Hoanib Skeleton Coast

Skeleton Coast
Birding Daydrive Nightdrive Walk Fishing Swimming

Star Rating
Game Viewing
Price Guide $$$

Hoanib Skeleton Coast: Our View

In a remote area of the Kaokoveld, with gravel-strewn plains and dry riverbeds that draw fascinating wildlife, lies Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp. Game drives explore this isolated area, moving along the riverbed’s narrow ribbon of vegetation, where a surprising wealth of desert-adapted animals can be found; in camp the research centre provides even more insights. The unforgiving Skeleton Coast, with its shipwreck remains and noisy colonies of Cape fur seals, is accessed either by a fascinating drive or flight, depending on the weather.

Eight large en-suite tents (including one family tent) and the main area and pool look out over a wide, rugged valley that slopes down to the almost-always dry Hoanib River.

Fully solar powered, Hoanib Skeleton Coast is a joint venture with the neighbouring conservancies of Anabeb, Torra and Sesfontein, and hosts researchers committed to conserving desert-adapted lion, brown hyaena and more.

Skeleton Coast Camp: Quick Facts

  • 8 spacious en-suite tents including family tent
  • Swimming Pool
  • Solar power
  • 4x4 game drives - day and night
  • Guided walks
  • Birding
  • Interaction with on site wildlife researchers

Skeleton Coast Camp: The Details

 Hoanib Skeleton Coast’s location - close to the Skeleton Coast and within the true Namib Desert - is home to a rich diversity of wildlife, boasting the Kaokoveld’s best viewing of desert-adapted wildlife and access to a vast, remote and isolated wilderness. Almost miraculously it seems, in this stark environment, enormous elephant thrive along with giraffe, lion and brown hyaena. Gemsbok (oryx), springbok, steenbok, scrub hare, and inquisitive ground squirrel are also seen. Entirely different to the rugged mountains and valleys inland, the Skeleton Coast hosts Cape fur seals in their thousands along with black-backed jackals and brown hyaena. Birds are equally diverse, with regular endemics like Rüppell's korhaan, Benguela long-billedlark and lark-like bunting. Towards the coast, the bird communitychanges and Tractrac chat can be seen, as well as jaegers and skuas found around the seal colonies.

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp is a centre for research and conservation of the desert-adapted predators of this harsh region: the desert-adapted lion and brown hyaena. The camp is also part of a joint venture partnership with the neighbouring communities, so that ecotourism is able to benefit the people of the area.