Damaraland is one of the most scenic areas in Namibia, a huge, untamed, ruggedly beautiful region where prehistoric water courses with open plains and grassland, massive granite kopjes 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. Track the desert elephant and rhino, explore the rugged land or sit back and enjoy the dramatic scenery.
Southern Damaraland, from Swakopmund up to the Huab River, has many geological and historical attractions and is a popular region for rugged off-road expeditions. The land rises slowly up towards the great escarpment and volcano-induced peaks break up the endless plains.
Northern Damaraland up to the Hoanib River has the greatest concentration of game. The terrain rumples into grassy hills dotted with mopane and acacia trees as you travel north-east over the plateau towards Etosha National Park.
Southern Damaraland
Giant inselbergs, formed millions ago when lava was all the rage, rise sheer and jagged from the barren plains of the inner Namib Desert. Most impressive of these are Spitzkoppe and the Brandberg Massif - which, in addition to being the highest peak in the country, has the allure of ancient rock paintings and the intriguing White Lady of Brandberg.
Two very large volcanic craters, also millions of years old, hold evidence of Namibia's earliest inhabitants and, at 22km across, Messum Crater is an astonishing sight. It has lost most of its outer ring but has the most fascinating rock formations and ancient plants such as the welwitschia, a variety of lichens, lithops and other desert-adapted flora.
Near Khorixas there is a nucleus of fascinating geological formations: Vingerklip is a striking finger of rock that rises vertically out of the plains while around it the lava-formed flat-tops wouldn't look out of place in Arizona.
The Organ Pipes are a series of dolerite pipes that, oddly enough, resemble organs pipes - though these ones were created 100 million years ago and are probably a bit out of tune by now.
Over 200 million years ago, a great flood swept enormous trees into the desert. These trees were fossilised by the sand and formed what is now a Petrified Forest.
If for no other reason than its great name, you should visit Wondergat: Gat means hole in Afrikaans.
As a result of some lava-induced chemical reaction over 100 million years ago, Burnt Mountain undergoes a spectacular transformation from dull grey to a hundred fiery reds every sunrise and sunset.
Among the red sandstone boulders and hills at Twyfelfontein is the most impressive collection of petroglyphs in Africa. Around 2,500 ancient rock paintings and engravings feature animals, tracks and abstract symbols. The exact age is unknown but archaeological evidence indicates that hunter/gatherers lived here more than 7,000 years ago.
Northern Damaraland
Northern Damaraland rises to the Etendeka Plateau and the ground becomes more vegetated as you move north-east towards Etosha National Park.
The famous desert-adapted elephants traverse this vast dry land in search of water and the world's only naturally occurring population of black rhino co-exists with the Damara communities. The endemic black-faced impala, Damara dik-dik and Hartmann's mountain zebra thrive in the region as do several endemic species of bird including Rüppell's korhaan, Herero chat, Monteiro's hornbill, bare-cheeked babbler, Carp's tit and Hartlaub's francolin.
Endemics aside northern Damaraland's hilly savannah supports a large number of species including lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, eland, kudu, giraffe, klipspringer, steenbok, gemsbok and springbok. Birdlife is prolific with over 33 raptors recorded including cuckoo hawks, Egyptian vultures and peregrine falcons - the world's fastest animal.
