2016 Under the Southern Cross- Gold

Depart from Sossusvlei Lodge in the late afternoon on a leisurely drive on the Lodge's private reserve. Watch the shadows lengthen as your guide takes you out to a panoramic location where sundowner drinks will be served as you relax and watch the spectacular sunset. The inner tranquillity that a desert sunset imparts while you sit amongst nature is really something special...

An early start from the Lodge to enter the Namib-Naukluft Park at sunrise, while the temperature is still mild and when the dune contrasts are at their best. You will travel in one of our all-terrain URI Gameviewer vehicles, custom-built in Namibia for the Lodge, with your own specially trained guide who will share all his knowledge of the area, animals, plant life and much more with you. Regular stops are made on the spectacular ±60 kilometre drive through the dune corridor down to the Vlei to gain information or take in the vistas. At Dune 45, we make a stop to view the the world's most photographed dune. Further along, a gradual 2,6 kilometer round-trip guided walk up to Dead Vlei is a must for the healthy visitors. The more energetic have the opportunity to climb to the upper ridge of Big Daddy Dune, one of the highest dunes in this area! We spend time exploring Sossusvlei before returning to the Lodge approximately 5½ hours later in time for lunch.

The guided nature walk starts at sunrise, departing from the Lodge and takes place on and around the spectacular Elim Dune Belt. Our knowledgeable guides focus on the small things often overlooked – nocturnal animal tracks, plant species and smaller wildlife.

Experience the remarkable depths of Sesriem Canyon. Our experienced guides will share the history behind this magnificent natural canyon carved by the Tsauchab River.

Discover the majesty of the Namib Desert by Helicopter! Our Pilots are well experienced and will guide you through the scenery on an adventurous and informative flight. We offer a range of scenic flights over the breath-taking grass plains to the towering dunes of Sossusvlei and the hidden mysteries of Deadvlei. Exciting flips over the Sesriem Canyon, Dune 45 and Elim Dune as well as custom built flights for photographers that wish to focus on specific areas of the Namib.

Desert Air have a well-maintained 6-seater Cessna 210 light aircraft permanently based on the Sossusvlei Lodge property along with an experienced pilot who also doubles as a trained "aerial" desert guide. A number of routes are available on request, including: A 40 minute trip to Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon will provide you with wonderful aerial photographs of the Vlei and Canyon. A longer hour trip to the forbidden coast (Sperrgebiet) and the area known as Lange Wand, which is the coastal area of the Namib Desert, will provide you incredible views where a 'sea of desert dunes' meet the Atlantic ocean. An hour and a half trip over the Sossusvlei area will include Conception Bay, a seal colony, shipwreaks and even old diamond miners camps.

"Up, up and away" as you sail silently over the reddish dune sea of the Namib. Add an exhilarating dimension to your visit to the desert. The duration of the excursion is approximately 3½ hours. The Hot Air Balloon flight itself takes about one hour and ends with an exclusive Champagne Breakfast at the landing spot in scenic nature. The Breakfast is followed by a Nature drive back to Sossusvlei Lodge. Special group rates apply for groups of min 24 pax, max 110 pax. Due to the desert temperatures this activity is offered in the mornings only. Guests are collected at the lodge ½ hour before sunrise. The balloon rises as the sun rises. The first light hour of the day is known to be the most spectacular, especially in the desert with the rich contrast of colour and shape on the towering sand dunes of the Sossusvlei Area, on the vast desert plains and surrounding mountain ranges.

Host you special function or bush dinner in the heart of the Namib Desert! With views of towering red sand dunes amidst the vast desert plains, this is the most awe-inspiring venue nature has on offer. Sossusvlei Lodge have perfected the art of outdoor catering enthusing guests with delightful bush dinners, breakfasts at Sossusvlei, special events and even private intimate dinners. Each function will be planned according to your requirements. You can be assured this will be a function that will be talked about and remembered for a lifetime!

Enjoy a unique breakfast in Sossusvlei with views of the towering red sand dunes under the shade of the age-old acacias. Sossusvlei Lodge provides a full English or Continental Breakfast complete with a table and chair setup.

With more than 13.000 ha this reserve is one of the biggest Private Wildlife Reserves in Namibia. To explore the Epacha. Enjoy a morning, afternoon or night drive and discover the many different species on the reserve, including some rare species like the Black-faced Impala and the Bat-eared fox. Guests are guided by professional Bush Rangers. Together with your ranger as guide you also enjoy a stunning sunset in the middle of the Reserve.

Night Drive
A daytime safari is so much more different compared to a Night Game Drive! When you are on a game drive at night as you see the animal species which you can’t see in the day time. The rangers work together with a tracker who sits on the front of the vehicle and tries to spot the rare sights like Bat-Eared Fox, Aardwolf, Vulture, Hyena, Black Rhino.

This is a half day drive that departs from Epacha Game Lodge at sunset and returns to Epacha early to mid afternoon depending on the guests. The drive includes soft drinks, water and a light picnic lunch. Experience the thrill of game viewing in one of the largest national parks in the world where you will see more than 340 different species of birds as well as various game species such elephant, giraffe, eland, kudu, oryx, springbok and many more.

If you have seen the wildlife and enjoyed the Spa at Epacha Game Lodge, you might be interested in trying something completely different but also exciting. Clay Pigeon Shooting is the art of shooting at special flying targets (Clay Pigeons) with a shotgun or firearm. We transfer you by vehicle to where the activity takes place. We provide the clay pigeons and rifle. A guide will be present to show and guide you.

The Epacha Game Lodge and Spa was the first in Namibia to combine the African safari experience with wellness when it first opened its doors in 2001. Many other lodges have since followed suit.

The Spa at Epacha is fully equipped with a Jacuzzi, Sauna, Steam Room and 2 treatment rooms. The most popular attraction at the spa is the open-air duo-treatment room, where it is possible to enjoy one of the many treatments together with your partner.

Experience this cultural exchange, where visitors learn about the rich heritage of one of Namibia’s most distinctive nomadic tribes. The Himba continue to lead remarkably similar lives to their ancestors, forging an existence in the harsh environment of Kunene (formerly called Kaokoland).

On your visit, you will experience the men, women and children rubbing dark red paste called otjize (a mixture of cattle fat, ash and ochre) into their skin to protect them from the sun. The Himba wear clothes made from goat skin, and the women have long braided hair coated with otjize and jewellery made from iron, copper and shells.

The visit to the local Himba Village is a must for anyone interested in culture. A visit usually lasts a couple of hours and our guide will drive you to the village located on the farm Vierling in one of the game drive vehicles. At the village you will be led by a local guide that will explain to you their day-to-day lives, traditions, beliefs and customs.

The Dream Cruiser is Onguma's newest and most unique under the stars sleep-out experience.

Arriving in time to enjoy sundowners and take a tour of your overnight accommodation, this sleep out in the wilderness of the reserve is on our custom built Land Cruiser, featuring a full bathroom on the lower deck and a bedroom with lounge area on the upper deck.

A night on the Dream Cruiser calls for al fresco picnic-style dining is delivered by our chef for you to enjoy as the evening turns to night and the stars dance in all their glory.
A ranger is on call via a two-way radio, so make the most of this time and relax in the safety and complete comfort of this unique space.

After a good night's rest, you can enjoy morning tea/coffee with homemade rusks before being collected for breakfast at the lodge.

Onguma's fabulous new water-level hide affords guests a great opportunity to calmly sit and enjoy nature unobserved. Amateur and professional photographers alike love the angles and light from this equipped hide.

There is a small ablution facility nearby, benches from which to view the surroundings and lots of windows and vantage points for creative camera angles.

Onguma Nature Reserve consists of 34 000 hectares of Namibian wilderness & is home to numerous plains game, more than 300 bird species ​and even 4 of the Big 5. ​The Reserve boasts over thirty different animal species. Plains game roam freely on the Reserve and predators although not always easy to spot, are nevertheless common residents of the area. Lions and Cheetahs are frequently seen and often heard. There is a healthy black rhino and leopard population and hyenas are also often seen and heard.

Etosha is a 22 750km² wildlife sanctuary in Namibia – one of Africa’s most stable and accessible countries. Etosha, meaning ‘place of dry water’, and refers to a flat calcrete depression (or pan) of about 5 000km². The ‘Pan’ (overlooked by the Onguma Reserve) provides a great, parched, silver-white backdrop of shimmering mirages to an area of semi-arid savannah grassland and thorn scrub. The pan itself contains water only after very good rains and sometimes for only a few days each year, but is enough to stimulate the growth of a blue-green algae which lures thousands of flamingos.

Africa takes on a new perspective when you experience it on foot as the first explorers did. A bush walk is a unique physical, mental and spiritual adventure through nature. Experience the sights, smells and sounds of the Namibian bush by conducting an early morning leisurely walk accompanied by one of our experienced armed rangers.

​Johan, our resident therapist, is a professional massage therapist with over 15 years experience, having lived and worked at renowned Wellness Centres in Asia and Africa. His passion for and dedication to massage therapy originated in the East, where he was trained and educated from the best teachers in their respective fields. Having the opportunity to spend considerable time with monks in Thailand, has also led him to incorporate focused awareness into his massage therapies.

We offer:
- Therapeutic Full Body Massage - 60 min – N$ 850 / 90 min
- Lymphatic Drainage Massage - 60 min
- Back Neck & Shoulder Massage - 45 min – N$ 600 / 60 min
- Head & Face Massage - 45 min
- Thai Foot Massage - 45 min
- Unique Combination of Therapeutic Massage & Thai Yoga Massage - 90 min