Skeleton Coast Safari

The Skeleton Coast Park is one of our planet’s most inhospitable, but hauntingly beautiful places – it is wild, desolate and uninhabited. It has everything from roaring sand dunes and windswept plains, to towering canyons and saltpans, and even one of the most productive fishing grounds anywhere.

Fresh water springs permeate through barren sands to create rare oases in the desert that sustain pockets of wildlife. Springbok, gemsbok (oryx), the rare desert elephant, ostrich, Cape fur seals, jackal and brown hyaena - and even cheetah on rare occasions - eke out an existence in this rugged terrain, along with the vegetation like the ancient welwitschia plant which has adapted to the harsh conditions.

The arid desert environment in the Skeleton Coast is within the northern reaches of the Namib Desert. The Benguela current brings cold waters all the way from Antarctica and helps to moderate temperatures. The cool air off the ocean meets the hotter desert air and nearly every morning, a cool mist envelops the coastline, bringing life sustaining moisture to the desert. By about 9 or 10 in the morning the sun’s rays have burnt this mist off.

There are many regions in the Skeleton Coast. On these safaris, we visit the most isolated, beautiful, remote (and private) northern sector of the park, from just north of Mowe Bay to just south of the Kunene River. The Parks have set aside this area for low volume, exclusive safaris.

This 4-day safari is a “flying” safari, starting at Windhoek’s Eros Airport on a Wednesday at about 1000 and finishing back in Windhoek on a Saturday in the mid-afternoon. However once we arrive at the Skeleton Coast we spend all our time on the ground in vehicles and on walks. Everyone on this safari starts and ends together.

We stay all three nights at Skeleton Coast Camp. This is a six-roomed luxury tented camp in the heart of the reserve. Skeleton Coast Camp is built onto an island in a dry riverbed about 20km inland from the coastline. Each of the 6 tents is large, roomy and has a en-suite bathroom. As a result of water shortages, it is unfortunately not possible to offer a laundry service. We have a wonderful old gnarled Leadwood tree which offers shelter from the elements, and this is our dining room for our outdoor meals.

This safari is unlike any of our other safaris. Because of the uniqueness and vastness of this area, most activities are done in 4x4 vehicles that are closed to the elements. All vehicles have pop-top roofs and sliding windows to enjoy the fine weather. There is however plenty of opportunity to walk and stretch the legs too. Activities include either full day nature drives or walks with a picnic lunch, returning to camp in the evening, or half day nature drives or walks returning to camp for lunch and venturing out again in the afternoon. Excursions may include visits to the clay castles of the Hoarusib River, Rocky Point, the roaring dunes, lichen fields, seal colonies, Himba villages, shipwreck sites and secret water seeps that attract wildlife like Oryx, Springbok, Giraffe, Ostrich, Brown Hyaena, Jackal and other smaller mammals. Walking also plays a part in the activities; due to the pristine nature of this area many parts are accessible only on foot, as vehicle tracks can damage the environment. Many specially adapted species of plants like Lithops and Welwitschia can be visited in this way.

Even though this is a quality safari, the terrain is harsh, rough and rugged. We will try and make this as comfortable as possible, but we have no way of hiding from the elements. Sometimes we can experience cold temperatures – and then 400m up the valley, we encounter hot desert winds.

This safari is available for three nights ( as described above) or four nights. The three nights Skeleton Coast Safari departs every Wednesday and returns every Saturday, whilst the 4 night Skeleton Coast Safari departs every Saturday and returns every Wednesday.

The cost for the above is in the region of £1561.00 per person sharing ( three nights )
and £1647.00 per person sharing (four nights).
Please note : The above cost is dependant on the time of year that you wish to travel.