Ultimate Safaris has from the onset been synonymous with pioneering safaris in Namibia. As a result, we are delighted to introduce Ultimate Safaris’ Journeys Under Canvas, which is particularly appealing to those who want to connect with the earth, culture and wildlife in a very up-close and personal way.
These camps are designed to offer a true “back to nature” experience with an emphasis being on the experiential aspect of safari. For those prepared to forego some creature comforts so that they are unencumbered by buildings and all the paraphernalia that goes with them, they will be able to go to sleep hearing only the noisy silence of the desert and to wake up to a chorus that announces the start of a new day. It’s the kind of intimacy only achieved by taking guests to the most wild and remote places.
Our Under Canvas camps are non-participatory and are serviced and equipped to ensure that guests can stay in great comfort and to allow them to relax and revel in the feeling of space and solitude that makes Namibia so special. Added to that, we consider good food and wine to be an important part of the overall experience so our catering in camp is of a suitably high standard. Delicious, wholesome meals with local delicacies are prepared for each meal time using fresh local produce wherever possible. Our guests are taken care of by some extraordinary people whose only desire is to ensure that each moment spent with us is as perfect as possible.
Our Under Canvas camps use large rectangular Meru tents (4m x 3m and 2.5 m high) with built in groundsheets and mosquito screens on all doors and windows. Each tent is equipped with solar lighting, bedside table, comfortable standard height camp beds and mattresses with normal bedding as well as an additional blanket and a hot water bottle for those chilly nights, and a cabinet in which to store clothing and other belongings that need to be accessible. Towels and toiletries are also provided in the bathroom which also has its own toilet (flush or field depending on the location of the camp), bucket shower and washbasin. A small table, mirror and solar lighting are also provided in the bathroom, and chairs on the patio allow guests to relax and enjoy the surrounding view.
//HUAB UNDER CANVAS
In line with our commitment to help preserve wild places, we are excited to announce the first of our exclusive use areas that will allow us to operate our Under Canvas camps, located in a core black rhino area in the //Huab Conservancy in Damaraland, approximately 90 km northwest of Khorixas. Again pioneering both community development and conservation, Ultimate Safaris has entered into an agreement with the local conservancy which has secured an exclusive use area for the purposes of our Under Canvas camp.
Our first and foremost involvement and investment has been in conservation as we have already employed two Rhino Rangers to safeguard the local rhino population and to assist us with tracking them. We have equipped the Rangers with mountain bikes to traverse this area in an environmentally conscious way and we have installed VHF radio communication for patrols to use, as well as investing in the supply of open water for wildlife. The area is home to Hartmann’s mountain zebra, oryx, springbok, steenbok, klipspringer, elephant, rhino, spotted and brown hyena, jackal, leopard, cape fox and African wild cat in addition to several others, and our presence in the area has already seen a change in the frequency of wildlife sightings.
This camp is nestled in a grove of Mopane trees on the banks of a tributary of the //Huab River. Protected from all the prevailing winds and sun, the camp is virtually invisible from anywhere around and it carries arguably the lowest environmental footprint of any camp in Namibia. Tents are raised on mobile platforms and have basic infrastructure that allows for important comforts such as en suite flush toilets, but the essence of the camp remains Under Canvas, mobile and experiential.
A minimum of a two night stay is required to get a true feel of what is on offer, although we believe that three nights would be even better to really do justice to the area. The camp is a fantastic alternative to any traditional lodge stay in Damaraland, which offers exclusivity in terms of access which is beyond compare.
Activities include tracking desert adapted rhino, noting that this is completely private and in an area that has the highest tracking success rate in north western Namibia; exploring the upper and less crowded //Huab River in search of desert adapted elephants; and nature walks; as well as the possibility to visit prehistoric rock engravings.