DAMARALAND

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• Damaraland is a vast, untamed region best known for its magnificent, rugged desert scenery.

• Damaraland makes up the northern portion of the Namib Desert and stretches north of Swakopmund from the Skeleton Coast to the south western border of Etosha National Park.  

• Although this privately operated reserve is not famous for its vast numbers of animals, it is still very rewarding and is home to the country’s famous desert-adapted elephants and black rhino.

• You can also see gemsbok, lion, springbok, desert-dwelling giraffe and the Hartmann's mountain zebra. 

• Formerly known as Welwitschia, Khorixas is the capital of Damaraland. The name was taken from Khoekhoen name for a tree with edible berries.

• The landscapes will take your breath away – bare granite domes rise out of wide gravel plains, which in turn lead into hot, dry valleys or sandy riverbeds.

• The Petrified Forest, about 50 km west of Khorixas, is approximately 280 million years old.

• The so-called Organ Pipes in the Brandberg-Twyfelfontein area are a photographer’s dream – a collection of 120 million year old dolerite dykes that look like massive organ pipes pushing up towards the sky.

• Find caves and shelters in the south, adorned by a wealth of centuries-old Bushman rock art in Twyfelfontein, and the Vingerklip, a huge, vertical rock finger that protrudes into the air, one of Namibia’s most famous and remarkable rock formations.

• The vegetation in Damaraland is sparse and adapted to the harsh conditions, but rare succulent plants can be seen on walks.  

• Fine specimens of Welwitschia Mirabilis, endemic to the Namib Desert, can be seen just outside Khorixas at the Petrified Forest. Some Welwitschia plants are said to be up to 1,500 years old. 

• Best time to travel – early March to early January are considered the better months, avoiding the months of January and February because of the heat. 

• Main activities – appreciating the magnificent scenery, guided or self-drives and hiking.

Unlike the rest of the Namib Desert the Damaraland is actually a mountainous and rocky terrain, which at intervals have wide gravel plains between them that lead into hot and dry valleys or into sandy riverbeds. 

In the region bordering the Atlantic is a desert land, but going further inland rugged mountains appear and wide barren sand plains. The vegetation is sparse and adapted to the harsh conditions of this area, and rare succulent plants can be seen on walks. 

Early March to early January are considered the better months to visit - avoiding the months of January and February. 

Appreciating the magnificent scenery, guided drives, and hiking are the main activities on offer.