EXPLORE... HOANIB SKELETON COAST, NAMIBIA

It won't be too much longer until we are welcoming all of you back to our beautiful African continent. Before then, we would like to share some of our personal experiences from the various lodges we have travelled to. If any of these lodges grab your fancy and you would like to include them in your upcoming travels to Africa, feel free to contact us.

 

We are often asked to include The Skeleton Coast into the majority of Namibian itineraries as our guests are intrigued by the potential of seeing hundreds of shipwrecks scatered along th coast. This is sadly not the case for a number of reasons, constant shifting of sand dunes, areas not accessible due to thick sand or being located in private nature reserves, therefore, the best way to view this famous coastline is either via a scenic flight or flying into remote areas and lodges like Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp for an all-inclusive experience.

 

A campfire glows in front of an open, tented desert lodge under a twilight sky.
A brown, shaggy-haired brown hyena stands on sandy ground in front of dry brush and trees, looking toward the camera.
Three people stand atop a large, craggy desert boulder overlooking a vast, arid landscape with sparse vegetation.
Silhouetted figures relax in chairs with drinks outdoors, watching a sunset over a flat horizon.
One of the best ways to view this famous coastline is either via scenic flight or charter flights into this remote location.
A luxurious safari camp in the desert with a group of elephants in the foreground and rocky hills in the background.

Hoanib Skeleton Coast camp can be combined with a self-drive itinerary so don't let the charter flights discourage you. It can be a wonderful break from all the driving and seeing Namibia from a different perspective.

Two people sit on a sandy dune overlooking a desert oasis, with text detailing activities at Hoanib Camp.

Namibia is the perfect self-drive destination, but the destination needs time so please don't ask us to try and squeeze everything into 4 or 5 days. Namibia is NOT a big 5 game destination, yes Etosha has great game viewing as well as parts of Namibia being home to desert-adapted animals, but this country is really about the exceptional landscapes, extreme amounts of space, and most importantly, the chance to get away from it all.

 

Feel free to contact us any time at info@zafaris.co.za for recommendations on how to include Hoanib Skeleton Coast into your itinerary or, any other destination that you may be interested in.

 

Text in dark script on a cream background reading:
June 17, 2026
It sits in the middle of southern Africa on top of one of the largest continuous sand systems on earth, landlocked, with rainfall that arrives when it feels like it and a landscape that the uninitiated might generously describe as flat. On paper it has no business being one of the most sought-after.
June 17, 2026
Birding has a PR problem of truly spectacular proportions. Somewhere along the line it acquired an image so thoroughly, so committedly unsexy that entire generations of otherwise adventurous, curious, intelligent people have been actively avoiding one of the most extraordinary wildlife experiences on the planet.
May 25, 2026
Africa is ready for its close-up, whether you're the particular kind of photographer who turns up on safari with a bag full of glass, a monopod, a carefully researched list of target species and an expression of focused intent that suggests they mean serious business or an average Joe.
April 28, 2026
Let's be honest about something... The safari industry has a type. Think golden light, a lion on a kopje, a leopard draped over a branch like living sculpture, an elephant silhouetted against a burnt orange sky. All of it magnificent, all of it entirely real.
April 28, 2026
Girls just want to have... Africa, it turns out. Because that's where it's all happening, on safari in the middle of nowhere, dressed in varying shades of khaki, surrounded by some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes on the planet and animals red in tooth and claw.
March 24, 2026
There's a particular type of travel content that exists in the safari world. It features luminous sunsets, impeccably dressed couples clutching sundowners, and lions doing photogenic things at the exact right moment. It is, in a word, lying. Not maliciously. Just selectively.
Two people in traditional shuka wraps stand on rocky terrain, looking over a vast savanna during a golden sunset.
February 25, 2026
You've booked the flights. You've packed the binoculars and the khaki (good). You've been dreaming of lions and leopards, sundowners and starlit skies. All of which are, without question, utterly fabulous and non-negotiable on any self-respecting Zafaris safari. But here's the thing.
Two pairs of legs and feet in shorts and sneakers standing on a stone path surrounded by lush green foliage.
February 25, 2026
Let’s get something straight from the start. Safari is not beige. It’s not polite, predictable, or neatly wrapped in a bow. It’s messy and exhilarating and occasionally ridiculous. It messes up your hair, ruins your sleep schedule, and somehow resets your entire brain in the best possible way.
A tan canvas tent set up in a field of dry grass under trees, with the sun shining behind them.
January 28, 2026
Safari has had a glow up. Actually, several over the last few decades. There was a time in the times of yore when a good safari meant a canvas tent, a bucket shower, a crackling fire and a guide who could read the bush like a novel. Then things escalated.
A person in a pith helmet and safari shirt holds binoculars in a misty, lush jungle setting.
December 4, 2025
Let's get one thing straight. Safaris are not only for shiny Gen Zs or upwardly mobile Millennials - or twenty-somethings with suspiciously clean trainers and an Instagram strategy. They are not reserved for families with small children who want to tick off the Big Five before lunch.