valley.

Our Discoverer-styled tented Hoanib Camp close to the Hoanib River is a relaxed haven from which we explore this wild land on foot, or from the comfort of one of our safari vehicles. The camp is powered by solar-powered inverter systems and there are no generators or pumps running whilst guests are in camp. There are 5 walk-in hexagonal Meru-style tents with en-suite and flush toilet and bucket shower bathrooms in a separate portion of the tent. Each tent is furnished with necessary comforts and styled with burnt orange interiors, wood and brass, effectively recreating a sense of the early explorers of Africa.

Day 8: Air charter to Palmwag Lodge 
After an early breakfast and game drive, we fly back to Palmwag Lodge, in time for a lunch and final farewell to the adventure.

ADDITIONAL SAFARI NOTES
International and local air connection onto the safari: If arrival is planned for the day of the safari’s departure, please ensure that this is with the earliest possible international flight arrival, before 10h00. Late arrivals may necessitate additional road or air transfers to Palmwag Lodge, subject to an extra cost.

International air connections leaving the safari: Please ensure that your departure flight is booked for after 15h00 from Windhoek. For earlier international departure flights, an additional transfer will be required to arrive for this connection. Extra transfers and flights are subject to extra cost. This safari ends at Palmwag Lodge, transfer flights to other destinations will need to be booked separately.

Flashlights/ torches: Please ensure that a minimum 2-D cell flashlight is brought on safari, with spare batteries. Head lamps are also useful. Wilderness Safaris does not supply flashlights.

Camera battery charging facilities: Please note that a 12V cigarette lighter adaptor will be required (that is compatible with camera make) on this safari for charging batteries while at Hoanib Camp. Unfortunately no charging facilities are available on the walking safari, due to the remoteness of the area.

Dietary requirements and special occasions: Due to remote locality of Explorations camps, please ensure that full dietary requirements and special occasions are advised at the time of your booking confirmation.

*** Custom Tailor Made Safaris are our specialty, if you do not see a Safari that makes you happy, let us know and we can design the perfect fit for you!***