More than being seen, deserts need to be experienced. Dune Camp, found close to Soussevlei, is the perfect springboard to the delicate ecosystems and fragile life-forms there will surely enrich your perspective on natural beauty. And the stillness and sense of restorative solitude will refresh you – body and mind. You should expect to be changed.
Dune Camp, in the Wolwedans collection, is extraordinary – for its views across the vastness of the Namib Desert and for its down-to-earth stylish charm. When you can watch the natural theatre of changing light dance across the sands without getting out of bed, you may believe in desert bliss. In a spaciously beautiful tented room, appointed with natural fabrics and textures, and where every comfort is considered, you are gently encouraged to savour the spectacular surrounds. And they are deeply beautiful.
Just six tented rooms and an exclusive-use, two-bedroom family suite – which includes a living area – completes Dune Camp. It’s personal and private, with each tented room having ample space both inside and out. Sweeping decks give a sense of floating on the surrounding sand and the small ‘chiller’ pools each room enjoys are welcome respite on summer days – and there are refreshing outdoor showers too. Meals are served at the central lodge dining area, with dinner at a shared long table, though private tables are offered too.
The elevation of Dune Camp, set on the edge of a 250-metre high dune, gives a fine sense of the vastness of the surrounding NamibRand Reserve – and you can soak up views in every direction from the interlocking decks that skirt the main lodge. Depending on the season, the whole lodge can be opened to be seamlessly indoor-outdoor too.
It’s all your choice to do as much or as little as you wish to while at Dune Camp. Bask in the sunshine, dip in the pool, stargaze and relax on your private deck. Or join an activity to experience the endless landscape out there, on a scenic or safari drive on red-sand roads, or maybe a hot-air balloon trip. If you feel energetic, do a Bushman walk, visit the village, go e-biking or horse riding in the desert. Whatever you choose will be a lifelong memory, of a time when all felt well with the world.
What we love!
- Walking in the desert with red sand underfoot, and surrounded by endless space, is a grounding experience.
- Stargazing here is extraordinary. The skies are so clear that the stars appear closer, not just brighter.
- The family suite, being slightly separate from the lodge, gives a sense of being home-from-home in a beautiful, peaceful environment.
- Décor, which is all in desert shades, doesn’t distract at all from the surrounding natural beauty.
What you need to know…
- The family suite is a short walk over the dunes from the main lodge.
- Dune Camp runs entirely on solar power.
- There is wifi in the main lounge, but no cellphone reception.
Reviewed by Keri Harvey