Special Interests Safaris

The concept of ecotourism on the Skeleton Coast originated with Louw Schoeman, one-time lawyer turned full-time conservationist and tour operator in 1977, the year in which Skeleton Coast Safaris was born. Practising as an attorney in Windhoek, Louw initially came to know the terrain through clients involved in prospecting.

Over the years his appreciation of the area grew, inspiring him to direct his attention towards the conservation thereof. This, in turn, led to his involvement in the proclamation of the Skeleton Coast Park in 1971. He was increasingly captivated by the extraordinary beauty and diversity of the landscape and its therapeutic qualities. As a result, he decided to fly small groups of paying guests into the area, offering them an unforgettable "desert experience".

Over the next seventeen years Skeleton Coast Safaris developed and grew, acquiring a reputation as an undertaking which practised ecotourism in the true sense of the word. The Schoeman children, who in the intervening years acquired and expanded on their father's expertise and vast knowledge of the Skeleton Coast and adjacent regions, took over management of this enterprise in 1994. They have followed in his footsteps, retaining the high standard and personal attention to detail that made Louw's safaris highly regarded and sought after in the past.