Aside from the impressive Canyon Lodge directly at the Fish River Canyon, one place has especially captivated me during our time in Namibia: The Namib Dune Star Camp.
The Namib Dune Star Camp
The „camp“, which is actually more like „glamping“ (luxury or glamor camping), is part of the Namib Desert Lodge, which lies at the foot of the ancient Namib. It has two pools, over 60 rooms, and was the largest lodge on our trip.
Our hostess, Anja, offered to have us spend our second night in the „Namib Dune Star Camp.“ We were a bit worried and when we asked questions about our luggage and the nightly temperatures at the „Camp,“ she chuckled at our ignorance.
When we arrived at the Namib Dune Star Camp we knew why and even had a smile: It was obviously not a classic camp but sleeping under the stars was nevertheless possible.
And it was quite luxurious in large beds between warm blankets and soft pillows. And there was also a real bathroom. So we were reassured and could forget our small luxury worries such as „Where am I going to put my contact lenses in the evening and how do we brush our teeth?!“
We checked into one of the eight small wooden huts and of course rolled our bed directly out onto the designated terrace. In front of us was a landscape of dunes and shady valleys.
The camp is just the middle of nowhere; far away from any civilization. Quite romantic, even though we knew that a guide, a service lady and a private cook were there especially for us and followed us into this „nowhere,“ we were a little worried.
But their presence was of a pure service nature. And of course the camp has a restaurant and a bar.
An eco-camp in the desert
Before the typical „Sundowner“ (ie the 1-3 glasses of gin and tonic on ice) on the restaurant terrace of the main house, we indulged in a short guided hike through the Farbsinfonie of the Namib. During leisurely walks through the reddish sand, we gained some insider knowledge about the animals of the Namib dunes. For example, men should avoid walking in shorts here. The ants are aggressive and naturally look for the most sensitive spot on the male body to carry out their attacks. In addition, when climbing the dunes, small strides are the most effective.
We have recorded one of the highlights, namely the „Namibian cherry pit spitting“ with the feces of oryx, in the vlog for you which solves the question: „What do those three actually spit around here?“. #eww!
The wonderful Namib Dune Star Camp is the latest adventure of the Gondwana Collection and was the culmination of our journey. By the way: The cottages, which are scattered in the red-brown wrinkle dressed Namib in complete seclusion merge in a long S-shaped line with the character of nature. And this „S“ stands for „sensational“.
Sensational is this painted in a thousand shades of red storybook of petrified dunes, shadowed valleys and sun-drenched levels.
And sensational is not only the sight, but also the unforgettable feeling of falling asleep, waking up, looking at the stars or or or… I will not forget this place and can only recommend it!
Good to know…
The Namib Desert Lodge or Namib Dune Star Camp is the perfect address for a trip to Sossusvlei with the highest and most famous dunes in the world! A „Must Do“ in Namibia!
