Reviews of Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp
(100%) From 20 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp review
Fantastic!
The highlight of our trip.
A real privilege.
Isolated but luxuriously appointed and an eco friendly property where we had some truly wonderful experiences that we shall never forget.
Supplies arrive weekly and can be delayed for all sorts of reasons and this happened during our stay due to rain causing flash floods further up stream. The staff work well to make up for any things that are in short supply which is a tribute to their dedication and professional teamwork.
The rooms are beautifully designed tented chalets with everything you could wish for.
There is not a huge amount of game to see and it was sad to learn of the death of the lions that were here up until 2016. The game drives are well worth the effort, especially to the flood plain area of the river and the sunsets are spectacular and a photographers dream.
When we visited there was water in the river so we flew both ways to the Skeleton Coast which is a day for the memory banks and should not be missed. If you stay 3 or more nights,that excursion is free .
Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp review
Everything perfect from the start - even coming across a cheetah and cub confronting a group of oryx on the short drive from airstrip to camp! (We were lucky). Delightful staff and an excellent guide in the very nice Pappa G...
The Skeleton Coast day out was totally wonderful - they made it all as varied and interesting as possible, with the 'roaring' dune slide, an amazing lunch set up on the beach and great flight back! Just one negative comment: we would have liked a longer walk at the mouth of the Hoanib River - or anywhere else in the area - especially as we waited at the airstrip for over an hour for the Wilderness Safari pilot to arrive.... ( it seems he was rather over-booked that afternoon) BUT the flight itself was spectacular!
We saw the desert elephants, (and sadly a dead baby one week old baby who seems to have died from exhaustion) giraffe, oryx, springbok with lively young ones, and three 3 month-old lion cubs whose future is uncertain as their mother was killed by a leopard... the big question being should they be kept alive artificially, or allow nature to follow its course...We were all for intervention, but don't know what subsequently happened.
Food was excellent - as was service. In the bar, Limbo makes a superb cocktail. An amazing place simply to 'be' - a very impressive achievement so far from anywhere....it's a very special place.
The experience of a lifetime
We can't say enough about how amazing our time at Hoanib was. From the staff to the accommodation to the food to the guide (Elias) to the setting to the wildlife, it was all perfect. A must do.
The trip down to the Skeleton Coast was breathtaking and the flight back gave us a completely different perspective on the whole area. This was the perfect way to end an unbelievably great holiday in Namibia.
Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp review
This is the poshest camp I have ever stayed in. The food was great, the camp was well run, the guiding was excellent. But the main area had no atmosphere and the restaurant was like eating in a library, whispering with over bright lights. Thank god for the camp fire.
I completely loved the trip to the skeleton coast, the desert elephant with their calf’s were magical to watch, against the yellow sand and white flowers , picturesque and moving. Huge expanses of desert, lots of wildlife, and birds, beautiful. Lunch by the sea. There are few safari experience that include elephants and whales.
Our guide was interested, knowledgably and tenacious. We spent 4 days looking for the brown hyena, and it was our guide’s idea to go out after dinner to the water hole, where we found the elusive brown Hyena
Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp
Everything was excellent here – guide, staff, food, location, and travel to the coast.
Took short walk with guide, which was nice.
Perhaps our or at least my favorite camp.
Glam in the Middle of Nowhere
The Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp is the newest property (opened in 2014) of the three in which we stayed per our itinerary and, save for its lack of internet and mobile access, it is modern in every respect. Our suite had lots of power points and a well-designed bathroom with double sinks. We're not totally sold on the architect's decision to locate the suite's lovely sitting lounge and minibar outside its sleeping space: their external locations effectively meant that we were unable to enjoy the lounge after night fall (a lion attacked a baby giraffe amongst the camp's suites a few days before our stay), and grabbing a nightcap from the minibar required leaving our suite's cozy confines.
We luckily were assigned a suite closest to the camp's public spaces and, if mobility is an issue, we suggest making that specific location request. Walking to the farthermost suites could easily take close to ten minutes.
HSCC's signature activity is the day-long excursion to the Skeleton Coast, and we loved every moment of that adventure . . . the unbelievably bumpy ride to the Coast amidst eye-popping varied terrain; our vehicle's dune descent; the spectre and smells of the Coast's wildlife; and our short but visually-stunning return flight to the camp. Other activities we enjoyed at HSCC included traditional game drives (two lionesses with three cubs; cheetah with two cubs; two elephant families; giraffes; springboks; oryxes; and ostriches), and watching the "Lion Man" video (a must!!!) with fresh popcorn.
Like the other Wilderness camps we visited, the food and service at Hoanib were outstanding in every way. Its cookies and other baked goods are divine!!!
Best camp for Skeleton Coast
Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp is new (2014) and very modern, with good lighting and electrical outlets in the eight tents. It’s very remote, located less than a mile from the Skeleton Coast National Park boundary, and close to the Hoanib River (sand most of the time). Access is only via aircraft from Doro Nawas airstrip. The Hoanib River valley has underground water, which means trees and bushes in this desert area, which in turn attracts the local wildlife. There’s not a lot, due to conditions, but we saw desert adapted elephants, black backed jackals, giraffes, black-faced impala, oryx, and ostriches.
Without doubt, the all-day excursion through the Hoanib River valley and along the sand dunes to the Skeleton Coast was the highlight of our stay. Don’t miss it, and I suggest you contact the camp (or your travel agent) to be sure it’s included when you are present. En route, we slid down a sand dune, spotting a Namib desert sidewinder at the bottom. We shot photos of Klein Oasis from a sand dune overlook. While the camp was dry and unseasonably hot, the coast was cold, foggy and windy. The huge Cape Seal colony was impressive, and is the largest in southern Africa with 40-60,000 members. The nearby shipwreck remains were interesting.
We enjoyed lunch on the beach overlooking the South Atlantic, with a full service table setting, put together by an employee of the camp who stays here; we brought the food with us from the camp. Finally, we raced to the nearby airstrip to catch our flight back, made truly memorable by the pilot who circled points of interest, including Klein Oasis. Ten minutes later, and the plane would have left without us, due to the fog rolling in. It took our guide three hours to drive back.
We were fortunate that the principal researcher for a study of a resident pack of jackals was present. We thoroughly enjoyed her presentation about jackals, and her willingness to answer our many questions. We recommend you take advantage of her presentation, if she is resident in camp. She also showed us a film about a local lion pride, the subject of many years of research. Sadly, after we departed in mid-June, four of the five lions were killed by farmers for livestock predations, and the fifth was relocated to a distant area. So the chances of seeing lions are pretty slim.
The tents were very hot, with only two quite small windows that could be opened, as they had screens. More screens on some of the larger windows would be appreciated, so the windows could be opened to admit a breeze. Meals were served restaurant style, but we would have preferred family style, so we could more easily meet and chat with other guests. They are willing to push tables together, if requested. The vehicles were fully enclosed with a pop-up top which allowed guests good views. Unfortunately, the second and third rows of seats had to share a single door, which made entry/exit cumbersome.
Our guide Gerhardus did an excellent job throughout our stay at Hoanib Camp. He located a variety of wildlife, identified animals, birds, trees, bushes and flowers, and made the drive to the Skeleton Coast very interesting. The camp is run by Wilderness Safaris, which manages it efficiently , like their other properties. The staff was very pleasant and friendly, and made sure all our requests were promptly handled.
Overall, we are very glad we included the Skeleton Coast and this camp in our trip to Namibia. We would recommend a stay here, to experience a very different face of Namibia.
The owner's description on the Expert Africa website could stand to be updated.
Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp review
This is the other highlight in regards to setting, people, and management of lodge. Physical location provides access to the vast tough terrain and the skeleton coast. Although it appears to be devoid of life, it is actually chock full of it. The faster you go, the less you see, so thankfully, our guide Gerhansen, was a master in all facets of our drives: expert knowledge, expert off road driving skills, and expert birder. Additionally, his incredibly keen vision and listening skills enabled him to grasp the subtleties of his clientele. When at the lodge, the staff was always one step ahead in making our experience top shelf. We actually now have a new drink, the Oryx (Amarula and Kahlua), created by Robby to serve our friends. Charming singing and dancing (shaking!) wait and kitchen staff...where else can one go and have such a musical staff who have never heard of Bob Marley? Clement oversees the camp with a remarkable unique finesse. Finally, anyone who stays there and doesn't go to the skeleton coast is insane: the dunes, the fog, the coast are so staggeringly wild...beyond cool!
Read more about the whole safariSimply Brilliant
Hoanib was definately the highlight of the eight different lodges/facitlies that I visited duirng a four week safari!
First, the location of the Camp is tucked against a hill background at the head of a long valley which is overlooked by surrounding mountains. It is simply a spectacular view along the valley. The individual lodges are reasonably separated from each other and are of a very clever "box" style construction with well place opening windows underneath a broad canvas tent which encourages a breeze way effect both within your lodge and on the comfortable verandah.
There is an artificially supplied water hole about two hundred metres from the lodges and this does attract a variety of wildlife, including lions walking though the camp, but is a bit of a distance away for all but the most enthusiastic and well equipped photographers. A good zoom lens is a definate asset.
The central guest areas are extremely well presented and very comfortable and provide good lounge facilities and a very nice dining area which is based on individual tables. A feature I like!
The Camp is managed really well by Beauty and she has an excellent staff with Elias and Clement being standouts as guides and sources of information. Their professionalism and competence is matched nicely by all other staff. This is a very, very good Wilderness Safaries establishment and well worth the fairly long trip to get there.
There are excellent wildlife and scenic opportunities and the range of animal life and spectacular scenery is simply unexpected as much as it is outstanding.
We have always believed that acting responsibly is the only way to approach tourism and we're one of
the few companies to hold AITO's original coveted 5-star status for responsible tourism. It's a lead
that others are now following.
