Top 10 Best Luxury Namibia Safari Lodges & Camps

A safari in Namibia means fantastic wildlife and superb landscapes. It also means some pretty special places to stay. Choosing where to stay in Namibia is at once pleasurable and easy. That’s because the portfolio of Namibia safari lodges and camps extends across the country, and is especially strong in and around Etosha National Park, Sossusvlei and Damaraland.

Narrowing down the selection of the best lodges and tented camps across Namibia means taking into account a range of criteria. These include the level of luxury, the views and general location, the originality of the offering, and the overall safari experience. The best places we’ve chosen for you below tick all (or most) of these boxes.

The accommodations below are not ranked in a specific quality order.

202 Namibia Safari Tours

1. Etosha Safari Lodge (Etosha NP)

Etosha Safari Lodge is close to Etosha National Park and a terrific place to stay

Etosha Safari Lodge is set atop a rise that looks out over a beautiful expanse of mopane woodland not far south of Anderson Gate. Being this close to Etosha means you can be in the park soon after sunrise and stay until nearly sunset. Rooms are outstanding, with bright color schemes and distinctive exposed brickwork. You can also enjoy the fine facilities that include a pool with a view and appealing bar, restaurant and public areas. The cooking here is also first-rate.

31 Etosha Safari Lodge Tours

2. Okonjima Plains Camp (Okonjima Private NR)

In the heart of the reserve, Okonjima Plains Camp has beautiful rooms

Part of the AfriCat Foundation’s outstanding Okonjima Private Nature Reserve, Okonjima Plains Camp has lovely rooms, many with uninterrupted views of the grasslands where wildlife regularly wanders past. You’ll certainly see gemsbok and warthog, while leopard, brown hyena and even pangolin sightings are also possible. You’re close to the reserve’s hub here, with a fine restaurant and gift shop, as well as the good museum and the enclosure for cheetahs that have been rescued from incidents of human-wildlife conflict. It’s that perfect blend of luxury, location and impressive conservation outcomes.

20 Okonjima Plains Camp Tours

3. Etosha Safari Camp (Etosha NP)

The impressive Etosha Safari Camp has lodge-style rooms in a fine location with sweeping views

Just outside the eastern boundary of Etosha National Park, this luxury lodge looks out over the treetops and the plains of Etosha, with expansive views from many of the rooms as well. The rooms are a gorgeous mix of brickwork and large windows that let natural light flood into the space. The public areas have superb facilities, from the lounge and dining areas to the plush leather-studded sofas and swimming pool with a view.

23 Etosha Safari Camp Tours

4. Onguma Bush Camp (Onguma Private GR)

Family-friendly Onguma Bush Camp sits just outside Etosha and has excellent rooms

Onguma Bush Camp is one of many excellent accommodations in the 340km²/131mi² Onguma Private Game Reserve, which sits along Etosha’s eastern flank. It is a luxury offering that makes a special pitch for families. Rooms combine soothing earth colors with soaring thatched ceilings, and the whole experience is of expansive lawns, palm trees, lots of shade and the possibility of seeing animals just outside the fence. It’s this combination of space with big Etosha skies and excellent wildlife that really stands out here. All the facilities you could need – swimming pool, bar, restaurant and massage center – round out a supremely comfortable package.

Onguma Bush Camp Tours

5. Kulala Desert Lodge (Namib-Naukluft NP)

In a privileged position overlooking the sand dunes of Sossusvlei, Kulala Desert Lodge is superb

You’d need a very good reason to stay anywhere but here when you visit the sand dunes of Sossusvlei. Decked out in earth colors to such an extent that the whole lodge seems like a part of the surroundings, everything here faces out into the desert. There are views of the sand dunes and the stirring Naukluft Mountains, and it can feel like your own exclusive viewing platform, far from the noise and clamor of other safari lodges. The elevated safari tents, the public areas perfectly positioned to catch an evening breeze, the outstanding cooking, and the chance to sleep under the stars: this really is a special place.

One of the few rivals in the area is the nearby, smaller sister property, Little Kulala.

Kulala Desert Lodge Tours

6. Kwessi Dunes (NamibRand NR)

Kwessi Dunes has a prime desert location with luxury rooms and facilities

Part of the elite Natural Selection portfolio of Namibia safari camps, Kwessi Dunes lies close to Sossusvlei but in its own valley that feels like a desert all its own. Red sand dunes rise above the camp and the views seem to go on forever. The stunning rooms combine canvas walls, which help you feel very much a part of your surroundings, with high roofs that keep the harsh desert sun at bay.

The swimming pool, the fabulous food, the professional service – it’s all a standard part of staying here. And after the sun sets out beyond the sands in a red blaze of glory, nights are filled with stars and silence and magic.

Kwessi Dunes Tours

7. Mowani Mountain Camp (Damaraland)

Mowani Mountain Camp is a beautiful camp close to Twyfelfontein

Seeming to merge with the rugged outcrops of Damaraland, Mowani Mountain Camp has magnificent safari tents that manage a rare combination of intimacy as well as expansive views from the private terraces. Wherever you are in camp, the feeling is one of being part of nature. The stars at night have to be seen to be believed. Fine dining, a pool, and warm, personal service are all very much a part of staying here. You are also close to the world-famous rock art of Twyfelfontein.

Mowani Mountain Camp Tours

8. Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp (Skeleton Coast NP)

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp is a flagship luxury property in a remote desert setting

There’s remote, and then there’s Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp. Part of the top-of-the-range Wilderness Safaris stable, this exceptionally beautiful tented camp of light woods and abundant canvas lies so far beyond the end of the paved road that you may need to fly in. The views, the landscapes, even the possibilities of seeing wildlife: this really is the best the Skeleton Coast has to offer and one of the finest safari camps you’ll find anywhere in the country.

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Tours

9. Ongava Tented Camp (Ongava Private GR)

Ongava Tented Camp is a luxury camp that’s very much a part of the Etosha experience

The wildlife-rich Ongava Private Game Reserve lies outside the southwestern boundary of Etosha National Park, but the two protected areas belong to the same thriving ecosystem. The sublime rooms at Ongava Tented Camp, each with its own private deck, face out over a green-and-yellow wilderness of trees, sands and animals. In the camp itself, everything is designed for your comfort, from the open-sided bar and restaurant to the inviting swimming pool and the spa and wellness center. Take a game drive in the reserve or farther into the national park: you’ll love the experience either way.

Ongava Tented Camp Tours

10. &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge (Sossusvlei)

Sossusvlei Desert Lodge has excellent service and rooms, and a location close to Sossusvlei

Lodges by &Beyond are usually a cut above the rest and this place is quite simply one of the best Namibia safari lodges. The attention to detail is exemplary, there’s luxury at every turn, and the location sets you up perfectly for a day among the dunes. The rooms, the service, the location – it’s impossible to find fault with any of these. As with all places that you never want to leave, the only challenge is resisting the temptation to stay at the lodge all day.

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By Anthony Ham

AU

Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of the Lonely Planet guide to Botswana and Namibia.

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