I never believed that tented camps in the bush could be so luxurious. But it is true that many of these remote camps have excelled at the fine art of living well while in the African desert or bush. In my opinion, Namibia’s Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp is one of the best. Combine this chic luxury with conservation causes and it becomes an unbeatable experience.

The Location

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp is located in Africa’s Namibian desert: remote, dry, desolate, and yet filled with desert-adapted wildlife. It is a private wilderness area near the Skeleton Coast and part of the Wilderness collection.

This is considered a low-risk malaria area, but it is still advisable to bring insect repellent and wear long-sleeves and pants at night. If you are on a doctor or travel clinic course of prescribed medications, it is important to continue with your prescription.

As for me, Namibia as a whole is relatively low-risk for malaria because of the overall dryness. I chose not to partake in a malarial routine.

The Camp

The remote Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp rests in Namibia’s famed, ancient Kaokoveld.

The all-inclusive camp offers eight tented suites that are 100% solar-powered with electricity provided by a solar plant. Even the water for the shower and basin is heated by a solar-powered geyser. (A backup generator ensures electricity at all times.)  All tents effortlessly blend in with the local environment. 

Wi-Fi is available in the individual suites and is provided by satellite connections. An outdoor pool and bar/lounge, as well as laundry service.

Desert-adapted wildlife surrounds the area and provides intimate viewings of elephants, oryx, giraffes, and even lions and elusive brown hyenas. Your guides are experts at knowing where the wildlife is. While my group was there, we witnessed a herd of elephants cross the camp, which was a truly amazing experience. And during our safari drives, elephant sightings were spectacular.

It’s important to note that there is no fence around the camp, and so wildlife does roam freely and wild, both during the day and night. It’s essential to use the demarcated walkways, unless you are with a guide. At night, a guide will always escort you to your tent.

The Luxury Tent

This exclusive camp is only accessible by light aircraft. Each luxury tent suite offers stylish en-suite bedrooms with shaded outdoors decks. 

The luxury tents are spacious and contain outdoor lounges as well as small tables and chairs to enjoy leisurely time communing with nature.

The Room

Rooms are spacious and beds and bedding are clean and extremely comfortable. Each luxury tent also has a bar fridge, along with flush toilets and showers.

The Cuisine

The cuisine at this camp is probably some of the best I’ve ever had in Africa. In fact, the entire group of eight photographers on my trip with Aaron’s Photo Tours also agreed.

The chef and staff offer traditional cuisine with local ingredients as much as possible in order to reduce the carbon footprint and work together with the local community.  They work with dietary restrictions such as vegetarian, but let them know in advance as provisioning requires advance planning.

From a surprise alfresco lunch on the Skeleton Coast beach to sunset downers, you will never be hungry. 

A lunch menu we enjoyed during our stay included seeds, nuts, and oat loaf with salted butter. Dishes served to the table included a red cabbage and ginger slaw with a main dish of barbeque beef sirloin with marula nut salsa and crispy maize. This was served with a warm local millet salad along with roasted butternut, balsamic onion, grilled broccoli, pistachio, and pumpkin seeds. We finished our gourmet meal with a dessert of grilled rum-infused pineapple and homemade vanilla ice cream.

Grenache noir and rosé accompanied the meal.

Each meal is a gourmet journey into freshness, locality, and creativity. I was never hungry, but I also made sure I never wasted food.

The Rates

For the best rates as well as special packages, book directly online or with your travel agent. Depending on day of the week, season and room type, rates can range from N$27.080 (low season) – N$45.320 (high season) for an all inclusive luxury single. Rates are quoted in Namibian dollars (NAD). The current exchange rate for $100 USD is $1,818.01 NAD.

This is a small, boutique camp that is one of the best in Africa. As such, it is important to book early to ensure they have availability for your desired dates.

The Bottom Line

This place matters because it is at the forefront of focusing on human dignity, recovering wildlife, and other conservation gains. This is the expanding legacy of Namibia’s community ventures. Wilderness Hoanib Camp partners with three neighboring conservancies, enabling guests to come eye-to-eye with desert-adapted elephants, lions, hyenas, and giraffes.

Food is a gourmet journey into freshness, locality, and creativity.

The hospitality and service provided by all camp guides and employees is some of the best I have ever seen while in Africa.

This location has the largest population of desert-adapted elephants and black rhinos in Africa. Even though we didn’t encounter any black rhinos during our two-night stay, we saw numerous desert-adapted elephants, including mothers and their babies, in their natural environment.

Though I have been to Africa many times for photo safaris over the years, my stay at Hoabnib Skeleton Coast Camp was an apex journey and wilderness experience I will always fondly remember.

Where else to stay in South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia

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Pangolin Chobe Hotel – Safari Paradise for Every Type of Photographer

Karin Leperi Pezo is a writer and photographer living part-time in Peru and part-time in Nevada. She paid full fare for two nights as part of Aaron’s Photo Tours.  All photos are by Karin Pezo, unless otherwise noted. As always, all opinions are those of the author and are based on an actual overnight stay at the property.