Kaokoland, also known as Kaokoveld, is one of the last remaining wilderness areas in Southern Africa. This pristine world of incredible mountain scenery offers a refuge for the rare desert elephant, black rhino and is home to the Himba people. 

Kaokoland and Damaraland both are probably most famous for the desert elephant. The possibility of obtaining a glimpse, however brief, of a herd of desert dwelling elephants is what draws most tourists to the area. Although the desert elephants are not a separate sub species they have adapted to their extremely harsh environment. The only other place in Africa where elephants live in such insensitive conditions is in Mali on the edge of the Sahara Desert.

The secret of their survival in the arid wastelands is an intimate knowledge of their limited food and water resources. During the dry periods they will dig deep holes to obtain water and in this way also provide other animals with water.

Kaokoland differs greatly from Damaraland concerning accessibility and infrastructure. While quite a bit of Damaraland is isolated from the outside world, it is really Kaokoland which is the back and beyond, silent, huge and for the most part empty. Although it is harsh and offers little relief at midday, the rocky landscape is especially appealing during sunrise and sunset when it is transformed into softly glowing pallid shades. The south of the area is characterised by rugged mountains which are dissected by numerous watercourses, but north of the Hoarusib River the scenery is dominated by table-top hills. Still further north, the Otjihipa Mountains forms the eastern boundary of the Marienfluss, while the west of the valley is defined by the Hartmann Mountains. The Marienfluss valley is very scenic and relatively greener than the Hartmann's valley. Hartmann's valley is closer to the Atlantic and yet much more barren. However, it does have a strange atmosphere when the sea mists drift inland.  

The black rhino also occur in the extreme western parts of Kaokoland which makes them a very rare sight. Other species found in Kaokoland & Damaraland include oryx, kudu, springbok, ostrich, giraffe and mountain zebra.