HOT SPOT: NAMIBIA

Damaraland’s newest safari property, Onduli Ridge sits perfectly poised for tracking desert-adapted wildlife and taking in Namibia’s stunning natural beauty. By Haley Beham

There are few places on Earth like Namibia. It’s a country of raw, natural beauty. Dramatic landscapes of soaring sand dunes, vast and arid desert stretching miles upon miles, windswept coastlines, and the Naukluft Mountains are just a few of its natural wonders. The country, which is about twice the size of California, boasts one of the lowest population densities in the world with only around 2.5 million people. Traveling to Namibia offers a completely different experience than anywhere else in Africa.

Namibia’s northwestern region of Damaraland is sandwiched between the Skeleton Coast and Etosha National Park. The remote region is special for its ancient natural history, culture, and geology. Vast gravel plains, flattopped mountains, and clusters of granite outcroppings create a rugged environment that, for thousands of years, has protected a number of rock engravings. This rock art, which dates back 6,000 years, was created by the Damara people who, along with the San, are thought to be the oldest inhabitants of Namibia.

One of the most highly debated rock art findings is the White Lady found at Brandberg, although it’s now generally agreed to be a bushmen painting dating 2,000 years ago. It depicts what is assumed to be a ritual dance with several human figures, oryxes, and the “White Lady” which is the most detailed of the figures.

You can find even more ancient rock engravings nearby at Twyfelfontein, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that dates back to the Stone Age. There are more than 2,500 clear depictions of giraffes, cattle, rhinos, and lions alongside geometric markings making it the largest collection of rock art in Africa. It’s believed that the San bushmen made the rock art at Twyfelfontein as many as 2,500 years ago.

An advantage to traveling to the remote regions in Namibia is the personal, and often exclusive, nature of the accommodations. Newly opened (April 2021) Ultimate Safaris’ Onduli Ridge is one such luxury outpost. Onduli Ridge, named for the resident giraffe in the area, is located in a private concession in the Doro !Nawas Conservancy in the heart of Damaraland. Situated at the base of two south-facing granite outcrops, the six suites sit nestled among the boulders. The camp is designed to maximize views of the striking landscape, including those of the Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain.

Taking advantage of Damaraland’s temperate climate and the extraordinary natural beauty, suites are naturally ventilated, with partial open-air bathrooms, louvered shutters, and a deck that allows you to roll your bed out onto it for an afternoon siesta or an evening sleepout. Can you imagine falling asleep under Namibia’s vast night sky covered in stars?

From Onduli Ridge, set off on 4x4 safaris in search of desert-adapted wildlife. Steenbok, kudu, baboon, and warthog all thrive in the area. It’s even home to Africa’s largest population of free-range rhinos. But the biggest draw to the remote region is the desert-adapted elephant and lion, who against all odds, have found a way to survive in the desert environment. These elephants can go four days without water. You can even get out of the vehicle and explore the area on foot.

You’ll want to stay for at least four nights so that you have time to not only explore the nearby geological sights like Twyfelfontein, Burnt Mountain, Organ Pipes, and Doros Crater, but to also join in on tracking the desert-adapted elephant and rhinos.

Onduli Ridge is easily accessed from Windhoek by air, with its own private airstrip located approximately 20 minutes by safari vehicle from the lodge. We have included a wonderful sample journey in this travel guide that includes Onduli Ridge on a larger exploration of southern Africa. Or, if you’d like to spend more time in Namibia, consider combining it with a stay at Camp Sossus in the Namib Tsaris Conservancy in the south and Ongava Lodge just outside Etosha National Park in the north.

Conservation Chronicles

Like so many of the destinations we travel to, the communities and conservation projects in Namibia depend on tourism dollars. While the regular stream of tourism-related financial support has been slow to recover, Ultimate Safaris rallied with corporate companies, Namibian businesses, trade partners, past guests, and armchair conservationists to raise funds through the Conservation Trust Foundation. Because of their efforts, they were able to invest USD $765,000 to a variety of causes and projects, including support for rural schools and scholarships and a community food security project.

Additionally, they invested USD $103,000 for two rhino relocations to Doro !Nawas and Huab Conservancies, provided assistance for researchers’ salaries for the AfriCat Foundations, and invested USD $162,000 for human and wildlife conflict mitigation efforts.

While the world was in lockdown, they produced a conservation travel series of 66 episodes called the “Covid Chronicles” which documented real-time, behind-the-scenes life of active conservation in Namibia. Episodes took viewers on adventures following the anti-poaching unit at Ongava, getting up close to a pangolin, and even capturing and relocating giraffes.

Contact Ker & Downey to start planning your safari to Namibia at www.kerdowney.com.