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Family Wildlife Adventures Website

Namibia ~ Kunene & Erongo

These two regions of Namibia in the north- and central-east of the country encompass multiple fascinating and beautiful areas, rich in diverse natural history and cultural interest. Location highlights include the Kunene River, Hartmann’s Valley, Epupa Falls, Skeleton Coast Park, Puros, Palmwag Concession, Damaraland, Etendeka Plateau, Dorob National Park, the Brandberg and Erongo Mountains, as well as the popular coastal towns of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.

KUNENE REGION

Kunene (formerly known as Kaokoland) is a remote, mountainous, arid and relatively inaccessible region and traditional home to the semi-nomadic Himba as well as the Damara and Herero people, each with their own rich culture. The region’s name stems from the Kunene River which defines its northern border with Angola and includes the infamous Skeleton Coast with its stories of adventure and tragedy along its wild and inhospitable shoreline. Moisture from the coastal fog sustains some weird and wonderful flora and fauna including Welwitschia mirabilis, desert beetles, Namaqua chameleon, shovel snouted lizard and much more.

The geology of this region is fascinating and spectacular, with ephemeral rivers and natural oases supporting desert-adapted animals including desert elephants, desert black rhinos, desert-adapted lion, giraffe, Hartmanns mountain zebra, gemsbok (oryx) and springbok.

Damaraland

Located between Namibia’s Central Plateau and the Skeleton Coast, Damaraland is a geologist’s dream, renowned for its natural beauty, its desert-adapted wildlife and ancient human history in the form of rock engravings. A land of endless horizons, pastel colours, sublime sunsets and more stars at night than you can possibly imagine, this is a true wilderness at it’s best.

Split into vast private concessions, it is here that you can track the world’s only naturally occurring free-roaming population of desert-adapted black rhino. It is home to Namibia’s desert-adapted elephants which roam huge distances in search of water and nourishment, aided in their survival by their undeniable intelligence, memory capacity and sense of smell.

Other major attractions include the rock engravings at Twyfelfontein (World Heritage Site) and geological features such as the strange petrified forest, Burnt Mountain and Organ Pipes.

Twyfelfontein (World Heritage Site)

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007), the hillside of red sandstone boulders (petrified sand dunes) of Twyfelfontein hold around 2,500 rock engravings, depicting various animals, footprints and patterns, and is one of the largest collection of its kind in Africa. Artifacts found at the site, dating back around 6,000 years, suggest the long-term occupation of Stone Age San hunter-gatherers, followed by Khoikhoi herders.

Twyfelfontein, meaning ‘doubtful spring’ in Afrikaans, was named by a farmer in 1946 because he wasn’t sure whether the spring would provide enough water to sustain his livestock and family. Evidence of the farm still remains today, and the (undoubtedly rather feeble) spring provides a great attraction to bird life!

The main engravings of interest lie along two circular routes, taking around two hours, and a visitor centre provides information on the history, people and geology of the area.

Palmwag Concession

A very special nature reserve in northern Damaraland, the 450,000 hectare Palmwag Concession (or Palmwag Reserve) offers true wilderness safaris with a focus on tracking desert adapted black rhino with the help of the Save the Rhino Trust – an admirable organisation which was founded in 1982 to protect the desert black rhinos from poachers. The Palmwag Concession now holds the largest free-roaming population of the critically endangered black rhino in the world and one of very few places where rhino numbers are steadily increasing thanks to the vigilance, montioring and conservation work of Save the Rhino Trust. It is an exhilarating and unforgettable experience to approach the black rhinos on foot – an opportunity available in the concession.

The Palmwag Concession has much more to offer besides rhinos, in a breathtaking arid wilderness of rocky landscapes, grasslands, normally dry river courses and a backdrop of the flat-topped mountains of the Etendeka Plateau. The morning fog drifting inland from the Skeleton Coast prings provides life-giving water for all manner of strange flora, including welwitschias, salvadora bushes, bottle-shaped pachypodium trees, poisonous euphorbias, leadwood and shepherd’s trees and more. Freshwater springs support diverse fauna including giraffe, kudu, Hartmann's mountain zebra, gemsbok (oryx), springbok, klipspringer and steenbok. Desert elephants roam through the concession, browsing along the Uniab river line. Predators include a good number of elusive desert-adapted lion as well as cheetah, leopard, both spotted and brown hyena, black-backed jackal together with small spotted genet and meerkats (suricate).

Birding is productive with endemics including Rüppell's korhaan, Benguela long-billed lark and Herero chat. Raptors include Verreaux’s eagle, booted eagle, lanner falcon and greater kestrel. Other birds such as the loquacious and brightly coloured bokmakierie, Monteiro's hornbill, white-backed mousebird, Namaqua sandgrouse, Burchell's courser and grey-backed sparrowlark will keep you entertained whilst waiting for the radio call from the Save the Rhino Trust tracker that they’ve spotted a rhino!

Etendeka Plateau / Grootberg

The commanding flat-topped mountains which define the Etendeka Plateau area have an exciting history. They originate from an enormous basalt flow which eminated from what may be the largest volcanic eruption ever known on Earth, around 132 million years ago, with a volume in excess of 10,000,000 km3 (2km thick in places), spreading over parts of what is now Namibia, Angola, Brazil and Argentina, just prior to the break away of Southern Africa from South America. Also known as the Paraná-Etendeka Traps, this means the mountains seen in Paraná, Brazil are made of exactly the same rock as these in Namibia’s Etendeka Plateau! This catastrophic event occurred around 10 million years before the mass extinctions at the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary (when 37% of marine genera such as ammonites, corals and bivalves vanished).

The Etendeka Plateau has eroded over time and is still almost 900m deep in places and makes for a stunning wilderness concession of 40,000 hectares. Views from the Grootberg Mountain over the flat-topped mountains and valleys are outstanding, and the Etendeka region is fantastic for nature walks and horse riding for an intimate immersion in the fascinating geology of the area where oryx, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, kudu, klipspringer and black eagle may also be seen. It is also possible to track desert adapted elephants and black rhinos from this area, as well as visit local Himba villages should they be resident in the area at the time of your visit (Himba are semi-nomadic).

Skeleton Coast National Park

Renowned for the ubiquitous tales of adventure, tragedy and survival against the odds, the Skeleton Coast National Park which stretches from to Ugab River in the South to the Kunene in the North, is named after the remains of rusting shipwrecks and whale bones which are strewn along the shore and into the inhospitable desert beyond. Mariners who survived shipwreck in the treacherous conditions offshore found themselves washed up into a surreal and beautiful landscape yet one without shelter, food or fresh water.

However, this harsh wilderness reveals abundant life to those who know where to look. Cape fur seal colonies support jackal and brown hyena. Oryx and springbok are well-adapted to the desert conditions and ostrich, giraffe, black rhino, desert elephants and lion roam areas surrounding ephemeral riverbeds. Flora includes unique lichens, dollar bushes and the wonderful welwitschia.

Purros (or Puros) Conservancy

The Purros Conservancy in Kaokaoland is a beautiful wilderness based around a rural village next to the Hoarusib River, 55km east of the Skeleton Coast and approximately 200km south of the Kunene River. The area is home to the Himba tribe, nomadic pastoralists with a culture that is fast being usurped by modern ways. The transition between traditional and new ways of life can be clearly seen in Purros.

The area offers nature drives along the ephemeral Hoarusib riverbed and nearby mountains with a chance to see desert-adapted elephants, giraffe, baboons and springbok, with a stop at a spectacular look-out point over the vast wilderness. Accessible only by 4x4 or light aircraft, Purros makes for a different safari experience, away from the more popular wildlife reserve areas.

Hartmann Valley / Serra Cafema

A remote lodge, inaccessible except by light aircraft and nestled in the Hartmann Valley, Serra Cafema is set in a land of contrasts. The permanently flowing Kunene River with its waterbirds and crocodiles flows in front of the lodge, surrounded by verdant vegetation. The backdrop is an unspoilt lunar landscape of dunes, plains (with the strange fairy circle phenomenon) and mountains of the Namib Desert. Unusually for Namibia, activities include wildlife viewing by boat as well as nature drives, quad biking in the dunes and interpretive walks in the mountains and by the river. A nearby Himba village welcomes visitors from Serra Cafema, where guests have the opportunity to learn about the tribe’s traditional way of life.

The Kunene River

Forming the border between Namibia and Angola, the Kunene River is a permanently flowing watercourse in an untamed landscape, and traditional home to Himba people. The region offers a wonderful contrast in experience to other areas of Namibia, with the chance to explore by boat and spot water-loving animals such as crocodiles and sought-after birds such as the rufous-tailed palm thrush and Cinderella waxbill as well as Rüppell's Parrot, Bennett's woodpecker, violet wood-hoopoe and more (c.240 species in total with 10 endemics). 

Epupa Falls

Reached by 4x4 from the town of Opuwo in the far north of Namibia (Kaokoland), Epupa Falls, on the Kunene River, descend 60m in a series of cascades over colourful rocks over a distance of 1.5km and are named ‘Epupa’ in Herero language for the waterfalls’ spray – particularly evident after the rains. In Angola the same falls are known as Monte Negro Falls. The surrounding area is unspoilt and interesting with baobabs, makalani palms, maroelas, anna trees and wild figs as well as medicinal plants such as brown-stem corkwood and hoodia – the latter a hunger suppressant used for centuries by San bushmen and now used globally in slimming pills.

ERONGO REGION

An area bordered by the Ugab River to the north (Southern Damaraland) to the northern border of the Namib Naukluft Park in the south, Erongo contains much of geological, scenic and historic interest, the highest peak in the country (the Brandberg Mountain), two large volcanic craters, as well as the popular seaside towns of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay and the best marine life viewing in Namibia.

Erongo Mountains

Part of the Erongo Mountain Nature Conservancy and the region’s namesake, the Erongo Mountains are a roughly circular massif formed by the collapse of a volcano into its magma chamber. The resultant slow-cooled igneous rock has resisted erosion and now stands 2216masl as a beautiful bouldered landscape, home to varied and unique animals and birds. Activities in the area include hiking, game drives, mountain biking and horse riding. There are rock engravings hidden amongst the rocks including those at Paula’s Cave.

Animals include Hartmann’s zebra, Angola dwarf python and black mongoose and birders flock to the Erongo Mountains for its specials: Hartlaub's Francolin, Damara rockrunner, white-tailed shrike and Monteiro's hornbill. Rosyfaced lovebirds are plentiful and other species include Ruppell's parrot, Verreaux’s (black) and booted eagles.

Brandberg Mountain

The highest peak in Namibia at 2573masl, the Brandberg Mountain (“Fire Mountain”) is so named because of the glow which emanates from the pink granite at sunset. Standing on the flat Namib gravel plain, the dome-shaped Brandberg can be seen from miles around, and being only 80km from the coast, was used as a landmark by sailors.

There are over 43,000 ancient San rock paintings in 879 locations on the Brandberg, the most famous being the White Lady frieze, believed to have been painted over 1,800 years ago.

Trekking in the Brandberg can be tough due to the terrain and hot climate, and wildlife scarce with mammals small and inconspicuous. However, scorpion species are the most numerous in Southern Africa!

Swakopmund

An improbable, quirky, fun and friendly coastal resort town with wide streets and German colonial architecture, Swakopmund lies isolated on the edge of the Namib Desert with the cold and wild Atlantic Ocean to the west, the dune belt of the Great Sand Sea rising to the south and barren Namib gravel plains to the north and east. The normally dry Swakop River reaches the sea at Swakopmund. This site was chosen in 1892 by the Imperial Germans as their main harbour due to this availability of fresh water. Swakopmund soon became a major port, before such activities were moved to Walvis Bay after German South-West Africa was taken over by the Union of South Africa in 1915.

Tourism is now a dominant industry of the town with numerous hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and adventurous pursuits on offer. With a refreshingly cooler climate than many inland areas of Namibia, Swakopmund is a favourite holiday destination for Namibian and international visitors alike. Activities include hot air ballooning and scenic flights over the Namib Desert, 4x4 trips, quad biking and sandboarding in the dunes, desert wildlife tours, marine wildlife cruises and kayaking excursions, as well as a worthwhile museum and aquarium.

Local fauna and flora have adapted to survive by utilising moisture from the coastal fog and many examples of Welwitschia mirabilis can be found on the gravel plains behind the town. The dunes may reveal Namib dune gecko, Fitsimmon’s burrowing skink, sand diving lizards, Perinquey’s adder (sidewinder), Namaqua chameleons, moisture-collecting beetles and more. Birders will delight in the numerous waders, pelicans and flamingos that are found in the surrounding area.

Walvis Bay

Bartholomew Diaz was the first European to sight this, the only deep water port in Namibia, in 1487. The port became popular with American whaling ships in the 18th Century – when it was given the name Walvis Baai (Afrikaans for ‘Whale Bay’). The British annexed Walvis Bay in 1867 having realised its potential for fishing and as a strategic port.

It is still an important port today, but also famous for the marine wildlife and bird life in the area. Due to the upwelling of the Benguela Current, the sea is rich in plankton and fish, providing food for bottlenosed dolphin, Haviside's dolphin (sometimes misspelled as the Heaviside's dolphin) and dusky dolphin, Cape fur seal (brown fur seal), sunfish, leatherback turtles and whales including humpback whales, southern right whales, orcas and pygmy right whales. Marine wildlife cruises and kayaking excursions operate in Walvis Bay Lagoon.

Walvis Bay is one of the three most important coastal wetland birding sites in Africa and one of four Ramsar Sites in Namibia, with three distinct wetland areas: a tidal lagoon, a sand spit extending to Pelican Point which shelters the lagoon, and man-made salt pans. Up to 150,000 birds migrate through this region each year, with around 40 species of bird including the greatest concentration of seabirds and shorebirds in Southern Africa and half of Southern Africa’s flamingo population (greater and lesser flamingos). Other notable birds include chestnut-banded plover, European and African black oystercatcher, great white pelican, black-necked grebe, Caspian and Damara terns, cormorants, gulls and more.

Walvis Bay is also a starting point for excursions through some beautiful dunes to a viewpoint to Sandwich Harbour, 55km to the south, and visits to the famous Dune 7.

Sandwich Harbour

Around 55km south of Walvis Bay, Sandwich Harbour was once an exceptional Ramsar designated birding site. It was a natural freshwater lagoon and tidal mud flats, protected by a sand bar which led to an oasis of life and some of the highest densities of shorebirds in the world (counted at 7000 birds per square kilometer!) The area is geomorphologically very active and, as happened in the late 1800s, the Atlantic has washed away the sand barrier and swamped the birds’ habitats. Some of the birds, such as flamingos, pelicans, avocet, turnstones and Palearctic waders have therefore made their home further north towards Walvis Bay until such times the lagoon may re-form.

The Sandwich Harbour area is inaccessible except by 4x4 but, even without such a birding draw, is still very worthwhile for birds enroute, as well as the scenic beauty. There are also sites of archaeological interest and a chance to learn about the survival techniques and lives of the Topnaar (descendents of the !Khoi) both historically and recently. Animal encounters may include ostrich, springbok, jackal, Cape fox, brown hyena, gerbils, three-striped mice as well as desert-dwelling reptiles and insects.

Cape Cross

120km north of Swakopmund and 60km north of Henties Bay, Cape Cross is a protected Seal Reserve and the site of the largest breeding Cape fur seal (brown fur seal) colony in the world (up to 210,000 seals in November/December when the females give birth). Its name refers to a large stone cross left by Portuguese explorers in the 1486 Century, claiming the land for their country. The cross became a useful navigational aid for future sailors passing by this stretch of coast.

October is quite a dramatic month to visit, when territorial bull seals fight for as large a harem of females as possible. The pups arrive within a few days of each other after an 8 month gestation in November/December and suckle from their mothers for a year. Adult seals prey on fish such as Cape hake, Cape horse mackerel, pelagic goby and lantern fish. In turn seals provide food for black-backed jackals, brown hyenas, sharks and orcas.

The seal colony can be seen from a 200m walkway (you may wish to hold your nose – the seals give off quite an odour!)

Henties Bay

Henties Bay is a quirky holiday town with various restaurants, bars, guesthouses and holiday homes. Very quiet off season but lively in-season with holiday-makers attracted by its angling opportunities and for the long wild beach which allows driving upon it and the surrounding plains (not recommended due to the sensitive nature of the lichen fields which can take decades to recover from tyre tracks).