Scott Dunn: ANYTHING ELSE IS JUST A HOLIDAY

In the Twyfelfontein Valley, a National Monument since 1952, there are more than two thousand rock engravings, each painstakingly carved into the rock and some considered to be nearly six thousand years old. The San used rock as both their medium and their method - sharp rocks, filed to a point, were used to etch animals into the rock - you can see giraffe, zebra, elephant and eland, and even rhino and ostrich.

There are also wonderful San paintings, painted onto the rock using oryx blood and ostrich egg - many of these represent the short stature of the San bushmen, others represent the taller figures of the Himba, who eventually encroached on the san territory, resulting in the San moving on. Their etchings and paintings tell their tale, although the San have long moved out.

Take a guide and ask them to show you round the etchings and engravings - it's a fascinating, almost spiritual experience - and speaks of a time long ago when Damaraland was the home, and hunting ground, of the San Bushmen.

A morning spent tracking the desert-adapted elephants in Damaraland is a highlight. Setting out early and accompanied by your expert guide and tracker, you will first explore by vehicle, your guide keeping an eagle eye for the tracks of these mighty animals.

Once the tracks are found, the real adventure starts. On foot, you will follow your guide as he tracks the elephants. Your first sight is an experience you will never forget. Inhabiting the ancient, ephemeral riverbeds of Damaraland, these elephants have adapted to their harsh environment by moving great distances between their feeding grounds, and from waterhole to waterhole, knowledge of these having been passed down for centuries. They have learned to dig holes in the dry riverbeds to filter through water from deep underground, and will regularly dig up bulbs and tubers when they forage.

The colouration of the desert elephant is very distinctive - they take on the colour of the soil in which they mud-wallow and dust-bathe - meaning they can be anything from the rich ochre of Namibian sand to the bright ivory of its clay soils.

A morning spent tracking these incredible animals is a wonderful experience - adventurous and exciting!

Damaraland is known to contain the largest concentration of black rhino outside a national park, due mainly to the incredible work done by the Save The Rhino trust in conserving their habitat and directly protecting the animals themselves.

You'll set out in the early morning, accompanied by experienced rhino trackers whose knowledge and understanding of the black rhino mean they are able to track it with the least disturbance caused to the animals. On foot, the trackers move ahead while you stay with your guide, who will point out interesting wildlife - kudu, oryx, klipspringer and even the rare desert-adapted elephant - on the way. When the trackers find a rhino or a small group you will approach carefully and quietly, and can then watch them from a safe distance. It's an incredible experience to be watching these endangered animals from relatively close. While the rhino will be acutely aware of your presence due to their heightened hearing, they are very short-sighted, so will not be able to see you. You will be able to spend time with them before backing off slowly, and heading back to the vehicle to take you back to camp.

We highly recommend the desert rhino tracking experience in Damaraland - one of the highlights!