I recently visited Namibia with my husband and my two boys, 10 and 12 years old on a two week trip. We fell in love with the rugged beauty of the Namibian landscape and I want to share my experience and views with you in a few different blog entries.

To get a better sense of the different choices for stays in the Sossusvlei area I want to summarize my overall view of the properties in that area.

In general I would say if you are looking for over the top luxury I would go for the villas at Little Kulala with their new style in modern interior. The most family friendly camp would be Kulala Wilderness Camp with the two separate inter-leading rooms that form the family unit and they do take children of all ages. But taking in consideration location and quality for money my favourite overall would be Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp.

We left Luderitz at 09:00 the following morning and drove the D707 to KULALA WILDERNESS CAMP.  This route is more scenic than the C13 via Helmeringhausen and the road was in good condition.  We easily found the turnoff to Kulala Wilderness Camp (old Kulala Tented Camp).  This camp is ideal for the more adventurous, small groups and families and has 9 safari tents on elevated wooden decks with stone en-suite bathrooms and panoramic view on the plains.  The main area is elevated on a wooden deck and there is a plunge pool and bar area where we saw a magnificent sunset.  We stayed in their family unit that was very comfortable and each unit has a staircase that leads up to the flat rooftop where you can do stargazing or sleep under the stars on a provided bedroll. This camp will be ideal for the more adventurous and self-drive guest. 

We were looking forward to our trip the next morning to Sossusvlei National Park!  We left at 05:30 to drive through the reserve to the private entrance into the Namib Naukluft Park and onto Sossusvlei.  We drove past the hot air ballooning-launching site on their property.  (We should recommend that our clients stay at either Kulala Desert Lodge or Little Kulala if they are keen to do the ballooning in order to avoid a long early morning drive to get to the launch site).

We saw the sun rise over the dunes and the hot air balloons drifting away in the distance and this were just the start of the day trip to Sossusvlei.  We drove past the most impressive dunes and I could not get enough of the beauty and diversity of every single dune.  The guide asked if we would like to climb a dune and the children and the rest of the party were all for it.  We climbed ‘Dune 45’ and the children climbed all the way to the top, but…. I am afraid… I gave it my all, but decided I will rather take pictures of them going to the top than attempting it myself.  But… it definitely was an experience that we, as a family, will never forget.

The dunes at Sossusvlei are amongst the highest in the world and unbelievable!!
It was already hot when we started our walk to the vlei, but it was worth it.  We had a packed lunch when we returned from Sossusvlei and we were all exhausted from the trip.  The children could not keep their eyes open on the drive back to the lodge.

We arrived at LITTLE KULALA after doing the Sossusvlei excursion and could not believe the luxury that awaited us. They have 11 stylish thatched villas including one family unit where we stayed.  Each has its own private plunge pool and needless to say…. we thought we were in heaven!!  There is aircon in all the rooms, rooftop ‘sky bed’ for stargazing with both indoor and outdoor showers.  The main area is very striking as the floors are all painted white against brown and this is apparently to resemble Sossusvlei.  There is also a waterhole and at   the pool there is a mini dune that is starting to develop – unbelievable!  We also did a sundowner cruise to the Sesriem Canyon in the late afternoon. I have to say that this is by far the smartest property I have stayed at in Namibia and is rivalled only by Little Ongava. If clients can afford it, they just have to spend at least 2 nights at Little Kulala.  Apart from Kulala Desert Lodge it is the nearest lodge to the dunes and to Sossusvlei.

I had a site inspection of SOSSUSVLEI WILDERNESS CAMP that is together with Kulala Wilderness Camp the furthest situated from the dunes and Sossusvlei.  However, I really liked Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp as it is built near the top of a mountain, with fantastic views of the plains below and the dunes can also be seen in the distance.  The camp has nine chalets build from rock and thatch roofs, each with its own private plunge pool.  This is the only lodge that has a telescope for stargazing in the evenings. This lodge will be ideal for groups as well as FITs.

Before we headed to Swakopmund I had a site inspection of KULALA DESERT LODGE that is situated the nearest to the Dunes and to the private entrance to the Namib Naukluft Park/Sossusvlei.   The rooms are not very big and the living / dining area was smaller than the other lodges.  Although it is situated nearest to the Dunes, I would prefer Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp (or Little Kulala if budget allows) to Kulala Desert Lodge. 

THE DESERT HOMESTEAD & HORSETRAILS were our next stop. It has been newly rebuilt and is only 31 km from Sesriem and the entrance to the Namib Naukluft Park.  They have 20 thatched chalets and extra beds can also be added to the chalets for children.  The main indoor dining area is very spacious and the veranda next to the pool offers awesome views of the surrounding landscape.  They also offer sundowner drives, guided walks, Sossusvlei and Naukluft excursions, ballooning, scenic flights and quad biking can all be arranged.  They have become a popular destination for keen horse riders as they have horses for experienced riders and for beginners.  This is the ideal property to stay at if you cannot afford the Wilderness Safaris properties but still want to experience all that the region has to offer.  It is ideal for clients who wants to self-drive to the Naukluft Park or to Sossusvlei.

SOSSUSVLEI LODGE was our next stop and is situated right at the entrance gate to Sesriem Canyon and to Sossusvlei.  The lodge has 45 en-suite rooms and 3 inter-leading family units sleeping four, each with its own private patio. Facilities include a terrace overlooking a floodlit waterhole, swimming pool, curio shop and bar. A variety of adventures can be planned from the lodge including 4×4 excursions to the dunes and hot air ballooning.  It is next to Sesriem camping and I can assume can get a bit crowded during peak season. I would recommend this lodge for families or the more adventurous traveller who is not expecting luxury. Not one of my favourites!

LE MIRAGE DESERT LODGE & SPA is situated right next to the main road  (21 km from Sesriem) and not in the middle of the desert like their brochure would suggest. It has 26 luxury rooms, air conditioning, minibar and private balconies which offers amazing views on the open plains below as it is a double storey building. An open courtyard with swimming pool and green lawns and plants did make it look very inviting.  Here you can take a nature drives with quad bikes, which I think young and old will enjoy.  What makes them different is the Spa with 7 treatment rooms, 2 aroma baths and Jacuzzi and apparently it is open for anyone to visit.  I think clients staying at nearby lodges might like to make use of the Spa, but I would not really recommend it to our clients as it is a castle which looks very incongruous in the middle of the desert (Kate: Beau Geste gone wrong?).  Trips to Sossusvlei can also be arranged.

For more information visit http://www.cedarbergtravel.com

�