Journey through the Namib in harmony with the environment and savour the personal and sumptuous style of Little Kulala, the gateway to Namibia’s extraordinary Sossusvlei where the world’s tallest dunes can be found. Set amongst ancient camel thorn trees on the dry Auab riverbed it offers first-rate facilities, charming hospitality and proximity to the towering red sand dunes of the Namib Desert. There is no better way to experience the famed “Sand Sea” other than in the flesh.

Little Kulala, a luxurious desert retreat, is situated in the private 37 000-hectare Kulala Wilderness Reserve – the gateway to Namibia’s Sand Sea with its towering red dunes and clear starry skies.

The 11 climate-controlled, thatched “kulalas” (the word means ‘to sleep’) merge impeccably into the timeless desert landscape, with exquisite fittings and fixtures, innovative bleached decks each with a private plunge pool. Each kulala has a rooftop ‘skybed’ for romantic stargazing, with both indoor and outdoor showers.

An elegant entertainment area includes a library, wine cellar, craft boutique, lounge and dining areas; dining under the clear Namibian skies is a highlight. The interiors have been designed to provide an all-natural and unique experience in this most beautiful environment. The extensive use of neutral colours, gorgeous textures and natural light reproduce the soothing pastel tones of the desert. Pure linens, cottons and mohair dyed with natural vegetable dyes all make for a very organic camp which takes its inspiration from its surroundings, notably from the magnificent Dead Vlei in the middle of Sossusvlei. The overall mood and feel is cool, serene, organic and sheltering.

Desert-adapted wildlife such as ostrich, springbok and gemsbok eke out an existence and are sparsely distributed here. Smaller creatures such as bat-eared fox and aardwolf can be seen at night in the cool desert air, and one bird, the aptly named dune lark, has its entire global distribution limited to the area, so dependent is it on the area’s characteristic sands.

Early morning guided game drives to the spectacular towering dunes of Sossusvlei are through a private gate into the reserve. Sossusvlei is situated within the Namib Desert, the oldest desert in the world, which itself is part of the Namib Naukluft National Park that stretches 400km south of Walvis Bay and is sandwiched between the west coast and the escarpment that runs parallel more than 100km inland. Its huge red dunes and flat valley floors make up the archetypical view of the Namib that is world famous.

Guided drives and walks are also offered on the private Kulala Wilderness Reserve with incredible views, desert-adapted wildlife and plants. A balloon safari at extra cost offers a unique experience soaring silently above the desert before landing for a champagne breakfast.

Little Ongava is perched atop a rise in the 30,000 hectare Ongava Game Reservewhich borders the Etosha National Park to the north. Commanding magnificent vistas of the African savannah, Little Ongava is arguably Namibia’s most exclusive and luxurious safari destination. Its proximity to the Etosha National Park makes it ideal for exploring Namibia’s premier wildlife reserve.

Little Ongava is quite possibly Namibia’s most luxurious and exclusive safari destination. Perched atop a rise overlooking a nearby waterhole, Little Ongava is known for its panoramic vistas of the surrounding African savannah.

With only 3 spacious, luxurious and private units, Little Ongava really does offer an intimate and exclusive experience for its guests. Each unit features its own plunge pool, a sala, and an en-suite bathroom with both indoor & outdoor showers and a bath with a magnificent view. The dining and lounge areas share the same wonderful views of the waterhole below and lend themselves to relaxed, stylish meals under thatch or African sky alike.

The Ongava Game Reserve is situated on the southern boundary of the Etosha National Park. It is unfenced, enabling large game such as elephant and lion to move freely between the Park and the Reserve.

Activities at Little Ongava revolve around day and night wildlife-viewing drives, visiting hides that overlook waterholes and walks with experienced guides. A hide at the camp waterhole provides superb photographic opportunities. The Ongava Game Reserve features all the characteristic wildlife of the area, with both desert-adapted black and white rhino to be seen as well as lion.

Game drives and daytrips into the easily accessible Okaukuejo area of Etosha National Park are rewarding, with sightings of lion, elephant, gemsbok, springbok, red hartebeest, and white and black rhino. Guests at Little Ongava share a dedicated guide and Land Rover, ensuring the best possible nature experience at one of Africa’s great wildlife destinations.

The Ongava Game Reserve is unique in that it is one of the few private game reserves in southern Africa where there is a chance of seeing both black and white rhino. For those who enjoy close wildlife encounters, tracking white rhino on foot with a guide is a highlight not to be missed.

Magnificent views of the famous red sand dunes of Sossusvlei, breathtaking mountain scenery and vast open plains – Kulala Desert Lodge has these in bulk. Situated on 37 000 hectares of a private wilderness area bordering the Namib Naukluft Park, there is an abundance of space and silence found here.

Kulala Desert Lodge is situated within the arid Namib Desert on the 3700ha private Kulala Wilderness Reserve, and is closest to the iconic red dunes of the Sossusvlei. The camp comprises 15 thatched and canvas “kulalas” (“to sleep” in Oshiwambo) with en-suite bathrooms and verandas. Each unit is built on a wooden platform to catch the cooling breezes and has a deck on the flat rooftop where bedrolls are placed for guests to sleep under the myriad stars that Namibia’s clear skies portray.

The main area, with décor inspired by northern Africa, has a lounge, bar, dining area, plunge pool, and wrap-around veranda overlooking the waterhole – a perfect location to view and photograph the desert vista. The overall setting is a true delight to the senses, bringing together the rhythm of Namibia, wholesome meals and intimacy. A waterhole in front of camp attracts a number of local wildlife (such as gemsbok, springbok, ostrich and jackal) and provides a perfect location to view and photograph the desert scenery.

Early morning guided nature drives to the spectacular dunes of Sossusvlei are through a private gate on the Tsauchab River. World-famous Sossusvlei is an enormous clay pan, flanked by the famous red sand dunes that stand out starkly against the blue sky. These dunes have developed over millions of years, the wind continuously transforming the contours of this red sand sea. The ‘vlei’ itself only fills after rare heavy rainfall when, in a complete turn-around, it becomes a spectacular turquoise lake.

Nature drives and walks are also offered on the private reserve with those incredible views, and to catch a glimpse of the denizens of the desert. Another option, at an extra cost, is early morning ballooning, beginning at first light. The balloon safari offers a truly unique experience to soar silently above the magnificent sand dunes and desert, with a champagne breakfast being served at your landing site.

Doro Nawas Camp rests on a sparse, rocky knoll in the breathtaking Aba-Huab River Valley of Damaraland in north-western Namibia. The stark, rugged landscape of theDoro! Nawas Conservancy is prime desert-adapted elephant country, with crystal clear night skies offering up incredible stargazing. By day Doro Nawas Campcommands spectacular views of the Etendeka Mountains to the north and the red sandstone cliffs of Twyfelfontein in the south. A World Heritage Site, the prehistoric rock art of the San at Twyfelfontein offers a fascinating insight into Africa’s ancient heritage.

Doro Nawas Camp is located in the dry Aba-Huab River Valley, within the Doro ! Nawas Conservancy in central Damaraland, and commands spectacular views of the Etendeka Mountains to the north and the red sandstone cliffs of Twyfelfontein in the south.

Accommodation at Doro Nawas Camp consists of 16 units: a mix of natural stone and canvas walls with wood and glass doors, shaded by a thatch roof. Constructed with attention to comfort and luxury, with design and décor blended into the surrounding scenery, each unit consists of a bedroom, en-suite bathroom (with outdoor shower) and a veranda for stargazing or sleep outs.

The main building of Doro Nawas Camp is perched atop a sparse, rocky knoll and offers unspoilt panoramic views. This diverse and dramatic landscape varies from tabletop outcrops, small canyons and dry riverbeds, to savannah and grassland vistas. The main area is made up of indoor and outdoor rooftop dining areas, residential pool area, bar, curio and small gallery exhibiting Namibian art. A staircase to the roof allows for relaxing sundowners and stargazing.

Doro Nawas Camp provides an excellent base for self-drive and fly-in guests. Activities revolve around extensive game drives and exploratory hikes through this unparalleled landscape. A trip to the fascinating Twyfelfontein San art engravings is not to be missed. Namibia’s first World Heritage

Site, Twyfelfontein has the largest collection of petroglyphs (prehistoric rock art) in Africa. This combination of Africa past and present makes for a truly unique and unforgettable experience.

Wildlife viewing at Doro Nawas Camp concentrates on the game found in the riverbed and along the valleys that fill with floodwaters during particularly good rainy seasons. There are no large concentrations of wildlife, but this arid environment is home to desert-adapted elephant, gemsbok, springbok and variety of other species. This includes the occasional glimpse of the endangered black rhino. Birdlife is excellent with several Namibian endemics, such as Monteiro’s Hornbill and Rüpell’s Korhaan.

A visit to Doro Nawas Camp is also a wonderful opportunity to contribute to economic empowerment of the local community while enjoying a luxury safari experience.

Desert Rhino Camp offers one of the most thrilling adventures to the intrepid explorer – an encounter with the astonishing desert-adapted black rhino! Set in the 450,000 hectare Palmwag Concession, which boasts the largest free-ranging population of black rhino in Africa, Desert Rhino Camp is a truly original and exclusive experience

Desert Rhino Camp lies amongst rolling, rocky hills with scattered euphorbia, ancient welwitschia plants, scrubby vegetation and isolated clumps of trees of the 450,000 hectare Palmwag Concession. This region is marked for its tranquil, minimalist beauty, surprising wealth of arid-adapted wildlife and the largest free roaming black rhino population in Africa.

Desert Rhino Camp functions as a collaborative effort between Wilderness Safaris and the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) – an NGO that has been has been instrumental in the preservation of these rare, desert adapted black rhino. Having barely survived the slaughter of ’80s and ’90s throughout other parts of Africa, the black rhino population has doubled since the formation of the SRT.

Set in a wide valley sometimes flush with grass, accommodation at Desert Rhino Camp is in the form of 8 Meru-style canvas tents which sleep up to 16 guests. Raised from the ground on a wooden deck, each tent features an en-suite bathroom with a hand basin, flush toilet and bucket shower. Beds are made up with crisp, white linen and have two dark wood bedside tables with wicker reading lamps. An extension of the deck functions as a front verandah where guests can relax in director’s chairs to take in the magnificent vistas of the surrounding desert and Etendeka Mountains. Additionally, each room has an electronic combination safe, a loud emergency, insect repellant spray & mosquito. Extra duvets are available for the sometimes frosty nights.

The tented restaurant and lounge area of Desert Rhino Camp is also raised on a wooden deck in a single tent which is open plan and has partially open sides offering panoramic views. To one side there are couches and to the other a large, simple dining table. Evening meals are taken around the fire pit, in front of the lapa, where guests can relax and socialize.

Activities at Desert Rhino Camp obviously include rhino tracking on foot or by vehicle. Other 4×4 outings are geared at exploring this vast, miraculous ecosystem with some of the most knowledgeable guides in Namibia.

Palmwag Concession’s freshwater springs also support healthy populations of desert-adapted elephant, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, giraffe, gemsbok, springbok, kudu and predators such as lion, cheetah, leopard, brown and spotted hyaena. Bird life is prolific and diverse with most of Namibia’s endemics present.

Andersson’s Camp Etosha

On the boundary of the world renowned Etosha National Park, amidst the game rich savannah of the Ongava Game Reserve, Andersson’s Camp is a luxury, modern retreat for guests to explore the breathtaking diversity of fauna & flora in the region. The camp takes its name from famed explorers Charles Andersson and Sir Francis Galton – who were the first europeans to set foot at Etosha Pan, the world largest salt pan.

Andersson’s Camp takes it’s name from Charles Andersson, the Swedish explorer who first discovered the Etosha Pan with Sir Francis Galton in 1851. Set against the backdrop of the low Ondundozonanandana Mountains, Andersson’s Camp is surrounded by scrub-covered plains and white calcrete soils.

This former farmstead has been tastefully rebuilt to luxury modern-day standards. The old farmhouse now forms the main area of Andersson’s Camp with some 20 tented guest units radiating outwards into the secluded mopane woodlands typical of the region. Tents are a clever mix of calcrete stone cladding, canvas and wood, with double-door entrances and a small verandah that is an extension of the elevated wooden decks on which the tents are constructed. The en-suite bathrooms feature a uniquely designed open-air private shower.

Andersson’s Camp’s close proximity to Etosha Pan is ideal for full-day self-drives or guided drives into the Etosha National Park to take in the plethora of game found here.

Etosha National Park is Namibia’s premier wildlife destination. At almost the size of Switzerland it is certainly one of Africa’s largest game parks. Large herds of plains game concentrate around the waterholes in the dry season, whilst the summer months’ sporadic rainfall produces a profusion of new life – with pronking baby springbok and comical young wildebeest.

Andersson’s Camp is a model of eco-sensitive lodging and provides an authentic, safe and down-to-earth experience for small groups, families and independent travellers to Etosha National Park. It also is easily accessible by road.