The Cessna shuddered as it dipped towards the landing strip, which appeared like a strip of white paint in the shrub-land below. Dry riverbeds twisted between the huge table-top escarpments, and a dusty road carved a pale scar in the red ground, far into the distance.

An hour and a half by plane northwest of the capital Windhoek, and 40km from the Atlantic ocean, Namibia’s north-western Kunene region (formerly Damaraland) receives around 200mm of rainfall a year, making it a harsh and unforgiving environment. An odd place to spend a weekend perhaps, but the volcanic plains and parched valleys also harbour one of the world’s rarest animals: the black rhino.

In the 1970s black rhino numbers stood at around 65,000 worldwide, but after two decades of hunting and poaching (a rhino horn can fetch around US$150,000) numbers dropped dramatically to around 2,400 in the early 1990s. Today, according to Save the Rhino Trust’s 2006 figures, there are 3,774 black rhino left in the world. Namibia hosts one of the largest populations (1,141), as well as a healthy proportion of the desert dwelling sub-species Diceros bicornis bicornis.

I was heading out into the desert in search of this hardy sub-species, to Wilderness Safari’s Palmwag Rhino Camp. The camp was set up in 2003, in partnership with the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT), which has been working in the region for 23 years. The tented camp is in a 450,000-hectare concession, which is home to 17 black desert rhino, including four calves.

The idea of the camp is for wildlife enthusiasts to take guided safaris, and to catch a glimpse of the rhino in their natural habitat once the SRT trackers have picked up the trail. There is no guarantee you will see a rhino as they are free to roam where they wish, so you have to be prepared for disappointment. Above all, this is not a drive-through zoo safari. This is the real thing; wild Africa.

The day starts at 5am. It’s dark and cold and I am full of fear as I make the short walk from my tent to the communal area: the concession is also home to lions, elephants, jackals, hyenas, ostrich and Hartmann’s zebra, as well as thousands of springbok, gemsbok and the national animal, the oryx. Abner, Erwin and Justus, the SRT trackers, have left already in a 4×4 heading for the springs and watering holes to pick up any tracks.

Although black rhino can go for four days without water, they tend to drink every evening so this is one way of catching the trail. It is the trackers’ job to keep an eye on the 17 rhino in the area, recording their whereabouts, their condition, their behaviour, what they are eating and any calves born. They take photographs and use binoculars to note distinguishing features, such as the size and shape of horns and marks on tails and ears. They also take the GPS co-ordinates to monitor each rhino’s movements.

All the information collected is then uploaded onto a database to create a sort of rhino census, which then passed on to the Ministry of Tourism and the Environment (MET). All wildlife in Namibia is state-owned, which means that if the trackers find an injured rhino they must report it to the MET and await instruction on how to handle it.

This also means that the future of the rhino is in the government’s hands. The MET’s application and subsequent approval by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in 2004 to allow five elderly male black rhino a year to be available for trophy-hunting and exporting has been met with disappointment by wildlife and conservation charities. The argument is that the sums of money from the trophy hunts are so large that it is better in the long term for the conservation of the rhino. Plus the five hunted represent only 0.5 per cent of the total black rhino population in Namibia.

We leave camp at 6am. The terrain is rough and we need all the power of the 4×4 to navigate the volcanic rock, which is scattered relentlessly over the moon-like landscape. We dip down into a dry riverbed and then steeply up on to a plain as the sun’s rays burst over one of the escarpments, injecting colour into the red rock and crisp yellow grass. Welwitschia plants, which can live for thousands of years, lie among the rocks like sea creatures, their two ancient torn leaves spreading like tentacles across the ground. Not much can survive in this landscape and, while the lions, zebra and elephants have all headed east in search of water, the black rhino has adapted to the harsh conditions.

A rush of green appears – Damarara euphorbia, its straight thick hair-like leaves pointing skywards like Medusa in shock. Rhino walking from spring to spring, munch their way through entire Damarara euphorbia plants (known as milk plants – the milk being poisonous to most other animals) and sleeping in any shade they can find. An oryx raises its head as the roar of the engine catches its attention. It stares complacently at us before turning on its heel, dust flying.

As I clutch my binoculars, scanning the horizon, the call comes through on the radio. Simon, my guide, turns to me in excitement: “They’ve found a mother and her calf; we must get out and walk.” Sometimes you can walk for three hours to get to the rhino, sometimes 10 minutes. We are lucky and 20 minutes later we see the trackers, who direct us up a hill with hand gestures.

Black rhino have incredibly acute hearing and a fearsome sense of smell. They are docile creatures unless threatened and a mother with her calf will be particularly alert. We creep along, terrified that the wind will change and she will catch a whiff of us. When rhino charge, they can reach speeds of up to 45km an hour. If this happens the best thing to do is to stand completely still, even if every muscle is screaming to run. Rhino have very poor eyesight with a range of about 30m but they will follow the sound of your desperate slipping and sliding over the rocks.

The mother appears from behind some tall milk plants, the calf following a few metres behind. Simon whispers: “The female, Tina, is 28 and her son Tensie is two years old.” Rhino can live up to 45 years and will have about nine calves in their lifetime, each calf staying with its mother for four years. I watch through the binoculars, dry mouth open in awe. They are graceful creatures despite their size and there is something peaceful about seeing them from afar, like watching a silent film with the sun shining.

Seven hours later I am relaxing in my tent back at camp. Palmwag has eight tents (two doubles, the rest twins), with a communal tent for eating and a lounge area with wildlife books. All tents have solid wooden bases and an en-suite bathroom complete with flushing toilet, hot bucket shower and biodegradable toiletries. There are bedside lamps, which are run on a generator, fly nets and cozy duvets.

Sitting around the campfire that night with camp managers Ignatius and Daphne we discuss the future. In 2010 the contract for Wilderness Safaris will be up for renewal. While it is clear the rhino camp is popular among the local people [employing around 19 staff] and tribal chiefs, the government may have other ideas for the land.

Ignatius says: “Hopefully we will continue. It’s good for the local people and good for conservation and if the people are on our side, which they are, we should be OK. This is one of the most exclusive places you can come to. It’s the only place in Namibia where you can actually track black rhino.” And it may be one of the best chances of ensuring that there are still black rhino to track.

Visit namibiatourism.com.na or call +44 (0) 0870 330 9333; wilderness-safaris.com; rhino-trust.org.na. Palmwag per night: N$2,270pp (£164) two sharing; N$3,720 (£269) for single use until the end of June. From July to November 15: N$2,300pp (£166) two sharing; N$3,750 (£271) for single use. A percentage of the room rate is donated to the Save the Rhino Trust.

Where to stay on the way

Flights to the rhino camp leave from Eros airport in the Namibian capital, Windhoek, a pleasant town with an interesting history which has grown rapidly since the struggle for independence paid off.

If you need to stay overnight in the capital the options are limited. There are no chain hotels but the Kalahari Sands in the centre and the Windhoek Country Club and Resort a little further out are popular choices. Alternatively, the city has a variety of guesthouses in quiet residential areas.

The Olive Grove Guest House has 11 cool stone rooms, a pretty terrace with olive trees and plunge pool, a spa bath on the balcony and internet access for the cost of a local call. The food was also very good and the staff helpful.

Visit olivegrove.com.na, holidaytravel.com.na.

Getting there

Air Namibia serves Windhoek direct from London Gatwick three times a week (outbound flights Weds, Fri & Sun, returning Tues, Thurs, Sat). Return fares in economy start from £405, in business class from £1,976.

South African Airlines offers an indirect routing via Johannesburg, with returns from £814 for economy (£3,378 business).