NWR Hobas Camp

Campside and chales in a very nice place and near fish river canyon. Swiming pool and good restaurant. People very friendly and free internet available in reception and restaurant. Book in advance..always full. A paradise in the Namib desert

I spent 2 nights here. The camp is nice and it’s the closest camp to Fish River Canyon viewpoints, just 10 km, while the fanciest lodges are at least 20 km. There are 6 chalets at all (plus several camping sites): our chalet was wide, with enough space for luggage, plugs to recharge batteries in good position, fridge and tea/coffee station. Toilet area is nice. As sometimes it happens in public camps the details are not looked after: although the chalet seemed quite new, the front door curtain was badly torn. To be a public camp the rate/night is too high. The “Quiver Taste” restaurant is good and we enjoyed very good oryx fillet both dinner; breakfast was good as well.

Very quaint, well-cared-for campground operated by Namibia Wildlife Resorts. On the Fish River Canyon section of the reserve, it makes for a nice place to spend a night or two. Within easy driving distance (about 1.25 hours) to /Ai-Ais Hot Springs. If you want to do any hiking into the canyon, or the 5-day hike to/from /Ai-Ais, you MUST book in advance; a private guide is required for hikes of all lengths. Each of the ~25 campsites at Hobas have running water going to a sink with space for washing dishes. There is also a side table and a concrete picnic area that seats 4. Unlike at some of the Etosha NWR-operated campgrounds, the Hobas Camp has fire pits/braai areas that are very low to the ground. The other sites have them raised, sometimes to a height that's easier to reach from a chair. At Hobas, campsites are first-come, first-served. Bookings can be made online and paid for in advance, but you must pay park fees on arrival. I was told that the NWR camps attempt to accommodate walk-ins, but that would be harder at Hobas Camp due to its limited space. Staff recommend that if you're camping multiple nights that you leave a chair or something out during the day so that people know that campsite is occupied. Staff do a great job of keeping the campsites clean and will dispose of leftover wood/charcoal. They also regularly empty the trash/recycling. There are a couple of ablution blocks with sides for males and females; generally they're in good shape but when I was there in June 2023 not all of the showers worked, there was some building maintenance that needed to be done, hot water was hardly even warm, and campers generally supplied their own toilet paper because staff weren't regularly keeping up with that. There is a very small shop for drinks, ice cream, and a few souvenirs. This is also the guest registration building. Across from it is another building for visitors to the park. And across the other road is a restaurant operated by NWR. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served at all NWR sites, but whether or not they're open by noon varies by location. Their menus differ slightly, but are generally the same (burgers and vegetarian wraps for lunch, game meats for dinner). Availability of menu options varies as well. The quality of food was adequate and the pricing was good, but self-catering is always a good option at NWR-operated parks. While there are some concerns about camping right at the South African border, Hobas Camp is far enough north and out of the way that I felt very comfortable and secure. While the baboons can be a nuisance in camp, common sense measures prevent them from being a problem. The birds are a bit of a problem, though - they will try to steal food from your hand! Generally chasing them off (or back to the tree limbs just above you) is enough to dissuade them from further attempts, but care should be made not to leave even crumbs out for them. And don't leave the windows of your vehicle down either. I stayed a