Scott Dunn: ANYTHING ELSE IS JUST A HOLIDAY

Description

The camp is aptly named, with its stark, incredibly beautiful shoreline dotted with bleached whalebones and other skeletal remains, as well as a host of shipwrecks. It is a wild, desolate environment, yet it supports a host of incredible adapted wildlife - from enormous colonies of Cape fur seals to the ancient welwitschia

A trip to Skeleton Coast Camp is solely a fly-in safari. Access and departure from the camp takes place only on Wednesday and Saturday, offering a choice of either three or four nights. In addition there is a maximum of 12 guests per scheduled trip due to the fragile and pristine landscape, making Skeleton Coast Camp one of the most remote places on the African continent.

The camp is built on an island in the dry Khumib riverbed, about 20km inland from the coastline. Each of the six tents is large, roomy and has an en-suite bathroom. The wonderful old gnarled leadwood tree offers guests shelter from the elements and creates a shady dining ’room’ for outdoor meals.

Due to the uniqueness and vastness of this area, most activities are done in 4x4 vehicles that are closed to the elements although all vehicles have pop-top roofs and sliding windows. There is however plenty of opportunity to walk and stretch the legs too. Activities include full-day nature drives or walks with a picnic lunch, returning to camp in the evening. This is not a pure game-viewing safari. Freshwater springs permeate through the barren sands to create rare oases in the desert that sustain pockets of wildlife. Springbok, oryx, the rare desert elephant, cape fur seals, brown hyena, jackal, ostrich and occasionally even cheetah eke out an existence in this rugged terrain, alongside desert-adapted vegetation such as welwitschia and lithops, the succulent "flowering stones".

Guide price £1,655 per person

£1,655 Per person for 3 nights, based on 2 people sharing a tent, on a full board basis, including flights from Windhoek, with activities as specified.

Accommodation

Accommodation comprises six Meru-style tents with spacious bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms.

Childcare

There are no specific child care facilities and the camp has a minimum age of 8 years.

Facilities

A central area is made up of an open-plan lounge, bar and dining area with sweeping views of the desert. Weather permitting, evening meals may be served in the open-air 'dining room' under an old, gnarled leadwood tree.

Activities

Activities at Skeleton Coast Camp revolve around the exploration of this unique, wild and desolate environment in 4x4s that are closed to the elements, although all vehicles have pop-top roofs and sliding windows to enjoy the fine weather come midday. Many parts in this pristine setting are accessible only on foot, as vehicle tracks can damage the environment. Many specially-adapted plant species such as Lithops and Welwitschia can only be visited in this way. Extended walks with a picnic lunch, returning to camp in the evening, are incredibly popular.

Other excursions at Skeleton Coast Camp comprise visits to the clay castles of the Hoarusib River; Rocky Point; the roaring dunes; lichen fields; Cape fur seal colonies and Himba villages. Shipwrecks, now fast being devoured by the salty and vigorous coastline, can be viewed on request.

When to travel

Location and directions

Skeleton Coast, Namibia

Khumib riverbed, 20km inland from Skeleton Coast, Namibia

How to get there

10hr international flight, 2.5hrs by light aircraft