Weather
This is our raining season, but all our riverbeds are still very dry. We hope to get some more rain before the winter season sets in. Temperatures this month ranged from 16°C (60°F) - at night to a maximum of 40°C (104°F) during the day. The average temperature was a more temperate 36°C (96°F).

Wildlife
As a result of little rain, elephant tracking has become much more difficult than it usually is. The elephant have moved further north towards the Etendeka Mountains in search of greener pastures: shrubs, bulbs, herbs, grasses and sedges. The upside of this is that the trees in the Aba-Huab/Haub Rivers get the chance to prosper while the elephant are absent in the mountains.

On some days our guides drive up to 60km (38 miles) from Doro Nawas to try and find elephant. And there is no guarantee that they will. Tracking becomes exciting as everyone, including guests, has to work very hard to try and spot them. Even though we don't always manage to find elephant, these areas are very beautiful, and all our drives are rewarding. Most of the drive is through a valley in the Klip River, running alongside huge mountains. All three elephant groups, namely Oscar, Rosy and Tuskless, have been seen in these areas. If you are lucky, you might find all three groups together at once - and what an amazing sight that is!

Some exciting news is that the group of hartebeest have been spotted very close to the camp. It seems that they are getting used to people and to the area. Most of them have newborn calves, which brings the herd total to 24. That means the herd has doubled in size since 12 antelope were relocated to the area - which is definitely a sign that they are thriving.

On the way to Twyfelfontein a one-metre-long spitting cobra was seen 'standing' with its head reared upright in the middle of the road. As we came closer it did not move, and was looking at us as if wondering what we were up to. We got very close to it before it decided to move away. It was wonderful for the guests to get the chance to appreciate just how magnificent these, often misunderstood, reptiles are - with their colourful bodies, and incredible strength and alertness.

A flock of ostrich, with 34 chicks, has been seen about 10 km from the camp. The chicks are about a month old, and it's wonderful to see the mothers teaching their young what to eat. You can see that they feed on very small stones, as well as seeds and flowers - these help them to digest the other food that they eat.

Guest Highlights
"Seeing a zebra snake (cobra) posing in the road. The staff singing at dinner. The 360° view from the main area. Smiles everywhere you look!" - Berry and Jentsch, South Africa
"Activities with the guide were fantastic. He is very good with kids and has great knowledge. Thanks a lot, Michael!" - Vacheresse, Angola
"Getting close to 11 elephant at a waterhole. The evening walk out of camp with sundowner drinks. The singing and dancing of the staff at dinner." - Ros and Andrew, UK
"Shelvia gave us a very warm and friendly time, thank you. Thanks also to the whole team! We just enjoyed it so much." - Wilde, Germany
"Our stay here was the favourite of our trip to date. We only wish we had longer time to enjoy everything on offer. Who, we wonder, can beat this Shangri-la!" - Gurney, UK
"We all loved the songs you sang after dinner! We had an amazing stay here, even though the elephant tracking wasn't successful. The staff is really friendly! When we first saw the camp, we were amazed - it is right in the middle of nowhere!" - Bollore, France

Camp Staff
We say farewell and thank you to Henry Luck (Assistant Manager) who helped us out from December 2009.

Coenie van Niekerk (Camp Manager)
Danize van Niekerk (Camp Manager)
Agnes Bezuidenhout (Assistant Manager)
Morien Aebes (Assistant Manager)
Arthur Bezuidenhout (Guide)
Michael Kauari (Trainee Guide)
Ignatius Khamuseb (Guide)
Richardt Orr (Trainee Guide)