Namibia » Damaraland
Damaraland was a name given to the north-central part of what later became Namibia, inhabited by Herero-speaking people, who in the 19th century were often referred to by outsiders as 'Damaras'. It was bounded roughly by Ovamboland in the north, the Namib Desert in the west, the Kalahari Desert in the east, and Windhoek in the south.
Damaraland is one of the most scenic areas in Namibia, a huge, untamed, ruggedly beautiful region that offers the more traveller a more adventurous challenge. Here there are prehistoric water courses with open plains and grassland, massive granite koppies and deep gorges. Towards the west, the geography changes dramatically with endless sandy wastes, that incredibly are able to sustain small, but wide-ranging, populations of desert-adapted elephant, black rhino, giraffe, ostrich and springbok. These animals have adapted their lifestyles to survive the harshness of the sun-blistered, almost waterless desert spaces. Elephant move through euphorbia bush country, and can travel up to 70km in a day in search of food and water and unusually, do not destroy trees in their quest for food.
Highlights of Damaraland include:
- Brandberg - Namibia's highest mountain and home to the famous 'White Lady' Bushman Painting
- Twyfelfontein - a wonderful rocky outcrop with thousands of Bushman engravings
- Spitzkoppe - a typical pointed inselberg, and a place of great mystery to the ancient San people
- Petrified Forest - which is millions of years old
- Vingerklip (finger rock) - a towering finger of limestone that rises 35m above its base
A new addition to tourism in the area is the exciting addition of Rhino and Elephant tracking safaris. Proceeds from these safaris go towards the preservation of these animals and there are numerous guided safaris to Damaraland and these offer an informative way of visiting the area.
The Damaraland area has a wide variety of accommodation ranging from campsites to up market lodges.
Accommodation in Damaraland
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