Wilderness Namibia newsletters April 2024

Weather and landscape

With little to no rain, it is very dry at Wilderness Little Kulala. This time of year marks the beginning of winter and we’ve seen the temperature drop to 15° Celsius at night. However, in the afternoons it still gets up to 30° C.

At the end of summer, if there has been rain, the Tsauchab River has been known to flow, if briefly. After a particularly dry season this year, none of the rivers are flowing on the Kulala Wilderness Reserve at the moment.

Wildlife and birds 

Thrilling sightings of a brown hyena have been recorded at the Little Kulala waterhole, and, as is always the case, black-backed jackals are frequently seen around camp. 

Guest news 

We had a proposal on the Reserve! Guest Cornelius asked Katherine for her hand in marriage – and she said yes! We did a special set up for them and they loved it. We also set up a private bush dinner which was greatly enjoyed.

Written by James Muzamai, Wilderness Little Kulala Camp Manager

Weather and landscapes

It has been particularly hot these past few weeks, and the guests really appreciated our “desert aircon” – an ice-cold, wet kikoi to drape over themselves on game drives.

All the nearby water points and dams are currently fully pumped; however, the elephants have been on the move, and we haven’t seen them around Wilderness Doro Nawas lately.

Wildlife and birds

Nature drives in the captivating landscapes of Namibia's north-west consistently awed our guests, who appreciated the unique beauty of the desert-adapted flora and fauna. Some even had the rare opportunity to witness desert-adapted elephants during their stay.
Our skilled Rhino Rangers led successful tracking experiences, offering guests unforgettable encounters with these magnificent Critically Endangered desert-adapted black rhinos.

Community, culture and conservation

We are proud to offer a Damara Cultural Visit as part of our Impact strategy’s Empower pillar. Guests thoroughly enjoyed this cultural experience, from the guided walk in the village to the vibrant songs and warm hospitality of the local residents.

Camp news 

Staff pulled out all the stops, and our guests raved about the impeccable service, delicious meals, and comfortable accommodations. 

Guests’ evenings were made even more special with staff performances, creating lasting memories of Wilderness Doro Nawas.

We also celebrated a lot of birthdays, especially guests’ children, who came into the kitchen to bake biscuits with the chefs. 
One of the joys of the Doro Nawas guest accommodations is the option to sleep out on the room deck. Guests simply couldn’t stop talking about how they enjoyed sleeping under the stars.

Weather and landscape

April saw a lot of changes around Wilderness Damaraland Camp and surrounding areas. The weather has been extremely hot, and we experienced thundershowers. We have had between 5-10 mm of rain so far for the season. 

Impact

Our neighbouring communities of De Riet and Fonteine embody the Empower pillar of our Impact strategy. We are very excited about their new vegetable gardening project which is producing pumpkins, butternut and sweet potatoes, and carrots. We are proud to support the community by buying their produce for our chefs.

Staff news

As our team grows and individuals move forward to take on different responsibilities, we are pleased to announce the promotion of Emmy to Front-of-House Supervisor. Emmy grew up in the Torra Conservancy (that Damaraland Camp is in partnership with) and she shows the highest level of commitment to her work. Her energetic helpfulness is matched by her respectful manner, and she creates a fun and positive environment for her teammates and our guests.

Wildlife

As the devastating drought persists in the Kunene Regions, elephant sightings became fewer, especially in Aba-Huab riverbed. However, small herds of springbok, as well as ostriches and Cape foxes, were regularly spotted from camp.

Our rhino tracking activities yielded very good sightings. 

Written by Collin A Netope, Wilderness Damaraland Camp Manager