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Our room at Huab Lodge

by toonsarah , 1 more photos

A visit here is more like visiting friends than staying in a hotel. Yes, it's expensive, but if you can afford it it's unmissable! The rooms are fantastic, with huge picture windows with a view of the Huab River (dry for most of the year). Even the showers come with a view (the rooms can't be overlooked by anyone apart possibly by a stray elephant or kudu). The lodge itself is beautifully designed, completely in keeping with the surrounding countryside. There's a natural hot spring, a small pool and a hide for bird-watching. Apart from the birds and the chance of seeing the elusive desert elephants (we weren't lucky) the wildlife isn't as great as elsewhere in Namibia, but don't let that put you off. What really makes a stay here special are the people. Jan and Susi will make you so welcome you won't want to leave! Jan is so knowledgeable about the local environment. He can imitate all the birds, identfy animals at a glance, and will describe in detail how he and Susi have restored this former farm land and given it back to the wildlife. And in the evenings everyone eats together by candlelight at the long table in the lodge. The food is fantastic and is washed down with a selection of fine wines, lovingly presented by Jan.

Unique Qualities: On our last day, when we were due to leave after breakfast, Jan and Susi persuaded to stay for the morning so that we could join other guests on a climb to an eagle chick's nest. Well, one of us climbed - I stayed below to take pictures! Not only was it one of the highlights of the whole trip (see my Off the Beaten Path tip), it was also another sign of the wonderful atmosphere of Huab, where you're treated like a friend rather than a paying guest.

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Theme: Other
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$180 and up » Currency Converter
Address: West of the road between Kamanjab and Khorixas, on the D2670
Website: http://www.huab.com/english/e_index.html

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Okonjima: For big cat lovers

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Written by toonsarah

on Aug 7, 2005

Cheetah at Okonjima

This is a wonderful place to stay, especially if like me you love big cats. The lodge is owned and run by the Africat Foundation, which rescues and rehabilitates "problem" cheetahs and leopards and teaches them not to attack cattle. As well as seeing the cats, the lodge has everything you need for a relaxing stay, with beautiful rooms in individual round adobe huts, good food and lots of other interesting activities. We particularly enjoyed our early morning bush walk with a very knowledgeable guide, and the visit to the night hide where we saw honey badgers and porcupines.

Unique Qualities: You are guaranteed great photos of cheetahs here, and there's also a semi-domesticated lynx (but don't get too close!) Because of the wild animals children under 12 aren't allowed.

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Theme: Other
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$120-180 » Currency Converter
Address: About 50km south of Otjiwarango
Directions: Only an hour or so from Windhoek, so a good place to stay at the start or end of your trip.
Website: http://www.okonjima.com/site/home/index.html

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Eningu Clay House Lodge: A good place to stay near Windhoek

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Written by toonsarah

on Aug 7, 2005

Our room at Eningu

This is a good place to stay for your first couple of nights in Namibia. You probably won't want to drive too far on your first day - it certainly took us a little while to adjust to the driving conditions on those gravel roads.
Eningu is just over an hour from the airport and is a lovely relaxing place to start your exploration of Namibia. The rooms, in adobe buildings, are lovely and the food good too. There's some interesting ceramics and art work dotted around, a friendly labrador dog (Shaka) and some pleasant walks in the surrounding bush.

Unique Qualities: After dinner we all went outside and Stephanie led us up onto the flat roof of the main building where there's a good telescope. If like me you live in a city you'll be astounded by the number and brilliance of the stars, and even if you live in the countryside I doubt you've seen anything quite as spectacular! We saw some of the brightest shooting stars I've ever seen, and found three of Jupiter's moons through the telescope. When we were there in July the nights were freezing, so after this we were ready for the local brandy and a hot water bottle in the bed!

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Theme: Other
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120 » Currency Converter
Address: South east of the airport on the D1471
Website: http://www.natron.net/tour/eningu/main.html

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Kulala Desert Lodge: On the edge of the desert

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Updated by toonsarah

on Jun 2, 2006

Room at Kulala

This is a great place to stay on the edge of the Namib desert. It's in a really good location, with its own entrance to the National Park so you can get in there early and be ahead of the crowds. We went on a guided tour and had our excellent guide, Francis, to ourselves. He took us to lots of great places and each time we seemed to get there just before most of the other tourists, and be leaving just as it got busy!

The rooms are really special - built half of canvas and half adobe, and all with lovely views of the desert (although don't expect red dunes here). The only draw-back is the food which wasn't as good as elsewhere in Namibia. But there's a lovely bar with a terrace overlooking a waterhole (quite distant) and a cozy log fire.

Unique Qualities: The adobe half of each room has a flat roof, and if you ask they'll make up your bed there and you can sleep under the stars - we chickened out as the nights were really cold!

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Theme: Other
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$120-180 » Currency Converter
Directions: Signposted from the D836
Website: www.wilderness-safaris.com

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Anib Lodge: Friendly welcome in the Kalahari

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Updated by toonsarah

on Dec 22, 2006

Our bungalow

by toonsarah , 1 more photos

This is an attractive guest farm on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, not far from Mariental. The accommodation is in quite modern bungalows, and there�s also a campsite. The Lodge itself houses the cosy dining room and small bar, where everyone gathers at the end of the day for a meal served �family style�, i.e. you are seated with other guests rather than just with your own party. This means you get a good chance to swap travellers tales � we were fortunate to be here quire early in our trip and got chatting to a Swiss couple near the end of theirs who gave us several good tips and ideas of places to go. The dinner was absolutely excellent by the way, and accompanied by good wine (included in the accommodation costs) � the couple who run this lodge are Austrian and their love of good food, wine and schnapps is very evident!

Unique Qualities: Before dinner though is another highlight, also included in the cost of your accommodation � the sunset bush drive. You set out late afternoon for a drive round the farm�s extensive landscape of Kalahari scrub and dunes, stopping for photos at an amazing social weaver birds� nest (this is the picture on my Namibia intro page). As the sun starts to dip the jeeps park on a dune and gluhwein is served as you watch the desert turn orange. Then you wrap up warm for the return to the lodge, as already the temperature will have dropped below freezing � at least it will if like us you visit in July!

The lodge also has a small swimming pool and pretty gardens in which to relax and unwind.

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Theme: Pension/Guesthouse
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$40-80 » Currency Converter
Directions: about 31km north east from Mariental on the C20

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Sam's Giardino: Little Switzerland?

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Written by toonsarah

on Jul 13, 2006

Chris and Einstein

This is a little touch of the Swiss Alps in the middle of the African desert! It's built in the style of a Swiss chalet and run by Sam, a colourful Swiss ex-pat. The rooms are comfortable and the breakfast fantastic, especially the home-made muesli and wonderful selection of cheeses. They also serve dinner but we didn't eat there so I can't say if that is as good as breakfast.

There's a very pleasant garden where you can relax and unwind after a busy day. There's also a secure car parking area. The only downside we thought was that it's a little way out of the town centre - not too far to walk perhaps, but we didn't fancy doing that at night so were obliged to take the car.

Unique Qualities: You may think that the hotel is run by Sam as I said above, but you soon come to realise that the real boss is his dog Einstein! He has his own chalet in the garden where he watches over everything.

One evening we sat with Sam over a drink and he proudly showed us his photo album. Like that of any proud father it was full of baby photos - of Einstein!

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120 » Currency Converter
Address: Anton Lubowski Ave. 89, Swakopmund
Directions: On entering Swakopmund via Walvis Bay turn right into Anton Lubowski Street at the the second intersection. Proceed for approx. 900 meters to reach �Haus Gr�ezi� (Sam�s Giardino), situated on your right-hand side.
Website: http://www.giardino.com.na/

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Twyfelfontein Lodge: A convenient location

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Written by toonsarah

on Jun 16, 2006

Twyfelfontein Lodge (you can see

the open-air bar)

We just stayed one night here, and that was enough. The plus points about this lodge are its convenient location only a few miles from the fascinating prehistoric rock art, and its attractive setting. There's a small pool with good views of the red mountains and local wildlife, and an okay restaurant serving slightly bland buffet dinners and good breakfasts. Both this and the bar are open sided, so can be a bit chilly at night, but are decorated in an interesting style with lots of rocky outcrops and tree trunks coming up through the floor. So why were we the only people in the bar? Perhaps because most of the other guests seemed to be in tour groups who were making their own amusements somewhere else?

Anyway, this large number of tour parties was the main down-side, but otherwise this is a reasonable, if somewhat impersonal, place to base yourself for a visit to this area. I guess we were just spoiled by the quality of some of the other accommodations we visited in Namibia, and this one just didn't really match that standard.

Unique Qualities: The rooms are in individual bungalows which are quite attractive - but the door to ours suddenly flew open as we were relaxing before dinner, so perhaps you should take care to always lock the door!

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$80-120 » Currency Converter
Directions: 100 km west of Khorixas - follow the signs from the C39
Website: http://www.namibweb.com/twy.htm

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Okaukuejo Camp: Basic accommodation in Etosha

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Written by toonsarah

on Dec 22, 2006

Warthogs fighting at Okaukuejo