Doro Nawas Camp Damaraland, Namibia

DISCOVER DORO !NAWAS

Building on Namibia’s community empowerment and conservation through tourism

Doro Nawas is the newest addition to the Wilderness Safaris’ portfolio in Namibia. The lodge itself is built on a rugged, rocky knoll in the middle of a plain adjacent to the Aba-Huab River in Namibia’s Damaraland region. Vistas from the camp and its 16 rooms stretch out south towards the sandstone cliffs and rock engravings of Twyfelfontein, west across the blonde grass plains, and north towards the Etendeka Mountains.

Activities in the vast uninterrupted space of Doro Nawas revolve around game and bird viewing and visits to the proposed world heritage site of Twyfelfontein – scene of some 2000 rock engravings by long vanished San people. As reflected in this ancient art, game such as springbok, Oryx and ostrich are found on the plains, while species such as Hartmann’s mountain zebra frequent the higher mountain slopes, desert-adapted black rhino in the most remote areas and elephant in the tree-lined reaches of the Aba-Huab and Huab Rivers. Viewing of endemic Namibian bird species such as Rüppel’s korhaan, Monteiro’s hornbill and Benguela long-billed lark is also good. Map to Doro Nawas

The development of this camp follows on the success of Damaraland Camp in the neighbouring Torra Conservancy. Here Wilderness Safaris and the community members have co-operated in a joint venture that is acknowledged as a shining example of modern community based ecotourism. The 352 000 hectare Torra Conservancy has come about through the joint efforts of Namibian environmental NGOs and the community and is an unfenced multiple use area, zoned by the community members in order to derive benefit from wildlife populations while continuing sustainable, subsistence and commercial farming projects. In return for responsible management of wildlife populations, the Namibian government gives communities the rights to consumptive and non-consumptive use of this natural resource. The community members (just over 400 in the Torra Conservancy) elect a representative committee to effect these rights, to equitably distribute income and to negotiate with third parties such as Wilderness Safaris. The formation of the conservancy has resulted in substantially increased numbers of desert wildlife and in upliftment of the local community.

In the case of Damaraland Camp, Wilderness Safaris provided the finance, project management and expertise for the camp’s development while the community contributed labour, skills and the conservancy itself. Revenue flows back to the community both directly and indirectly through the payment of the land lease, conservation levies and salaries as well as outsourced services such as laundry service, road maintenance, game guard wages and the staffing of radio outposts. All staff employed in the lodge – bar a guide, assistant manager and mechanic - come from the community and their employment is overseen by a joint committee comprised of the Torra Conservancy and Damaraland Camp ensuring that income is as evenly distributed across the 40 villages of the conservancy as possible. In addition to this, 10% of the net revenue arising from accommodation fees flows directly to the community. All these aspects result in the annual injection of an estimated N$1 million into the local community.

The synergy and symbiosis of this development is a logical and mutually beneficial one that in 2004 resulted in Damaraland Camp and the Torra Conservancy being the proud recipient of the United Nations Development Programme Equator Prize for biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation. In 2005 the project was further recognised with the award of the prestigious World Tourism Council’s Tourism for Tomorrow Award in the conservation category.

Doro Nawas is based on similar principles and is a joint venture between Wilderness Safaris, the Doro Nawas community and a Namibian empowerment company. The enormous Doro Nawas Conservancy is 407 300 hectares and represents some 450 community members who, in addition to acting as landlords in the conservancy, together hold a 40% share in Doro Nawas Camp. As with Damaraland Camp, all camp staff have been sourced from the community and trained by Wilderness Safaris with the same benefits as at Damaraland Camp flowing to the conservancy and its members. The aims of this venture, as with those of Damaraland camp can be summarised as follows:

• To create a high-income, low-impact tourism camp for sustainable tourism
• To train members of the local community in all aspects of tourism
• To create immediate employment in a previously low-employment area
• To uplift the local area financially and socially
• To allow local wildlife numbers to increase and stabilise.

Doro Nawas provides a memorable quality service in a luxury safari lodge for self-drive and fly-in guests while sharing economic and empowerment benefits with local communities.

Morning activity from 7h30 until 12h00:
· Twyfelfontein, Burnt Mountain & Organ Pipes
· Aba - Huab River Safari

Afternoon activity from 2h30 until 18h00:
· Twyfelfontein (not including Burnt Mountain & Organ Pipes)
· Petrified Forest
Walks are free of charge.

Extra rates	Adults	Children
Activities: Scheduled afternoon nature drive	-	-
Activities: Scheduled morning nature drive	-	-

Discounted rates per night per person/child - FI: a minimum of six nights: on request

6 nights or longer in any of Wilderness Safaris' camps & lodges (except Skeleton Coast):
3% discount!

All Wilderness Safaris' establishments: due to a high demand the full balance is due strictly not later than 10 weeks prior to arrival!
Special meals can be booked in advance. Rates are subject to change without prior notice should tax be increased or Government levies introduced. Rates include Value Added Tax.

Elena Travel Services & Car Hire CC
P.O. Box 3127 Windhoek, Namibia
Fax: +264 61 244558
E-mail: info@namibweb.com

Reservations are only accepted in writing: by fax or via e-mail.
Final availability confirmation: in writing: by fax or via e-mail.

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	Per Person Per Night			Single Room Supplement Per Night
Adults	01 December - 14 June	15 June - 15 November	16 November - 15 December	01 December - 15 December
Per person sharing	-	-	-	-
Child Sharing Per Night	-	-	-	-

	Per Person Per Night			Single Room Supplement Per Night
Adults	01 December - 14 June	15 June - 15 November	16 November - 15 December	01 December - 15 December
Per person sharing	-	-	-	-
Child Sharing Per Night	-	-	-	-