Skeleton Coast & Damaraland Ride

Welcome to Namibia!

Arrive at Hosea Kutako International Airport. A shuttle service will collect you from Windhoek International Airport (Hosea Kutako) to your first overnight in Windhoek (your name will be on a welcome board). Meet your fellow riders and host/riding guide Andrew Gillies for sundowners and dinner. Andrew will give you a briefing about your adventure.

Early breakfast and then the journey to the rugged Skeleton Coast – approximately 4 hours to our lunch spot in the charming town of Swakopmund, and then a further 3 hours up the coast to our remote camp. You will visit the Cape Cross Fur Seal Colony on the way. The abundance of oxygen will surely knock you out for a good nights sleep tonight while the Atlantic Ocean roars in the background.

Your first riding day begins with a saddling briefing and getting acquainted with your horse.  The ride starts slower as you get to know your trusted mount and find your “hooves”. As you head towards your first camp, you’ll ride through ephemeral river systems and dry washes that characterize this unique area. The landscape changes all the time and the pace quickens as the terrain allows.  As the soft evening light descends we get into camp in time to enjoy sundowners as the spectacular Milky Way appears overhead. In Namibia, where there is no light pollution, the stars are simply magnificent and sitting around a companionable campfire with new acquaintances, sharing the experiences of the day is a joy. The aroma of dinner cooking in large black pots on the fire stirs the imagination of what could possibly smell that good!

There is an easy rhythm to camp life, waking up at dawn with the smell of fresh bread baking on the coals of the fire and a hot cup of coffee to shake off sleep. You will brush and saddle up your horse before heading out. You will need to be riding fit for this ride, as you will be in the saddle for around 4-5 hours before meeting the team for a lunch stop in the shade of a tree or under the sunshade. Enjoy an afternoon siesta next to the horses, then saddle up again for another 2-3 hours of riding before reaching camp. The backup team will set-up camp before you arrive, waiting with warm water and cold drinks. Camps are set up in beautiful remote areas with names such as Camp Nowhere and Camp Somewhere..! You’ll spend memorable evenings around the campfire, making new friends and enjoying delicious meals cooked on the coals. Beds are set out in the desert under a canopy of stars and with absolutely no light pollution, you’ll see more stars than you ever imagined!

This is a little bit of Heaven on Earth. Riding in a landscape which look like they belong on an other planet means you need to have your camera ready! The undulating terrain changes colour depending on the desert substrate – from brick red to startling white, the yellows and greens of this unique fog-deserts’ lichen fields, to dry river washes and interesting geological formations. Damaraland has a violent geological history, leaving a legacy of unusual landshapes and topographical features which quite astound.

From the Ugab River to Leeuwkop (lions head) this ever-changing landscape is filled with fascinating geology and the chance to see desert-adapted animals such as zebra, oryx, ostrich and even the desert-adapted elephants (if you’re lucky enough to spot them). With vast open spaces and long distances to cover, expect lots of fast riding! As you descend into the lower reaches of the Ugab river, you will feel the air begin to cool again. Enjoy one last thrilling canter across the lichen-covered coastal plains of the Skeleton Coast before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. A sad goodbye to your trusted steed before checking in to a beach house in Hentie Bay for your last night. Enjoy sundowner drinks overlooking the ocean while reminiscing about your adventure.

After a bit of a lie-in and a leisurely breakfast, you will be transferred to Windhoek for your departing flight (after 15h00). If you have extra time in Africa, extend your stay to visit the high dunes and desolated valleys of Sossusvlei, the wildlife of Etosha National Park, or travel further to South Africa or Botswana.