By Roxanne Reid
When we visited Namibia’s Desert Rhino Camp in Damaraland (now part of Kunene), we naturally thought desert rhino would be the unmatched stars of the show. And I’m not saying that watching a free-roaming desert rhino browsing quietly wasn’t special. It was – big time. It’s just that something else unexpectedly outshone the rhino experience.
When we visited Namibia’s Desert Rhino Camp in Damaraland (now part of Kunene), we naturally thought desert rhino would be the unmatched stars of the show. And I’m not saying that watching a free-roaming desert rhino browsing quietly wasn’t special. It was – big time. It’s just that something else unexpectedly outshone the rhino experience.
Desert Rhino Camp is set in a valley of volcanic rock. From our wooden deck we looked out on the red-rocked landscape dotted with euphorbia bushes and ancient welwitschia plants. Stark, perhaps, but with an aching beauty when washed in the gentle light of dawn and dusk. [Note that the camp was completely rebuilt and reopened in July 2024.]
Desert Rhino Camp lies among green trees in a rocky valley
The main area has squishy couches, a busy bar and a small swimming pool for sweltering summer days
If I say our accommodation was in tents you’ll get the wrong idea. It was a far cry from ‘camping’. We had a writing desk, leather armchair, kelims on the wooden floor and a pukka king-size bed with hand-embroidered bed head depicting animals like warthog, elephant, giraffe and gemsbok.
'Glamping' (glamorous camping) with a broad view of wilderness
There was a sofa on the porch for lolling on and enjoying the view. Around 3:00 on our first night we woke to the sound of spotted hyena whooping in the distance and some snuffling closer to hand. In the morning we found our sofa cushions in disarray and followed the hyena tracks around our tent. Thrilling – and a reminder why we weren't allowed to walk around camp at night without our guide.
I could imagine Ernest Hemingway here, whisky in hand, or Karen Blixen looking out on the ‘immensely wide’ view and dreaming up one of her stories.
I could imagine Ernest Hemingway here, whisky in hand, or Karen Blixen looking out on the ‘immensely wide’ view and dreaming up one of her stories.
Having twin basins helped us get ready quickly for our early morning drives
No need to go without classic safari comforts
The bathroom offered the luxury of twin copper basins. Since I always worry about the amount of water wasted while waiting for solar geysers to produce hot water, I especially liked the bucket provided in the shower. While we ran the water and waited for it to get warm, we collected the cold water in the bucket for housekeeping to use the next day. Such touches showed genuine care for this water-scarce environment, not lip-service.
Tracking desert rhino
The major draw card at Desert Rhino Camp is the chance to set out behind trackers from Save the Rhino Trust, who monitor and protect Africa’s largest population of free-roaming desert rhino in the Palmwag Concession. Wilderness Safaris, which owns and operates the camp, helps to support their work. In exchange, their trackers find rhinos for the guests at Desert Rhino Camp to watch.
The communities of the Big Three conservancies in the area share in the fruits of this conservation effort by way of lease fees, and a percentage of the price each guest pays to stay at the camp. ‘They benefit from job opportunities and we’ve provided them with access to clean drinking water too,’ said Desert Rhino Camp’s Simon Swenyeho.
The major draw card at Desert Rhino Camp is the chance to set out behind trackers from Save the Rhino Trust, who monitor and protect Africa’s largest population of free-roaming desert rhino in the Palmwag Concession. Wilderness Safaris, which owns and operates the camp, helps to support their work. In exchange, their trackers find rhinos for the guests at Desert Rhino Camp to watch.
The communities of the Big Three conservancies in the area share in the fruits of this conservation effort by way of lease fees, and a percentage of the price each guest pays to stay at the camp. ‘They benefit from job opportunities and we’ve provided them with access to clean drinking water too,’ said Desert Rhino Camp’s Simon Swenyeho.
Approaching a desert-adapted rhino on foot was a thrill
‘Communities can come to Wilderness Safaris with a proposal for what they need and we’ll try to help in raising funds through our donors,’ he added. For instance, Save the Rhino Trust recently motivated for a new vehicle to help them in their work. When we joined the rhino tracking experience, the field trackers very proudly showed off their new 4x4, just 1000km on the clock.
Getaway the 40-year-old desert rhino
The A team (from left): Albertus Ganuseb of Save the Rhino Trust, our guide Bons Roman, Marthin Nawaseb and Denzel Tjiraso of Save the Rhino Trust, and Wilderness Safaris' guide Jeremia Mwapopi
But it’s the internal community, the people who work at Desert Rhino Camp, who were a revelation and the real stars. Clearly, they have been well trained, love what they do and are happy. Respect for culture and community shows in little ways like announcing the menus in both English and Damara, with its complex clicks.
The ever-smiling Denise Tsaraës who helped us in so many ways, like keeping cool with iced coffee
Dinner under the stars
On our second evening the staff treated us to a surprise dinner under the stars in the bush. Candles glowed in paper bags weighted with sand, paraffin lamps shone out of the darkness to light our way. Chairs draped with blankets stood around a central fire burning hot orange to keep off the chill of the desert night. The setting was so romantic that even the gruffest guests were enchanted.
About 15 people from waiters to chefs and managers burst into song to welcome us to the feast. Their faces were radiant in the firelight as they shared their culture through song.
Guide Tamité //Oaseb gave a short presentation about some of the planets and constellations crowding the darkened skies, Scorpio among them. Then some of us went looking for real live scorpions with an ultraviolet light while others sat at the fire with their drinks.
On our second evening the staff treated us to a surprise dinner under the stars in the bush. Candles glowed in paper bags weighted with sand, paraffin lamps shone out of the darkness to light our way. Chairs draped with blankets stood around a central fire burning hot orange to keep off the chill of the desert night. The setting was so romantic that even the gruffest guests were enchanted.
About 15 people from waiters to chefs and managers burst into song to welcome us to the feast. Their faces were radiant in the firelight as they shared their culture through song.
Guide Tamité //Oaseb gave a short presentation about some of the planets and constellations crowding the darkened skies, Scorpio among them. Then some of us went looking for real live scorpions with an ultraviolet light while others sat at the fire with their drinks.
Guests gathered around the fire to listen to the staff sing before our surprise 'bush dinner'
The evening was a delight, managers and guides joining us at the long table where we could continue to pepper them with questions and listen to their insights. I’d been anxious about the communal table on my first night, worried I’d get stuck next to a bore or a snob. It had turned out fine – people who come to such a place already have a love of Africa, wilderness and wildlife in common. By the end of our bush dinner on the second night, I was won over completely to the conviviality of this communal approach.
The Damaraland wilderness provided a romantic setting for evening meals
Nature drives
The nature drives with our guide Bons Roman were fabulous, his knowledge and sense of humour sustaining us for two days. The rhino tracking experience was extraordinary. But the true treasure we found here were the people. Every member of staff was so warm, welcoming and helpful it felt as if we were part of their cherished family.
The nature drives with our guide Bons Roman were fabulous, his knowledge and sense of humour sustaining us for two days. The rhino tracking experience was extraordinary. But the true treasure we found here were the people. Every member of staff was so warm, welcoming and helpful it felt as if we were part of their cherished family.
Our last sight of Desert Rhino Camp made us more reluctant than ever to leave
As we prepared to leave for our next adventure they gathered under a giant mopane tree to sing goodbye. I felt a catch in my throat and blinked away a tear. I hugged them one by one. I knew that what they had shared with us was more than their knowledge of the wilderness, more than the joy of a song; it was an understanding of how precious it is for humans to connect.
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