Wilderness Namibia camp newsletters – Sept-Oct 2025

Weather and landscape

Typically, October in Damaraland is very hot, with temperatures rising to about 35°C, from an average of 18°C overnight. And bear in mind, these are average temperatures, so some days can be hotter. October is already a full summer month, so we recommend wearing cool, breathable clothing and sun protection.  

Wildlife

This is the best time of year to spot the desert-adapted elephants at the water springs, and to give our guests the best activities in nature.
The flowers are still blooming, creating beautiful scenes across the landscape, and providing lots of food for the animals still. Plants like the honeybush Codon royenii and desert thistle are particularly attractive with their brightly coloured flowers.

Camp news

After a brief but busy spring, our summer season has started. But not without a lot of preparation, and training for all departments. Hospitality Trainer, Mr Johannes Hamalwa, came from Head Office to help with all the necessary refresher courses, and we had the most exciting and inspiring sessions with him. 

Besides nature drives where animals are seen all around, our guides are exceeding guest expectations at every turn, treating them to the best of our outdoor activities every day, with bush breakfasts, riverside lunches, and sundowners on top of the mountain. Closer to camp, our guests love exploring our Shepherd’s and Damarana walking trails on site, and getting up close to the plants and smaller creatures in nature. 

Guest comments

• Kindness, quality of food!
• The way you guys took care of us!
• Communication/Hospitality/so kind and very welcoming. The rooms were exceptional!  
• All the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. I especially loved the bush breakfast and the dinner under the star!
• Sustainability, service and location, food was also amazing!
• Brian is perfect, breakfast outside, dancing, thank you team!
• The kindness and hospitality are outstanding and then the nature is so beautiful. We will never forget!  

Staff news

Allow me to welcome our new chef Uarondisa Nderura – we wish her growth. Congratulations to Martha, who recently moved to Staff Chef. We are also happy to welcome Job Haimbodi and are looking forward to learning from him and his positive energy.

Also, a very warm welcome our female guide Rutavi Veenderaize. Who says a lady can’t be a guide! She is a masterpiece and a good example to every woman within Wilderness with a dream.

General Manager Collin Ananias Netope, Assistant Manager Monika Edward, Food and Beverage Andreas Hidishange. Sem Alweendo (mechanic). Kitchen with Chef Pinehas as a head chef, Sophia, Herold Basson Kitchen assistant, veteran Josephine& Emelia, Housekeeping: Hansina-Anna supervisor, Annalise, Virginia, Elizabeth, Riana and Dolly Mwamuenetji Kambapa.

Front of House – Emmerincia Supervisor, Leonie, Roux-Che, we also congratulate Cassius & Dios, our hardworking and kind staff who have taken over from Donovan, who has left us for his new journey at Kulala Desert Lodge. Our extraordinary Guides: Brian and Silvester. Men in Overalls: Oupa Wellem, Ricardo Williams – two strong men indeed (Team No Sleep). Hygiene team Aron & Lucrisia. Applause to George Muvuma for being a solid relief manager.

Compiled by Monika N Edward, Assistant Manager
Pictures by Brian Kahengombe & Sylvester Cloete

Weather 

• Lowest recorded minimum: 12.8°C | Highest recorded maximum: 41.3°C
• The daytime average daily max highs are about 25-26 °C. Still chilly in the mornings and evenings, with lows around 7-11 °C.
• No rain was recorded.
• Spring is known for being windy, and September is one of the windiest months around Palmwag: average wind speeds about 4.6–4.7 knots (8–9 km/h).

Condition of the veld 

The vegetation is very dry with grass cover low and brown now. The green season has ended, and the region is deep into the dry season. 

Trees and shrubs are still present (they are adapted to semi-arid conditions) but have fewer leaves, and more open canopies. Species to look out for are the bottle tree, Welwitschia mirabilis, and leadwood.

Wildlife

Besides the desert-adapted black rhino which guests tracked with Save the Rhino Trust rangers, many of our guests also observed giraffes, often in the early mornings or late afternoons. 

On 21 September 2025, a female leopard was observed drinking at a waterhole near Grootkolk, providing a rare and special moment for all.
The area is dotted with the amazing welwitschia plant, Namibia's national plant, and features other unique vegetation like the toxic milk-bush (Euphorbia damarana), which provides sustenance for certain large mammals with the kidney-capacity to process the toxins. 

Camp activities

From bush dinners, to sorbet stops, and later, beer stops, our lovely guests happily expressed their appreciation for the surprise wow moments that the camp laid on. 

Guest comments  

Friendly staff and welcoming, service is top notch.

Camp rebuilds or upgrades  

We did tent maintenance with a team from South Africa 

Staff news

Management coaching was done by Johnny.

Written by Joseph Mwengo | Photos by Loukie and the SRT Team 

Weather 

Max: 17 & 18 Sept 38°C around 13:00. No rain, and a south-westerly wind every afternoon, but cooled down after sunset becoming chilly through the night.

Landscape on the Concession 

Condition of the veld is very dry. 

Trees found in the area include Acacia (Vachellia erioloba), toothbrush tree (Salvadora), Shepherd’s tree (Boscia albitrunca).

Flowers: Devil’s thorn, Datura, Welwitschia.

Water sources: DeRiet Dam, Huab Spring, Slangpos, Peter’s Pool. Rendewoud Dam is dry.

Camp activities 

Rooftop dinner for honeymooners.

Guest comments

Stephanus is a very good guide. Very good that Wilderness support the locals.

You truly feel hospitality, warmth and relaxed but good and kind quality service

Singing at arrival – very cool.  

The service, the view, the lodge, the pool 

Staff News 

Training team came to do Front of House and Housekeeping refresher training.

Newsletter by Fritz. Photos by Stephanus.

Weather  

The weather for September was all over the place, as is to be expected in spring. We had some cooler days and then some days with much warmer temperatures. No rain yet for September, but who knows, hopefully next month.  

We had two days with very low fog cover. So much so, our Wilderness Air planes could not land in Swakopmund, which meant guests could not leave the lodge. Flights were delayed and some guests had to stay an extra night before flying out the next day. 

Wildlife and birds  

One of my guides saw a spotted eagle-owl while heading out on a late afternoon nature drive. Although they are in the area, it’s something you don’t always see during the day. I guess they were at the right place at the right time.  

Camp activities

We had a few strong east winds during September, which meant the ballooning activity had to be cancelled a few times.  

 
One morning we almost had a hot air balloon ‘coffee takeaway’! The hot air balloon was passing by very low right in front of the lodge, and we could actually chat with the pilot and our guests who were in the balloon. See picture. 

Staff news  

We have two new team members – Donovan Erasmus was transferred from Damaraland Camp as our new Front of House Supervisor, and we have a new Guide, Vilho Hailonga. He has guided in the desert before, then left to explore guiding in Etosha, but always had the desert in his heart.  Welcome back to the desert Vilho! 

Newsletter by Christelle Jansen. Photos by Alfred Haneb.

Weather 

The weather has been very unpredictable weather here in the Namib Desert, with hot daytime temperatures and cold, windy evenings. We also had some rain showers that surprised everyone. 

Landscape  

The grass is very dry, but there is still enough cover for the animals to feed. 

Wildlife 

Oryx, springboks, brown hyena, and black-backed jackals were seen around the camp, with a beautiful sighting of a herd of oryx at the waterhole in front of camp. Guests really enjoyed the sighting.

Camp activities

Guests enjoyed the staff singing and dancing, as well as traditional braai night.

We set up a wine cellar dinner for a honeymoon couple.

Guest comments

• Overall service, orientation, Guide service, Housekeeping in our room. Outside bed to watch the stars.
• Very organized, friendly, so helpful and accommodating. Excellent service, and Simon was fantastic – loved everything.
• Everything! The staff have been phenomenal and the service impeccable. The attention to detail has been amazing. We have felt so welcome. The surprise dinner in the wine cellar was absolutely incredible, so thoughtful.
• Your hospitality, friendliness of staff, readiness to meet all our dietary requirements. Rooms were amazing.

Management team in camp 

James Muzamai – Lodge Manager
Wellen Rooi – F & B Manager 
Penneyambeko Paulus – Assistant manager 
Treandy Muyunda – Assistant Manager 

Newsletter by James Muzamai

Weather 

Average highs and lows on the Kunene: 28° C and 22° C. The maximum temperature recorded was 34° C. There was no rainfall, and we had strong westerly winds in the afternoons after mostly foggy starts to the mornings. 

Landscape 

The veld is dry but there is a little bit pasture for grazing in the Valley of Dunes and Bushmanskoppie. 

The water level in the Kunene River is at its normal level and good for boating activities.

Wildlife and birds 

Cape hare and jackals seen on scenic drive to the Palm saltwater spring to the east of the Himba village. 

Great sightings of oryx in the Valley of Dunes, as well as ostriches and chicks in Hartmann’s Valley.

Community news 

Serra Cafema Camp Manager Matheus Shanyenge handed over 11 mattresses to Otjinungua Primary School as part of a donation organised by Children in the Wilderness. 

Guest comments 

Sunrise river view breakfast at Kambimbi spot. 

Friendliness of the team, camp set-up and its beauty. Spectacular landscapes. The Himba visit and engagement. 

Staff news 

George Basson joined our Serra Cafema team as Maintenance Supervisor.

Housekeeping and FOH training done by John and Willie.

Team gathered together to attend the online courses for wellness and managing difficult employees.

Newsletter compiled by Matheus Shanyenge