Namibia | Doro Nawastikichris

From Etosha, I made west for Damaraland – an arid dreamscape of strange rock formations, vast open plains, dry riverbeds, the possibility of catching a glimpse of specially adapted desert species of wildlife, and the chance to stay at an otherworldly luxury lodge seemingly set on the edge of the known world.

The four-hour drive from Andersson’s Camp to my next lodge, Doro Nawas Camp, was a delight. Most of the route was clean blacktop, but the last hour or so of the drive was dirt road – perfectly safe, utterly scenic and coupled with a feeling of being off the grid and completely out there.

My home for the night could be seen for miles. As if hovering above the desert, Doro Nawas Camp sat upon the crest and slopes of hill surrounding by plains with a backdrop of rugged mountains in the near distance.

A joint venture between Wilderness Safaris (who efficiently and expertly ran most of the accommodations and activities I enjoyed during my trip), the Doro !Nawas community (the ! is a click to illustrate how the name of this area is pronounced in the local Damara language), and a Namibian empowerment company, the camp consisted of a series of 16 spacious natural walled and thatch roofed cabins, clustered around a main lodge. The lodge makes the most of its unique setting with amazing views from verandas (guests are encouraged to roll their beds out onto their verandas to sleep under the stars). I couldn’t get over the sweeping views from my room, even while just lying in bed or having an outdoor shower.

For that matter, I couldn’t get over how awesome my room was or the lodge itself. From atop the main lodge’s lofty perch, a flat roof was the perfect nightspot to marvel at a blanket of stars, and receive a constellation education from my guide, Boetie.

If Etosha had been all about the lions, Doro Nawas was all about the elephants. Boetie wasn’t just an expert on what to see in the Namibian sky but the wonders roaming on the ground as well. My one Doro Nawas afternoon was spent cruising the Aba-Huab River Valley (mostly using the dry riverbed as our road) in search of supposedly elusive dessert elephants. I say supposedly because, about an hour into our game drive when we found them – first a solo and rather ornery bull and then a mother with her offspring – they didn’t seem the slightest bit skittish. Indeed, the bull let it be known we were on his turf with a false charge. The mother sidled up within inches of our vehicle.

After a restful sleep and chilled out morning (I was so relaxed I forget to have my coffee – yes me!), I was shuttled over to the nearby airstrip for a 45 minute flight to the even more remote, wild and weirdly landscaped Skeleton Coast. Leaving my car in the safe hands of the lodge for a few nights. Although I only had one night at Doro Nawas, it was an impactful stay in one of the most serenely beautiful places I’ve ever been – something I could just as easily say of the whole of Namibia itself.