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Damaraland, Namibia

Palmwag Lodge

Our clients consistently come home raving about their experiences at Palmwag. The camp is set in an achingly beautiful area. Tracking temperamental and ornery black rhino on foot is a real kick! A stay here offers good wildlife opportunities, like seeing rhino and desert elephant, as well as exploring this fascinating desert region of Namibia.  — Mango's view

Palmwag Lodge is situated in the one million acre private Palmwag Reserve in Damaraland in northwest Namibia, between Etosha and the Skeleton Coast. Few places on the planet can offer this level of privacy and wilderness experience.

This desert reserve has a number of fresh water springs that support healthy populations of animals including desert-adapted black rhino and elephant as well as large populations of the rare Hartmann's mountain zebra, giraffe, oryx, springbok and kudu. The predator population is the largest outside the Etosha National Park with over 100 lion, cheetah, leopard, brown and spotted hyena.

Birdlife is prolific and diverse with most of Namibia's endemics present. Palmwag Lodge accommodates 16 guests in 8 large East African-styled "Meru" tents each with an en-suite bathroom comprising hand basin, flush toilet and a classic bucket shower that is filled with hot water whenever needed.

Lights are powered by solar panels and the tented dining room offers uninterrupted views of the desert and mountains. Welwitschia plants (ancient desert adapted plants) dot the plain in front of the camp.

Activities include rhino tracking on foot or by vehicle as well as day and night nature drives. Guests often enjoy full day outings with a picnic lunch on the reserve.

Palmwag Rhino Camp is a joint venture between Wilderness Safaris and the "Save the Rhino Trust" - a nonprofit conservation organization that has been working in this area for 20 years. The Trust has been singly responsible for helping to ensure that these rare, desert-adapted black rhino survived the slaughter that went on throughout other parts of Africa in the 80's and 90's.

Today this population of black rhino is growing in numbers and the area boasts the largest concentration of rhino anywhere on the planet outside a national park. Community game scouts who were employed by the Trust to help with the patrolling and monitoring all these years are now seconded to the camp and are the trackers and guides. A portion of every guest's revenue goes to the Trust.

Includes: All meals, wine with dinner, drinks on safari activities, laundry & safari activities