Desert Black Rhino Tracking Safari
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Where:
Rhino
Camp is located in northern Damaraland just to the east of the Skeleton Coast
National Park. The camp is built in the Wilderness Safaris - Palmwag concession
- this concession has some superb arid countryside for walking, tracking Black
Rhino and general game viewing on foot. The camp can be accessed by 4x4 vehicle
or light aircraft with the new airstrip closer to camp than the previous strip
at Palmwag. The camp does daily pick-upsand drop-offs at Palmwag Lodge, where
it is possible to leave a 2x4 vehicle.
What:
Rhino
Camp is a tracking camp - first and foremost - the camp uses vehicles for
game viewing, however all the rhino viewing and tracking is done on foot.
This
is a safari experience for those who want to walk and do some of their game
viewing on foot. Being on foot and following the tracks and sign of a rhino
can be really exciting as well as superbly rewarding if you can find the animal
you have been following.
This experience is more intense and slower paced than game viewing from a
vehicle - you get time to enjoy an environment free of vehicle noise while
the flora and small fauna - pointed out by the tracking team - help point
you in the direction of bigger game.
If you are
wanting to tick off the 'big five' and see large herds of animals then this
is not the safari camp for you.
How long:
The
Rhino tracking safari experience is best suited to three and perhaps four
days depending on what other experiences we have planned during your visit
to Africa. Two days is best suited if we have planned for you to go on to
one of the cooler safari camps for more wildlife viewing. Three days is better
suited if we have planned for you to go on to safari experiences other than
wildlife viewing.
The
daily schedule at Rhino Camp is - dawn wake up call with coffee/tea - meet
at the mess tent for a light breakfast and then head off with the safari guides
following the trackers when the sun is up - have a picnic brunch and return
to camp for an afternoon siesta - set off after tea for an afternoon walk
and game drive. This routine gets you into the bush when the game is active
and keeps you out of the bush in the heat of the day - when the game is lounging
in the shade.
Who:
Being
in the middle of nowhere means that camp manager Chris Bakkes and his new
wife MJ need to be very organised and together. Both Chris and MJ are Namibians,
MJ handles the safari camp logistics and Chris does most of the guiding.
Chris
is a published poet and novelist, a talented artist, great bushman, top desert
guide and fantastic racontour - his stories are almost as boring as Iain are.
Chris leads the safari tracking with great passion and skill. When tracking
- the Save the Rhino tracking team join forces with Chris and and help with
the tracking and spotting of game while Chris does the talking. Trust me it
is always better to have the extra sets of eyes on these safaris.
Camp:
Rhino
Ccamp is a pure tented camp with no permanent structures. Camp consists of
the main mess tent surrounded by 6 large insect proofed tents each with a
bucket shower and flush toilet. The camp caters to a maximum group size of
12 walkers wanting to track Desert Black Rhino.
The
insect proofed tents are large, about the sise of the average hotel room -
so enough room to stand upright in. The tents are lined with Persian carpets
and equipped with real beds, mattresses, duvets and beautiful linen. The camp
rely's on solar powered battery lights at night and the hot water is boiled
on a fire and then brought to your shower and hoisted above your head by a
pulley system.
| Facilities | Description |
| Safaris | Morning walk and game drive 4 or 5 hours |
| Back up vehicle if you find dangerous game | |
| Afternoon walk and evening game drive 4 hours |
| Tents | 6 walk in style 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/flashlight is supplied |
| Bathrooms | Each guest tent has attached shower and flush toilet |
| There is cold running water in camp | |
| Toilets are flush style toilets | |
| Showers are bucket showers - on pulley system | |
| Hot water is heated by hand on the fire |
| Meals and drink | 2 main meals a day - brunch and dinner |
| 2 light meals a day - early breakfast and high tea | |
| Meals are home cooked and prepared from fresh | |
| Bottled water is supplied | |
| Most local branded drinks are included in the price |
| Power | Solar power and batteries used for radios, lights and camp logistics |
| Wood and gas to cook and heat water | |
| Paraffin/Kerosene for hurricane lamps in camp and the tents |
| General | Malarial area - we recommend malarial prophylactics be taken |
| Closest doctor is in Outjo - 3 hour drive | |
| Closest large modern hospital in Windhoek - 2 hours flying |
Meals and drinks:
Most
of the meals are taken in the mess tent in the centre of the safari camp or
around the campfire in the evenings. Rhino Camp has gone for the traditional
Wilderness Safaris style all sit at one table like a big family for meals.
This can be quite fun, as Chris does get going after a few drinks and the
stories (or lies - perhaps) are pretty interesting. Of course it is possible
to split off and have a meal by yourselves, just chat to the camp manager
- usually MJ - and ask to have a romantic meal by the fire, or out in the
bush.
All
drinks are included in the price and a cold beer at the end of the day does
help the dust settle.
Noreen in the kitchen produces a great picnic brunch and an outstanding dinner.
My highlight is high tea at about 3pm - sandwiches, cake and iced tea.
Safaris:
If
you are interested mainly in big game and don't want to bird watch, study
insects, learn about plants, smell flowers and crawl around in the dirt trying
to stalk close to wildlife then this is not the safari camp for you.
The
safari camp operates on a routine of an early morning drive that becomes a
walking safari - the walk depends on how far away the rhino are when you locate
them - the whole trip is about 5 hours in duration. The direction and emphasis
of the safari will be decided at a light breakfast just after sunrise. Chris
and his crew will outline the best route to try to catch up with the animals
that have been heard during the night and discuss the movements of the rhino
in general and in particular what the best way of viewing a particular individual
that day.
This is a great time to be on safari, it is cool and fresh and the ground
is covered with wildlife footprints from the nights excursions. There is also
a great sense of excitement especially if the trackers finds fresh rhino tracks
and get on the trail.
The afternoon safaris can vary from a walk to meet up with a vehicle at sunset
to an afternoon game drive. Generally the safari will set off at about 3.30
pm and last for about 4 hours. It is not possible or safe to walk after dark,
generally this is the time that the predators are active and looking for prey
- so a good time to be on a vehicle. A game drive after sunset is fantastic,
the vehicle is equipped with a powerful spotlight that enables you to view
wildlife - particularly nocturnal animals - as they interact with their surroundings.
One of the guides with you will operate the spotlight - experience does help
in this case. Ask then to have a bash if you would like to.
Walking
in an environment where the chances of interacting with dangerous wildlife
is high does require that you acknowledge the risks involved and listen to
the experts - your guides. Your guide will be armed when you are out on foot.
The senior guide will be carrying a rifle and the assistant guide will be
carrying a radio. These 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 this safari trip.
Equipment:
Footwear - With this being walking 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. As a suggestion 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 and some of the grass seeds and thorns can be a challenge. At least 4 pairs of good walking socks are essential for this safari.
Clothing - You will need to have clothing that is bush coloured - greens, browns and khakis. Try to avoid white, red, yellow and orange as these will not help you blend in. We suggest that you wear long trousers for the walking as this offers extra protection for your legs from bites and scratches. Long sleeve shirts with collars are also useful to keep off the sun 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. A good pair of sunglasses are also 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 Officers 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 on 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 - Cannon, Leica, Nikon or Pentax. I use an Nikon or Cannon 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. Ziploc's do work rather well in a squeeze.
Chat to Iain if you have any further questions about the equipment to bring on this walking safari.
Prices and season:
<<< Safari Itinerary including Rhino Camp >>>
Namibia is fast becoming an expensive destination and Rhino Camp and Desert Black Rhino Tracking are near the pinnacle of the price pyramid. The high season tends to be the dry months - July, August, September and October. It does seem strange that this period is the northern hemisphere summer holidays - maybe I am just a cynic!
Details |
Prices
in USD |
| Flights to Rhino Camp |
| Flight Windhoek/Rhino Camp | $320 per seat |
| Flight Swakopmund/Rhino Camp | $350 per seat |
| 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 |
| Rhino Camp daily rate |
| Rhino Camp 09 January to 15 June 2008 - all inclusive* | $450 per person sharing |
| Rhino Camp 16 June to 15 November 2008 - all inclusive* | $565 per person sharing |
| Rhino Camp 15 November to 20 December 2008 - all inclusive* | $450 per person sharing |
| Rhino Camp 21 December 2008 to 08 Jan 2009 - all inclusive* | $565 per person sharing |
| Rhino Camp 4 day packages: excluding flights to and from Windhoek or other camps |
| Rhino Camp 09 January to 15 June 2008 - all inclusive* | $1356 per person sharing |
| Rhino Camp 16 June to 15 November 2008 - all inclusive* | $1603 per person sharing |
| Rhino Camp 15 November to 20 December 2008 - all inclusive* | $1926 per person sharing |
| Rhino Camp 21 December 2008 to 08 Jan 2009 - all inclusive* | $1603 per person sharing |
| Single supp 09 January to 15 June 2008 & 15 Nov to 20 Dec 2008 | $225 per night |
| Single supp 16 June - 15 November 2008 & 21 Dec 2008 to 08 Jan 09 | $285 per night |
| Rhino Camp Child policy |
| No Children under the age of 16 years | over 16's charged full price |
Booking:
| Booking information |
| rhinocamp@walkingwithwildlife.com | |
| Telephone UK | +44 (0)781 889 1847 |
| Payment | Full payment required in advance |
| Credit cards, cheque and bank transfers accepted | |
| Any extras are settled in cash on departure from camp | |
| US$, GB£, Euros, Rand and Namibian Dollars are accepted | |
| Travelers cheque's are accepted |