Reviews of Kaokoland (From 8 Acclaimed Safari Experts)

Expert

Stephen Cunliffe –

ZA

Visited: July

Stephen is a travel writer and avid conservationist whose work appears in prestigious magazines such as Africa Geographic and Travel Africa.

4 people found this review helpful.

An Arid Wilderness

Overall rating

3/5

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The Kaokaveld of northern Namibia is the very definition of true wilderness. If you want to go on safari and feel like you’re dropping clean off the map, then this is the spot for you. Wildlife ekes out an existence in this arid and unforgiving land, so you stand a chance of seeing desert-adapted elephants, rhinos and occasionally lions, along with antelope attuned to surviving in this dry area. However, most people come here primarily to experience the local culture, appreciate the majestic landscapes, or simply to soak up the wildness vibe of this scenic region. I like that this is an area where you can observe and interact with local people without feeling like they have been corrupted by tourism, or that you are simply participating in a staged show. This makes the traditional Himba villages a real highlight of any visit to the unspoiled wilderness of the Kaokaland.

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Expert

Lizzie Williams –

ZA

Visited: Dry season

Lizzie is a reputed guidebook writer and author of the Footprint guides to South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

3 people found this review helpful.

Exploration of the remote and sparsely-populated extreme northwest of Namibia

Overall rating

3/5

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With remote gravel roads and rugged terrain, this region is best known for self/four-wheel-driving. Most of the roads are challenging, and some of the mountain passes are no more than coarse scree and jagged rocks, but the greatest appeal of Kaokoland is the wonderful sense of space and isolation. We hardly encountered anyone else on our lonely drives – except when we were lucky to meet a community of the beautiful-looking nomadic Himba people on the side of the road. The highlight for me was the lovely cascading Epupa Falls in the far north, where the Kunene River is dotted with small vegetated islands of waving makalani palms, wild figs and precariously placed baobabs trees. Surprisingly for such a remote area, here we saw bee-eaters, fish eagles, the Malachite kingfisher and paradise flycatchers. For those with plenty of time and well-equipped vehicles, Kaokoland can be an adventurous wilderness experience.

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Expert

Ariadne van Zandbergen –

ZA

Visited: Wet season

Ariadne is a renowned African wildlife photographer whose work is featured in many well-known guidebooks and magazines.

The survival of the nomadic Himba people in Kaokoland

Overall rating

3/5

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Kaokoland must be the wildest area in an already wild country. This tract of arid desert bordering Angola is very undeveloped. Having said that, you don’t need to be an intrepid explorer to venture out here. We flew here and stayed as guests at Serra Cafema Kunene Camp. As with all camps belonging to Wilderness Safaris, luxury and professionalism are the norm and you don’t have to worry about a thing. We did several drives through the dunes taking in the vastness of this rugged terrain. We saw some gemsbok running away from us and maybe a few ostrich, but wildlife is not the attraction here. Incredibly enough, the nomadic Himba people inhabit this inhospitable area and a visit to a temporary camp was a very rewarding experience. Another highlight not to be missed for any adrenaline junky is a quad bike ride in the dunes.

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