Ten adobe-style units on the Huab River Valley in the Torra Conservancy — one of Africa's original community-owned safari camps, and reliable ground for desert-adapted elephant.
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Overview
A Model of Community Safari
Built in the 1990s as one of Africa’s first community-partnership camps, Damaraland Camp is co-owned with the local Torra Conservancy — and remains one of the continent’s clearest conservation success stories.
Damaraland Camp sits on the north face of the Huab River Valley, within the 352,200-hectare Torra Conservancy — one of driest, most desolate landscapes in Africa, and yet one of its most rewarding for desert-adapted wildlife. Named for the red torra rocks found throughout the area, Torra was proclaimed in 1998 as Namibia's first community conservancy, formed in partnership with the Torra people returning to land they had been displaced from decades earlier. Today the conservancy shares revenue from every guest stay, and its rehabilitation has brought desert-adapted elephant, black rhino, lion and cheetah back to a landscape many once thought incapable of supporting them.
10
Adobe-Style Units
352,200ha
Torra Conservancy
1998
First Community Conservancy
240+
Bird Species Recorded
Units
Adobe, Raised from the Sand
Ten large, en-suite units — including one family unit — raised off the ground, with walk-in dressing areas and a private deck facing the desert.
Unit — Facing the Huab Valley
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Raised, adobe-style constructionUnits are built off the ground in a spartan, stylish aesthetic well suited to the barren beauty of the surrounding landscape.
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Walk-in dressing areaEach unit includes a walk-in dressing area and a large private deck for watching the valley through the day.
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Solar-powered hot waterEvery tent has its own solar panel and inverter powering a solar geyser, part of the camp’s hybrid, low-impact power system.
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Family unitA dedicated two-room family unit accommodates travelling families without compromising on the camp’s design language.
Experiences
Tracking the Desert Elephant
The Huab River valley is a critical corridor for Namibia’s desert-adapted elephant — smaller-bodied, longer-legged, adapted to walk vast distances between water.
Signature
Elephant Tracking
Track a family of desert-adapted elephant on foot or by vehicle along the dry Huab riverbed — a thrill unlike any savanna sighting.
Heritage
Twyfelfontein Rock Art
A full-day excursion visits the UNESCO-listed Twyfelfontein engravings, among the largest collections of rock art in Africa.
Geology
Organ Pipes & Burnt Mountain
Explore striking volcanic rock formations carved into the Damaraland landscape millions of years ago.
Community
Torra Conservancy Visits
Meet Torra community members and learn how the conservancy model turned human-wildlife conflict into shared conservation.
On Foot
Guided Nature Walks
Walks through the rock terrain focus on desert flora, reptiles and the area’s remarkable geological history.
After Dark
Zero-Light Stargazing
With no light pollution for miles, Damaraland offers some of the clearest night skies of any camp in Namibia.
Dining
Dinner by Lantern Light
Meals are prepared with produce flown in regularly, and more often than not served outside around an open fire beneath the stars.
01The long dining table, in the main area
02The open-fire boma, under lantern light
03The pool deck, for lunch
04A sundowner spot, overlooking the valley
05In-camp, for those who prefer to dine in
Dinner — Beneath the Stars
Location
The Huab River Valley
Damaraland Camp sits in the Torra Conservancy, Kunene Region, roughly 90km from Torra Bay on Namibia’s northwest coast.
The Torra Conservancy is one of the driest, most desolate regions in Africa — yet supports a surprising diversity of desert-adapted wildlife.
No fences separate wildlife from the local herdsmen and their livestock — humans and animals share this landscape by necessity.
Self-drive guests may reach nearby Fonteine Pos in a 2WD, but no self-driving is permitted within the conservancy itself.
The camp is a landmark example of conservation tourism, generating direct, shared revenue for the local Torra community.
Fly
Light aircraft transfers connect Damaraland Camp with Windhoek, Sossusvlei and Etosha on multi-stop fly-in safaris.
Drive
Guests may self-drive in 4WD vehicles directly to camp, or to nearby Fonteine Pos in a 2WD vehicle.
Arrive
Check-in from 12:00, checkout by 10:00 — the minimum age for walking activities is 13 years.
Bonus Night
Stay 4, Pay 3
Book three nights at Damaraland Camp and receive a fourth free on selected 2026 dates.