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. . Remoteness |
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. . superb |
Where:
Skeleton
Coast Trail is located within the Wilderness Safaris Skeleton Coast Concession
in northwestern Namibia. This concession is one of the largest areas of a
national park to be offered as a private concession in Namibia. One of the
park rules is that the concession must be accessed by air. With the daily
coastal mist can make this really exciting in a light aircraft if you try
to land before 10 am.
What:
The
Skeleton Coast Trail is about getting to experience an unspoiled region of
the Namib desert where early morning coastal mist keeps the desert adapted
flora and fauna alive. 
Game
viewing (desert elephant, giraffe, oryx and springbok) is very dependent on
the level of surface water in the predominately dry river courses that crisscross
the region and the variable rains in the interior - so it can be feast or
famine.
This
Namibian safari as an experience is a combination of vehicle safaris and walking
safaris. Due to the restrictions of the concession, walkers return to the
same camp every night and the best way to cover the big distances between
the best walking and the safari base camp is to use a vehicle. Having a back
up vehicle is also really useful when you start getting close to elephant.
Every
day of this safari will include a walk along the misty, windy beach next to
the icy cold ocean. If you feel that this description covers most coastal
walking in the UK and if that is what you wanted you would head to Wales -
then this is not the safari trip for you! You will not find the walking to
be the fantastic, enthralling nature safari experience we find it to be.
How long:
The
Skeleton Coast Trail safari experience is best suited to five nights and six
days. It is possible to arrange shorter safari trips and three nights and
four day safaris are available, but walkers tend to run out of time to really
enjoy all the options available. Five nights is ideal if your budget can stretch
to this. I would also advise that serious walkers consider a day or two on
top of this. The Skeleton Coast safari is not really for big groups as the
camp only sleeps 10 people. Generally most of our bookings are for couples
who share the camp with others.
The
daily schedule of the safari is very flexible and the factors that limit the
scope of the walking are protection of this fragile environment and the regulations
of the park. The safari routine tends to work out as follows - predawn wake
up call with coffee/tea, meet at the mess tent for breakfast and then head
off by vehicle to the head of the trail for the day. Lunch is generally a
picnic affair and walkers return to camp by vehicle in time for sunset. Dinner
is served in the mess tent at about 8pm most evenings.
Who:
The
Skeleton Coast Trail is run by Wilderness Safaris and the managers of the
Trail camp are Eric "the Viking" and his wife Tanya. Eric and Tanya
have lived and worked all over northwestern Namibia - involved in community
development, anti-poaching and freelance safari guiding. Eric speaks about
9 languages without accent and is a great fireside storyteller.
The guides at the safari camp are Eric, Linus and Kallie. Kallie is a real
local from Puros - the closest Himba settlement - with a great passion for
the desert and a deep understanding of the ebbs and flows of the timeless
drama of survival in this region. Linus is of the Damara community - also
one of the local communities who have lived in this desert region for many
years. He has a deep love of the area and is proud of his roots.
To guide in the Skeleton Coast requires a in depth knowledge of the ecosystem
and all the smaller players that make up this extraordinary food chain - from
the coastal mist to lichen to elephant. All these safari guides are fascinating
and slightly extroverted/eccentric (the desert will do this to you too) so
bear with it when you first meet them.
Camp:
The
six accommodation tents of the Trails Camp are located in a tributary of the
Kumeb dry river course, just upstream of the oasis - Sarusus Springs. The
tents are laid out on either side of the small valley down from the main mess
tent where meals are taken and the bar is located. The
insect proofed tents are built on low wooden platforms. They are large enough
to stand upright in and are equipped with proper beds, linen, duvets and pillows.
The bathrooms are en suite with a flush toilet and bucket shower. The camp
relies on a hybrid solar and generator system that powers lights at night
and the hot water is gas heated and brought by bucket to the tent.
| Facilities | Description |
| Safaris | Full day safari for 8 or 10 hours |
| Mixture of driving and walking |
| Tents | 6 Semi permanent tents |
| Tents are insect proofed with mosquito netting | |
| Tents contain 2 x 3/4 beds and mattresses with linen and duvet | |
| Insect repellent is supplied | |
| Torch is supplied |
| Bathrooms | En suite bathrooms |
| Toilet is flush style toilet | |
| Showers are bucket showers | |
| Hot water is gas heated |
| Meals and drink | 3 main meals a day - breakfast, lunch and dinner |
| Lunch is a picnic | |
| Meals are prepared from fresh and cooked in kitchen | |
| Bottled water is supplied | |
| Most local branded drinks are included in the price |
| Power | Rechargeable batteries used for radios and camp logistics |
| Solar panels and diesel generator used to charge batteries | |
| Gas to cook and heat water | |
| Battery powered lights in camp and the tents |
| General | Non Malarial area |
| Closest doctor is in Outjo 1 hour flight away | |
| Closest big hospital - in Windhoek 3 hours flying |
Meals and drinks:
The
food at the safari trail camp is from the same kitchen as the food at Skeleton
Coast Camp - so you get the services of Dave, Goose and Jan-a-Man who put
together great meals in camp, but the highlight is often the lunchtime picnic
baskets.
The breakfast normally consists of fruit, cereal/porridge, full English, tea
and coffee. If you feel that you won't be able to last until lunch time, pack
a few pieces of fruit into your walking gear. Lunch is eaten on safari and
is a picnic with salads and cold cuts. Dinner is three tasty courses - normally
served in the mess tent, but sometimes under the stars if the weather allows.
Safaris:
The
Skeleton Coast is so named for the skeletons of fish, birds, seals, whales,
ships and sailors that today and historically littered its shores. This is
the beachcomber's dream and perhaps my fascination with this area has as much
to do with my Cornish shipwrecking ancestry as with my interest in zoology.
These 'remains' - both organic and inorganic - are borne north up the coast
of southern Africa by the fast flowing, icy cold, oxygen rich Benguela current
which peters out near the Namibian/Angolan border, just north of the safari
base camp. A combination of the slowing current and the onshore winds drives
much of the flotsam that the current has collected, onto the beaches here.
With the concession being private and the rules of the park being that nothing
can be removed it makes for the best and most interesting beach walking that
is possible.
This
Namibian safari experience is very much about being inside the Skeleton Coast
National Park and being able to walk in areas where perhaps no man has ever
set foot before. One of the features of this coastline is that it is misty
most of the morning and early evening. This moisture is what give the desert
life here a tiny toe-hold in the survival struggle. That is my take on it.
As mentioned earlier, should you feel that walking along windy, misty beaches
could be done in Wales for a fraction of the price, then the subtleties of
this safari will pass you by - this is not the walking safari for you!!!
The
daily routine for the safari is to set off from camp after breakfast by vehicle
and drive down to the beach to walk. There are a few options here. Walkers
can either cover the same piece of coastline everyday to see what the high
tide of the day has brought to the beach, or walkers can choose to cover a
different section of beach every day. There are a whole bunch of really fantastic
walks and safaris that can be enjoyed in the area. These are as diverse as
a visit to a Himba settlement, a walk at the Clay Castles of the Horaseb,
walking on the roaring dunes, crawling into a Cape fur seal colony, swimming
in the ocean, fishing - tag and release for research ('yeah right' she says),
exploring the lichen fields and tracking desert elephants.
Walking
in an environment where the chances of interacting with dangerous wildlife
are high does require that you acknowledge the risks involved and listen to
the expert - your safari guide. Your guide will be armed with a rifle when
you are out on safari if looking for elephant. The guides have extensive bush
experience and know how to deal with potentially dangerous situations. It
is very important that they can trust you to obey an instruction in a pressure
situation (like "stand still" when an elephant gets quite close)
- keep this in mind when you consider booking a trip.
Equipment:
Footwear - With this being a safari trail you are going to need a good pair of walking shoes. I would suggest that you get a pair of light boots that do offer some ankle support. I would recommend that you look to get a pair of boots with a "Vibram" sole. If you do have a set of gaiters these will also be useful as some of the grass seeds and thorns can be a challenge. At least 4 pairs of good walking socks are essential on this safari.
Clothing - You will need to have clothing that is bush coloured - greens, browns and khakis. Try to avoid wearing white, red, yellow and orange as these will not help you blend in while walking. We suggest that you wear long trousers for the walking as these offer extra protection for your legs from bites and scratches. Long sleeved shirts with collars are also useful to keep the sun off during the day and insects in the evening. A good hat is very important, especially if you are challenged - in the hair follicle department like Iain is. We suggest a broad brimmed 'cricket style' hat (again a muted colour is important). A baseball cap is also useful when you are in the vehicle as it does not get in the way. At the Skeleton Coast a good windproof jacket is essential, the wind here can get a bit cheeky in the afternoons. A good pair of sunglasses is very useful for both glare and dust - we suggest that you use polarised lenses if you can.
We always take our "Leatherman tools" - a sort of tough Swiss Officer's knife - on safaris and walks with us. These tools are fantastic and really handy - from popping a blister or repairing a boot to opening a cold beer - we try not to leave home without one.
Binoculars and Cameras - One of the most important pieces of equipment you can have when you are walking is a top quality pair of binoculars. The best makes are Leica, Nikon, Swarovski and Zeiss. These makes have top quality lens and the products are tough enough to be knocked around a bit without falling to pieces. The magnification you are looking for in a good pair of binos is about 10x40. This allows enough light into the lens for the amount of magnification - giving the user a clear image.
Without getting into the digital vs film debate for SLR's, I would suggest one of the top brands of camera body - Canon, Leica, Nikon or Pentax. I use an Nikon or Canon body. More important than the camera bodies are the lenses - these are what light has to pass to get to the film or memory chip in the camera body - if you have poor lenses it is far more difficult to take top pictures. I suggest that you look to take 3 basic lenses on safari. A short lens - 35mm, a medium zoom lens -70 to 210mm zoom and a longer fixed lens, say about 300mm. The F-stop of these lens is quite important if you are planning to be serious about your photography - the lower the F-stop, the greater use the lens will have. I usually take a small digital for people and location photographs and the SLR's for the juicy stuff.
For all your equipment I do recommend that you store it in dust/splash proof bags when not in use. Water and dust do not mix well with film or lenses. Ziplocs do work rather well in a squeeze.
Chat to Iain if you have any further questions about what equipment you should bring on this Namibian safari.
Prices
and season:
<<<
Safari Itinerary including Skeleton Coast Research Camp >>>
Namibia is fast becoming an expensive destination and the Skeleton Coast Safari Trail is near the pinnacle of the price pyramid. The positives for this trail are; the safari trail is exclusive and there are no high and low season price structures. The safari is operated year round.
Details |
Prices
in USD |
| Flights to Skeleton Coast Trail |
| Flight Windhoek/Skeleton Coast - 5 seater Cessna 210 | $ 1875 per aircraft |
| Flight Swakopmund/Skeleton Coast - 5 seater Cessna 210 | $ 2045 per aircraft |
| Flight Palmwag/Skeleton Coast - 5 seater Cessna 210 | On request |
| Luggage Limit in light aircraft | 12.5kg per passenger |
| Excess luggage can be stored securely in Windhoek | At own risk |
| Suggest walkers wear their boots for the flight |
| Skeleton Coast Trail Camp daily rate |
| Skeleton Coast Trail Camp 2008 - all inclusive* | $340 per person sharing |
| * Skeleton Coast Park concession fee not included | $304 per person |
| Single supplement year round 2008 - all inclusive* | $170 per single |
| Skeleton Coast Trail Camp 6 day packages: (min 4) including return flights to Windhoek |
| Skeleton Coast Trail Camp2008 - all inclusive* | $2745 per person sharing |
| * Skeleton Coast Park concession fee is included | |
| Single supplement year round 2008 - all inclusive* | $850 per single |
| Skeleton Coast Trail Camp policy |
| No Children under the age of 12 years | over 12's charged full price |
Booking:
| Booking information |
| skeletoncoast@walkingwithwildlife.com | |
| Telephone UK | +44 (0)781 889 1847 |
| Payment | Full payment required in advance |
| Credit cards, cheque and bank transfers accepted | |
| Any camp extras are settled in cash on departure | |
| US$, GB£, Euros and Botswana Pula are accepted | |
| Traveller's cheques are accepted |