Natural Selection recently opened Hoanib Valley Camp in Namibia, in the remote northwestern region of the country in the Sesfontien Community Conservancy.

The camp opened in June, coinciding with Natural Selection’s opening of Shipwreck Lodge, also in Namibia.

Hoanib Valley Camp is surrounded by towering granite mountains, with just six canvas tents, made up of five twins and one family tent, all en-suite with outdoor and indoor showers. All tents are raised on decks and with views over the Hoanib River delta in the distance.

The camp welcomes children aged six years and older and is fitted with WiFi.

Hoanib Valley Camp’s family tent.

It is entirely solar powered to ensure carbon emissions are kept to a minimum. 

Hoanib Valley Camp’s main guest area.

Designed by Cate Simpson of Reflecting Africa, best known for her works on North Island in the Seychelles, the camp is understated with earthy colour palettes, inspired by the landscape.

Days at Hoanib Valley Camp are spent exploring the surrounding landscape. On game drives, guests will encounter herds of desert-adapted elephant, giraffe and desert lion existing alongside oryx, springbok and jackal.

Guests can contribute to the important giraffe research happening in the area. Trained by Natural Selection’s partners, Giraffe Conservation Foundation, all guides at Hoanib Valley are giraffe experts. Guests can get hands-on and photograph the giraffe they encounter, identifying them and submitting their images for data mapping – all essential work in monitoring the local population of a species which is now listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

In addition to game drives, activities include nature walks, rhino tracking, and cultural experiences with local Herero people.

To the west of Hoanib Valley Camp, on the Skeleton Coast is Shipwreck Lodge. The two camps can be combined with a full-day scenic drive through riverbeds that teem with game, over sand dunes and across wide gravel plains. Another option is combining the two lodges with a short scenic flight for a chance to view the scenery from the air. Shipwreck Lodge is a joint venture with Natural Selection and local Namibian companies, Trip Travel and Journeys Namibia, as well as the local communities that border the park.

Dave van Smeerdijk, Co-Founder of Natural Selection says:  “We are excited to launch Hoanib and Shipwreck.  As a combination, guests will get the highlights of wildlife, landscape and culture in these remote areas.  This is probably the best and most exciting combination of lodges in the Namib Desert.”