But the fact that Damaraland works so smoothly belies the stamina and vision needed to bring it about, from both the Damara people and their partner, Wilderness Safaris. Immersed in the magical desert landscape and the comfortable efficiency of the camp, most guests never realise the commitment that created what the WWF rates as Namibia's most successful community project.

The camp is set in the 800km2 Torra Conservancy, 90km inland from the Skeleton Coast. One of Namibia's least populated areas, Damaraland is a true wilderness, resting on a vast sheet of ancient lava eroded into table-topped mountains and coloured in characteristic slabs of purple and russet. Morning mists swirl off the Atlantic; spiky, resilient euphorbia dot the landscape and a surprising number of animals survive here, from oryx, mountain zebra, giraffe and leopard to desert-adapted elephant and Black rhino. Solar power provides electricity and hot water for the camp's nine large en suite tents, with private verandahs overlooking the Huab River Valley onto distant mountains. After the morning's game drive into the valley system, bountiful brunches are served round a vast farmhouse-style table in a bar-dining area constructed from local stone and canvas. An afternoon walk is one of the best ways to absorb the silence and solitude of this empty land; hidden in a mini-gorge behind the camp is a plunge pool to wash away the dust. After drinks, dinner - usually braaied (barbecued) - is eaten under the stars.

Often, round the campfire, the Damara sing traditional songs that harmonise with the flawless setting. Guest book entries testify repeatedly to the warmth of the staff, who take great pride in their camp and display a natural empathy towards visitors. Theirs is Namibia's only community project to sustain itself without donor funding. The profits it has finally begun to make are providing them with mobile clinics, educational materials, running water and anti-poaching patrols.

The community receives a ground rent and 10% of revenue from accommodation. Fresh food and services such as laundry are bought in from local enterprises, and the 18 Damara staff include the new camp manageress and three guides who grew up here and know the area intimately. Training schemes are in place to further the proliferation of skills among the community. It sounds ideal, but it's been a long journey. Over 20 years ago, the Damara had no game rights and were unable to benefit from tourism revenue. Elephant regularly trampled their crops, making man and animal enemies. But regulations changed after independence, allowing communities to benefit from tourism revenue and to negotiate directly with operators. Having observed independent visitors passing through the area, the community began to realise the potential value of their game. They formed a conservancy to protect it, but poaching (largely by outsiders) remained a problem until 1981, when a highly successful Game Guard scheme was initiated with NGO assistance.

While the Damara wondered how to build on this progress, Wilderness Safaris was seeking to plug a gap in the Namibian safari circuit. After long negotiations the two joined together to launch Damaraland Camp in 1996. In 1998, thanks in part to the camp's success, the Torra Conservancy was officially proclaimed. Visitors who pay for a day's 4x4 rhino-trekking will see the best of a stirring landscape of rock and dune, making the trip worthwhile even if the rhino remain elusive. This pioneering partnership between a Western operator and a remote African community has had to feel its own way forward carefully, but it has clearly found a formula that works. One guest writes: "In 20 years of travel throughout Africa, we have had few experiences as enjoyable as Damaraland Camp."