Twyfelfontein and Damaraland

Twyfelfontein, in the wild, rugged and boulder-strewn landscape of Damaraland in northwest Namibia, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site holding one of the largest and most important concentrations of ancient rock art in Africa. Thousands of years old, its thousands of engravings and paintings, pecked and painted onto the red sandstone rocks by the San people, depict animals, tracks and enigmatic figures, a remarkable record of an ancient hunting culture, set in a dramatic desert region also famous for its rare, roaming desert-adapted elephants.

What you actually see

• The rock engravings - the thousands of ancient San petroglyphs.
• The famous panels - the Lion Man and dancing kudu engravings.
• Damaraland - the wild, boulder-strewn desert landscape.
• The desert elephants - the rare desert-adapted elephants of the region.

When to go

May to October, the cooler dry season, for the most comfortable weather to walk the site, as it is hot and exposed; the rock art is visited on guided walks with local guides. The desert-adapted elephants are elusive and sought on drives in the wider region.

Honest expectations

The rock art is seen only on a guided walk over rocky, uneven terrain in the heat, so it takes some effort and good shoes. It is remote, in the northwest, so it is part of a wider Damaraland trip. The famous desert elephants are elusive and roam a vast area, so sightings are never guaranteed. The ancient art and the wild landscape, though, are genuinely remarkable.

Nearby

The Petrified Forest, the Brandberg mountain and the Skeleton Coast are within reach.