Hoanib Valley Camp

Fantastic camp in a remote corner of North West Namibia. We spent 3 nights here and loved every minute. Our guide, Ramon, was really knowledgeable (in our group we had interests from geology, to birds to trees/shrubs) and a genius at tracking animals along the river bed. Superb sightings of desert lion, elephants as well as giraffe, springbok, oryx. But the best part was the staff with Winnie, I.T and team looking after us beautifully, and, most importantly making our kids feel right at home, for example going out of their way to deliver hot chocolate and marshmallows. We were on a self-drive and the road was very manageable but it is an off road track - would recommend 4x4 even though we didn’t need it.

The game drives were tailored to our wishes with meals and drinks served in surprising locations making it a unique experience. The service in camp was attentive and friendly with excellent food. We were escorted along the river bed which was a game drive in itself seeing the elephants so close. The drive was sandy in parts but no problem in our land cruiser. The location is stunning and it is good to the connection with the local communities and giraffe conservation. One of our favourite places during our month touring Namibia.

We spent three weeks in Namibia; this our favourite lodge. The rooms are spacious, clean, have a safe, and most important of all a fan. We were close to the main dining area so we could get wifi in our room. The staff are just amazing, they go above and beyond to meet travellers needs. Meals were great, and they do their best to cater to dietary needs. Laundry was included in our package. There is a small pool, ideal for cooling off after a hot day on safari. From the main lodge we were able to spot baboons, giraffes and watch a speculative lightening show. We would love to return.

Completely isolated lovely friendly camp you are greeted like family. Nothing is too much trouble for them. Only sad we had 2 nights . So lucky to see the desert adapted lion a huge tick on my list as they are so rare,& thanks to our guide who tracked the lion to the right spot, it was then a waiting game, but oh so worth it |Also the desert adapted elephants. The lodges are large & have all you need, large bed seating area, shower & Jack & Jill sinks , toiletries etc. Food plenty of selection for all dietary needs they go out of their way to help. BBQ out in the mountains one night great. Fantastic staff thank you

The tents (cabins or rooms) are excellent, big comfortable beds, great shower, big area with sinks and counter and shelf space for your things. There is plenty of water to drink, many places to sit and relax and enjoy the Hoanib Valley.||There is a fantastic display of stars, milky way, etc. in the night sky.||There is plenty to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the food and drink are delicious.||It's hot! be sure to bring a wide brim hat, apply sunscreen, and jump into the cool pool water and relax. The pool is an excellent place to be cool.||For sleeping, there is a fan in the room to help move the hot air :- ) but it does cool down in the night.||Props / Kudos to Denise our how can I help you hostess, Ramon our excellent guide, PetroNella positive vibe manager.||Day 0:|Arrived at the airstrip in the late morning|It’s a long drive from the airstrip to the camp, but the scenery is beautiful, and Ramon brought food and drink.||We stopped to visit at a Himba village to meet and visit with the people and look and purchase some of their hand made goods||It was late afternoon when we arrived at the camp. We settled in and enjoy the cool pool water and nice lounge.||Once again, the evening sky is special. Stay up late or rise early to take advantage of mother natures miracle in the sky.||Day 1: |In the morning, we drove the Hoanib river and the camp prepared a Bush lunch. ||You must appreciate the effort involved in bring the food and drink to you in the bush. We very much appreciate and acknowledge your efforts to please the guests.||In the evening, we walked the desert to the water hole and then a sundowner at lodge||Dinner was Braai chicken wings and lamb chops - Yum!||Day 2:|Up at 5 |Stat gaze with Ramon at 5:30 |Breakfast at 6:30 |It was at least 95F with low humidity.||The camp packed us snacks for the trip. Thank you.||Depart at 8 for the 2hr drive to the airstrip. Once again, beautiful scenery.

a unique camp, just six luxurious tents . A fantastic staff who made you feel you had known them for years, game drives were exceptional having seen the desert 3 and a leopard on the first morning. The bush dinner here was magical. The dark sky was just incredible with our guide, giving a wonderful presentation of the southern night sky.

We got to experience one of the most unique safari experiences at HVC! Unlike other safaris we’ve done where the animals are just there, we really hard to “earn” each sighting which made it that much more special. For us, tracking the animals is half the fun and we really enjoy it as much as seeing the animals, so learning from our wonderful guide Ramon and being actively involved in the process was really cool. And whenever we did see the animals (lions, giraffes, elephants, etc), it was that much more special! We loved how Ramon was just as excited to track and see the lions as much as we were! It really made our experience so much richer to be with a guide who is so clearly passionate about what he does. We saw some of the most incredible sightings at HVC (lioness hunting, 1 week old baby elephants, a leopard kill, etc) and it was seriously SO cool. The other staff members were just as wonderful too (Petronella, Winnie, etc) and we felt very much at home from the moment we checked in till the very end. This is probably one of the nicest glamping sites I’ve ever been to and it’s simple with no frills, but extremely cozy (we loved the fire pit!), well kept, and offers everything you need + more. We were honestly blown away by the attention to detail that the staff offered. For example, when we checked in, they asked what we wanted to drink. I asked if they had ginger beer and they unfortunately did not. That same day, just a few hours later before we left for our first game drive, I noticed they were offering ginger beer as one of the drink options for happy hour. It turns out, Winnie (bless her sweet soul) decided to make ginger beer from scratch after I had asked about it earlier in the day. I couldn’t believe it. What a thoughtful gesture and such incredible customer service!!! Also, they give you refillable water bottles with your name on a label. When Ramon realized that my partner goes by a more casual version of his first name, we noticed that he quietly changed the label before the next game drive. It’s these seemingly little things that really make a difference between exceptional customer service & attention to detail vs. checking the box. HVC and its staff are absolutely top notch and we couldn’t be more happy with our stay. The food was exceptional as well, and we loved every meal, including the little lunch boxes they packed for us upon checkout. It was the perfect place to end our honeymoon and we can’t wait to be back one day.

We stayed for 2 nights and we had a great time. The staff was very personable, friendly, and fun. There are a few things that prevent me from giving a five star review. The tents are spaced fairly close together so you can easily hear people in the lodge and the tents next to yours. So when a group of travel agents stay up until 2am, it wasn't fun when you are getting up early the next day. Next, compared to the 2 other camps we went to, HVC is really challenging to get to. The 2 hr+ ride from the airports is bumpy, dusty, and can be hot depending on the time of day. Having said that, the camp location and surrounding area is beautiful. We also had no trouble finding/seeing the lions, elephants, and giraffes. The last item relates to the staff planning. We were told we need to leave by x time in the morning and breakfast was to be at x time. When we arrived for breakfast it seemed to be a surprise we were there that early. On a positive note, Festus was our guide and he was very kind, thoughtful, and knowledgeable about the animals, tracks, and geography. Winnie, IT, Eva, Timo, and the rest of the staff were wonderful to us.