Natural Selection will open Hoanib Valley Camp in the remote and wild Kaokoland in northwest Namibia in May 2018.
This new camp is a joint venture between Natural Selection, the local communities and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Located in the Sesfontein Community Conservancy, the camp sits on the banks of the Obias River, and overlooks the ephemeral Hoanib River—a favorite foraging area for elephants.
From camp, guests and experts can track desert-adapted lion, elephant and black rhino; guests can also partake in cultural experiences and discover more about the desert-adapted giraffe that are the focus of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation’s work in Hoanib. Mountain zebra, kudu, springbok and oryx are all also regular sightings.
It's a little known fact but giraffes are endangered, so Dr. Julian Fennessy and Stephanie Fennessy set up the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and began pioneering genetic work that revealed there were four distinct species of giraffe across Africa, instead of what were formerly thought to be sub-species. This is crucial information concerning the future conservation of giraffe populations throughout the continent. Guests of Hoanib Valley Camp will have an opportunity to meet a researcher and learn about the work taking place in the very area they are staying. For those interested in a deeper experience, they can spend time in the field with the team for a donation of $500 per person.
Good to know: Natural Selection donates 1.5 percent of its gross revenue to conservation, and the GCF is one of the partners who receives funds.
The camp, like all others by Natural Selection, will be “clean and green,’’ meaning the camp will be entirely solar powered and tents will sit atop of composite decks comprised of bamboo and 70 percent recycled material. Grey water is properly treated and all waste is separated and recycled where possible.
Rates at Hoanib Valley Camp start at $580 per person per night, inclusive of accommodation, all meals, daily activities and local drinks.
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