A convenient, budget-friendly base for Damaraland
Palmwag Lodge lies at the doorstep of Damaraland. Close to the road leading from Etosha, it’s a good stopover if you are on a self-drive trip or in transit. It is located on a true palm-fringed oasis and is actually one of the few places where you stand a fighting chance of seeing desert elephant from the bar...in fact, you might well run into one on the way back to your tent!
The lodge is on the larger side, with 20 rooms and is slightly more old-fashioned safari camp style. Accommodation is in either smallish thatched cottages or in the nicer big en-suite tents. The latter are the ones to choose if you like the idea of an elephant experience on the way home.
There’s quite a lot on offer from Palmwag Lodge, including some nice guided nature walks, morning and afternoon drives into the surrounding concession and visits to meet the Himba people. This is a bit of a local hub so don’t come here expecting a remote, isolated camp. However, the hustle and bustle around the bar and nice pool is quite nice for a change and you’re bound to meet some interesting folk.
20 rooms - from rondavels to en-suite tents
A convenient, budget-friendly base for Damaraland
Damaraland is a stark, perpetually surprising landscape of red rock mountains interspersed with some pretty tenacious vegetation and the odd misplaced sand-dune or grassy meadow. Harsh lunar vistas, deep silence, unbelievable starry skies and a geological Disneyland are the order of the day here. This is where desert-adapted elephant, rhino and lion roam (though they are not a dime a dozen so you should plan for some exciting hours “on the case" if you expect to have a chance of seeing one). You can actually join researchers at Desert Rhino Camp where you can specifically head out to track rhino. Surprising as it may sound, there are people here too, though not many. Now referred to as the Damara, these unsuspective folk were relocated from South Africa in the 1960s under the Odendaal Plan and somehow scratch a living from land that is neither well-suited for crops nor livestock. They are charming, bubbly people and you will no doubt spot the odd tumble-down homestead looking like something from the Midwest while you travel through this area. Read more?
If you are considering travelling to Namibia, chances are you are looking for something out of the ordinary. A journey through Namibia is all about daily surprises; the impossible number of stars, the expanse of views over desert mountains, the improbable salmon-pink of sand-dunes at sunrise, the ingenuity of small creatures adapted to the harsh environment, the ochre and leather dress of the Himba and petticoated dresses of the Herero, the first taste of ostrich biltong and the excellent seafood. Jump straight to some of our favourite Namibian experiences. Read more?
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Catherine's long experience of, and enthusiasm for Africa, makes her a mine of travel information. Add to the mix her vivacious character and inscrutable attention to detail and there are few people you'd rather have plan your holiday.
At Natural High, we've had long experience putting together trips in Africa that really work. Whether it's intimate bushcamps in out of the way places, or a private lodge in one of Africa's top-billing wildlife areas, light mobile camping or remote island escapes, we know there is a lot to choose from. We're absolutely confident that we can recommend the right places for you.
