Southern Namibia
Sossusvlei Desert Lodge
The Sossusvlei Desert Lodge is one of the top lodges in the country providing its guests with the ultimate in desert luxury. The lodge sits in an ideal location for exploration next to the NamibRand Nature Reserve, the world’s oldest desert. One of the highlights of a stay at this lodge is the incredible view of the night sky, which can be enjoyed and interpreted with help of the oft-resident astronomer.
The lodge offers just 10 intimate, air conditioned, spacious chalets built and decorated with neutral coloured stone, paintwork and decor. The chalets provide private bathrooms offering both indoor and outdoor showers with elegant glass doors. Each chalet has an open plan design with a double bed that can be changed to a twin if desired. Above the beds is a skylight enabling guests to fall asleep under the stars if the wish. Downstairs is a living area with comfortable seating, well-stocked mini bar and CD player. Outside there is a terrace with sun loungers and a personal telescope for the avid stargazer.
The main reception building also houses the restaurant, bar and upstairs lounge. The restaurant serves delicious a la carte meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner and changes its menu every seven days. Upstairs is a communal lounge with plenty of seating, satellite TV and library and outside terrace with powerful computer-controlled telescope. Just down from the main building is a small but inviting pool fed by an underground spring, great for relaxing in the heat of the day. The lodge has created a small waterhole visited by antelope, birds and occasionally foxes or jackals.
Facilities
Private bathroom, restaurant, lounge, bar, swimming pool, library, satellite TV, air-conditioning, CD player, mini-bar and telescopes.
Local Wildlife
The impressive desert landscape is the main attraction of a visit but gemsbok, springbok, kudu and Hartmann’s mountain zebra, are commonly seen. Although many other mammals such as cape fox, black-backed jackal, brown hyena and leopard are present in the mountains they are rarely seen. Birds include ostrich, Ruppell’s korahan, Karoo scrub robin and vultures. Desert adapted reptiles such as geckos, sand snakes and side-winding vipers also occur in the region and many interesting insects such as scorpions and beetles can be spotted at night.
Optional Activities
Stargazing, nature walks, scenic drives, quad biking, visit to a waterfall and excursions in the Sossusvlei dunes.
Alan Godwin
Area Specialist
The lodge represents the best in desert luxury, which comes at a price. Wildlife is not so prolific here: comfort, desert scenery, atmosphere and activities such as quad biking and hiking are the main attractions.
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.
