Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp

Layout

The 8 luxury tents, including one family tent, are set on wooden platforms with a deck and have en-suite bathrooms. 
The common areas include a restaurant where meals can be taken on the terrace or indoors when the nights are cool (stays are full board). Right next door, the lounge/library area, furnished with comfortable sofas facing a fireplace, also extends onto a fine terrace leading to the pool.
 

Rooms

The camp consists of 7 tents furnished for two people (twin beds convertible into a king-size bed) and a two-bedroom family tent (children under 6 are not accepted). Each room has its own en-suite bathroom. The décor is understated and modern, and it is something of a feat to find such comfort in one of the most arid deserts in the world. A shaded terrace lets you take in the landscape. Hot water and electricity are provided entirely by solar panels, while the water for the bathrooms is drawn from dozens of metres beneath the sand. There is no air conditioning, however — just simple fans.

Activities offered

You can take part in walking safaris, as the lodge's immediate surroundings are ideal for wildlife observation thanks to several waterholes nearby. The landscapes themselves deserve close attention: their volcanic origin has produced a striking palette of colours, and erosion has carved fantastical shapes into the rock. At night, a short walk near the camp lets you observe the stars of the southern hemisphere.

4x4 safaris take place early in the morning and in the late afternoon.
The lodge has several 7-seater Toyota Land Cruisers that will take you along the Hoanib River, to the Mudorib and Amspoort springs, the Presidential waterholes, and the Klein and Auses Spring oases (known for their abundant birdlife), in search of the remarkable elephants and rhinos that have adapted to the desert's extreme conditions.

A scenic flight over the coast is a must. The plane takes off from the airstrip near the lodge, follows the coastline for several dozen minutes, and lands at Möwe Bay. From there, a 4x4 will take you across the giant dunes of Klein Oasis, to visit seal colonies and a few shipwrecks. Note that this excursion depends on weather conditions and cannot take place in foggy weather.
 

It is also possible to take part in research programmes.
The lodge regularly hosts scientists who come to observe the local wildlife and flora. One research programme has focused on desert lions. The “Namibia Desert Lion Conservation” project has fitted several animals with tracking collars to monitor their movements and prevent them from venturing too close to villages and livestock.