Northern Namibia
Shipwreck Lodge
Shipwreck Lodge is in a stunning location situated at the mouth of the River Hoarusib, on the skeleton coast surrounded by desert sands and with views as far as the Atlantic Ocean. Inspired by the ship wrecked boats that are scattered along the coast, the striking collection of wooden units catch your eye as you approach.
There are ten guest rooms available here with eight standard units and two for families. Each unit is constructed from wood and glass, featuring details such as beams and portholes. Each unit comes with their own deck and a set of chairs and a small table. A standard room includes a double bed or twin beds, bedside tables, a seating area, and a tea-and-coffee station. Each family room benefits from all these amenities, in addition to sleeping space for a maximum of two children. All of the rooms are solar powered. There are wood burning stoves to keep you feeling cosy in case you feel the chill at night.
The main central lodge building resembles a long wrecked boat which houses the restaurant, bar, and reception. You’ll find a welcoming lounge with a selection of comfortable seating for you to unwind in with a drink after a day of exploring the coast.
Whilst Shipwreck Lodge is a family friendly lodge, it’s important to keep in mind that only children over the age of six are allowed to stay and children under the age of 12 may not be able to take part in some of the activities.
Shipwreck Lodge can be accessed via light-aircraft flight from Windhoek to Möwe Bay, the nearest airstrip. You can also transfer by road from Swakopmund (8 hours) or Namibia’s capital (11½ hours), in the comfort of an air-conditioned 4×4 driven by a member of the lodge’s staff. Self-drivers are not permitted within Skeleton Coast National Park, but you can approach as far as Möwe Bay, where a staff member will pick you up and give you a lift for the rest of the journey.
Facilities
A restaurant, bar and lounge, fireplace in the lobby, Free WIFI in public areas, a 24 hour front desk to book tour excursions. Each tent features an indoor and outdoor shower, fireplaces, bath, twin vanity area, minibar, safe, fans and mosquito nets.
Local Wildlife
Being close to the coast you are sure to see the most iconic species which are the Cape fur seals that line the rocky shoreline in large colonies. Birdlife is also rich along this coastline. You may see Rüppell’s korhaans and Benguela long-billed larks. Further toward the coast, you should also be able to spot tractrac chats, as well as jaegers and skuas around the seal colonies. Game drives take place within the national park, and among the rolling dunes you can look out for species such as desert-adapted lion, black rhino, elephant, brown hyena, baboon, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, and black-faced impala. Sightings can be rare however.
Optional Activities
Game drives, sundowner drives, 4×4 excursions, and shipwreck visits. Drives are also available along the Hoarusib river, to marvel at the Clay Castles, structures resembling cliffs that the flow of water has carved into the desert. Visit the famous shipwrecks of Suiderkus and Karimona.
Alan Godwin
Area Specialist
If you have any questions regarding our Namibia tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
This was our second visit to Namibia in just over 12 months, with Reef and Rainforest and our seventh consecutive wildlife trip with them. I think that speaks for itself. This year we were particularly keen to try and observe some desert adapted Lions. The Lions found in ‘The Namib Desert’ are genetically identical to those found in the rest of Southern Africa but have adapted to live in one of the harshest environments on earth. They number around 150 and have a huge range, and are rarely seen. They came to prominence in the outstanding documentary film ‘Vanishing Kings’. The best chance of observing members of this subset of Lions is during a stay at Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, although sightings cannot be guaranteed and weeks can pass by without any success. Therefore a stay at this camp was at the heart of our itinerary and we were very lucky to spend time with a Lioness and her niece who had killed an Oryx in the conservancy. The camp itself is absolutely outstanding in every respect and the location is just spectacular.
Visitors should be aware that this is not ‘The Serengeti’ and that the wildlife is quite thin on the ground. However you would have to be very unlucky not to see Elephant, Giraffe and several other species. Whilst we were out in the desert we were lucky to bump in to Dr P. Stander who has dedicated the whole of his adult life to the conservation of The Desert Lion, what a thrill. The day trip out to the coast was pretty special as well.
The rest of the itinerary worked very well and we were very pleased to have three full days in Etosha N.P. where we recorded 25 mammal species, including 32 individual Lions, observed the aftermath of 4 zebra kills, 11 Rhinoceros (both Black & White), an African Wildcat and the rarely seen in Etosha, elusive Leopard.
So a big thank you to ALL at Reef and Rainforest, another highly successful trip, you certainly delivered again.