If you feel like one of the last people on earth, you must be at Skeleton Coast National Park.
I’ve always loved traveling to remote areas of the world, but nothing could have prepared me for my experience in Namibia.
Namibia is the second least densely populated nation on earth, and the Skeleton Coast is the least densely populated area of Namibia.
When I landed at the airstrip at Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, I felt like I just landed on the moon. As we pulled into camp after our short 10 minute drive, the first thought that popped into my head was “Beam me up Scotty”.
The camp is located on a massive private concession (over a million acres) bordering Namibia’s iconic Skeleton Coast National Park. Hoanib takes secluded a step further, as it is only accessible by light aircraft, making it ideal for the adventurous traveler seeking an unusual and remote wilderness experience.
One of the highlights of my stay at Hoanib was the full day excursion to Skeleton Coast National Park. Guests staying at least three nights at the camp receive a complimentary tour which includes a game viewing drive to Mowe Bay, ending with a scenic flight back to camp.
I set off with my travel companion, Nikki Stander from Wilderness Safaris, and our guide Elias, driving in the dry Hoanib River in search of desert adapted wildlife. The area seemed like a lunar landscape of stark mountains and khaki browns, but soon turned to the most strikingly beautiful scenery of speckled reds, rugged hills, and soft yellow sand dunes. . . not to mention the bluest sky I’ve ever seen.
We spent the next 8 hours (the tour typically takes about 4-5 hours) exploring this hauntingly beautiful park, stopping to photograph huge herds of desert-adapted elephants, along with sightings of gemsbok, giraffe, springbok, oryx, ostrich and black-backed jackal. How any life can survive here, let alone several-ton desert elephants, is baffling.
The highpoint of the day was the time we spent at the Roaring Sand Dunes. As we stood at the top of the dunes, you could see nothing but sand stretching as far as you could see. We had the most fun running, jumping and sliding down the dunes (could be one of the reasons our tour took 8 hours).
The Roaring Dunes have a distinctive sound which comes from the air built up between the dry sands of grain. When you run, slide, or drive over it, it pops or “roars.”
Elias told me to be sure to have my camera when I got to the bottom of the dune. I wasn’t sure why but did as he asked. As I stood at the bottom gazing up at this massive pile of sand, I wondered what was next. All of a sudden I heard this loud roaring noise in the distance, until this tiny speck appeared at the top of the dune. To my amazement, Elias was driving the Land Cruiser right down the dune. At first I thought it was going to flip over and ran to get out of the way, but after I realized he’s done this before, grabbed my camera to capture the moment.
After a brief stop at Mowe Bay to see the huge colony of Cape fur seals basking among shipwreck debris, we stopped for lunch on the coastline before boarding our light aircraft transfer back to camp. We did not see another soul the entire day.
It gives you a profound perception of just how tiny we are, and how big the world really is.