Wolwedans Collection (Namib Rand Nature Reserve, Namibia)
Whilst on safari, one can often feel that they don’t have time to really take in and enjoy the particular area that they are visiting; so much time is spent out on nature/game drives that it doesn’t leave much time to do what most people come on holiday to do, relax.
The Wolwedans collection of 4 camps in the Namib Rand Nature Reserve certainly gives guests the chance to do just that. From the moment you arrive you are encouraged to unwind and take things easy; and to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere and amazing views that each camp offers. The rooms or tents are incredibly comfortable and spacious with a rustic, authentic safari feel to them; all have canvas roll-up flaps to the front of them, so you can enjoy the stunning view from your own bed. Accommodation comes in either Dunes Lodge, Dune Camp, Private Camp or Boulders Camp.
Not that you are short of activities to do should you so choose. On the contrary there is a variety of excursions that Wolwedans offers. There are scenic nature drives where expert resident guides will explain how the desert organisms interact with their harsh but fragile environment, picnic lunches in the desert, and sundowner drives to soak up an African sunset from a spectacular viewpoint. It doesn’t stop there with an air charter company called Nature Wings organizing scenic flights over the Namib Desert, and hot air ballooning with Namib Sky.
The reserve is situated in the south-west of Namibia, about 60 km south of Sossusvlei. Namib Rand is not a big game destination; there is not a huge abundance of wild animals on the reserve although Oryx, Springbok, Ostrich, Zebra, Baboon, and Jackal are regularly sighted along with numerous species of endemic desert birds. But for what it lacks in animals it more than makes up for with its setting. This is a photographer’s paradise; the views are endless, and stretch out for miles before your eyes. There are russet coloured dunes, with golden desert grasses growing on them and the on plains below; interspersed with isolated granite kopjes and a backdrop of a 1 billion year old escarpment!
The Wolwedans camps are not a 1 night stopover destination; a 2, 3, or even a 4 night stay is recommended to really enjoy and appreciate what this beautiful, picturesque part of Namibia has to offer.
This entry was posted on Saturday, October 4th, 2008 at 5:42 pm and is filed under Namibia Safari. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
I took a 45 minute flight from Swakopmund to Wolwedans in the NamibRand Private Conservancy, down the fantastic skeleton coast & over the dunes. Absolutely stunning!
The plane was tiny, only 4 of us + the pilot – 3 in the back and one sat up next to the pilot in the prime seat. They give you headphones so can listen into all the mission control stuff, which is basically the banter between all the pilots and the pilot also acts as a tour guide explaining the route and other interesting bits of chat!
The first part of the journey heads off down the coast and over the sand dunes – the dunes from the air are something to be seen, it really is like a stormy sea of sand and the colours are fantastic, they then almost become mountainous. The further south you fly the more vegetation there is and some rather strange crop circles seem to appear.
As this is a ‘hopper’ flight the pilot landed at the first airstrip to drop off two passengers who were staying elsewhere – our stop was just a little further south – the pilot asked if we now wanted to have some fun – which being a bit of a thrill seeker I agreed! We took off again and then flew so low & fast that you could almost touch the trees, absolutely fantastic!
Taking this flight was one of those once in a lifetime experiences – I hope not just a once off though, I can’t wait to go back and experience it again