Kaokoland

Home to the Himba, the last nomadic tribe in Africa, and the famed desert-adapted elephant, Kaokoland is an extraordinary semidesert zone offering spectacular mountain scenery, unparalleled serenity and a real sense of nature’s enormity.

Also known as the Kunene, Kaokoland lies east of Namibia’s treacherous Skeleton Coast. Established as a homeland for the Himba people in the 1920s, it remains the chosen home of a tribe faithful to their cultural traditions, and preferring the isolation of their unspoilt, stark and often extreme landscape to the modern world.

Spanning an impressive 50 000km2 and stretching south to north from the Hoanib River to the Kunene, which forms the natural border between Namibia and Angola, Kaokoland remains one of the world’s last unspoilt wildernesses. Enjoy endless stargazing, extraordinary photo opportunities and white-water adventures – or search for Kaokoland’s uniquely adapted desert elephant.

Highlights In Kaokoland

  • A visit to a Himba community is high on the list of must-do activities in Kaokoland
  • Plan a bird safari in the summertime (November to April), when the Kunene river hosts a small but fascinating population of residents – from malachite kingfishers to fish eagles and the rare rufous-tailed palm thrush
  • Get the adrenaline pumping with guided white-water rafting adventures or canoe trips on the mighty Kunene
  • Visit the Kunene’s beautiful Epupa Falls and spectacular 120m high Ruacana Falls
  • Enjoy unforgettable guided walks – tracking Namibia’s desert elephant and the elusive desert lion