Naukluft & Tsaris Mountains · 70 km from Sesriem

Tsauchab River Camp

Namib Naukluft, Namibia

A working farm on the banks of the Tsauchab, seventy kilometres upstream of Sesriem Canyon, where the owner has spent years turning scrap into sculpture. Fourteen chalets, twelve private campsites, and five hiking trails on the doorstep.

The stay

A farm with its own sense of humour

Most places on this road are variations on the same idea. Tsauchab is not. The owner has been building things out of whatever the farm threw away — old machinery, scrap metal, bits of vehicle — and the result is scattered through the communal areas. It is odd, funny and completely unlike anywhere else in the Namib.

The accommodation is spread out along the riverbank rather than clustered, so the fourteen thatched chalets and twelve campsites all get their own patch of privacy under the Naukluft and Tsaris mountains. Every campsite has its own bathroom, including an outdoor tree shower with a view.

Two things to plan around. There is no mains electricity in the chalets or on the campsites — 12V lights only, with power at reception when you need to charge something, though the Wi-Fi does work. And the restaurant only opens if someone has booked dinner, so arrange meals when you book rather than turning up hungry.

Tsauchab River Camp on the riverbank below the mountains

Bar, lounge and recycled artwork in the communal areas

Where you will sleep

Accommodation at Tsauchab River Camp

Fourteen thatched chalets and twelve private campsites, spread along the riverbank.

Tsauchab River Camp on the riverbank below the mountains

Thatched chalets spread along the Tsauchab river

Inside a double chalet at Tsauchab River Camp

Braai and wash-up area outside a chalet

Family chalet with a double and two single beds

Patio outside a family chalet

Private campsite on the riverbank

Outdoor tree shower at a campsite

Double or Twin Chalet

A thatched chalet on the bank of the Tsauchab, looking across to the mountains.
Two single beds that convert to a double, for two people, with an en-suite bathroom.
Outside there are braai facilities with a wash-up, and cutlery and crockery can be had on request — the chalets are not fully self-catering but you can cook for yourself over the coals.

There is no mains electricity. Lighting is 12V and there are no plug points, so charge what you need at reception.

Prices Book

Braai and wash-up area outside a chalet

Family chalet with a double and two single beds

Patio outside a family chalet

Private campsite on the riverbank

Outdoor tree shower at a campsite

Bar, lounge and recycled artwork in the communal areas

Naukluft and Tsaris mountains around the farm

Tsauchab River Camp on the riverbank below the mountains

Family Chalet

A larger thatched chalet with a double bed and two single beds, sleeping up to four.
It has a bathroom with a shower, its own patio, and braai facilities with a wash-up outside. Cutlery and crockery are available on request. The chalets are non-smoking.
Like the doubles, these look out across the riverbed towards the Naukluft and Tsaris mountains.

Again, no mains electricity — 12V lighting only, with charging at reception.

Prices Book

Private campsite on the riverbank

Outdoor tree shower at a campsite

Bar, lounge and recycled artwork in the communal areas

Naukluft and Tsaris mountains around the farm

Tsauchab River Camp on the riverbank below the mountains

Thatched chalets spread along the Tsauchab river

Inside a double chalet at Tsauchab River Camp

Braai and wash-up area outside a chalet

Private Campsite

Twelve campsites spread far enough apart along the river that each one feels like its own place.
Every site has a private ablution with a tiled bathroom, a toilet and a hot shower, the water heated by a traditional donkey boiler — a wood-fired drum that has warmed water on Namibian farms for a century. There is also an outdoor tree shower, which is the one people remember.
Braai facilities at every site. The sites are large and can take groups of up to thirty.

No electrical points at the sites; power is available at reception when you need it. Bring your own tent and camping gear.

Prices Book

What to do

Why stay at Tsauchab River Camp?

Be straight about the distance first. Seventy kilometres from Sesriem makes this the furthest of the places we list in this area, and a Sossusvlei day trip means a long drive there and back on top of the drive out to the dunes. If ticking off Sossusvlei is the whole plan, somewhere nearer will serve you better and we will happily say which.

Come here for the farm itself and it makes complete sense. Five hiking trails of different lengths, a circular 4x4 route, cycling tracks, birding and game viewing, all on the property — which is more to do on foot than almost anywhere else on this road offers.

And then there is the art. The owner has spent years making sculpture out of what the farm discarded, and it is scattered through the communal areas. People arrive expecting another desert stopover and end up wandering around looking at things.

The camping here is unusually good: twelve sites, well spaced along the river, each with its own bathroom and an outdoor tree shower. If you are travelling with a tent, this is one of the better nights in the region.

Before you book

The restaurant only opens if dinner has been booked. Arrange meals when you book rather than arriving hungry
The farm shop works the same way, but sells basics, meat, wood and freshly baked bread
No mains electricity in the chalets or on the campsites — 12V lighting only
Charging is available at reception when you need it
Wi-Fi does work, and is free to overnight guests
Chalets are not fully self-catering, but have a braai and wash-up, with cutlery and crockery on request
Campers bring their own tent and gear
Campsites can take groups of up to thirty

Activities

Five hiking trails of different lengths
A circular 4x4 trail on the farm
Cycling tracks
Self-guided walking trails
Birding and game viewing
Sundowners at the viewpoint
Guided trips to Sossusvlei
Self-drive day trips to the dunes and the canyon

Things to see

The recycled sculpture around the farm
The Naukluft and Tsaris mountains
Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and Hidden Vlei
Sesriem Canyon
Solitaire

Facilities

Outdoor swimming pool
Bar and lounge
Coffee room and library
Restaurant, on request
Farm shop with fresh bread, meat, wood and basic supplies
Braai and picnic area
Sundowner viewpoint
Secure parking and free Wi-Fi for overnight guests

Getting there

On the banks of the Tsauchab, about 70 km upstream of Sesriem Canyon
Below the Naukluft and Tsaris mountains
Gravel roads throughout — allow more time than the distance suggests

Naukluft and Tsaris mountains around the farm

Outdoor tree shower at a campsite

Photos

Tsauchab River Camp in pictures

Choose a gallery, then tap any photo to see it larger. Use the arrows to move through them. There are more on the full photo gallery page.

Video

Tsauchab River Camp on film

A look around Tsauchab River Camp before you book.

Book with a person

Check availability at Tsauchab River 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.

No extra fees

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

Real people, not bots

A person who knows this road reads every enquiry.

30+ years in Southern Africa

We have been booking this desert for decades.

Enquire