Desert Rhino & Elephant Expedition
8 day scheduled departure itinerary
This is a unique adventure for those who want to join skilled rhino trackers in their conservation, research and custodian work. Venturing deep into the heart of the Namib Desert, the oldest desert in the world, you join the camel train along with a team of Save the Rhino trackers in search of this magnificent and endangered species.
This safari is guided and hosted by Gary Booth, a professional and passionate guide, who works along with the experienced Save the Rhino Trust tracker team providing guests with a valuable experience.
Campsites are set in a pristine and unspoiled area where dome tents have been set for your arrival. Cotton linen and bedrolls with duvets are lit by hurricane lanterns. Separate short-drop toilet and old-style bucket showers create simple serviced comfort. Gathering around the campfire at night, you'll realize how rare it is to be one of the few people looking up at the stars from this 1.1 million-acre private reserve.
For more than 20 years, the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) has worked to protect the last free-ranging rhino population on earth, the rare desert-adapted black rhino. In the remote, rugged Palmwag Concession, teams of local trackers use camel trains to help with the research and monitoring of this animal.
The revenues generated by this venture are directed to the critically important conservation of the rhino population in this area.
Brief Itinerary
| Day 1 | Palmwag Lodge, Palmwag Concession |
| Day 2 | Aub River, Palmwag Concession |
| Day 3 | Barab River, Palmwag Concession |
| Day 4 | Kudu Springs, Palmwag Concession |
| Day 5 | Hunkab Spring, Palmwag Concession |
| Days 6 & 7 | Hoanib Camp, Kaokoland |
| Day 8 | Air charter to Palmwag Lodge |
Desert Rhino & Elephant Expedition - Price
Contact Duffle & Compass for the current cost of this itinerary.
If a guest is willing to share and we can match with another guest of the same gender, the single supplement will not be charged. However, if there is no suitable match, the single supplement surcharge will apply.
Prices include all transportation as specified in the itinerary, driver/guide services, park fees, accommodation on a shared basis, all meals from lunch on Day 1 through the end of the scheduled safari, soft drinks, house wine, beer and alcoholic beverages (except premium brands) at meal times.
Prices exclude airfare (other than what is specified in the safari itinerary), gratuities, travel insurance, visa fees, entry and departure taxes, any personal purchases, telephone calls, laundry, optional extra activities or meals, any pre or post safari plans.
Desert Rhino & Elephant Expedition - Departure Dates
This safari is no longer operating with set departure dates. However we will be happy to arrange a custom-tailored version of this itinerary for small private groups. Contact Duffle & Compass for details. This safari begins and ends at Palmwag Lodge, Namibia. Guests should arrive no later than 3 p.m. on Day 1. Charter transfer flights can be arranged.
Desert Rhino & Elephant Expedition - Detailed Itinerary
Day 1
Upon your arrival at Palmwag Lodge, you will be welcomed by your guide and receive a full briefing on the safari. This is one of Namibia's oldest and most popular locations - home to the desert-adapted elephant and the rare black rhino.
The lodge offers 24 beds in two or three-bed thatched bungalows, a restaurant, swimming pool and bar area under shady palms.
Day 2
You depart after an early breakfast by game drive to Mbakondja Camel Camp to meet the Save the Rhino Camel team.
Then you ride or walk south to the Aub River, where your private camp has been erected prior to your arrival. In addition to the tracking and hopefully viewing of desert-adapted elephant and black rhino, your guides reveal the sheer magnificence of nature's survival strategies in this arid environment, concentrating on a variety of topics from birds, insects, medicinal uses of plants and viewing general wildlife.
Day 3
Journey to the Barab River, tracking the elusive desert giants through a series of hills, rocky landscapes and diverse geology. After even a little rain, the gravel plains are covered in long golden grasses that ripple in the wind.
Day 4
After an early breakfast, you ride out through the Okomutati Springs to Kudu Springs. This area is almost inaccessible to vehicles, an area of pristine wilderness where the sense of remoteness is complete. You also have the opportunity to see extraordinary plant life including the ancient Welwitschia plants and numerous lichens.
Day 5
Today you head to the next popular drinking point for Kaokoland's diverse animal life, the Hunkab Spring. Fresh drinking water in the desert forms the basis for seasonal animal movements and a surprisingly diverse range of animal life can be seen here. Animals from Hartmann's mountain zebra to elephant and the endemic Ruppell's korhaan come to slake their thirst.
Day 6 & 7
We bid farewell to the Save the Rhino Trust trackers and depart on game drive from Hunkab, traveling through the concession to the ephemeral river of the Hoanib Valley. Here, in an area seemingly parched and desolate, you enter one of Namibia's richest desert wildlife areas.
Accommodations are at Hoanib Camp where you can enjoy game walks, rhino tracking, game drives and night drives into the Hoanib River valley.
This classic-styled tented camp close to the Hoanib River is a relaxed haven from which you explore this wild land on foot, or from the comfort of one of our safari vehicles. The camp is powered by solar-powered inverter systems and there are no generators or pumps running whilst guests are in camp. There are five walk-in hexagonal Meru-style tents with en-suite flush toilet and bucket shower bathrooms in a separate portion of the tent. Each tent is furnished with the necessary comforts, recreating the style of earlier days of exploring Africa.
Day 8
After an early breakfast and game drive, you fly back to Palmwag Lodge, in time for a lunch and final farewells.
Contact Duffle & Compass to begin planning your Africa adventure.
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