Elephants and the view from our rooms

While only visiting for two nights, it was perhaps the location we were looking forward to the most. My parents had visited before, and most of the amazing stories of wildlife had come from here. From the vast landscapes of the Hoanib River (it's located on a private concession over a million acres in size) to the surrounding desolate desert and Skeleton Coast. It is home to the greatest concentration of desert-adapted elephants and lions, and the last free roaming rhino populations on earth. Approximately 75% of Namibia’s endemic species inhabit this area. The Hoanib River runs for 167 miles but, along with 11 other rivers, is only seasonal, staying dry for most of the time (it can stay dry for years at a time). Rainfall is variable, but usually between 0 and 325 millimetres. While on the surface it may appear dry, water runs deep underground, supporting an oasis of plant-life in an otherwise barren land of rock and sand. This in turn provides life-support to wildlife in the area and is why the area is considered one of the last true wilderness environments of Namibia. This was why we travelled so far, and it didn’t disappoint.