Best hotels in Damaraland

It’s good to know places like Desert Rhino Camp still exist. A far cry from package resorts, this desert lodge works with the community to deliver heartwarming hospitality and conscientious conservation. Check in for a five star glamping experience in Namibia’s Outback. Six stone-and-canvas suites are scattered across the rugged valley and safari game drives explore the surrounding reserve for the what the lodge is known for, it’s large number of free-roaming desert adapted black rhinos. Enjoy stellar night skies, scintillating wildlife tracking on foot and encounters with unique desert adapted animals like the Damaraland elephants, gemsbok, jackal and even lions.

Camp Kipwe is a unique place, built in crevices between giant boulders stacked one above the other – a feature typical of this part of northwestern Namibia. You have to admire the ingenuity of the camp's designers, who have managed to combine intimate accommodation with sweeping views across the Aba Huab valley. From this eco-friendly camp, you can explore Damaraland – take an early morning game drive to look for the country's famously elusive desert-dwelling elephants, hike the ancient Aba Huab River or travel back in time at Twyfelfontein, Namibia’s first World Heritage Site.

Intrepid and fully immersed in nature, Etendeka Walking Trail takes you into the wild spaces of Damaraland, with the Grootberg Massif as your ever-present guide. The expert team knows every crag, animal and plant in the 500 km2 Etendeka Concession - and they'll passionately share their knowledge with you on this three-day trek. Set off from Palmwag Lodge leaving your main luggage to be delivered to your next stop, a camp overlooking a lively waterhole. Day two is the most strenuous, where you'll walk a distance of 15 - 20 kilometres - but at the end you'll be rewarded with a night atop the beautifully-named Crystal Mountain. Just imagine the stargazing...

Ensconced by dramatic, sunbaked desert, Onduli Ridge is a cool and collected part of the Damaraland scene. Practically sculpted into the granite boulders, the camp is seamless in design and fits right in with its surroundings. Every space maximises the views and by night, it's the tapestry of stars that steals the show. Spend your days relaxing by the pool, enjoying some of Namibia's finest food and exploring this sandy playground - which just happens to include Namibia's highest mountain, the Brandberg. Sounds pretty good to us.

Damaraland in north-west Namibia is an ancient, boulder-strewn landscape of heat, dust and extraordinary beauty. This is the middle of nowhere, so finding tranquil Mowani Mountain Camp, tucked among the giant ochre rocks, is a real surprise. The lodge's organic design has earned it an architectural eco-design award, and the interior decor combines elegance, earthiness and tranquility. The accommodation is spacious and comfortable, the food is great, the game drives are rewarding and you could lose yourself in the views. Desperate for some peace? You'll find it here in spades.

Etendeka lies at the foothills of the Grootberg massif, a north-Namibian treasure surrounded by ancient lava flows, dramatic flat-topped mesas and giant boulders. Nature and its conservation are the prime focus at this small lodge, which has earned awards for the courtesy it shows to the land. Yet human creature comforts have not been overlooked. Water runs hot and cold, the loos are flushable, the beds are large and comfortable, and there's wi-fi. The camp may have a slight military-base atmosphere, but it's the perfect place from which to explore the Grootberg and its rich collection of desert-adapted wildlife.

Forget everything you know about safari camps - Camp Doros strips things back to what really matters. An intimate six-tent retreat in Namibia's Damaraland, it exists for one glorious purpose: getting you in the vicinity of desert-adapted black rhino alongside the expert rangers. Perched above a usually-dry riverbed, it proudly boasts Namibia's smallest environmental footprint whilst delivering big on personalised service. Days revolve around rhino tracking adventures, nature walks through ancient landscapes, and evenings spent stargazing around the campfire. It's deliberately unpretentious, utterly sustainable, and completely unforgettable - exactly what Ultimate Safaris intended when they opened this conservation-focused gem.