Sesriem · 5 km from the park gate

Desert Quiver Camp

Sesriem, Namibia

Twenty-four self-catering units set among granite outcrops, five kilometres from the Sesriem gate. Cook on your own patio, then be first in the queue when the gate opens.

The stay

Five kilometres from the gate

Distance to the gate is the thing that separates the places along this road, and Desert Quiver Camp is about as close as you can get without sleeping inside the park. Five kilometres means you are at the front of the line when the outer gate opens at sunrise, rather than twenty cars back having driven an hour in the dark.

The units are built low among granite boulders and spaced so that each one faces open plain. This is self-catering rather than lodge accommodation: you get a private patio with a braai, a kitchenette with a fridge and a two-plate hob, and you cook your own dinner under a very good sky.

That does not mean hauling a cool box across the country. You collect a utility box of pots and utensils at reception against a refundable deposit, and you can order fresh meat, chicken, bread, salad and vegetables at reception to be delivered to your unit before sunset. Firelighters and firewood too.

Self-catering units among the granite outcrops at Desert Quiver Camp

Kitchenette and braai on the patio

Where you will sleep

Accommodation at Desert Quiver Camp

Twenty-four units, all the same layout: twin beds, a sleeper couch, and a kitchen on your own patio.

Self-catering units among the granite outcrops at Desert Quiver Camp

A unit and its private patio facing the plains

Kitchenette and braai on the patio

Twin beds inside a self-catering unit

Swimming pool and sun loungers

Desert plains and granite around the camp

Self-catering units among the granite outcrops at Desert Quiver Camp

A unit and its private patio facing the plains

Self-Catering Unit

A spacious air-conditioned unit with twin beds and its own parking space right alongside.
There is also a fold-out sleeper couch, which takes two small children sharing with two full-paying adults — worth knowing if you are travelling as a family.
The en-suite bathroom has a shower, toilet and basin, with linen and towels provided. Inside there is room for suitcases, shelving and hanging space, and an electronic safe.
The patio is the heart of it: a wooden bench, braai facilities, and the kitchenette with an under-counter fridge and a two-plate hob. Pots and utensils come from reception in a utility box.

Two units near the main buildings have no steps and larger showers fitted with grab handles, for guests with limited mobility or using a wheelchair. Say so when you enquire and we will check one is free.

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What to do

Why stay at Desert Quiver Camp?

Position, mostly. Every other page we write about this area comes with a warning about the drive to the gate; here it is five kilometres. You can be parked at the gate before it opens, get to Deadvlei while the light is still low, and be back for a swim by mid-morning.

Staying inside the park still buys you the extra hour before the outer gate opens, but there are very few beds in there. This is the closest you can get from the outside, and it costs a good deal less.

The second reason is that it suits a certain kind of traveller very well: people who would rather cook on their own patio with a beer than sit through a set-menu dinner, and who like the price that comes with that.

If you do want a night off from cooking, the restaurant and Adventure Centre at Sossusvlei Lodge are a short drive away, and the Sossus Oasis service station has a shop, fuel and an internet café.

Before you book

This is self-catering — there is no restaurant on site
Pots and utensils come in a utility box from reception, against a refundable deposit
Fresh meat, chicken, bread, salad and vegetables can be ordered at reception and are delivered to your unit before sunset
Firelighters and firewood are sold on site
The bar and fire pit are open 14:00 to 22:00
The pool is for overnight guests only; towels from reception
Two units have step-free access and grab handles in the shower — ask when you enquire

Travelling as a group

Two bomas can be booked in advance for a communal braai
Each has a fridge, stove, preparation area and wash-up facilities
Built seating and wooden benches around a central fire pit
A private chef can cater for groups of ten or more, arranged in advance at extra cost

Activities

Self-drive to Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and Hidden Vlei
Self-drive to Sesriem Canyon
Nature drives
Scenic and helicopter flights
Hot air ballooning over the desert
Adventure Centre at nearby Sossusvlei Lodge

Things to see

Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and Hidden Vlei
Some of the highest dunes in the world
Sesriem Canyon
Desert wildlife on the plains around the camp
Solitaire

Facilities

Swimming pool with sun loungers
Bar on the edge of the granite, with a fire pit and big screen
Two bomas for communal braais
Fresh produce to order, delivered before sunset
Self-serve laundry
Wi-Fi in the communal areas

Getting there

5 km from the Sesriem entrance to the Namib-Naukluft Park
Shop, fuel and internet café at Sossus Oasis service station nearby
Gravel roads in the area — a normal car is fine, but drive slowly

Desert plains and granite around the camp

Swimming pool and sun loungers

Photos

Desert Quiver Camp in pictures

Choose a gallery, then tap any photo to see it larger. Use the arrows to move through them.

Video

How to visit Sossusvlei

A practical guide to the gates, the drive and the dunes — and you are only five kilometres from the start of it.

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Check availability at Desert Quiver Camp

Send us your dates and number of people and one of our team — a real person — will reply with the best price, and honest advice if another option would suit you better, or if this one is not available on the dates you want.

You pay the lodge's own rate. Our service costs you nothing on top.

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You pay the lodge's own rate — nothing on top.

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30+ years in Southern Africa

We have been booking this desert for decades.

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