Elegant Desert Lodge

There is a bar and restaurant under a lapa roof or one can dine outside on the lawn with a fire pit, inside and outside lounge areas, a swimming pool with loungers, a large garden, library, reception, free WiFi, two waterholes and a landing strip.

Elegant Desert Lodge has two waterholes. Wildlife biodiversity is high in reptiles with around 70 species, of which 25 are endemic or near-endemic to the Namib Desert. The wedge-snouted sand lizard, small-scaled sand lizard, web-footed gecko, barking gecko and Namib day gecko all dive beneath the sand when they sense danger. Small rodents include Grant’s golden mole which can ‘swim’ through the sand dunes, gerbils, the Namaqua dune mole rat, the Namib long-eared bat and Angola wing-gland bat which feed on the dune dwelling insects. This is also the home to Peringuey’s adder (Namib Desert sidewinder) – an ambush hunter that buries itself beneath the sand, with only the eyes and tip of its tail exposed, waiting for prey such as desert lizards. The Namaqua chameleon is also specially adapted to the desert, digging holes and changing colour throughout the day to help thermoregulation and excreting salt from nasal glands to conserve water. They stalk prey such as beetles, crickets, scorpions and lizards, and are in turn hunted by hawks, eagles and jackals. Desert insects includes tiny endemic Namib Desert darkling beetles or “fog beetles” which use their bodies as fog collectors by assuming the characteristic fog-basking pose, while the ‘flying saucer trench beetle’ digs trenches to capture the fog’s moisture to drink.

A two-our scenic drive with sundowner drinks included, a two-hour quad bike scenic drive in the afternoon, a 1.5-hour morning quad bike scenic drive with breakfast and a half-day Sossusvlei excursion with breakfast, a variety of walking trails guided and un-guided.