Wolwedans Desert Lodge
Wolwedans Desert Lodge Is Perched On A Wide Sand Dune In The Beautiful Wilderness Of The Namibrand Nature Reserve.
Wolwedans Desert Lodge is a luxurious and established property nestled into the sand dunes of the NamibRand Nature Reserve. With expansive views of the desert and mountains beyond, Wolwedans Desert Lodge offers a very exclusive and in depth desert experience which combines well with a visit to the much busier Sossusvlei region to the north. There is plenty of wildlife to see on the reserve, and the landscape is spectacular for photography. This is a place to slow down, re-charge and really appreciate the details of the desert.
Rooms
Accommodation is provided for a maximum of 20 adults (and up to 13 additional children) in nine comfortable timber and canvas rooms, all raised off the ground on stilts and set facing the mountains. Each room has en suite plumbed facilities with indoor and outdoor shower, and private sundecks including a private ‘chiller’ pool. Three of the rooms are Family Tents and have a second twin bedroom adjoining which shares a bathroom.
Central Areas
Wooden boardwalks lead from the tents to the central areas, which are built across several decks and include two lounge areas, two dining rooms, a library, a wine cellar and several outdoor decks. Wi-Fi is available throughout the camp (connections may be intermittent).
Facilities
Wi-Fi – Yes
Power for Charging – Yes
Swimming – Private ‘chiller’ pools
Habitat & Wildlife
The NamibRand Nature Reserve is an exclusive desert reserve bordering the eastern edge of the Namib Naukluft National Park, a little way south of Sesriem and Sossusvlei. The reserve has beautiful scenery, ranging from a wide vegetated sand dune belt to rocky mountains that tower over the surrounding gravel plains. The reserve is home to a variety of wildlife including Hartmann’s mountain zebra, giraffe, oryx, springbok, leopard, bat-eared fox, brown hyena, klipspringer, aardwolf, Cape fox, African wild cat and caracal.
Activities
Included activities from the camp are morning, afternoon, sunrise, sundown or full day nature drives; bushman walks; a visit to the ‘Wolwedans Village’ for a behind the scenes tour, including learning about community-driven initiatives and sustainability projects; and e-biking (short trips of between 1-2 hours are included; longer guided safaris with picnic lunch are at extra cost). For those looking to truly disconnect, a ‘solitude’ experience allows guests to retreat to a remote dune and be fully immersed for a short while in the stillness of the desert and simply connect with this unique landscape. At extra cost, horse riding (morning, evening/sunset or full day rides), hot air ballooning and scenic flights can all be arranged (must be pre-booked).
Between April and September (for guests staying a minimum of three nights) it’s possible to arrange a night under the stars with a desert sleep out, also at extra cost (with optional dinner hamper in the dunes).
There are also a number of conservation focused activities that guests can get involved in, such as tree planting or adopting a fairy circle, all at extra cost with proceeds going towards foundation initiatives and conservation work.
Seasons
Although you can visit Namibia year-round, the best time to travel is late April to early November.
Wolwedans Desert Lodge accepts children from five years and has three dedicated family rooms, each with two bedrooms. One child can also share the standard tents with parents. With the wide range of activities available, Wolwedans offers an inspiring, educational, fun-packed desert adventure for families, particularly those travelling with slightly older, active children.
Since its inception, Wolwedans has been highly conscious of its impact on the NamibRand and has consistently sought ways to contribute to the conservation of the land and its wildlife, and the support of its communities. Wolwedans is more than just a collection of camps, it comprises an active Foundation and Desert Academy, all driven by its visionary ‘AridEden Project’.
The AridEden Project is a framework created by Wolwedans to build more sustainable, resilient and inclusive conservation-tourism economies, underpinned by a business philosophy of balancing people, planet and profit.
Every stay at a Wolwedans camp contributes through:
- Paying the Sustainability Levy which is payable alongside accommodation costs. This levy includes the NamibRand Nature Reserve Park Fee and the balance is allocated to the Wolwedans Foundation.
- Supporting a lodge that not only employs an all Namibian team but one that has its own hospitality training school, the Desert Academy, as well as a range of other skills development projects and local enterprise support. The Wolwedans Foundation aims to empower young Namibians through education in hospitality and culinary art – through its Desert Academy at Wolwedans and Windhoek-based Nice academy (Namibian Institute of Culinary Education) both supported by the Namibian Training Authority.
- Contributing to the conservation of the NamibRand Nature Reserve, a private nature reserve established to help protect and conserve the unique ecology and wildlife of the south-west Namib Desert. Wolwedans began as one of a collection of farms that were purchased privately to create the NamibRand Nature Reserve – fences were removed and the land was rehabilitated. Over 2500 km of farming fences have been taken down and truckloads of old scrap have been removed as part of a huge landscape restoration effort. Guests are able to further participate by taking part in the ‘Adopt a Tree’ programme.
Wolwedans has also been awarded Global Ecosphere Retreat status by The Long Run, achieving the organisation’s most advanced sustainability standard, showing tangible dedication to positive impact nature-based tourism, a commitment to sustainability best practices and significant contribution to the well-being of both people and planet.
