Best hotels in Namibia

A lodge that lives up to its name, Namib Outpost lies in a remote location at Sossusvlei, in the southern Namib. If peace and natural splendour are your thing, and if you love sand dunes, then this is the place to come – Sossuvlei's large salt and clay pan is surrounded by some of the highest dunes in the world. The views are spectacular, especially at sunset, when the sand is rosy and you can hear geckos barking and hyaenas calling. Recently renovated, the lodge's atmosphere is relaxed, the accommodation is great and you can explore the desert on horseback.

Ensconced by dramatic, sunbaked desert, Onduli Ridge is a cool and collected part of the Damaraland scene. Practically sculpted into the granite boulders, the camp is seamless in design and fits right in with its surroundings. Every space maximises the views and by night, it's the tapestry of stars that steals the show. Spend your days relaxing by the pool, enjoying some of Namibia's finest food and exploring this sandy playground - which just happens to include Namibia's highest mountain, the Brandberg. Sounds pretty good to us.

With a strict limit on the number of lodges allowed in the beautiful NamibRand Nature Reserve, it’s not often that a new one appears on the books. But here is Kwessi Dunes Lodge, once a traditional Namibian farm and now 10 cool and quirky chalets, which opened to guests in March 2020. Set smack bang in the middle of the 200,000-hectare reserve, there’s plenty to get your teeth into – we hear tales of nature drives and walks, quad bike explorations, hot air balloon flights, Sossusvlei trips and plenty of opportunities to spot desert-adapted wildlife. Add to that a lovely-looking lodge and a team that knows exactly what they’re doing when it comes to top-notch safaris (and air conditioning and a swimming pool).

Perched in a wide grassy valley and cradled by the dramatic Nubib, Tsaris and Naukluft Mountains, this eclectic lodge proves that getting to know the world's oldest desert is best done at a gentle trot. What sets this place apart from the usual Sossusvlei suspects is its genuine farm-style hospitality and those famously excellent horse trails that have guests returning year after year. The fact that the profits of both lodges in the Namib Tsaris Nature Reserve, Desert Homestead Lodge and Namib Outpost, are fully set aside for the conservation of this area means every sundowner you sip is also a toast to protecting one of Africa's most extraordinary landscapes.

This lovely stone and canvas lodge in private Onguma Reserve embraces a floodlit waterhole that can be seen from both the main areas and the suites. The camp (one of five lodges in the reserve – the others are Onguma Bush Camp, Onguma Tree Top, Onguma the Fort and Onguma Plains Camp) lies on the eastern edge of Etosha National Park, so there are great opportunities to see wildlife in both sanctuaries. Expect fresh decor, solicitous staff, varied animal and bird sightings and extraordinary views.

Gazing out from Dead Valley Lodge, the desert seems to go on forever and it truly feels like there's no one else in the world. Yet, you're also only a few minutes from the entrance into Namib-Naukluft National Park, making it one of the closest to the dunes of Sossusvlei. You'll easily be the first ones there in the morning! The lodge has borrowed its style from its ancient desert surroundings with gnarled wooden coffee tables and subtle, sandy tones. Plus, there are endless opportunities for adventure, from a trek up the 'Big Daddy' dune to a hot air balloon flight surveying the surreal scenes.

Damaraland in north-west Namibia is an ancient, boulder-strewn landscape of heat, dust and extraordinary beauty. This is the middle of nowhere, so finding tranquil Mowani Mountain Camp, tucked among the giant ochre rocks, is a real surprise. The lodge's organic design has earned it an architectural eco-design award, and the interior decor combines elegance, earthiness and tranquility. The accommodation is spacious and comfortable, the food is great, the game drives are rewarding and you could lose yourself in the views. Desperate for some peace? You'll find it here in spades.

On a remote stretch of the Caprivi's floodplains, only accessible by boat.

One of the more remote locations for a safari, Chobe Savanna Lodge sits in Namibia's Caprivi Strip - a narrow wedge of land to Botswana's north that connects Namibia to Zambia. A privileged position indeed, this camp is only accessible via an hour's boat ride, launched from the town of Kasane in Botswana. (Getting here is half the adventure). Once you arrive you'll enjoy the 180-degree views from the lodge's exquisite main area overlooking a floodplain on the banks of the Chobe River. Here the wildlife and landscape are enjoyed almost exclusively from the boat (except when waters are low enough to take a guided walk on the floodplain - a very brief window of time). This place truly forces one to slow down.

Also known as Onguma Plains Camp, Onguma The Fort sits on Etosha National Park's eastern boundary overlooking the impressive Fischer's Pan. The lodge makes a bold architectural statement by resembling a fort, likely inspired by the nearby Fort Namutoni in the park. This is a good option for those wary of tent camping and the park's high density of tourists, though it will mean day-trips in to make the most of the area. The Onguma reserve itself doesn't exactly pump with wildlife but trips into Etosha provide opportunities to see lions, black rhino, elephants and loads of giraffe and plains game.

Frans Indongo Lodge sits on a private reserve close to northern Namibia's Waterberg mountain range. The lodge has impressive, humbling origins, that speak to southern Africa's complicated history. Dr. Frans Indongo, the lodge's owner (now one of Namibia's wealthiest businessman), was born to local farm workers during the apartheid era and grew up tending livestock. Fast-forward a few decades and he's the proud patron of this reserve that offers down-to-earth local hospitality, surprising game viewing (including sable antelope, black springbok, nyala, and black and white rhino) and convenient proximity to several significant wildlife conservation partnerships.