Namib Naukluft Lodge

The stay

Granite behind, desert in front

Namib Naukluft Lodge sits on the Namib Naukluft Habitat, a private nature reserve of 25,000 hectares bordering the Namib Sand Sea World Heritage Site and running up to the Naukluft Mountains. The lodge is backed by granite hills and looks out over open desert plains.

There are sixteen rooms, all en-suite, with king-size or twin beds, Simmons mattresses, white percale cotton linen and hypoallergenic pillows and duvets — a level of detail most lodges do not bother to mention. Air-conditioning, a fridge and a private veranda in each.

The main building has a lounge hung with original paintings, prints and hand-woven carpets by local artists. Traditional meals are served on the veranda or cooked by the chef on the open fire in the lapa, and there is a bar with a fireplace for winter evenings.

What to do

Why stay at Namib Naukluft Lodge?

For the reserve around it. The Namib Naukluft Habitat runs to 25,000 hectares, bordering the Namib Sand Sea World Heritage Site and reaching to the Naukluft Mountains, so there is a great deal to walk straight out of the door.

There are well-marked walking trails up the granite hill, around the mountain and out to a bird hide. Early morning, when the desert is waking and the light is first coming, is the time to use them — and it is the best hour for photography.

Dinner is traditional Namibian cooking served on the veranda or prepared by the chef on an open fire in the lapa, which is a different evening from a buffet queue.

The one unusual thing worth knowing: the lodge is marketed by African Extravaganza, who have run daily Sossusvlei shuttles from Windhoek, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay for twenty-five years, ending with a stay here. If you are not self-driving, that is a genuine answer.

The honest part is distance. At 62 km from Sesriem, Sossusvlei is a long early start. If first light at Deadvlei is the point of the trip, Sossus Dune Lodge is inside the gate and we will say so.

Before you book

• 19 km from Solitaire and 62 km from Sesriem, on the C36 — plan a Sossusvlei day accordingly
• King-size or twin beds — state your preference when you enquire
• Accessible rooms are available; tell us your requirements and we will confirm
• Sossusvlei shuttles run from Windhoek, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay and can end here — ask us if you are not self-driving
• The lodge publishes a fact sheet and a full 360° virtual tour, if you want to see the rooms before booking
• Park entry fees for Sossusvlei are payable at the gate

Also on the reserve

The same 25,000-hectare reserve carries a second establishment, the Soft Adventure Camp — a simpler, lower-priced option on the same land, with the same activities. If the lodge is full or you would rather spend less, ask us about it.

Activities

• Marked walking trails up the granite hill and around the mountain
• The bird hide, a short walk from the lodge
• Nature drives across the reserve
• Sundowner drive to the natural marble mountains
• Day tour to Sossusvlei
• Photography in the first and last light
• The swimming pool, for the middle of the day

Things to see

• The Namib Sand Sea, a World Heritage Site, on the reserve boundary
• The Naukluft Mountains
• The natural marble mountains, on the sundowner drive
• Desert flora and fauna, including trees growing seemingly out of rock
• Birds at the hide
• Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and Sesriem Canyon, as a day tour

Facilities

• Open-air restaurant on the verandah or in the boma
• Open-fire cooking in the lapa
• Lounge with original paintings, prints and hand-woven carpets by local artists
• Bar, with a fireplace for winter
• Swimming pool with sun loungers
• Bird hide and marked walking trails

Getting there

• On the C36, 19 km from Solitaire and 62 km from Sesriem
• On the 25,000 ha Namib Naukluft Habitat private reserve
• Gravel roads — allow more time than the distance suggests