Damaraland is a spectacular self drive destination. Sandwiched between the Skeleton Coast in the West and the Etosha National Park in the East. It has a variety of things to see and do.
Damaraland is the area between Swakopmund and Etosha National Park .This beautiful and desolate region has two distinct features: geology and wildlife. Our
Damaraland Map shows the location of the
Damaraland Lodges. Both a self drive and fly in safari destination, browse our compliment of
Damaraland Tours and Safaris.No trip to
Damaraland is complete with out visiting several landmarks.
Spitzkoppe is a rock formation on the road between Usakos and
Swakopmund. From a distance the dome shaped granite outcrops look like African huts hence the Afrikaans name Pondok. At sunset the colours of the mountain turn a spectacular orangey red.
Brandberg has one of the richest collections of rock art in the world, best known of the which is the
White Lady Frieze. The painting was executed in an overhang in the Tsisab Ravine on the northeastern side of the mountain. The Brandberg Mountain Guides will guide you to the rock painting sites and will also provide you with an insight into the flora and fauna of the mountain. Owing to the midday heat, walks are best undertaken in the morning and you should allow about four hours there and back. Carry lots of water and wear a sunhat and comfortable footwear. Experienced hikers can join a four day hike up the
Konigstein Peak, the highest peak of the Brandberg Mountains.
Another must see in Damaraland is the
The Petrified Forest. These are trees that were uprooted somewhere else over 200 million years ago and were swept along by rivers in flood, covered in sediment and subsequently uncovered by erosion. The
Twyfelfontein Engravings were chiselled painstakingly into the rock slabs littering the slopes of a low, flat topped mountain, and one cannot help but be amazed at how realistic these engravings actually are.
The other aspect of
Damaraland that is extremely interesting is the wildlife. The area is exceptionally dry and with no permanent water the animals have made special adaptations to living without water. The desert dwelling elephant of Damaraland are not a distinct species or subspecies , but they are unique. They can go without water for up to 4 days, during times of drought they walk up to 60km from their feeding grounds in search of waters. Unlike other elephants they are very careful to utilise every scrap of their food source.
The
Desert Black Rhino thrives in Damaraland. One of the most endangered large mammals in the world, the remote landscape and scrub bushland of Damaraland are ideal habitat for this animal. Staying at Desert Rhino Camp affords you the opportunity to track these almost prehistoric animals.
Damaraland is a positive
hot bed of gecko evolution, with eight species of endemic Thick Toed Gecko (the Brandberg, Kaokoveld, Koch’s, Fitzsimmons, Velvety, San Steyn’s, Schertz’s and Banded) occurring alongside the more widespread Cape, Angolan, Turners’ Speckled, Rough, Large – scaled and Webers – a whopping 15 different types of Geckos (Pachydactylus Genus) in total!
