Damaraland is the area between Swakopmund and Etosha National Park. This beautiful and desolate region has two distinct features: geology and wildlife. No trip to Damaraland is complete without visiting several landmarks. Spitzkoppe is a rock formation on the road between Usakos and Swakopmund. From a distance the dome shaped granite outcrops look like African huts hence the Afrikaans name Pondok. At sunset the colours of the mountain turn a spectacular orangey red.
Brandberg has one of the richest collections of rock art in the world, best known of which is the White Lady Frieze. The painting was executed in an overhang in the Tsisab Ravine on the northeastern side of the mountain. The Brandberg Mountain Guides will guide you to the rock painting sites and will also provide you with an insight into the flora and fauna of the mountain. Owing to the midday heat, walks are best undertaken in the morning and you should allow about four hours there and back. Carry lots of water and wear a sunhat and comfortable footwear. Experienced hikers can join a four-day hike up the Konigstein Peak, the highest peak of the Brandberg Mountains.
Another must see in Damaraland is the Petrified Forest. These are trees that were uprooted somewhere else over 200 million years ago and were swept along by rivers in flood, covered in sediment and subsequently uncovered by erosion. The Twyfelfontein Engravings were chiseled painstakingly into the rock slabs littering the slopes of a low, flat topped mountain, and one cannot help but be amazed at how realistic these engravings actually are.
The other aspect of Damaraland that is extremely interesting is the wildlife. The area is exceptionally dry and with no permanent water the animals have made special adaptations to living without water. The desert dwelling elephant of Damaraland are not a distinct species or subspecies, but they are unique. They can go without water for up to 4 days, during times of drought they walk up to 60km from their feeding grounds in search of waters. Unlike other elephants they are very careful to utilize every scrap of their food source.
Lodges we like.
DESERT RHINO CAMP
PALMWAG LODGE
DORO NAWAS