Reviews of Hoanib Valley Camp

"Stunning spot, isolated, surrounded by mountains, best camp we visited.

Were upgraded to the big tent, beautiful & well appointed.

Staff fabulous, excellent guide in Ramon, great trip down the river bed but no lion or elephant, almost didn’t matter.

Our favourite camp, highly recommended." See all these reviews: 14n in Namibia

"Flying in and out of Hoanib Valley was an excursion in itself.

The scenery is impossible to capture in any photo. A long drive from the airstrip to the camp but worth it once you are there.

The staff are so welcoming with their drinks and singing. always offering drinks / snacks.

Rooms are amazing given the location, it was a really special stay, again withy knowledgeable guides." See all these reviews: 13n in Namibia

"We drove from Camp Kipwe to the pick up point at Sesfontein seeing a herd of around 13 elephants including 3 tiny babies roadside, 4 giraffes roadside, springbok, ostrich and monkeys en route. We were met by our guide Joanas who drove us in a closed vehicle about 1 3/4 hours to the camp. We were greeted by all the such friendly staff singing to us which was lovely and something they continued to do throughout our stay. Our tent was lovely and had everything we needed.

The following day we had an early morning game drive (was in a closed vehicle with drop down windows and pop up roof) in search of what we were hoping a dessert adapted lion. Unfortunately no lions and to be honest not many animals at all. We saw 1 bull elephant, several giraffes, few Oryx, Steenbok & lots of Springbok.

In the afternoon we went on a trip with our guide to visit a nearby Himba Tribe Village. This was fabulous and certainly made up for the disappointment of seeing such few animals earlier. The tribe was lovely and welcomed us to view their huts. We also had great fun playing with their children. It was a very nice experience and would certainly recommend.

The following morning Joanas drove us back to Sesfontein to pick up our car. We assumed this would be in the same closed vehicle we had experienced throughout our stay. It was actually in an open vehicle where we were blown to pieces and very cold on a very fast bumpy 1 3/4 hour drive. My quibble with this is why on earth take us on a game drive in a closed vehicle with limited visibility and then use an open one for the transfer??

Apart from our disappointment with the lack of animals it was still an incredible experience to stay here." See all these reviews: 21n in Namibia

"Hoanib valley is a wonderful camp with some fabulous facilities and staff. It is only six tents but they are all very large and luxurious, with hot water and all the mod cons (except hairdryer and kettle) Morning tea is delivered at the required time no matter how early.

The food is exceptional and all my dietary needs were met and exceeded (daily gluten free bread)

The camp is tucked in the mountain so has it’s only little warm micro climate which means it is much warmer than many other camps visited - there is a swimming pool with a fabulous breeze during the day which is a great place to just hang out between morning and evening activities.

Picnic lunch and BBQ by the fire were all added touches that are what makes this camp special and worth the visit.

We came here to see desert-adapted animals and we’re lucky the herd of ten were around for two days - however this is often not the case as they move between Hoanib and skeleton coast - also Note that this camp only has the concession rights for river bed (not skeleton coast) so a two night stay is recommended.

Our guide Raymon was a great ambassador for lodge and also Namibian conservation- wow what an amazingly charming and interesting man." See all these reviews: 17n in Namibia

"This was our favourite lodge of the many high end ones visited on our trip. A stunning location, an enthusiastic and very personable young guide (Ramon), great staff managed by the effervescent Petronella all added to some great experiences on our drive (many elephants) and walks. If just a bit of what we liked can be attributed to the joint venture structure with the local community then this is a formula to be applauded and encouraged." See all these reviews: 16n in Namibia

"Great location! The canyon when you drive down to the camp is amazing.

The staff was great, super welcoming, and enthusiastic - they worked well as a team. They went out of their way to make sure everyone is comfortable.

Tents are very close to each other - so you can hear conversations from the tent next door, I would have wished for more distance.

Decor okay - visited the Wilderness Hoanib Camp and that was definitely a notch up." See all these reviews: 8n in Namibia

"This camp did not so much impress with its wildlife: We only had a few encounters with giraffes, one oryx sighting and one zebra sighting. Our guide Mamsy told us that a short time ago they had five black rhinos in the area, and while one died of old age, three others were poached during Covid-19, so they have one black rhino left. Very sad. Other than that, there was no sign of either desert-adapted elephants or lions, although we saw tracks of them both.

We still don’t regret coming here, because the area was all the more astounding for its otherworldly landscapes. More than once we felt like being on a different planet. Mamsy was exceptionally knowledgeable and she made sure a visit to a Himba village nearby was one of the highlights of the entire trip.

The camp was, as expected, very luxurious and provided very nice views of the Hoanib valley. On our first morning we drove to the river, and its waters were raging. In the evening of the same day, the water was nearly gone." See all these reviews: 19n in Namibia; 15n in Botswana

"Absolutely spectacular setting - this camp is very unique.

Staff were outstanding. Food was good, not great.

Rooms closer together than expected - recommend requesting a room far away from the generator and mess tent.

This is a really special place." See all these reviews: 13n in Namibia

"The best camp of the trip! Excellent in every way. The best staff on the trip too." See all these reviews: 14n in Namibia

"Just amazing!

The Hoanib valley is clearly one of the best kept secrets in Namibia. Worth spending three nights !

Also possible to drive to the Camp with your own 4x4 vehicle and being escorted over to their sister camp Shipwreck Lodge at the Skeleton Coast." See all these reviews: 9n in Namibia