Little Sossus Lodge

The stay

A farmhouse at the edge of the desert

The heart of this place is an old farmhouse, converted into the lodge and still feeling like one. The lounge has the slightly eclectic look of somewhere furnished over decades rather than specified by a designer, and the whole operation is family-run, which shows in the way you are dealt with.

The chalets are built from stone, spread around the main house, each with a private veranda facing the plains and the mountains beyond. They are deliberately simple: twin or family beds, mosquito nets, a desk, a fan, and an en-suite bathroom whose hot water comes from a donkey boiler — a wood-fired drum that has heated water on Namibian farms for a century.

They are not self-catering. Meals are served in the dining room, cooked from what the lodge grows in its own gardens, which is worth factoring in when you compare the rate against the self-catering places closer to the gate. For those who would rather cook, the same owners run Little Sossus Campsite a short drive away.

What to do

Why stay at Little Sossus Lodge?

Because it is run by people rather than a brand. The guided drives, the boma dinners and the food out of the garden come from a family who live there, and that is a different experience from the larger operations on this road.

Thirty-eight kilometres puts Sesriem about half an hour away, which is comfortable for a day trip. As everywhere outside the park, the gate opens at sunrise, so the first light on the dunes belongs to the few people sleeping inside. Say so when you enquire if that shot is the point of your trip and we will be straight about what the in-park options cost.

There is more to do on the property than most places of this size offer — natural rock pools and spring fountains to swim in, sundowner drives on their own land, and photography outings.

If you would rather cook for yourself, the same owners run Little Sossus Campsite, where each site has its own bathroom and a covered pitch. A group can split between the two and still eat together here.

Before you book

• Chalets have fans, not air-conditioning — worth knowing in midsummer
• The chalets are not equipped for self-catering; meals are served in the dining room
• Hot water comes from a donkey boiler, so allow a little time in the evening
• Only four family chalets, so ask early if you need one
• Currency exchange and laundry are available at the lodge
• The main areas are wheelchair accessible

Activities

• Guided drives to Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon
• Sundowner game drives on the lodge’s own property
• Special occasion 4x4 sundowner drives
• Swimming in the natural rock pools and spring fountains
• Photography tours
• Boma dinners
• Hot air ballooning in the area

Things to see

• Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and Hidden Vlei
• Dune 45, Big Daddy and Big Momma
• Sesriem Canyon
• The fairy circles

Facilities

• Restaurant serving Namibian cooking from the lodge gardens
• Bar and lounge with television
• Swimming pool
• Braai and picnic area
• Wi-Fi and free parking
• Laundry service and currency exchange
• Wheelchair accessibility

Getting there

• 38 km from Sesriem, about half an hour
• On the edge of the Namib-Naukluft Park
• Gravel roads in the area — a normal car manages, but drive slowly