The Camp

Location: Sossusvlei, Namibia
Number of Tents: 23

Nestled at the foot of the majestic Sossusvlei dunes, Kulala Desert Lodge provides guests with their own private entrance into Namib Naukluft Park, the perfect destination for those looking for a truly wild and remote desert experience. Accommodations are in 23 thatched and canvas "kulalas" (meaning "to sleep" in Oshiwambo) with en suite bathrooms and private verandas. Each unit is built on a wooden platform to take advantage of the cooling desert breezes. The flat rooftop of each kulala supports a deck where bedrolls are placed for guests who wish to sleep under the unbelievably starry Namibian skies. The main lodge, with its northern Africa-inspired décor, includes a lounge, fully stocked bar, dining area and plunge pool. The wrap-around veranda overlooks the camp’s waterhole, which attracts a plethora of wildlife including gemsbok, springbok, ostrich and jackal.

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Facilities & Amenities

• En suite bathroom with shower
• Family Accommodation: 2 family units, each with 2 en suite bedrooms with private entrances connected by shared deck; 1 family unit with 2 bedrooms sharing an entrance, bathroom and deck
• Shampoo, soap, insect repellent and bug spray
• Hair dryer available at reception (only use during generator hours)
• Room fan
• 220v charging outlets in room
• In-room safe
• Central swimming pool
• Star bed deck
• Wi-Fi available in main area (slow and intermittent)
• Laundry included
• Local drinks included (house alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks)
• Credit cards accepted (Visa and MasterCard)
• No air conditioning, telephone, or cellular coverage

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Wildlife Viewing & Activities

World-famous Sossusvlei is an enormous clay pan, flanked by the famous red sand dunes that stand out against the blue sky. On guided nature drives and walks guests can enjoy the wonders of the unique desert-adapted wildlife that lives here, including ostrich, springbok and gemsbok, as they struggle for survival in this unforgiving landscape. Larger predators found here include spotted hyena and the occasional brown hyena, a mystical shaggy-coated scavenger. Smaller creatures such as bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal, porcupine, Cape fox and aardwolf are often observed at night in the cool desert air. Despite the lack of vegetation and low rainfall, a surprisingly diverse array of insects, reptiles and rodents make their home around Kulala Desert Lodge - surviving thanks in part to the coastal fog that creeps up off the sea each dawn and penetrates as far as 30 miles inland. Optional hot air ballooning may be available at additional cost (weather permitting)—for two-night stays, you will have to forego your scheduled morning activity to balloon.

Although Sossusvlei is not a primary wildlife viewing destination, typical sightings may include ostrich, springbok, occasional nocturnal mammals, such as the bat-eared fox, aardwolf, jackal and porcupine, and a number of reptiles and most often the gemsbok or oryx, which is the national animal of Namibia. Exact sightings will depend on weather and wildlife movements.

Climate

Conservation

When you visit Kulala Desert Lodge, you are helping support wilderness conservation and critical wildlife research. The camp is situated in the private 90,000-acre Kulala Wilderness Reserve. Until 1996 this area had been used for subsistence goat farming, and little indigenous wildlife remained. Yet after the removal of stock fences and exotic species, wildlife slowly began to return. The area was then extended to adjoin the massive Namib Naukluft Park, becoming the Kulala Wilderness Reserve. The Small Carnivore Research Project began here in 2000, when bat-eared fox were studied on the reserve as an indicator species for land rehabilitation, followed by studies on aardwolf, black-backed jackal, Cape fox and African wildcat. The project also focuses on educating farmers and local communities about the differences between an aardwolf - an insectivorous small carnivore - and a hyena. Farmers often kill aardwolves, mistakenly regarding them as threats to their livestock.

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