Into Kaokoland, Africa´s last wilderness

Right now, we are at Khowarib Lodge Campsite. Tomorrow, the adventure continues in the most remote region in Namibia, when we head for Kaokoland. Below, you can read about this special area and part of the trip, we look very much forward to!

Kaokoland Namibia 2012
On the way from Sesfontain to Puros on D3707

"Kaokoland" (since 1990, Kunene Region) remains an informal name for one of the wildest and least populated areas in north-west Namibia, with a population density of one person every 2 km². The Kaokoland area extends south-north from the Hoanib River to the Kunene River, which also marks the border between Namibia and Angola. It is largely mountainous, dry, and rocky as seen on pictures above and below.

Family in Kaokoland 2012. Near "Puros view point". 
We didn't dare drive the Land Rover the last stretch up the mountain!

Desert Elephants

Desert elephant in Puros Canyon.
It chased our Land Rover!
Namibia 2012.

Kaokoland includes several desert-dwelling species, most notably a population of desert elephants that are sometimes classified as a distinct subspecies of African elephants due to their unique adaptations. These elephants have longer legs, bigger feet, and an incredible ability to withstand periods of drought, which led some to consider them a separate subspecies. However, today they are regarded as 'desert-adapted' elephants. The herds in this area remain separate from other elephant herds in Namibia and only appear to have longer legs and bigger feet because they consume less food than elephants in more abundant areas such as Etosha National Park, the Caprivi, and the Chobe region in Botswana.

The desert elephants inhabit a range of three thousand square kilometers and regularly travel up to two hundred kilometers in search of water. They drink only every three or four days, compared to elephants in Etosha who drink 100 to 200 liters of water a day. They also seem to be more environmentally conscious than other elephants: unlike other elephants, the desert-adapted elephants rarely knock over trees, break branches, or tear away bark.

They commonly roam the dry riverbeds of the westward-flowing Huab, Hoanib, Hoarusib, and Khumib rivers. It is along these riverbeds that the animals find occasional spring-fed waterholes and most of their nutrient-rich foods: mopane bark, tamarisk, reeds, and the pods, bark, and leaves of the ana tree. 

On a typical day, desert elephants travel up to sixty kilometers over rocky, difficult terrain between feeding areas and waterholes. When water is truly scarce, such as during times of drought, they dig holes, commonly known as gorras, in the dry riverbeds. Water seeps up from below the surface, creating a much-needed water source for themselves and other animals in the area.

Our son in Hoarusib riverbed after our elephant encounter.
Kaokoland, Namibia 2012

Puros conservancy (source)

The Himba

The Puros Conservancy covers a vast area of over 3,500 square kilometers but is home to only a small population of around 300 people, most of whom speak Otjihimba. The Himba, part of the larger Herero language group, first settled in what is now the Kunene Region about five hundred years ago, arriving from the north. While the main Herero community moved on to central Namibia in the 1750s, some groups remained in northern Kunene and eventually became known as the Himba. In this remote and mostly arid area, the Himba have retained a strong cultural identity that is still evident today. Due to its harsh environment, the Puros area has always been marginal for settlement but has supported small groups of semi-nomadic Himba pastoralists for generations. Permanent settlement in Puros only began to develop around forty years ago.

Visit Puros Traditional Village, Namibia 2012

Visit Puros Traditional Village, Namibia 2012 

Visit Puros Traditional Village, Namibia 2012

Visit Puros Traditional Village, Namibia 2012

The traditional culture of the Himba is iconic. Proud pastoralists herd their cattle across the spectacular landscapes of the northwest, while women in traditional dress, anointed with a mixture of butterfat and red ochre, tend to village tasks. Although the settlement of Puros has gradually lost many traditional Himba attributes, the nearby Puros Traditional Village offers visitors insights into the cultural heritage of the Himba. It showcases practical aspects of daily life and explains important elements such as the holy fire and the system of dual descent that governs Himba society. The traditional village also keeps alive a sense of pride in the community's cultural heritage.

Puros Traditional Village, seen from view point
Namibia, 2012

Wildlife

Since the establishment of conservancies, wildlife numbers in communal areas have rebounded from historic lows prior to independence. The elephants and lions of Puros are emblematic [symbolsk], providing countless visitors with thrilling encounters. Giraffes are common, and black rhinos roam the remote hinterland. Kudu, gemsbok, springbok, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, duiker, steenbok, and klipspringer all occur here, stalked by an assortment of predators, including leopard and cheetah, spotted and brown hyena, and jackal. Puros is completely unfenced, allowing wildlife to move freely across the conservancy and beyond its borders.

Lonely Gemsbok seen in the stone desert
between Puros and Orupempe
Kaokoland, Namibia, 2012

Ostrich seen between Sesfontain and Puros.
Kaokoland, Namibia, 2012

Our son was an expert at spotting owls!
On steep access road to Etambura Camp
Kaokoland, Namibia, 2012

Free-Roaming Lions

Free-roaming lions in the Kunene Region have recovered from a population low of only 25 individuals in the mid-nineties to well over a hundred today. The lions range as far south as the Ugab River, north to the Marienfluss, and west to the misty beaches of the Skeleton Coast. Conflicts with the lions pose a huge challenge for local farmers, and many lions continue to be shot and poisoned. While other predators such as spotted hyena, leopard, and cheetah cause more incidents each year, lions feature most prominently in the consciousness of people, as they also present a direct threat to human life.

We haven't had the pleasure of seeing lions in Kaokoland (yet),
but this one my wife and I saw south of Etosha, Namibia 2022

Namibia 2024 itinerary "Deserts and wilderness"

Proverb 

"Camp sites fix themselves in your mind as if you had spent long periods of your life in them. You will remember sometimes a particular bend of your wagon tracks in the grass of the plain, as if it were a significant landmark in your life"

 Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen) in "Out of Africa", 1937

Me and my wifes campsite, Trekking on our own in
Chimanimani Mountains, Zimbabwe 1997. 

Daughter, son and wife at campsite,
Little Hunter´s Rest, Tiras Mountains,
Namibia, 2009.

Planning the trip is half the pleasure!

Over the years, it has become a beloved hobby to plan self-drive trips in Africa and write this travel blog. When I plan the trips, I am already in Africa! And I relive our many previous adventures! Such a joy.

Namibia 2024, planning phase
at home in Copenhagen

In the planning phase, I love to explore maps, guidebooks, the internet, FB travel groups, and TripAdvisor. Until recently, I used ExpertAfrica.com in the UK for bookings and car hire (and once used SafariDrive.com). These UK-based travel agents, especially ExpertAfrica, are perfect if you can accept their fine trip suggestions with just a few individual modifications. 

However, now that it’s our 6th trip to this part of Africa, and we have visited many places and have our own opinions on where to stay and go, I found it more useful to book the Toyota Land Cruiser directly through Bushlore.com and use their bookings department in Johannesburg for securing campsites, lodges, etc., based on our own itinerary. In addition, I booked directly on my own where there was a good online booking system such as "Nightsbridge." This has worked very well—the final test will, of course, be when we arrive in Windhoek in September!

Why this "deserts and wilderness route"? 

This time, the focus is camping in deserts and wilderness, venturing from southeast to northwest! It's an unusual route reflecting that it’s our 6th trip to Namibia and the fact that we love remote desert landscapes! Also, the route reflects that we have to meet our Danish friends at Bagatelle Guest Farm south of Windhoek 14 days after our own arrival. This will be their first trip to Africa! Furthermore, we prebooked the Nossob 4x4 Wilderness Trail one year in advance (it gets sold out immediately after bookings opens) as it has been a long dream of mine to visit Kgalagadi again after a fantastic experience with my son years ago (Link to father son trip) and to show my wife this extraordinary national park the size of Denmark. Going south from Windhoek and then north again towards Windhoek allows us to try some special tracks such as D1033 and perhaps D1022! You can read our report from these tracks later on this blog!

Our general travel itinerary 2024:

• Towards Kalahari Desert / Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on: "4WD adventure"
• Camping in NamibRand Nature Reserve: "Desert and stargazing"
• Through Namib-Naukluft National Park to Swakopmund: "two mountain passes and the coast"
• Through Erongo and Kunene regions & exploring Etendeka Plateau: "Volcanic rocks & flat-topped mountains"
• Remote Kunene/Kaokoland wilderness days: "Explooring Africa´s last wilderness"
• Along Cunene River on the Angolan border: "The green oasis"
• Etosha National Park and Erongo Mountains luxury finish: "The big five & gastronomy"

Specific stops and links to homepages (6 weeks trip):

Route on TripAdvisor

1. Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch, campsite, 2 nights Bagatelle
2. Kalahari Game Lodge, campsite, 2 nights Kalahari GL
3. Mata-Mata Rest Camp, campsite, 1 night Sanparks Kgalagadi
4. Kalahari Tented Camp, 1 night Sanparks Kgalagadi
5. Nossob Rest Camp, campsite, 1 night Sanparks Kgalagadi
6. Nossob 4x4 Eco Trail, camping, 3 nights Nossob 4x4-trail
7. Twee Rivieren Restcamp, camping, 1 night Sanparks Kgalagadi
8. Kalahari Game Lodge, 1 night Kalahari GL
9.  Bagatelle Kalahari Botique Farmhouse, 1 night (join friends from DK) Bagatelle Farmhouse
10. Namib Rand Family Hideout, campsite, 3 nights Family hideout camping
11. Desert Breeze Lodge, villa, 3 nights Desert Breeze
12. Madisa Camp, campsite, 1 night Madisa Camp
13.  Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail, open air, 2 nights Etendeka Trail
14.  Etendeka Mountain Camp, main camp, 1 night Etendeka Main Camp
15. Khowarib Lodge, campsite, 2 nights Khowarib Lodge Campsite
16. Puros Bush Lodge & Camp, campsite, 2 nights Puros Bush Lodge
17. Etambura Camp, 3 nights Etaambura Camp
18. Opuwo Country Lodge, 1 night Opuwo Lodge
19. Omarunga Epupa-Falls Camp, campsite, 2 nights Omarunga EP Camp
20. Camp Cornie, campsite, 2 nights Camp Cornie
21. Dolomite Camp, 2 nights Etosha Dolomite Camp
22. Omurenga Lodge, 2 nights Omurenga
23. River Crossing Lodge, 1 night Rivercrossing

Some potential activities the different places:

In the following, some of the special activities we plan to do some of the different places besides the usual very nice scenic- and game drives and sundowners, the number refers to the list above.

1. Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch: a) View the spectacular southern hemisphere sky from observatory with a state-of-the-art computer-controlled telescope, b) Cheetah Excursion to get up close and personal with the fastest land animal on Earth.

Sundowner drive, Bagatelle,
Namibia, 2009

2. Kalahari Game Lodge: Try their 4×4 self-drive trail in Kalahari on a 3500ha portion of the lodge.

6. Nossob 4x4 Eco Trail: Challenging 4x4 driving on a small track through the Kalahari dunes in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, accompanied by a certified guide from SANParks, covering a total distance of 214km, sleeping out in the desert for 3 nights. See my specific posts about the trail and our experiences during the trip later. 

Video when my son and I drove from Gharagab Wilderness camp on the exit track:

9. Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch: See 1. above.

10. Namib Rand Family Hideout: a) Experience the NamibRand Nature Reserve characterized by expansive plains, towering mountain ranges, and iconic red sand dunes sleeping out in the desert for 3 nights and stargazing, b) Visits Duwisib Castle 80 km away, c) Visit Sossusvlei, d) Try 4WD track. See my specific posts about NamibRand and our experiences during the trip later.

11. Desert Breeze Lodge / Swakopmund: a)  Sandwich Harbour 4x4 drive, see later post, b) Walwis Bay Catamaran Tour, c) The Tug (restaurant), d) Ocean Cellar (restaurant), e) Exploore Swakop.

12. Madisa Camp: Track elephants.

Sundowner near Madisa Camp,
Namibia, 2012

13. Etendeka Overnight Walking Trail: See our blog from previous visit Trail report

Etendeka Mountain Camp, "tents" in distance,
Namibia, 2019

14. Etendeka Mountain Camp: Stargazing through the telescope.

 Etendeka Mountain Camp,
Namibia, 2009

15. Khowarib Lodge: a) Drive to Ongongo Hot Spring for swim, b) Visit Sesfontein. See our blog from previous visit Report Khowarib  

Me & son, Ongongo Hot Spring,
Namibia, 2012

16. Puros Bush Lodge & Camp: a) Visiting Himba´s, see our blog from previous visit Puros Himba visit, b) Drive along Hoarusip River to Puros Canyon, see our blog from previous visit including elephant encounter(!) Report from Puros Canyon 

View point near Puros.
Me checking the road ahead of us! 
Namibia, 2012 

17. Etambura Camp: a) Enjoy this very special place, read about our previous visit Etaambura report, b) Visit Himba´s Report previous Himba visit, c) Extreeme 4WD driving to Marienfluss, read report from previous trip Report Marienfluss Drive. 

Video from the road from Puros to Etambura, Namibia, 2012: 

18. Opuwo Country Lodge: buy new supplies form trip to north.

19. Omarunga Epupa-Falls Camp: a) Visit Epupa Falls, read our previous report Epupa Flls Oasis, b) Go on a rafting trip, read our previous report Riverrafting Kunene

Riverrafting Cunene River,
Namibia, 2019

20. Camp Cornie: a) Canoeing the Kunene, b) Fishing the Kunene.

21. Dolomite Camp:  Night drive.

Our cabin, Dolomite Camp,
Etosha, Namibia, 2012

22. Omurenga Lodge: Visit Kristall Kellerei, the oldest wine farm in Namibia Kristall Kellerei

Into the Kaokoveld, Africa´s last wilderness?

From Palmwag to Opuwo, we are approaching the wilderness in the north

Hard to leave  the nice Palmwag area
Palmwag Lodge, Namibia 2019

Harsh desert, drifting sanddunes and rocky mountains

The 233 kms route from Palmwag Lodge to Opuwo

The Kaokoveld is one of Africa´s last wilderness and one of the least inhibited areas in Namibia. It´s  a harsh desert of drifting sanddunes and rocky mountains. It receives most of its rainfall during the summer, which distinguishes it from the adjacent Namib Desert to the south, which receives most of its rain during the winter. The Kunene River, which we are heading for after resting in Opuwo, is the only permanent watercourse, but Kaokoveld has many riverbeds (including the Hoanib, Hoarusib and Khumib Rivers) that are dry most of the year. However under the sand, sometimes surfacing, they carry moisture through the desert and are home to animals including e.g. desert adapted elephants, black rhinos and giraffe. Other than the riverbeds, the area is ancient desert sand only moistened by occasional coastal fog (source). Kaokoveld is divided into the two areas, Damaraland in the south, and Kaokoland in the north, all now officially known as Kunene Region.

Never leave the track

Video of the C43 road efter living Palmwag towards Sesfontain in 2012 (we forgot to take pictures and videos this time)

When we pass north of the town Sesfontain, we enter the land of the Himba tribe. On these remote "roads" we really need our high-clearance 4WD car and enough fuel and supplies for the expedition. Normally, we say 10 liters of water per person per day in case of emergencies if we get stranded. Also, we newer leave the track. If we stay to the track, someone are likely to pass within a few days. To keep to the track and always know where we are, we use "Tracks4Africa" which we have on our cell phones - at least on more than one cell phone. Also, we carry a god old map and a compass. Ideally, you always want to be two cars in the party, but that is not always possible.

On the C43 road from Palmwag to Sesfontain
Namibia 2012 

On the C43 road from Palmwag to Sesfontain
Namibia 2012

On the C43 road from Palmwag to Sesfontain
Namibia 2012

Fort Sesfontain

You migt want to visit the town Sesfontain and the fort on the way to Opuwo, we did so previously. The town is set between mountains in the Hoanib Valley. It used to be an important "German" military outpost. Today, it still feels like an outpost, but in a relaxed and nice way. The most well known landmark of Sesfontein is Fort Sesfontein, which was erected in 1896, according to Wiki as a police outpost by Schutztruppe soldiers of Imperial Germany. It was abandoned in 1914 and fell into disrepair soon thereafter. The fort was reconstructed in the 1990s and is now equipped to accommodate tourists.

Opuwo Country Lodge, infinity pool.
Nice to reach after a long drive, Namibia 2019