East of Etosha, four hours' drive by saloon car from the outpost town of Grootfontein, there's a remote region of the northern Kalahari known as Bushmanland. Here, amidst vegetated, fossil dunes, the Kung Bushman (or !Kung) live, scattered around in small villages. These are the Bushmen of the Kalahari, also known as the San Bushmen. They have an understanding of their natural environment that is amazing to witness and survival skills that are beyond belief for many Westerners.

Where to stay in Bushmanland

When you come to Bushmanland, make sure you stay for at least three nights, preferably more; you can't do it justice in less time. Then you'll be sensitively introduced to the area, and to some of its people. Place to stay include:

Nhoma Camp

Nhoma Camp stands on a hillside near the Bushman village of //Nhoq'ma, and has 10 Meru-style tents, all on wooden decks with private bathrooms. Activities centre on spending time with the local Bushman villagers and participate in their daily life – and the camp has been set up and run with the help of Arno and Estelle, with whom we have been working in this region for well over a decade. (Read more about Nhoma Camp…)

Khaudom fly-camp

As a side-trip from Nhoma Camp, we can arrange a Khaudom fly-camp for you. You'll camp out in Khaudom National Park for a night or two – usually near one of the waterholes. This is a fascinating experience, but not for the feint-hearted! (Read more about Khaudom fly-camp…)

Tsumkwe Country Lodge

Tsumkwe Country Lodge is a hotel that has been built on site of the old Tsumkwe Lodge – and we've included it here for completeness. It plans to have 25 double units, each complete with an en-suite bathroom and private veranda. (Read more about Tsumkwe Country Lodge…)

Sights to see in Bushmanland

Visiting Bushmanland is usually less about any specific places or sights, and more about meeting and spending time with the Bushmen. However, a few places do stand out as worth a mention:

Khaudum National Park

North of Tsumkwe, beside Botswana's border lies the remote Khaudum National Park. It protects an important area of the northern Kalahari that is sustained by underground waters of omurambas – dry, sandy riverbeds holding subterranean water. This isn't like Etosha: it's not wall-to-wall game and you can't drive yourself in a normal car. However, as part of a visit to Tsumkwe you can include a small 4WD expedition here (best visited from May to October), even one camping under the stars.

The game is wild and the atmosphere magical. There are large herds of elephant plus tsessebe, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, kudu, oryx, giraffe and good numbers of the uncommon roan antelope. The main predators are spotted hyena, lion, leopard and wild dog (Khaudum is the centre for Namibia's population of these rare predators). However, come here to experience a wilderness in a very remote corner of the Kalahari; let game sightings be a bonus.

Around Bushmanland

Around Tsumkwe, ancient baobab trees are a feature of the landscape, while to the southeast, there are a series of shallow pans, including Nyae Nyae. These pans fill with water during the first few months of the year, attracting a host of pelicans, flamingos and migrant waders – as well as large numbers of springbok, gemsbok and other antelope. A trip to Bushmanland will normally incorporate exploring this area with an expert local guide and looking at its wildlife in detail.

Some are drawn here to the remote and mysterious Aha Hills, which straddle the border with Botswana, although the reality is that their jagged rock structure makes exploration on foot quite arduous.

A note on Responsible Travel

Looking through our trips and destinations, you'll realise that we don't offer many trips that focus on local people and cultures. As a matter of principle, we'd prefer to avoid them rather than risk sending our travellers on visits that aren't sensitively handled – as such interactions are potentially damaging for the local cultures. Whilst researching, we've seen cultural trips that we refuse to support because of this.

However, in Nhoma Camp we have great confidence. We know that the money the villagers earn from our travellers' visits has, over the years, made huge positive impacts on their lives; tourism has significantly helped the whole village. It has also increased the value that the people place on their own traditional skills and culture – as they now see these skills as a passport to earning money, rather than an anachronism.


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