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Hoodia Desert Lodge

Our rating

8/10

Price guide

Highlights

- Secluded desert location, great views
- Characterful, comfy & friendly lodge
- Informative Sossusvlei dune visits
- Swimming pool

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Overview

Hoodia Desert Lodge Right is a secluded and independent lodge located on the banks of the Tsauchab River in central Namibia. Surrounded by wide open plains and mountain scenery, this characterful property lies about 20 minutes from the Sesriem gateway to one of Namibia’s top destinations: Sossusvlei, an extensive salt and clay pan known for its dramatic, towering sand dunes. Despite its remote location, the lodge offers plenty of comfort along with sleek service, a good-sized pool, a viewing deck with superb mountain vistas and some highly informative, off-the-beaten-track guided dune tours.

The accommodation comprises 11 chalets which are well spaced out from one another to ensure peace and privacy. All of the chalets are tented and thatched and come with a private outdoor shower and bathtub, an indoor en-suite bathroom, and a shaded deck area. Air conditioning and mosquito nets are provided, along with a fridge and tea and coffee making facilities.

The Namib Desert is an expansive coastal desert that stretches for over 2,000 km along the Atlantic coast across three countries. It’s home to some of the driest areas on the planet and is thought by many to be the world’s oldest desert. Despite being very remote, Sossusvlei still attracts many a discerning visitor keen to marvel at the sights and almighty scale of the dunes. These dunes can reach a height of several hundred metres in places and display a vibrant array of colours from red, to pink, to orange. The guided dune tours provided by the lodge focus on areas that are off the beaten track and therefore less frequented by other tourists. The guided visits typically last from before sunrise until about teatime and include 4x4 sightseeing as well as several hikes. Informative lectures about the area’s fascinating geology, history and wildlife are also given throughout the day. It’s also possible to explore the dunes independently if you have your own vehicle, although do bear in mind that some of the more well-trodden roads can be a bit bumpy and tricky to navigate. While the Sossusvlei drives are undoubtedly the highlight of a stay at Hoodia Desert Lodge, there’s also a worthwhile Sun Downer Experience on offer. This is a relaxed drive to a breath-taking viewing point where guests enjoy a private meal of snacks and traditional drinks while taking in the beautiful sunset. Stays at the lodge are on an all-inclusive basis, with two tours included in the rates.

The lodge has a good number of on-site facilities to make use of when not out exploring the local area. There’s a shaded outdoor viewing deck with captivating mountain views, as well as a good-sized swimming pool and a spacious indoor lounge area complete with a fireplace for the colder months. Drinks are served at the bar and there’s a cosy restaurant to dine in. All food is freshly- prepared and plenty of national cuisine is available.

Children aged 12+ are welcome to stay at the lodge, although it does have a fairly adult feel and we tend to recommend it for older families. While there is no designated child activity programme, the pool is great to splash about in between activities.

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What customers are saying after travelling with Tourdust

Average Rating

based on 534 reviews

(5.00/5)

  • I was also just about to email you to thank you and the team for arranging yet again, another wonderful experience.

    Mount Kenya was spectacular and wild - I think I prefer it to Kili in many ways. The entire support team was professional, friendly and all round fantastic in making sure that we were safe, well fed and well looked after. In particular, we would commend Peter the guide as well as Paul one of the porters who doubled-up as his deputy on summit day. Our route was often shrouded in mist and rain that rapidly gathered in the valleys and moorlands, and we were very impressed at how Peter managed to navigate us safely through all of that notwithstanding. In addition, we loved learning about the history of Mount Kenya from him in the evenings. And ofcourse, I was blown away by the lovely birthday surprise at the end complete with balloons and a delicious cake that had journeyed with us from day 1. One thing we might recommend because of the sudden change in weather (it would sometimes get extremely cold and wet) is for the equipment list to be a little bit more detailed in terms of its recommendations e.g. layers to be moisture-wicking, walking boots be waterproof, doubling up on socks to avoid blisters etc.

    El Karama is a beautiful conservancy and the lodge a true labour of love. Great hospitality in a relaxed environment. Delicious, fresh food. We enjoyed the drives, even if we didn't see much wildlife as the heavens opened on us for the last two outings. However, since it was very much geared towards families, I am not sure if I would stay again without kids. That said, I think it was perfect for a 3d/2n stay post mountain, and a much better choice than flying to the masai mara given the limited time we had.

    Our transits were smooth. Samuel the driver was always on time, drove safely and kept the vehicle clean.

    So it was a brilliant experience and one which I certainly will cherish for some time to come. It was great to work with you for a third time, and I certainly hope it won't be the last

    MissingJuhae C reviewing Mount Kenya Sirimon Naro Moru Trek on 01 March 2024

  • Thank you, we had an absolute wonderful time, and everything was well-planned and as described. Carla was crying on the day of our departure from Ants Nest, she didn’t want to go home and for it all to end, and when I asked how much longer she would want to stay, she responded “four weeks”

    MissingLars B reviewing Best of South Africa for Families on 01 March 2024

  • We had the most amazing time. It exceeded all my hopes of what the trip would be. The guides, the hotels - everything was of such a wonderful quality. Thank you for organizing everything. I will absolutely recommend Tourdust and use you again.

    MissingClaudia L reviewing Luxury Desert Holiday on 11 January 2024

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