Desert Rhino Camp

Set in a wide valley in the the rocky 450 000-hectare (1.2 million-acre) Palmwag Concession in Northern Namibia, Desert Rhino Camp is one of the most remote luxury camps in Namibia.

Tented, Desert-style Accommodation

Desert Rhino Camp offers Meru-style canvas tents, each with front verandas to take in the sweeping views of the dramatic surrounds. These tented rooms are en-suite and on raised decks with a shady outside lounge area. Pedestal fans keep guests cool in summer and hot-water bottles and extra blankets keep you snug in winter.

Spacious Main Area

The comfortable tented dining and lounge area is also on raised decks with partially-open sides to give you the best possible views. An inviting pool is perfect to escape from the midday heat. Evening meals are often enjoyed around the open fire pit, beneath unbelievably clear, starry skies. There’s also a library, a curio corner and a computer station with free internet access.

Surprisingly Good Game Viewing

Aside from the famous desert-adapted black rhino which it’s named for, the area’s freshwater springs sustain an incredible diversity of wildlife – desert-adapted elephant, Hartmann's mountain zebra, giraffe, gemsbok (oryx), springbok, kudu and predators such as lion, cheetah, leopard, brown hyena and spotted hyena. Birdlife is abundant and most of Namibia's endemics are evident.

Activities

• Daily game drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles, each built to allow you an outside seat
• Rhino tracking on foot (shared group basis due to “Save the Rhino Trust”) and by vehicle
• Guided nature walks (seasonal and if a qualified walking guide is available)
• Full-day outings with picnic lunch
• Stargazing with a laser pointer
• Sundowner drives and hiking trails
• Private activities available on request and by arrangement (additional costs apply)
• Bush dinners beneath the stars
• Back-of-house tours
• Camp chats on stargazing, the cultures of Namibia, the community, the black rhino and the Save The Rhino Trust

Conservation Matters

Wilderness Safaris works closely with the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT), a highly-respected NGO that is almost single-handedly responsible for preserving the local desert-adapted black rhino. The camp is also a successful example of private-public-community partnership where local conservancies earn a percentage of turnover. Eco-friendly systems for heating water, providing electricity and disposing of waste water and refuse have been sensitively used.

Getting There

By road: At this time, Desert Rhino Camp is not accessible on a self-drive basis. You’ll need to park at Twee Palms and be met by staff for a further two-and-a-half-hour drive through Palmwag Concession to the camp.

By air: Air charters are available to Desert Rhino airstrip, from where it’s a 45-minute drive to the camp, depending on stops for wildlife, scenery and photographs.

Our Take on Desert Rhino Camp

Not the easiest camp to get to – in a remote corner of Namibia – but absolutely worth the effort, especially if you have an urge to see and track black rhino. The staff is exceptional, the meals worth writing home about and its scenery and night skies are spectacular. So worth a visit!