Reviews of Hoanib Skeleton Camp

"Amazing" See all these reviews: 11n in Namibia

"Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp is a luxurious camp in a fabulous unspoilt setting. Our stay in this camp was the highlight of our trip.

The staff were attentive and William was a fantastic guide. We thoroughly enjoyed our nature drives, walks and the trip to the coast. We were surprised by the density of animals and the number of wildlife spotting opportunities in such a harsh environment.

We saw lions on a giraffe kill and elephants at the waterhole in the camp but unfortunately no sightings of the brown hyena." See all these reviews: 14n in Namibia

"On the road:
We were picked up by Namibia Tracks & Trails and dropped at Swakop airstrip. Excellent service.

Upsides:
again the impeccable Wilderness camp design; the gorgeous staff; the trip to the Skeleton Coast; the food (still very good but not quite as exquisite as Kulala)
Lovely guide Geraldo, again quite difficult to understand but lovely manner and very understanding of Hugh’s recent operation. He tried very hard to minimise the bumps on an extremely bumpy track across the flood plain.

Lovely morning drive in the river bed to see the collared lions and very good simple evening walk around the camp.
Excellent day trip to the coast, lots of highlights (saw a caracal and baby in the river bed; Mowe Bay office & museum was extraordinary and v interesting; seal colony very smelly but wonderful to see; Marianna’s fabulous paella cooked on a gas stove on the beach plus her delicious starters) My personal high point was flying with Gavin back over the coast and over the flood plain - sudden oasis of life in the desert, flocks of birds rising up off the water, the elephants we’d been looking for seen from the air, incredible scenes, have never seen anything like it.

Downside: sounds pathetic but no bright reading light in the bedroom" See all these reviews: 20n in Namibia

"The camp was very luxurious without being ostentatious. Our large room had been designed to cater for every need, including masses of re-charging points. It was extremely comfortable and well-furnished and we could see animals coming to a waterhole from our bed!

The game viewing took place in the nearby dry bed of the Hoanib River. We had excellent views of two lionesses and a male lion feeding on a giraffe carcass. We saw large numbers of giraffe and springbok, and also baboons, several steenbok, one oryx, one African wild cat and one Cape fox (on a hopeful visit to the camp’s restaurant!). However, our visit was in April which we were told is not a peak game viewing month.

On one of our days in the camp we flew to, and back from, the Skeleton Coast in a small plane. Ordinarily the trip to the Coast would have been a game drive along the dry river bed but it had rained recently and there was a danger of getting bogged down. This probably deprived us of a chance to see elephants. (We did in fact see some elephants on a game drive the next day but so far away that even through binoculars they were indistinguishable from grey rocks).

We enjoyed visiting the small museum at Mowe Bay and the colony of 40,000 Cape fur seals was very impressive. We visited the wreck of a ship called the Suiderkus but it now consists of no more than some heaps of mangled metal. We brought one of the camp’s cooks with us on the trip and she cooked us an amazing paella at the beach.

The food at the camp was good, we had an excellent guide in Vincent (who worked very hard to try to find us some elephants) and the staff were very attentive and helpful." See all these reviews: 8n in Namibia

"This was the other of our top two locations and experiences. This is a very luxurious lodge in a spectacular setting with every facility except A/C, which is acceptable and understandable given the remote location and the all solar power supply. Also the best run of all the lodges we stayed at with a very varied programme of drives.

We were blessed with an excellent guide, Ben, and again had a very companionable couple from Belgium in the vehicle with us. Most of the driving is done in the river bed of the Hoanib river, dry at this season but which last rainy season had been in full flood for several months due to heavy rains many miles in to the interior. The evidence of the flood were everywhere: uprooted trees, crumbling banks, but it was hard to imagine so much water in an area now so arid.

Key species here are desert elephant and desert lion and we saw a total of 12 elephant and four lion, which is about as good as it gets. Both are small and the lion more scrawny than their identical fellows in non desert areas, and the behaviour of the elephant much more restrained than their fellows elsewhere. They walked more slowly, went to a waterhole and had a drink, no playfulness, before moving slowly on to pull down some tree branches to eat. Ben found the lion for us after very skilful tracking which in itself was exciting, given that there are so few in the area. He also magnificently tracked a snake for us and found a puff adder under a bush lying in wait for prey.

The other highlight of the lodge is a drive to the coast, about 60kms and three hours away to the west where there are seal colonies. The drive itself was splendid, with lots of flowers in some areas. and the rocky and sandy coastline was a treat. Elegant picnic lunch on the beach. The journey ends with a 15 minute flight back to camp.

I would unhesitatingly recommend this place." See all these reviews: 17n in Namibia

"Great location. Excellent wildlife sightings. Excellent guiding by Joas who had a good eye for the right angles for photos and for predicting where animals would move to. Great trip to Skeleton Coast. Helpful staff.

Rooms are particularly spectacular here.

Saw a wildcat and lots of jackals." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana; 7n in Namibia

"My husband and I had a fantastic time at this chic, remote camp, which blends perfectly with the surrounding rugged terrain. Being able to encounter animals thriving in such a harsh environment was truly fascinating! Our guide Michael was very engaging and knowledgeable and shared a wealth of information about the area and various animal adaptations; he truly made our experience so memorable, particularly the drive out to the Skeleton Coast! We actually preferred the drive over the flight back given the ability to better appreciate the changing landscapes.

As for the camp, the staff are incredibly friendly and accommodating. The main lodge is comfortable and inviting, with an ice cold pool offering relief during the hot afternoons. The tents are spacious, powered by solar, and smartly appointed. The only downside was the lack of air conditioning, which made lounging in the room during the afternoon as well as sleeping a challenge; it took very long for the room temperature to drop at night and opening the windows was not an option given small holes in the screen, which allowed a considerable number of bugs to enter. (And we traveled in winter; I cannot imagine visiting in summer!) That said, our only suggestion is to include air conditioning units (similar to those at Little Kulala), or at least address the holes in the screens to allow ventilation at night without inviting bugs in the room.

Overall though, we loved the camp and would highly recommend!" See all these reviews: 16n in Namibia

"Wonderfully remote location in the Hoanib valley, accessible only by light aircraft. The camp is very stylish, a sort of Bedouin / Scandinavian chic , comfortable and spacious . The staff were outstanding, nothing too much trouble. They work as a team, from laundry worker and waitress to management, and on one memorable occasion clearly enjoyed dancing and singing together for our entertainment.

We came to immerse ourselves in a desert landscape and environment but were very surprised to see so many different types of wild life , in addition to desert adapted elephants . A photographer's dream . Even spotted a Caracal. The full day excursion to the Skeleton Coast, where we saw a seal colony being watched over by a hyena and a couple of jackals, is a must.

Our guide throughout our stay, Joas, was great company, having great social and professional skills." See all these reviews: 19n in Namibia

"This was my favorite camp of the trip.

Beautiful rooms, superb location, great meals. Staff was wonderful.

Really enjoyed the day trip to the coast, lunch at the beach and then the flight back." See all these reviews: 17n in Namibia

"We felt we were on the moon, landscape spectacular. Very clean and comfortable accommodation, food excellent and staff very pleasant and helpful.

Really good guide and enjoyed our safari trips, especially the one down to the Atlantic coast where we had lunch on the beach.

Lots of elephants, giraffe, oryx etc. No lions as not in the area.

Loved it." See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia