If hell is other people then Namibia is heaven as this vast desert nation three times the size of the UK and twenty times bigger than The Netherlands has a population of only 1.8 million, half of which lives in the capital Windhoek. You can drive for hours across its sun-blasted plains in a rented 4×4 without seeing a soul and stunning scenery, total solitude and no mobile phone reception is the perfect antidote to the mania of the rat race. This month Namibia hosted the African Continental Cycling Championships as the country’s meticulously-maintained roads are perfectly suited to adventures on two wheels. Whilst Etosha game reserve, the spectacular desolation of the Skeleton Coast and the surreal dunes of Sossusvlei are the country’s main attractions, mountain bike safaris in Namibia’s North Western region of Damaraland are an attractive alternative.
Named after the local Damara people, this dramatic highland wilderness is home to the Namibian desert elephant and the last free-roaming black rhino in the world. As tourism has overtaken diamond-mining as Namibia’s number one industry, endangered species are seen as a precious commodity and clauses governing conservation have even been included in the national constitution. The Namibia Community Based Tourism Association (NACTOBA) has turned poachers into game-keepers and empowered local tribes through employment and training. Damaraland in particular is dotted with lodges and game farms where the staff and management speak in a mixture of the whistles and clicks of the tribal Damara dialect and the clipped vowels of Africaans. Palmwag Lodge, for example, is one of the oldest game lodges in the country and community-run. The 2-3 bed thatched bungalows, luxury en-suite tents and large suites which can sleep up to eight, are ideal for groups or families starting off on a mountain biking safari. Sebastian, a 35-year-old bull elephant often wanders through the lodge grounds and the watering-hole beneath the restaurant is usually teeming with wildlife at dusk, but the real adventure begins when you head out into the wilderness on a guided mountain bike safari like those hosted by local specialist Eyes on Africa.
