Volunteering in Namibia - Elephant Project

In this project you alternate between a base camp and a mobile camp. In the base camp you will find tree houses and a shower. In the mobile camp you have to do without the convenience of a shower. There you will take down your tent with the other volunteers every day and set it up again in the evening at a different location. Nobody can take away the experience of sleeping under the beautiful Namibian starry sky and cooking over the fireplace.

Your project location, Damaraland, is located in southwestern Africa in Namibia and borders the Atlantic Ocean. Here on the west coast is also the Namib Desert, from which Namibia got its name. Damaraland is the main settlement area of ​​the Damara tribe and stretches over several hundred kilometers in the north-west of Namibia.

This is also where the desert elephants, called Loxodonta africana, live, which you will deal with in your project work. The majestic pachyderms stomp over 115 km² of land. Between the dusty savannah and dry branches you see stony mountains towering over and over again. The Brandberg is particularly impressive: when the sun shines on Namibia's highest mountain, it lights up in flames. The 2000 to 4000 year old rock carvings on its rock face will also take you back in time.

If you have an enthusiasm for elephants and don't mind living in a tent for a while, then a very special outdoor adventure awaits you in Damaraland! Experience this extraordinary landscape and wildlife up close!

Open your eyes - because you can discover a lot here! In terms of landscape, Damaraland is considered to be one of the most beautiful desert regions in Namibia. If you are out and about here, you will see wide hilly landscapes, rugged rock formations, fine sandy dunes and countless dry rivers. The animal kingdom also has something to offer here in the dry region: with a bit of luck you will see the rare desert elephants or even the desert lions, which are threatened with extinction.

In the region's capital, Khorixas, you can go shopping in small shops. About 100 kilometers west of the city lies the main attraction of Damaraland, which you should not miss: the rock engravings of Twyfelfontein. With more than 2000 drawings and engravings by Bushmen, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the richest archaeological sites in Africa. It is estimated that the rock carvings date back to around 3300 BC. are created.

If you are already there, a visit to the Damara Living Museum is also worthwhile. This open-air museum gives you an insight into the way of life of the Damara.

Another attraction are the so-called “organ pipes”. It is a collection of about 5 meter high basalt columns. The impressive formation is definitely worth a visit.

The sight of the “petrified forest” is also fascinating. Unfortunately, this is no longer a real, living forest, but around 280 million years old fossilized remains of tree trunks. A few kilometers from this natural phenomenon, you will find the “Burned Mountain”. It was created around 80 million years ago by a slowly cooling lava flow. It is so eye-catching as it stands out in dark black-grey compared to the sand-colored surroundings.